Top 10 Payroll Software

Managing payroll is one of the most critical yet complex tasks for businesses of all sizes. From ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time to staying compliant with ever-changing tax laws, a reliable payroll Software is essential. Gone are the days when payroll was manually processed with spreadsheets and paper checks. Today’s payroll software automates these processes, reducing errors, saving time, and helping businesses stay compliant with federal, state, and local tax regulations.

In addition to payroll management, tools like Day Off can be seamlessly integrated to manage employee leave, PTO tracking, and time off requests, making it a comprehensive solution for businesses. Payroll software not only handles salary disbursement but also manages benefits, tracks work hours, handles tax deductions, and even integrates with other business systems like accounting and HR platforms.

Gusto

A screenshot for gusto website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: Automates payroll calculations, tax filings, and direct deposits for employees. Supports multi-state payroll and automatic tax payments.
  • Benefits Management: Offers employee benefits such as health insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, commuter benefits, and more, with integration for easy enrollment and management.
  • Time Tracking: Integrated time tracking for employees to clock in/out, sync time with payroll, and manage paid time off (PTO).
  • HR Tools: Provides onboarding tools, employee self-service, performance reviews, and employee directories.
  • Compliance Assistance: Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws, including automatic updates for tax law changes.
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can access payslips, tax documents (W-2s, 1099s), and benefits information via the self-service portal.
  • Contractor Payments: Supports payments for contractors, with automatic 1099 filings.
  • Automated Tax Filing: Handles payroll taxes, including federal, state, and local taxes, and files forms automatically on behalf of the business.
  • Mobile-Friendly: Offers mobile access for employees and employers to manage payroll and HR tasks on the go.
  • Customizable Reports: Allows businesses to generate customized reports related to payroll, benefits, and taxes for better insights.

Mobile App

Workflow

HR Dashboard​

$6 to $12 per employee per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.​

ADP Workforce Now

A screenshot for ADP Workforce Now website

Key Features

  • Payroll Management: Automates payroll processing, tax calculations, and deductions, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
  • Time and Attendance Tracking: Tracks employee hours, schedules, and time-off requests with real-time updates.
  • HR Management: Provides tools for employee data management, performance tracking, and onboarding workflows.
  • Benefits Administration: Simplifies benefits enrollment and management, including health insurance, retirement plans, and more.
  • Employee Self-Service: Allows employees to view paychecks, tax forms, and request time off through a self-service portal.
  • Compliance Management: Helps maintain compliance with tax laws, labor regulations, and industry-specific standards.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Offers customizable reports and dashboards to monitor HR, payroll, and time data.
  • Mobile App: Provides mobile access for managers and employees to manage schedules, review payslips, and update personal information.
  • Talent Management: Tools for recruitment, applicant tracking, and performance management.

Mobile App

Workflow

HR Dashboard​

$20 to $25 per employee per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.​

QuickBooks Online

a screenshot for QuickBooks Online website

Key Features

  • Cloud-Based Accounting: Allows businesses to manage finances from anywhere with an internet connection, offering real-time data access.
  • Invoicing and Payments: Create and send customizable invoices, track payments, and set up automated reminders for overdue invoices.
  • Expense Tracking: Automatically track and categorize expenses by connecting bank accounts and credit cards.
  • Bank Reconciliation: Automatically import and reconcile bank transactions, simplifying bookkeeping.
  • Payroll Integration: Offers payroll processing with tax calculations and filing, seamlessly integrated into the platform (available as an add-on).
  • Financial Reporting: Provides a wide range of standard and customizable financial reports, such as profit & loss, balance sheet, and cash flow.
  • Multi-Currency Support: Handles transactions in different currencies, useful for businesses with international clients or suppliers.
  • Tax Management: Tracks sales tax and automates tax calculations, including preparing and filing taxes.
  • Inventory Management: Helps manage and track inventory levels, with alerts for stock reordering.
  • Integration with Third-Party Apps: Supports integration with various third-party tools, including payment gateways, CRMs, and e-commerce platforms.

Reports

Integrations

$30 to $200 Per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.

Paychex Flex

a screenshot for Paychex Flex website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: Paychex Flex automates payroll processing for businesses of all sizes, including payroll tax calculations and filings.
  • HR Management: Offers a range of HR tools for tracking employee information, managing hiring, onboarding, and performance evaluations.
  • Benefits Administration: Manages health insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, and other employee benefits, integrating them with payroll.
  • Time and Attendance: Provides tools for tracking employee time, managing PTO, and monitoring overtime, all synced with payroll.
  • Mobile App: Allows employees and employers to access payroll, HR, and benefits information through a mobile app.
  • Compliance Support: Assists with staying compliant with federal, state, and local tax laws, including filing payroll taxes automatically.
  • Employee Self-Service: Enables employees to view pay stubs, benefits, update personal details, and manage direct deposits through a self-service portal.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Offers customizable reports on payroll, taxes, and HR data, with analytics to help businesses make data-driven decisions.

Workflow

Automation

Reports

$39 per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.

OnPay

a screenshot for OnPay website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: OnPay automates payroll for employees and contractors, handling direct deposits, tax filings, and compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
  • Benefits Management: Provides integrated benefits administration, including health insurance, retirement plans, and workers’ compensation.
  • Time Tracking Integration: Integrates with popular time tracking tools, making it easier to manage attendance, overtime, and PTO directly within payroll.
  • HR Tools: Offers basic HR features like employee onboarding, document management, and performance tracking.
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can access their pay stubs, tax forms, and benefits information through a self-service portal.
  • Tax Filing: OnPay automatically calculates and files federal, state, and local payroll taxes, reducing errors and ensuring compliance.
  • Customizable Permissions: Allows employers to set custom permissions for different team members, so they can manage payroll and HR without giving full access to sensitive data.
  • Mobile Access: OnPay is fully accessible from mobile devices, making it convenient for on-the-go management.

Integrations

Reports

Self-Service

$40 per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.

Rippling

a screenshot for Rippling website

Key Features

  • Payroll Management: Automates payroll processing, tax calculations, and deductions across all 50 states and international payroll in multiple countries.
  • HR Management: Manages employee data, onboarding, compliance, and performance reviews through an integrated HR platform.
  • Benefits Administration: Offers health insurance, 401(k) plans, and other benefits management tools with easy employee enrollment and administration.
  • Time and Attendance Tracking: Tracks employee work hours, time-off requests, overtime, and integrates directly with payroll for accurate payments.
  • IT Management: Unique feature that manages employee devices, apps, and permissions by integrating HR with IT systems (e.g., setting up accounts, managing access to tools).
  • Employee Onboarding/Offboarding: Automates the onboarding process, setting up payroll, benefits, and software accounts for new hires. Offboarding includes revoking software access and collecting equipment.
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can access their payslips, manage personal information, request PTO, and sign up for benefits via a self-service portal.
  • App Management: Integrates with over 500 apps (like Slack, Google Workspace, Office 365), making it easy to manage employee access and permissions from one platform.
  • Global Workforce Management: Supports both domestic and international employee management, including compliance and payroll for global teams.
  • Customizable Reports and Analytics: Offers detailed reports and analytics on payroll, HR, and employee data to help businesses make informed decisions.

Mobile App

Workflow

HR Dashboard​

$8 per employee per month • Trial: No • Free Plan: No.​

Zenefits

a screenshot for Zenefits website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: Zenefits offers seamless payroll processing, handling employee and contractor payments, tax calculations, and filings.
  • Benefits Management: Manages health insurance, retirement plans, and other employee benefits, with easy integration into payroll.
  • HR Tools: Provides features like employee onboarding, performance management, compliance tracking, and document management.
  • Time and Attendance: Tracks employee hours, PTO, and overtime, with features for scheduling and automatic sync with payroll.
  • Employee Self-Service: Employees can access pay stubs, tax documents, benefits information, and update personal details through an intuitive self-service portal.
  • Compliance Management: Helps businesses stay compliant with labor laws, ACA reporting, and tax regulations through automatic updates and notifications.
  • Mobile App: Offers full access to payroll, benefits, and HR tools on mobile devices, allowing both employers and employees to manage tasks on the go.
  • Integrations: Zenefits integrates with popular business tools like QuickBooks, Slack, Salesforce, and other payroll and accounting systems.
  • Wellness Benefits: Offers wellness programs and perks that allow businesses to promote employee health and well-being.

Mobile App

Integrations

Automation

$10 to $27 per employee per month • Trial: No • Free Plan: No.

Square Payroll

a screenshot for Square Payroll website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: Automates payroll for both employees and contractors, including tax filings, direct deposits, and automatic paycheck calculations.
  • Tax Filing: Square Payroll handles federal, state, and local tax filings, W-2 and 1099 form generation, and ensures compliance with tax regulations.
  • Employee Benefits: Offers benefits administration, including health insurance, retirement plans, and workers’ compensation, with easy integration into payroll.
  • Time and Attendance Integration: Syncs with Square’s time-tracking tools, enabling automatic import of employee hours and ensuring accurate payroll calculations.
  • Employee Self-Service: Provides employees access to their pay stubs, tax documents, and the ability to update personal information via a self-service portal.
  • Contractor Payments: Easily manages payments to contractors and generates 1099 forms at year-end, making it a flexible solution for businesses with both employees and contractors.
  • Mobile App: Employers can run payroll, manage employee hours, and handle tax filings from a mobile app, providing flexibility for businesses on the go.
  • Integrations: Integrates seamlessly with Square’s POS (Point of Sale) system and other business tools, ensuring smooth payroll and HR management for retail or service-based businesses.

Mobile App

Reports

Automation

$35 per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.

Patriot Payroll

a screenshot for Patriot Payroll website

Key Features

  • Payroll Processing: Patriot Payroll offers easy-to-use payroll software that handles direct deposits, paycheck calculations, and tax deductions.
  • Tax Filing: It offers automatic tax filings with the Full-Service Payroll option, covering federal, state, and local payroll tax filings, along with year-end W-2 and 1099 form generation.
  • Employee Portal: Employees can view their pay stubs, W-2 forms, and update personal information through a secure employee self-service portal.
  • Time and Attendance: Patriot Payroll integrates with time-tracking tools, ensuring accurate recording of employee hours and syncing with payroll processing.
  • Customizable Payroll: Supports customizable payroll frequencies, payment methods, and pay types, allowing flexibility for different business needs.
  • Mobile-Friendly: The platform can be accessed from any mobile device or computer, enabling business owners to run payroll on the go.
  • HR Add-Ons: Patriot Payroll offers HR features as add-ons, like employee onboarding, HR reporting, and managing employee records.
  • Compliance Assistance: Helps ensure compliance with tax and labor laws through timely updates and automatic alerts for due dates and filing requirements.
  • Reporting: Offers customizable reports for payroll, tax summaries, and employee information, allowing businesses to track finances and meet compliance needs.

Mobile App

Integartion

Reports

Automation

$17 to $37 per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.

Xero

a screenshot for Xero website

Key Features

  • Cloud-Based Accounting: Accessible from anywhere with internet access, offering real-time updates.
  • Bank Reconciliation: Automatically imports and categorizes bank transactions, making reconciliation faster.
  • Invoicing: Customizable invoicing templates, with automatic reminders for overdue payments.
  • Expense Tracking: Allows easy tracking of business expenses, with the ability to attach receipts to transactions.
  • Inventory Management: Helps track stock levels, sales, and purchases in real-time.
  • Multi-Currency Support: Automatically calculates exchange rates for international transactions.
  • Payroll: Integrated payroll processing with tax calculations and employee management tools.
  • Financial Reporting: Provides a wide range of customizable reports including profit and loss, balance sheets, and more.
  • Integration with Third-Party Apps: Connects with over 800 apps, including CRM systems, payment gateways, and more.
  • Mobile App: Offers a mobile app for on-the-go access to key features like invoicing, expenses, and reports.

Mobile App

Workflow

$13 to $70 per month • Trial: Yes • Free Plan: No.