Best Payroll Software and Services for 2024

Gusto: Best overall payroll software

Our star rating: 4.6 out of 5

Gusto’s modern payroll and HR platform offers payroll processing, employee benefits administration and talent management solutions. As one of the most popular small-business payroll providers, Gusto integrates with dozens of popular third-party applications, including accounting solutions like QuickBooks Online and Xero.

Along with third-party integrations, Gusto’s payroll service also has built-in time tracking and project tracking features for higher-priced plans. Managers can easily track team hours and process time off requests and approvals. Workers can track their time by logging their hours on a computer or through Gusto’s employee mobile time-tracking app, which uses geolocation to verify hours.

Why we chose Gusto: If you don’t have any prior experience with payroll software and aren’t sure where to start, Gusto is absolutely our top recommendation.

Few online payroll providers can compare with Gusto’s automations, features and overall user friendliness. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with the most popular third-party business apps and takes the hassle out of payroll processing, including payroll taxes and benefits deductions.

Pricing

Gusto has three business payroll plans:

• Gusto Simple: $40/month + $6/employee/month.
• Gusto Plus: $80/month + $12/employee/month.
• Gusto Premium: Custom pricing only.

If you pay contractors only, Gusto’s contractor plan costs $6 per contractor paid per month for six months, then $35 per month plus the per-contractor fee after that.

Gusto also has an international contractor payment plan that lets businesses pay independent contractors in 120+ countries. Pricing is country-specific.

Finally, Gusto recently added international payroll in the form of an employer of record service. Contact Gusto for more information.

Top payroll features

• Unlimited monthly payroll runs.
• Full-service tax administration.
• Employee self-service portal.
• Hiring and onboarding tools with all plans.
• Gusto-brokered health insurance options in 37 states.
• Additional employee benefit options include 401(k) retirement plans, commuter benefits and free financial tools.

Top integrations: FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, Xero, ZipBooks, QuickBooks Desktop and Bookkeeper360.

Pros

• Thorough employee self-service features with employee profiles, e-signature capabilities and easy access to documentation.
• HR features including performance reviews, employee surveys and access to certified HR experts (with pricier plans only).
• Automated payroll runs and automatic general ledger updates.

Cons

• Basic plan users don’t have access to customer support on weekends.
• Limited HR tools with cheapest plan, especially compared to all-in-one payroll systems like ADP and Paychex.
• High per-employee fee with pricier plans can make the solution too expensive for organizations with a greater number of employees.

Learn more about Gusto by reading our in-depth Gusto payroll software review.

ADP RUN: Best for growing organizations

Our star rating: 4.4 out of 5

With ADP’s main payroll product for small and midsize businesses, RUN Powered by ADP, business owners can run payroll automatically and pay employees using multiple pay methods. Every plan comes with HR tools like new-hire reporting, onboarding assistance, background checks and built-in time and attendance.

Why we chose ADP: Whether you’re looking for a simplistic app-based payroll solution or fully featured enterprise-level program, ADP has a payroll product for you. Its extremely versatile products are diverse enough to accommodate businesses of all sizes and in plenty of industries.

For instance, ADP TotalSource is a PEO for small businesses that want to offload hiring and payroll responsibilities. Roll by ADP is a chat-based app for businesses with fewer than five employees. ADP Workforce Now is an HCM solution for midsize businesses while ADP GlobalView Payroll helps businesses pay employees in 40+ countries.

Pricing

ADP doesn’t list the base prices for any of its payroll solutions online, including RUN Powered by ADP. Interested parties must contact ADP directly for a quote.

Top payroll features

• Automated full-service payroll.
• Multi-jurisdiction payroll processing.
• Employee self-service portal access.
• Employee discounts, which provide workers with discounts on brand-name products and with local retailers.
• Exceptional reporting features, including thorough and customizable payroll and HR reports.

Top integrations: QuickBooks Online, Wave Accounting, Xero, SAP, Sage, Workday, 7shifts, ZipRecruiter, HiBob and Microsoft Teams.

Pros

• Up to three months free for new users.
• Integrations with an extensive range of popular third-party software systems.
• Robust, customizable reporting capabilities.
• Comprehensive optional add-on features include retirement plans, workers’ compensation insurance and employee health benefits.

Cons

• No transparent pricing online.
• Reporting features may have a higher learning curve for new users.
• State Unemployment Insurance management features only available with higher-priced plans.

Learn more about ADP in our thorough RUN Powered by ADP review.

Rippling: Best time-saving automations

Our star rating: 4.3 out of 5

Rippling’s full-service payroll solution has excellent built-in compliance support and HR tools, which makes it a solid alternative to software like Gusto that focus more on payroll than on HR. Its payroll plan includes workers’ compensation insurance administration, customizable reports and excellent compliance oversight. Most notably, Rippling lets businesses build custom automations, including custom policies for syncing payroll data with your general ledger.

Rippling’s other HR products include time and attendance software, benefits administration, applicant tracking and learning management. Companies can also add Rippling’s IT and finance software to its HR and payroll plan, creating a customizable package that grows with companies as they scale from startups to international enterprises.

Why we chose Rippling: If saving time while ensuring accuracy is your top payroll priority, we recommend Rippling payroll. The software’s thorough automations ensure processing payroll takes no more than a few minutes at most.

Rippling is currently offering a one-month free subscription for TechRepublic readers. Visit Rippling’s site to get started.

Pricing

Rippling charges $8 per employee per month on top of a standard monthly base fee. Rippling doesn’t list its base price online, though the site previously listed its starting price at $35 per month.

Contact Rippling to request a custom quote.

Top payroll features

• Employee health insurance benefits in all 50 states.
• Built-in wage garnishment.
• Automated minimum wage, leave and overtime compliance.
• Customizable role-based permissions.
• Customizable workflow automations.
• Wage garnishment.

Top integrations:  QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage and Oracle NetSuite.

Pros

• International payroll processing available.
• Easy-to-customize plans include only the modules you want.
• Thorough integration with every product in the Rippling suite and 500+ third-party apps.
• Comprehensive, customized automations for most business processes.

Cons

• Expensive plans are outside many small and midsize businesses’ budgets.
• Workflow automations can have a high learning curve for first-time users.

Dig deeper into Rippling’s features by reading our Rippling payroll review.

OnPay: Best industry-specific payroll

Our star rating: 4.7 out of 5

OnPay’s payroll software program helps businesses in all industries pay employees, offer benefits, deposit taxes and get solid HR assistance. Along with its general payroll services, OnPay also offers industry-specific payroll services tailor-made for more niche companies. For instance, OnPay’s bar and restaurant payroll solution includes features for processing tipped wages, employee onboarding and time-tracking software integrations.

Why we chose OnPay: All of OnPay’s payroll plans include an impressive amount of HR features (especially when compared to similar HR payroll solutions like Gusto). Features like compliance auditing and HR library access give small and midsize businesses access to HR tools they’d typically have to pay extra for. OnPay’s stellar payroll features include wage garnishment and free multi-state payroll — two services most of the other top payroll systems charge extra for.

Pricing

OnPay payroll has just one plan that includes all of its payroll and HR features. It costs $40 per month as a base fee plus $6 per month per employee.

Top payroll features

• Unlimited monthly payroll runs.
• Free white-glove setup and data migration.
• Optional OnPay-brokered insurance benefits in all 50 states.
• Compliance alerts.
• Wage garnishment.
• Multi-state payroll.
• Federal, state and local tax filing.
• Support for multiple pay schedules.

Top integrations: Xero, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Time and Magnify.

Pros

• Industry-specific payroll plans for  restaurants, farms and agriculture, nonprofits, churches and clergy, manufacturing companies, 500+ employee companies and more.
• Far fewer add-on fees than other payroll providers.
• Custom PTO policy creation with automatic PTO accrual, calendars, time-off requests and manager approvals.
• Up to three months free for new customers.

Cons

• Phone, chat and email support limited to weekdays with only emergency email support available on weekends.
• One plan only, which may be less scalable for rapidly growing businesses.
• No international payroll options.
• Fewer built-in integrations than comparable payroll providers.

Learn more about OnPay’s payroll system by reading our comprehensive OnPay review.

Papaya Global: Best for international payroll

Our star rating: 4.2 out of 5

Why we chose Papaya Global: For fast, budget-friendly global payroll processing, it’s hard to do better than Papaya. Its contractor payroll plans start at just $2 per contractor per month, or you can also choose Papaya’s employer of record service for comprehensive employee hiring in 160+ countries.

Pricing

Papaya offers a variety of international payroll services tailored toward businesses with diverse budgets and workforce needs:

• Global payroll: Starts at $25/employee/month for businesses with 101+ employees, $20/employee/month with 501+ employees, or $15/employee/month with 1,001+ employees.
• Payroll platform licensing: Starts at $3 per month per employee.
• EOR: Starts at $650/employee/month.
• Contractor Payments & Management: Starts at $30/contractor/month.

Top payroll features

• Local currency payments made within 72 hours.
• Optional employee benefits.
• Country-specific tax management.
• AI-based compliance audits.
• Global finance, HR and payroll features rolled into one package.
• Local experts with knowledge on immigration, global compliance, equity, benefits and more.

Top integrations: NetSuite, Workday, Expensify, BambooHR, Namely and HiBob

Pros

• One of the most fully featured global payroll providers for U.S.-based companies.
• Access to payroll and benefits in more than 160 countries.
• Extensive international payroll library and compliance oversight.

Cons

• Fewer third-party integrations than some international payroll competitors.

Learn more about whether Papaya Global will work for you by reading our in-depth Papaya review.

Paychex: Best HR solutions

Our star rating: 4 out of 5

Paychex’s all-in-one payroll software solution includes HR and payroll tools with optional add-on employee benefits. Unlike single-plan solutions like Square Payroll or OnPay, Paychex has four payroll plans that are designed for startups, enterprises and everything in between.

Why we chose Paychex: While Paychex has more or less the same full-service payroll features as Gusto, it has a more robust set of HR features. In contrast to Paychex’s professional employer organization service, its payroll and HR software isn’t a total HR solution. However, each Paychex plan has far more HR tools and support than any of Gusto’s plans, including access to a comprehensive HR library, optional financial wellness benefits for employees and access to labor posters.

Pricing

Paychex has three different pricing tiers for its HR/payroll solutions, but all of them require a custom quote:

• Paychex Flex Essentials: Custom quote.
• Paychex Flex Select: Custom quote.
• Paychex Flex Pro: Custom quote.

Top payroll features

• Employee self-service portals.
• Basic onboarding.
• Unlimited monthly payroll runs.
• Automated new hire reporting.
• Multiple employee pay options, including direct deposit, paper checks and pay cards.
• Employee benefits options, including a financial wellness program, employee assistance programs and insurance benefits.
• Thorough human resource features with higher-tier plans, including an employee handbook builder and learning management system.

Top integrations: BambooHR, Greenhouse, Indeed, NetSuite, SAP, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, Workday and Xero.

Pros

• Access to an impressive range of optional employee benefits offerings.
• Dedicated point of contact with 24/7 access to the customer support center.
• Impressive HR library resources available with every plan.

Cons

• More expensive than comparable solutions.
• Limited pricing information online.
• Additional fees to process year-end W-2s and 1099s.
• Additional fees for general ledger and accounting software integration.

Learn more about Paychex by reading our in-depth Paychex software review.

SurePayroll by Paychex: Most affordable payroll

Our star rating: 4.7 out of 5

SurePayroll by Paychex is both the cheapest payroll provider on our list of best payroll software as well as one of the cheapest payroll providers overall. Its lower price point doesn’t prevent SurePayroll by Paychex from offering extensive payroll features — in some cases, more features than its paid payroll competitors. For instance, both SurePayroll by Paychex plans include new-hire reporting, free two-day direct deposit and access to HR features like labor law compliance posters.

SEE: What Payroll Documents Do You Need to Pay Employees? (TechRepublic)

Businesses can also use SurePayroll by Paychex to find 401(k) retirement plans for employees as well as health insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. SurePayroll by Paychex also offers optional hiring tools like pre-employment screening and background checks.

Why we chose SurePayroll by Paychex: SurePayroll by Paychex is hands-down the most affordable payroll solution with the most essential payroll features. It offers the best value for the price and includes more features at no additional cost than providers like Paychex include in their base plan — for instance, free two-day direct deposit, HR advisor access and free year-end tax form filing.

Pricing

SurePayroll by Paychex has two payroll plans:

• Self-Service Payroll: $20 per month plus $4 per employee.
• Full-Service Payroll: $39 per month plus $7 per employee.

With the first plan, SurePayroll by Paychex calculates your payroll taxes but leaves the filing up to you. With the second plan, SurePayroll also withholds and remits your payroll taxes on your behalf.

Top payroll features

• Unlimited monthly payroll runs.
• Automatic new hire reporting.
• Pre-scheduled payroll runs.
• Support for multiple pay rates and bonuses.
• Wage garnishment.
• Optional health benefits backed by Paychex (SurePayroll by Paychex’s parent company).
• Workers’ compensation administration.

Top integrations: Xero, QuickBooks Online, BuddyPunch, Homebase and Less Accounting.

Pros

• Up to six months free for new customers.
• Extended customer service hours with better-than-average response time.
• Tax-calculation guarantee with self-service plan (plus industry-standard tax-filing guarantee with full-service plan).
• Budget-friendly full-service or cheaper self-service plan options.

Cons

• Two plans can limit scalability for growing businesses.
• Fewer HR features than HR-focused competitors like Paychex and ADP.

Find out if SurePayroll by Paychex is a good fit for you by reading our SurePayroll by Paychex review.

QuickBooks Payroll: Best user experience

Our star rating: 4.1 out of 5

QuickBooks Payroll integrates natively with QuickBooks Online, Intuit’s leading cloud-based accounting software used by thousands of companies globally. Since Intuit’s cloud-based products were built specifically for non-accountant business owners, those who already manage their finances through QuickBooks Online should enjoy a relatively low learning curve if they add QuickBooks Payroll.

Why we chose QuickBooks Payroll: If you’re new to payroll, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the new processes and legal requirements. But if you already use QuickBooks Online for bookkeeping, adding QuickBooks Payroll ensures you don’t have to get used to an entirely new, confusing interface while you’re learning how to do payroll.

Top payroll features

• Next-day or same-day direct deposit (plan dependent).
• Automatic payroll runs.
• 1099 e-filing.
• Optional 401(k) plans and healthcare benefits.
• Built-in time tracking through QuickBooks Time (additional fee with basic plan).
• HR support center (with more expensive plans only).
• Built-in workers’ compensation administration.

Top integrations: QuickBooks Online.

Pricing

Unlike some of its top competitors, QuickBooks Online Payroll lists its prices clearly and upfront:

• QuickBooks Payroll Core: $50 per month plus $6 per employee.
• QuickBooks Payroll Premium: Costs $85 per month plus $9 per employee.
• QuickBooks Payroll Elite: Costs $130 per month plus $11 per employee.

New customers can choose between receiving 50% off QuickBooks’ base price for their first three months of service or signing up for a free trial of QuickBooks’ payroll software.

Pros

• Transparent online pricing.
• Multiple plan options for growing businesses.
• 24/7 live support (with pricier plans only).
• Excellent integrations with Intuit QuickBooks suite of products and third-party software.

Cons

• No free workers’ compensation integration and administration with cheapest plan.
• Expensive add-ons, including time-tracking software.
• Key features limited to priciest plans only, such as expert review and expert support.

Learn more about QuickBooks Payroll by reading our QuickBooks Payroll review.

Bambee: Best for compliance assistance

Bambee is a payroll software and service company with modules to support small-business needs, like onboarding and compliance training tracking. Bambee differentiates itself from others in our roundup by emphasizing the personalized support it provides for your business, including crafting company-specific policies in line with federal, state and local labor laws.

You also receive a dedicated HR manager that allows you to offload or share responsibility for common HR processes, like terminations, disciplinary actions, onboarding, and employee incident investigations. When it comes to payroll, the HR manager works with you to craft compliant pay practices for your domestic employees, including pay rates, pay schedules and approval workflows.

Why we chose Bambee: Bambee is an excellent option for companies new to payroll processing and unsure of the compliance aspects involved in the process. Its dedicated HR manager keeps you up to date with changing regulations, including state and local minimum wage rates and paid leave time. Its simple platform also makes it easy to input and finalize payroll while automatically handling all payroll tax filings and deposits on your behalf.

Although Bambee does not offer quite the liability protection of payroll PEO or EOR vendors like Rippling, it does assist with employee classification. This limits the chance you incorrectly categorize employees as contractors or salaried employees and deny them their rights to minimum wage, overtime pay and benefits. This is a huge plus if your small business plans to move away from freelancer work to hiring and paying full-time, in-house employees.

Pricing

Bambee starts at $99 per month, and prices increase as your headcount grows. Its guided payroll is an add-on, meaning you must pay an additional amount on top of your Bambee subscription fee. Bambee does not reveal pricing for its payroll add-on, so you must contact it directly for a quote.

You can review its price tiers and feature sets in the table below.

Top payroll features

• 2-day turnaround for direct deposit.
• Federal, state and local tax filings and deposits.
• Employee misclassification protection.
• Automatic notification of changing payroll laws, like minimum wage.
• Coaching from HR manager on wage and hour legislation.
• Support for multiple employee pay rates.

Top integrations: Bambee doesn’t have any notable integrations at this time.

Pros

• All plans include an HR audit to better understand your company’s risk profile and limit payroll compliance errors.
• Your HR manager can help you handle government agency claims, including tax notices, unemployment claims and wage garnishments.
• Internal document management with e-signatures to streamline information gathering for faster payroll processing.

Cons

• You must manually manage benefits and time-tracking outside of the Bambee HR platform.
• Does not integrate with third-party solutions, which may result in data silos.
• Payroll support is limited to employees within the U.S.
• There is a significant subscription price increase once you hire your first employee.

Square: Best for automatic tax filings

Our star rating: 4.2 out of 5

Square is a one-stop-shop of commerce, customers and staff products. In addition to Square’s popular POS system, the Square Payroll solution allows businesses to run payroll, pay taxes and stay ahead of compliance needs. Square Payroll integrates seamlessly with the POS system.

Square Payroll can file quarterly and annual taxes. This solution will calculate, withhold and file federal and state payroll taxes on your behalf. W-2 and Form 1099-NECs can be generated and filed in moments. Additionally, new hires can be automatically reported, following the regulations of your state.

Why we chose Square: Square offers an entire app ecosystem for payment management, point of sales and time tracking. The Square Payroll product is a straightforward and affordable platform, making it a great selection for small to mid-sized businesses. The simple and transparent pricing plans with optional add-ons are an attractive feature for businesses wanting an intuitive and basic solution.

Pricing

Square Payroll offers two plans:

• Contractor-only payroll: $6 per month per person paid.
• Full-service payroll: $35 per month + $6 monthly fee per person paid.

Top payroll features

• Create, manage and publish schedules
• Import timecards
• Payroll automations
• Benefits administration

Pros

• Files taxes
• Users admire ease of onboarding
• Offers next-day deposit
• Highly intuitive mobile app

Cons

• No option to change direct deposits label
• No free trial available
• Limited integrations