The Best Payroll Software

Tuesday, January 21st

2025 Payroll Software Reviews

Patriot

• Pricing from $17 to $37 per month
• Serves companies with 1-500 employees
• Offers payroll and taxes
• 2 plans
• Includes HR, time tracking, and accounting
• Custom payroll options for contractors
• Key integrations with some industry-standard software
• 4.8-star average rating
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Patriot stands out as a software company dedicated to assisting small businesses in several key areas, including payroll management, accounting, HR data organization, and time tracking.

Created for small business

Created specifically for U.S.-based small businesses, Patriot's payroll system allows for unlimited payroll runs, accommodating various pay schedules and rates across multiple locations within the United States. Opting for the Full Service plan extends access to tax filing and payment services at the federal, state, and local levels. The software is primarily designed for small businesses with up to 500 employees.

Payment and HR-focused features

Patriot's payroll software is equipped with a range of essential features, including payroll processing, tax filing, and reporting. You also have the option to integrate HR management, time tracking, and accounting functionalities with most of the Patriot plans. In addition to its core features, Patriot offers integration capabilities with external time tracking and accounting software, as well as with various third-party applications.

Two simple payroll plans

There are two payroll plans available from Patriot. The Basic Payroll service enables you to manage your own payroll and deal with taxes independently. If you opt for the Full Service Payroll, Patriot will take care of taxes for you. The Time & Attendance and HR add-ons each incur $6 per month extra plus $2 per employee. Both the Basic and the Full Service come with a number of features including:

• Unlimited payrolls
• Free 2-day direct deposit for qualified customers
• Free employee and contractor portal
• Electronic or printable W-2s
• All pay frequencies
• Customizable hours, money, deductions
• Time-off accruals
• Optional 1099 e-Filing
• Complete payroll reports
• Mobile friendly
• 401(k) and worker's comp integration
• Accounting Software integration
• Time, Attendance, and HR integration
• Free setup and software support

Basic but useful integrations

Patriot does offer some integrations, but the list is a bit shorter than other companies in our review. The top three integrations offered by Patriot are QuickBooks, Plaid, and WorkForce Hub Time & Attendance. Other integrations include Vestwell for 401(k) management, NEXT Insurance for workers' compensation, Clover Connect for streamlined payment processing, and Affordable Checks for discounted checks and tax form purchases.

Prices start at $17 to $37 per month

The prices for Patriot are straightforward. The Basic plan costs $17 monthly plus $4 per employee or contractor, and the Full Service plan costs $37 monthly plus $4 per employee or contractor. There's no need to contact their customer service for a quote as all the details are available at a glance. Patriot earns bonus points for transparency! Considering that at this price you get full and unlimited payroll as well as HR and industry-standard integrations, these prices are some of the most competitive on the market.

Rave reviews from business owners

As a low-cost option, Patriot shines in reviews and feedback. The company currently holds an "A+' rating from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that, Patriot also holds a 4.8-star average rating from Trustpilot. Business owners and customers of Patriot praise the ease of use for the technology and integrations as well as the helpfulness of customer service. Every review in the last few years shows a 5-star rating with specific praise for how simple payroll is using this platform.

Top pick for cost vs. value

If you're looking for a low-cost option that offers powerful payroll software with HR solutions and tax-related integrations, Patriot is the place to go. While it may be pared down next to other large-business solutions, Patriot is ideal if you just want payment software and the basics of accounting for your business. Whether you have a startup with one or two employees or up to 500 with contractors on staff, Patriot can help you put it all together. With such a low cost for this many features, Patriot earns a 5-star rating for the most affordable payroll software with exceptional value.

Remote Payroll

• Prices from Free to $599 per month
• Serves companies with international employees
• Support for independent contractors
• Offers HR, payroll, and accounting
• 6 plans
• Includes compliance in multiple countries as well as legal
• Key integrations EOR and API software
• 4.6-star rating on average
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Established in 2019, Remote Payroll emerges as a global-focused option for payroll, tax, human resources (HR), and compliance needs. While many payroll platforms excel in managing payroll and taxes for domestic businesses, navigating international payroll and tax compliance can be challenging. Remote Payroll steps in to fill this gap by offering simple invoicing and payment processing capabilities in over 170 countries, simplifying the process of employing global talent, and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Features work with international employees

Unlike traditional payroll services mainly focused on U.S.-based businesses, Remote Payroll offers support for global operations. Its core features include a self-service employee portal, an extensive HR library, new hire reporting, ledger reports, and analytics. Remote Payroll stands out by tailoring contracts, benefits, and payroll solutions for each country where businesses operate. Remote also helps you with the hiring process for international employees and contractors by providing access to an employer of record (EOR) or a global employment service provider, simplifying the process of hiring international employees and enabling businesses to expand globally with ease.

Plans are built to select what you need

Six different plans with Remote offer support for different areas of HR and payroll. The plans include those with just HR capabilities, those that include contractor payments, and those with a full suite of payroll and compliance requirements. The options include:

• HR Management:
• Price: Free
• Onboarding and offboarding
• Employee profile and document management
• Time off and tracking
• Expense management
• Employee self-serve
• Contractor Management:
• Price: $29 per month per contractor
• Hire contractors in 200+ countries
• Create, edit, and sign contracts
• Approve contractor invoices
• Transparent payments and autopay
• Employer of Record:
• Price: $599 per month
• Compliant equity with withholding and reporting
• Built-in security and compliance
• Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)
• All features have zero hidden fees
• Remote Payroll:
• Price: $50 per month per employee
• Centralized payroll management
• Local compliance for every country
• In-house local payroll experts
• Tax and labor authority reporting handled by Remote
• Contractor Management Plus:
• Price: $99 per month per contractor
• The same features as Contractor Management
• Robust indemnity protection and compliance with local laws
• Coverage up to $100,000 per contractor for penalties
• Remote Talent:
• Price: $119 per month
• Share open roles
• Post jobs to qualified candidates across the globe
• Targeted recruitment

Minimal details on integrations

Details on Remote's integrations are a little hard to find on its website. Remote focuses primarily on adding EOR integrations to help you find international contractors. There are also options for API and analytics integrations and some third-party apps, but you have to engage the demo of Remote before you can see the whole list.

Impressive feedback from remote workers

Remote stands out for having both an impressive Better Business Bureau rating as well as solid ratings from customers on third-party review sites. On the BBB, Remote has a full "A+” rating. From third-party sites like Trustpilot, Remote holds an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Remote is praised for its focus on an international workforce and independent contractors. Both reviewers on the employee side and the business side love how easy it is to process payments anywhere. Customers also praise the service from Remote, noting that when concerns arise, they are quickly resolved by the Remote team.

Most cost-effective international payroll

If you're looking for payroll software that supports international teams and doesn't break the bank, Remote is going to be a favorite. It comes in as less expensive than some other remote options on the market, and it has solutions for HR, talent acquisition, and more. While we'd love some more details about integrations, Remote has a standout reputation from customers and professionals, making it one of the top-rated software solutions in our review.

Rippling

• Prices available by quote
• Serves companies with international employees
• Support for independent contractors
• Offers HR, payroll, and accounting
• 4 plans + bespoke option
• Includes IT support
• Key integrations for IT and Workspace management
• 4.7-star rating on average
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Established in 2016, Rippling emerges as a fresh contender in the payroll processing market. Its sleek and contemporary design, coupled with an intuitive user interface, resonates particularly well with startup tech firms. Rippling distinguishes itself by offering a complete suite of products addressing a spectrum of HR, benefits, and payroll requirements. It blends the adaptability of traditional platforms with the user-friendly approach characteristic of modern tech companies. Rippling is designed to assist businesses with up to 1,000 employees.

All work features in one cloud-based workspace

Rippling stands out as a well-rounded provider of human resources (HR) software solutions suitable for teams ranging from as small as two to as large as 1,000 employees. Its product lineup includes an applicant tracking system (ATS), robust payroll and benefits management tools, time and attendance tracking functionalities, learning management capabilities, and professional employer organization (PEO) services.

Four plans and one build-your-own

One of Rippling's key strengths lies in its exceptional level of customization. Whether it's configuring employee management processes, tailoring profile inputs, or fine-tuning reporting mechanisms, Rippling offers unparalleled flexibility. Its user-friendly interface makes customization a breeze, so you can effortlessly adapt the platform to suit your unique organizational requirements. You can choose from the Rippling Unity plan which offers access to the Rippling workplace within four different tiers of service, or you can choose a modular design by contacting Rippling to design a program for your business directly. You get access to the HR Cloud, Finance Cloud, and IT Cloud with different levels depending on whether you go with Core, Pro, Unlimited, or Enterprise.

Limited integrations at Rippling

Integrations are more for the techies out there. For example, Rippling integrates with GitHub, which is primarily used by coders. There are other more universal integrations like Google Workspace, Jira, Greenhouse, and Zendesk, but some areas like operations management don't have any integrations available.

No prices online

There are no prices available on Rippling's website, even for the four tiers of Rippling Unity. To get any details about the program, you'll need to hop on a call or submit your business information for a quote. This lack of transparency sets Rippling behind many of its modern competitors at least in this facet of how it operates.

Top-rated by techies and businesses

Despite its lack of transparency, Rippling is one of the favorites of reviewers. According to the Better Business Bureau, Rippling holds an "A+” rating. Further, from reviews and tech blogs, Rippling earns an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. Customers love how modern and simple the program was to use. They also love the one-stop-shop approach, making it easy to consolidate all of their business requirements in one space. Features like time-off requests, payroll updates, and auto-pay features were noted in multiple 5-star reviews.

Great option for all-in-one approach

While Rippling remains a favorite, it does lose a few a half-point from us for its lack of transparency. However, if you're looking for a one-stop shop to get your payroll pulled together with all the other facets of your business, Rippling is still a great solution to explore. For this reason, it gets a high rating with the opportunity to be one of our top options in the future if Rippling improves price transparency.

Deel

• Pricing from $49 to $599 per month
• Some prices available by quote
• Serves companies with around 200 employees
• Offers international HR, payroll, and legal
• 5 plans
• Includes HR, time tracking, and international visas
• Accounting, taxes, hiring, and HR integrations
• 4.9-star average rating

Deel functions as a professional employer organization (PEO) and an employer of record (EOR), delivering payroll software to countries around the globe. Covering more than 100 countries and jurisdictions, Deel helps your business from initial onboarding to eventual offboarding. It streamlines intricate tasks like payroll management, legal adherence, and employee benefit provision, areas often posing challenges to multinational employers. The focus for Deel is on companies that need international employees or businesses with up to 200 employees.

Specialized features for international employees

Among the array of HR solutions provided by Deel, its global payments feature stands out significantly. Acting as a centralized payroll hub, the platform enables you to oversee and handle all worker payments from a single source. This contrasts with other providers which may mean you have to navigate between multiple systems and services for payroll oversight. Deel's features are specialized to help companies with HR compliance across multiple countries and jurisdictions, mitigating legal risks. Its location-specific compliance-assured onboarding, document management, and offboarding procedures help you have peace of mind whether you're hiring an international full-time employee, an international contractor, or sponsoring an employee with a work visa.

Plans for multinational businesses

There are five different plans to choose from at Deel, and each serves a slightly different area of your business.

• EOR Plan: If you're looking to hire employees in over 100 countries where you don't even have entities set up, this is the plan for you. With this plan, you'll get:
• Help hiring international employees with Deel handling local payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance
• Competitive benefits packages tailored to each country
• Support from over 200 local HR and legal experts
• Full IP protection
• 20+ integrations for HR, Finance, and more
• Contractors Plan: This plan is ideal for managing international contractors. With this plan, you can expect:
• Help avoiding misclassification risks with locally compliant contracts and guidance on local laws
• To automatically collect any local tax agreements
• To pay your team in one bulk payment with 10+ flexible methods in 150 currencies
• Completely automated invoicing, expenses, time off, and more
• Global Payroll: This plan focuses on the main event, payroll. You can run payroll in all of the supported countries with Deel, so you can run your business with no headaches.
• Onboarding & offboarding, payroll, government declarations, taxes, benefits, and payslips run by Deel
• Compliance with local payroll regulations
• Access to global payroll reports
• Reduce costs by centralizing payroll management
• Deel HR: A full HR admin program for global employees. You can expect:
• Automated access to apps like Google Suite
• Custom documents
• Management for expenses, time off, and bonuses
• Secure data storage with a people directory
• Tracking for retention with HR reports
• Org charts
• Workflow automation
• Immigration: For businesses that have employees that want to immigrate. You can expect:
• The ability to sponsor visas in 25 countries and counting
• Tracking for visa applications all in one place
• Support from local immigration experts
• Ongoing visa support through Deel

Could use more performance management integrations

While Deel does have a few integrations, it's a little lacking in that area. It specifically lacks performance management integrations. If you want these features you'll have to add a plugin yourself. Some of the integrations you can find on Deel include Expensify, NetSuite, BambooHR, Skovik, QuickBooks, and Xero, among others.

Prices from $49 to $599 per month

The pricing is simple and available for about half of the Deel plans. However, a few of them require you to contact their customer support to get a quote. The EOR plan, which is the most comprehensive, starts at $599 a month. The Contractor plan starts at $49 per month, and the Deel HR package is included free. However, the Global Payroll and Immigration plans require contact with Deel's customer service to get further details.

Almost all reviewers left 5 stars

Sadly, Deel has an uninspiring rating from the Better Business Bureau: a "C-”. However, the company also has no reviews on the BBB site to back up this rating. On third-party review sites, the news is much better. According to Trustpilot, Deel holds a 4.9-star average rating. Customers are praising different aspects of Deel across the board. It's highly popular both for its payroll management software as well as assistance with hiring international employees. There are almost exclusively 5-star ratings for Deel as an international system in the last few years.

Top international payroll system

While the BBB seems unsure about Deel, reviewers are positive this is one of the best international payroll systems out there. For this reason, Deel earns a competitive 4-star rating in our review. While it's not the best all-around service, if you're looking to hire international employees or need to sponsor a visa, this is the route to go. So, if you're planning a multinational venture, check out Deel before you go anywhere else.

QuickBooks

• Prices from $45 to $170 per month
• Serves companies with around 50 employees
• Offers HR, payroll, and accounting
• 3 plans
• Bundle options for more features
• Key integrations with industry-standard software
• 4.5-star rating on average

QuickBooks Payroll, developed by Intuit, stands out as an exceptional application tailored for small businesses to streamline employee payroll management. While it is optimized for managing payroll for up to 50 employees, it can handle payroll tasks for up to 150 employees efficiently. For businesses already using QuickBooks Online for accounting purposes, QuickBooks Payroll integrates with the accounting software, allowing you to conveniently manage both accounting and payroll operations from a unified platform.

Impressive range of features

QuickBooks Payroll offers automated tax calculation, filing, and payment services for both state and federal taxes. However, for local tax filings, you may need to print and manually upload the required forms to the respective local tax authorities, unless you opt to pay for QuickBooks' assistance in filing these taxes. Among its notable features, QuickBooks Payroll provides a centralized dashboard where you can access essential payroll data, bank information, upcoming payroll run dates, and more. QuickBooks Payroll offers features for compliance management, onboarding assistance, tax filing services, time tracking, benefits administration, analytics tools, independent contractor payroll management, and complimentary mobile applications for added convenience.

Three main plans for payroll

QuickBooks Payroll offers three different plans. Here's what you can expect:

• QuickBooks Simple Start plan: This is for a small business with basic needs. The plan provides full-service payroll, unlimited payroll runs, 1099 E-file and pay, income and expense tracking, sales tracking, next-day direct deposit, and connectivity to one sales channel. You can also expect features like 401(k) plans and workers comp admin, expense tracking, 1099 contractors, and more.
• QuickBooks Payroll Core + Essentials plan: For larger teams, this plan is an ideal choice. Besides the Core plan features, this option offers expanded user access, bill management capabilities, and time-tracking functionalities.
• QuickBooks Payroll Premium + Plus plan: For businesses requiring advanced support, the QuickBooks Payroll Premium +Plus plan includes the features from lower tiers, and you'll gain access to same-day direct deposit, mobile time tracking, workers' compensation administration, sales channel connectivity, project profitability tracking, and inventory management. You can also access a range of time-tracking integrations included in the price.

Tons of integrations, but no Google

QuickBooks has some of the most impressive integrations in our review. With over 750 different options, you will find the most popular software already ready for use with QuickBooks. Some examples include:

• PayPal
• Amazon Business
• Square
• Etsy
• eBay
• Shopify
• Gusto

The only integrations we didn't see were those for Microsoft Outlook or Google Workspace, which was disappointing.

Pricing from $45 to $170 per month

The pricing for QuickBooks is extremely straightforward and transparent. There are three plans (detailed above) that include payroll as well as other major QuickBooks features. The pricing for those includes:

• Payroll Core + Simple Start package:
• Price: $75/month, plus $6/employee per month
• Payroll Core + Essentials:
• Price: $105/month, plus $6/employee per month
• Payroll Premium + Plus:
• Price: $170/month, plus $8/employee per month

QuickBooks also offers payroll-only options for those who don't need accounting. The plans include the same features as the bundled plans minus any assistance with accounting or taxes, so you still get the full payroll features of Core and Premium as well as employee management and time tracking, but there's no income tracking or management for 1099 contractors, for example. The prices for these plans are slightly more affordable:

• Payroll Core:
• Price: $45/month, plus $6/employee per month
• Payroll Premium:
• Price: $80/month, plus $8/employee per month
• Payroll Elite:
• Price: $125/month, plus $10/employee per month

Some concerns from the BBB

The only downside for QuickBooks is its rating on the Better Business Bureau. Currently, it holds an "NR” rating along with some alerts for "government action” for "actions involving business marketplace conduct.” However, outside of the BBB, the company has a solid reputation. Reviewers and tech bloggers are particularly impressed with the ease of use for QuickBooks payroll software with the average rating for the company coming in around 4.3 stars out of 5. Most of the positive reviews say that the program is easy and user-friendly. There are a few complaints about the customer service at QuickBooks, but overall, the consensus is that this program is very beginner-friendly for businesses looking to upgrade payroll.

Solid option for beginners

While we are impressed with QuickBooks overall, two snags keep it from being a 5-star software. First, the missing integrations for Microsoft Office and Google Workspace are notable omissions. Further, the concerns from the BBB as well as a few complaints about customer service are things we took into account too. It's still highly competitive and beginner-friendly, but if you want something slightly better-rated, you may prefer to look at our top options instead.

SurePayroll

• Prices from $19.99 to $29.99 per month
• Support for independent contractors
• Offers payroll and taxes
• 2 plans
• Includes compliance and some tax assistance
• Key integrations with QuickBooks and time tracking
• 4.4-star rating on average
• "A+” rating from the BBB

SurePayroll has long stood out as an option for small businesses seeking payroll services. For over 24 years, SurePayroll has excelled by offering the creation and management of employee records, processing payroll runs, handling associated taxes, and ensuring that small businesses stay compliant with their obligations. A few years ago, SurePayroll was acquired by Paychex, which might be a downside if you're not a fan of that particular company.

Highly competitive features

SurePayroll's features include automated unlimited payroll runs, precise calculations for payroll taxes, free two-day direct deposits, tax filing services covering federal, state, and local taxes, submission of year-end tax filings, access to an HR advisor for compliance guidance and business resources, and the added benefit of a six-month free trial period. You can also add to your chosen SurePayroll package with additional features, such as benefits administration and expanded HR capabilities, to suit your evolving business needs.

Two payroll plans for simplicity

There are two plans to choose from at SurePayroll: Basic and Core. The Basic plan is designed for those who only need payroll services for their business. This plan is ideal if you want to pay full-time employees or contractors. You'll get payroll and tax services along with self-service support. The Core offers support for taxes and payroll. The difference between Basic and Core is that SurePayroll processes the taxes for you.

Integrations include industry-standard software

One of SurePayroll's strengths lies in its integration with various third-party applications. You can expect to find integrations that apply across a spectrum of categories, including accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero, and integration with Human Capital Management (HCM) platforms such as BambooHR and Justworks enables businesses to synchronize their HR processes with payroll functions. However, we did note that Google Workspace and Outlook were missing from the SurePayroll integrations.

Prices from $19.99 to $29.99 per month

The pricing is simple and transparent at SurePayroll. The Basic plan costs $19.99 with $4 extra per employee whereas the Core plan costs $29.99 with $5 per employee. The prices are competitively low compared to other industry options, so if you're looking for a payroll-focused solution that won't break the bank, this is going to be a top contender for you.

Good option with low costs

SurePayroll has an impressive review presence with an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 4.4-star average from third-party and tech review sites. In general, reviewers say that using the SurePayroll software is simple. Customers also love the affordability of SurePayroll. There were also a handful of positive comments for SurePayroll's customer service (and no negative ones that we could find), making it a positive experience for most customers overall.

Competitive pricing for payroll only

SurePayroll is a winner if you're looking at low costs. It's a standout option to save money and get your payroll handled all at once. With integrations with QuickBooks and assistance with taxes, SurePayroll is a solid choice if you only need payroll assistance. If you're looking for a robust program with HR assistance and more, you might be disappointed by this software. However, given the high praise and ratings, SurePayroll remains highly competitive with a good rating in our review.

Gusto

• Pricing from $40 to $80+ per month
• Some prices available by quote
• Serves companies with around 1-50 employees
• Offers HR, payroll, and taxes
• 3 plans
• Includes time tracking, and accounting
• Hundreds of integrations
• 4.5-star average rating
• "A” rating from the BBB

Gusto emerges as an online payroll software and HR administration platform tailored for startups and small businesses. Most of Gusto's customers are companies ranging from 1-9 employees with some having as many as 50 employees, focusing on smaller startups and businesses that may grow in the future. Gusto simplifies payroll for employees and has specific assistance for independent contractors, offering a suite of employee benefits encompassing health, retirement plans, and more.

Impressive features for full-time and contract employees

In the ever-evolving landscape of the gig economy, where businesses often engage both full-time W-2 staff and independent contractors locally and globally, Gusto's payroll system offers the flexibility needed to handle different pay rates and schedules for different types of workers within your company. Full-time employees can access several features, including detailed paycheck breakdowns, the setup of high-yield savings accounts, allocation of paychecks to different accounts to support savings objectives, personalized financial goal setting, management of time-off requests, and clocking in and out to monitor hours worked (available in Premium and Plus plans only). Alongside its payroll processing, tax filing, and recruitment and onboarding tools, Gusto also offers benefits administration, time management features, reporting capabilities, and employee self-service options.

Three plans for scalable technology

Gusto offers three different plans to get you going with your payroll software. This three-tier system offers a range of benefits depending on what you need for your business.

• Simple: This plan offers a full-service single-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s. You can expect features like
• Employee profiles and self-service
• Basic hiring and onboarding tools
• Gusto-brokered health insurance administration
• Employee financial benefits
• Payroll and time-off reports
• Custom admin permissions
• Integrations for accounting, time tracking, expense management
• Plus: This plan is one step up from Simple and includes Simple features along with extra HR assistance. You'll get
• Next-day direct deposit
• Advanced hiring and onboarding tools
• PTO management and policies
• Time tracking and project tracking
• Time Kiosk
• Workforce costing and reports
• Team management tools
• Performance reviews
• Employee surveys and insights
• You can add priority support and HR resources for $8 ($6 for the first 3 months) per person
• Premium: Ideal for businesses with a growing team that needs scalable technology. This includes everything in the Plus plan, plus:
• Dedicated Customer Success Manager
• HR Resource Center
• Compliance alerts
• Access to certified HR experts
• Full-service payroll migration and account setup
• Health insurance broker integration
• R&D tax credit discount
• Waived fees and exclusive pricing
• Priority support

Hundreds of integrations

For a payroll system designer for smaller businesses, there are tons of integrations included with Gusto. There are so many that on the Gusto site, there's a search bar to help you find your preferred integrations rather than scrolling through their lengthy alphabetized list. From performance management like 15Five, collaboration tools like Asana, Dropbox, Google Workspace, and DocuSign, or accounting options like QuickBooks, you can find an integration for any facet of your business that's designed to work directly with Gusto.

Competitive and transparent pricing

The pricing on Gusto is simple and completely transparent for most of the plans. The Simple plan costs $40 a month. The Plus plan costs $80 per month regularly but is sometimes on sale for a promo price of $60 per month. Finally, the Premium plan does require a meeting with Gusto to get a quote, but this version is more specifically tailored to your business whereas the others are more standardized.

High praise, except for some customer service concerns

Gusto currently holds an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau and pretty solid scores from reviewers. Across different tech blogs and third-party review sites, Gusto shows an average rating of around 4.5 stars out of 5. Most customers love Gusto for its autopay features and tax integrations, making it super easy to manage payments and finances at the end of the fiscal year. Many customers note that they haven't encountered any issues with Gusto, which is a huge pro in the company's favor. However, there are a few reviews, especially on Trustpilot, where customers are frustrated with Gusto. The complaints are mainly about customer service. So, where some companies never have trouble with Gusto, others experience small technical issues but can't get them resolved by Gusto's customer service.

Solid option for small businesses

According to the reviews, odds are you'll never run into a glitch with Gusto. However, if you do, it can be a bit of a hassle to get their customer service to help you out. Considering that small blip on their record, Gusto doesn't rank quite as high as some competitors. However, it remains one of the top options for small businesses, especially if you're interested in integration options. If you're looking for payroll software that will automate payments and taxes, you're in the right place.

ADP

• Prices available by quote
• Serves companies from 49-1,000 employees
• 7 plans
• Includes HR, time tracking, and retirement features
• Accounting, taxes, and HR integrations
• "A+ rating from the BBB

With over 70 years of experience, ADP has been a leading provider of various business solutions, specializing in payroll. The company offers two main lines of payroll software for different business sizes: RUN Powered by ADP serves companies with one to 49 employees, while Workforce Now serves businesses with 50 to over 1,000 employees.

Payroll, taxes, retirement and more

ADP is renowned in the payroll processing industry, offering services encompassing payroll processing, human resources management, time and attendance tracking, benefits administration, and tax preparation and filing. In addition to the core features, ADP offers various add-ons for both its RUN and Workforce Now plans that cover areas like time and attendance tracking, retirement plans, workers' compensation, health insurance, and marketing toolkits.

7 plans to choose from

There are two categories of packages offered by ADP. First, you'll find the packages for businesses with 49 employers or fewer. This category has four packages to choose from.

• The Essential Payroll package: Ideal for startups and established businesses seeking trustworthy payroll, tax handling, and compliance solutions. A solid option if you only need basic assistance with those features.
• The Enhanced Payroll package: Marked as the most popular choice, this package provides features like garnishment payment services, SUI management, background checks, and job postings through ZipRecruiter.
• The Complete Payroll & HR+ package: If you're looking for a payroll and HR solution all in one place, the Complete Payroll & HR+ plan incorporates ADP's latest HR tools, including live HR support, an employee handbook wizard, proactive compliance alerts, HR guidance and forms, and a job description wizard.
• The HR Pro Payroll & HR package: This package offers a complete array of HR tools, including proactive HR support, employer and employee training, business advice, and legal assistance from Upnetic Legal Services.

The second category of packages is designed for companies with 50-1,000 employees. This category has three packages to choose from.

• Select: An all-in-one suite of Payroll and HR features.
• Plus: Added admin features with time-saving technology.
• Premium: Added time tracking and automated attendance features.

Integrations for HR, taxes, and more

Currently, ADP offers integrations to accounting software like Intuit's QuickBooks software, Wave, and Xero. It also integrates with ERPs like FinancialForce, Workday, and Sage. You can also expect to integrate with ZipRecruiter, Microsoft Outlook, and Slack, among many other programs.

No prices available online

Unfortunately, ADP's pricing for its payroll software is personalized and requires that you complete an online questionnaire to receive a customized quote. This includes details like the company's zip code, the number of employees, and a business email. Once the necessary information is provided, you can receive a price quote online or be contacted by an ADP sales representative to discuss their specific needs and pricing further. However, there is currently zero transparency about pricing directly on the site.

Extremely mixed reviews for ADP

While ADP currently has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, the reviews for ADP are somewhat mixed. From Trustpilot, the reviews are split almost 50/50 in 1- and 5-star ratings. Customers who didn't like their ADP experience say that ADP reps aren't as helpful as they should be, with many representatives offering different information to clients. There are also complaints from the employee side, where employees at companies that use ADP complain about accessibility issues. Customers who liked ADP often switched from other payroll systems and felt that ADP was a much better service than the competition. However, when we compare the volume of recent reviews, there is only one 5-star review over the last year and more than 20 1-star reviews in the same time frame.

Too many poor ratings to do well

At the end of the day, ADP doesn't stand out as well as it could. While the features are competitive, and they have solid integrations, the company also lacks transparency regarding prices. Further, with mixed reviews and an overwhelmingly poor rating average as of the time of this review, we're a little concerned about how well ADP treats its client companies. So, if you're looking for reliability, you might want to check one of our higher-rated companies instead.

Paycor

• Prices available by quote
• 4+ plans
• Serves companies with up to 1,000 employees
• Offers HR, payroll, and taxes
• Key integrations with some software
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Paycor, a publicly traded HR company, currently serves a broad user base of over 2 million individuals. It transcends mere payroll services, extending its support across various essential areas crucial for effective HR management. In addition to payroll, Paycor offers add-on functionalities such as benefits administration, time tracking, and career and talent development tools, making it a human capital management (HCM) solution ideal for small businesses. Paycor is designed to serve companies as small as 1-49 employees or even those with 1,000+.

Includes standard features with a focus on HR

While Paycor is primarily recognized for its HR services, it has evolved into a multifaceted platform encompassing a wide array of tools and features for complete payroll management. Plus, you can expect features to help with tax filing, recruitment, career and talent management, compliance features, onboarding assistance, time tracking, benefits administration, and analytics, among others.

Four plans for 1-49 employees

Paycor offers plans under two different categories.

• The first category is for companies that have between 1-49 employees. Under this umbrella, there are four different plans to choose from.
• At the entry level, Paycor brings automated payroll processing, federal and tax filing services, and a self-serve employee portal, along with a mobile app accessible to both employees and employers. Paycor also offers Basic plan holders on-demand pay, breaking away from the conventional two-week pay cycle.
• Next on the list is the Essential plan. This includes all the features of Basic plus onboarding support via the self-serve employee portal, access to document templates, training resources, and labor law poster access. This plan also covers workers' compensation and deductions, 401(k) processing, and recruitment tools for smoother HR operations.
• Scaling up, the Core plan includes all functionalities of the Basic and Essential plans, plus access to an HR professional, expense management tools, and career management features from Paycor. It offers tools to streamline operations and optimize workforce management.
• If you're in search of a complete HR solution, the Complete plan presents an extensive range of features, including compensation planning, advanced analytics, and talent development tools. This plan also introduces Paycor Paths, a leadership training program aimed at nurturing leadership skills within the organization.
• For businesses between 50-1,000+ employees, Paycor has a separate plan. However, details on this are scarce online, and you have to contact Paycor for more information to tailor this to your business.

Somewhat limited integrations

Paycor currently offers over 250 different integrations into its software. Some of the integrations you can expect include Eloomi, WorkForce Hub, GlassDoor, CloudApper AI TimeClock, Finch, and more. However, we didn't see any specific notes for popular collaboration software like Slack Asana, or even Google Drive Suite, which may be a drawback for many who use those industry-standard programs.

Pricing hidden behind a signup sheet

The pricing for Paycor is available online, but you have to sign up for an "exclusive offer” of 50% off before Paycor will show you the numbers. This process may be a little frustrating, as when you select a plan to view prices, you'll briefly see a flash of prices listed before it's covered by a registration window you can't close until you've filled it out with your business details. This was almost more frustrating than companies that are upfront about having to contact a rep to get pricing. Instead, Paycor teases you but ultimately requires personal information about you and your business before you're allowed to see prices.

Frustrating with too many fees

While Paycor has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, it doesn't do very well with reviewers. Both on third-party review sites and tech blogs, Paycor has mixed feedback at best, and some 1-star rating averages at worst. For example, tech blogs rated the company about a 3.5-star average with one of the primary complaints being that there are lots of extra fees involved with Paycor including add-ons and registration charges. From Trustpilot, Paycor has an average rating of 1.5 stars and many of the complaints are in regards to Paycor's customer service and further complaints about "enormous” fees for using payroll features.

Too costly to rank high

With the lack of pricing transparency along with complaints about hidden and exorbitant fees, Paycor stands out as one that is businesses' least favorite payroll options on the market. Given the range of complaints with mixed or terrible reviews, Paycor slides down our ratings. It does have helpful integrations and plan solutions for small and large companies. But overall, it doesn't seem worth the cost.

Paychex

• Pricing available by quote
• Serves companies with around 20 employees
• 3 plans
• Includes HR, time tracking, and accounting
• Key integrations with industry-standard software
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Paychex offers software to handle both payroll and HR management. This program is ideal for smaller businesses with approximately 20 employees or less. Paychex's main payroll program, Paychex Flex, is a basic payroll platform, focusing primarily on payroll processing without the extra HR and benefits administration features found in some competitor offerings. There are upper-level options with HR included, but prices aren't readily available on the site.

Somewhat limited features

Paychex's features are relatively limited compared to its competitors. According to our research, Paychex does offer talent management to streamline recruitment and employee development, workforce management to improve productivity, and payroll and financial support for payroll processing and tax management. Paychex also offers employee benefits administration, PEO and HR outsourcing services, and tools for self-service HR functionalities, though some of these are limited to higher-tier plans only.

Three plans for payroll

There are three plans to choose from at Paychex. Here's what we found out:

• Paychex Flex Select: This plan offers one-on-one support from Paychex professionals, and employee training systems, online payroll and tax filing, and 24/7 support.
• Paychex Flex Pro: This plan offers a full setup by Paychex, payroll, and taxes with a dedicated specialist to help you, 24/7 support, and an HR handbook and software.
• Paychex Flex Enterprise: This plan offers a one-stop shop approach with payroll and HR together. You also get access to custom analytics, hiring and onboarding tools, and 24/7 support.

Standard integrations included

In terms of integrations, Paychex integrates with popular accounting software systems such as QuickBooks Online, Sage, Indeed, Microsoft Azure, Mindbody, and Xero, along with over 100 other integration options. However, there was a notable absence of popular time-tracking software in the list as well as team management integrations.

No prices listed

Sadly, Paychex doesn't offer any specific pricing on its website. To get full details, you have to fill out the online form on the Paychex site and wait for them to contact you for a quote. There is a problem with transparency on the site, which can make it frustrating if you like to do your research on your own.

Complaints across the board

While Paychex currently holds an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, it doesn't appear to be popular with customers. On Trustpilot, Paychex has a 1.1-star rating out of 5. On other third-party sites, the reviews are still pretty mixed, like a mid-level 3.2-star rating on ConsumerAffairs. The reviews complain that Paychex made processing payments more difficult than they used to be before using the platform, and there were a range of complaints about extra charges that were unexpected. Other customers noted that Paychex didn't honor the quote that they sent during discussions and charged the customers even more when they signed on.

Concerning reviews earn Paychex the bottom spot

The bottom line is that you want payroll software to make your life easier, not harder. With tons of 1-star reviews for Paychex and its system, customers agree that the program is difficult and not worth the high costs they're paying for it. Considering the complications, the lack of transparency, the bare-bones features, and general dissatisfaction from customers, Paychex earns a disappointing rating in our review.