Best Free Payroll Software for Small Businesses

In addition to letting employers track their mobile workforce by collecting geolocation data, the platform lets them assign employees different levels of access to the employer account. This is especially useful for businesses that have an HR staff or administrators. Employers can also set up expense claim approval workflows to ensure documents get sent to the right person the first time around. The product’s biggest drawback is its lack of automated tax calculation and filing services.

• Always review the terms before signing up for a new payroll service and request written clarification for any fees that seem out of place.
• Using both products, you can run automatic payroll, back up payroll and accounting data and instantly pull customized reports, making working with your accountant on payroll taxes seamless.
• Please note that star ratings are reviewed frequently and are subject to change.
• The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
• A full-time in-house accountant costs substantially more than payroll software and can’t juggle as many tasks as payroll software can.

Payroll can be tackled with a full service payroll package option. If you plump for this package you can run Payroll and Patriot deals with the payroll taxes side of things. Opt for the cheaper basic payroll edition and you’ll need to handle payroll and payroll taxes yourself. All payroll software is made more helpful by accounting and time and attendance software integrations, and Rippling does that and much more. Workful is an affordable and easy-to-use application but is not without its restrictions. But, it gets our nod for best customer service because it provides fast guidance with easy-to-understand directions for a small business owner.

How To Process Payroll

However, you get a lot more for the price, which makes it our top choice for small business owners trying to simplify payroll and human resources. You’re unlikely to need to contact support for help because the tutorial and knowledge base are so thorough. Even if that’s not working for you, a quick search online will send you to a multitude of walkthroughs.

• And SurePayroll lacks the expansive employee benefits, scalable plans, and HR perks you’ll get with Gusto or Paychex—another reason it works best for the smallest of small businesses.
• Compare the top payroll service providers, including Gusto, TriNet Zenefits, and QuickBooks Payrolls.
• Note that these two apps require subscriptions to the Paychex Flex Time and Paychex Benefits solutions.
• You can also use Rippling to track PTO, have employees clock in and out, and generate customized reports that break down expenses by time worked.

Katherine Haan, MBA is a former financial advisor-turned-writer and business coach. For over a decade, she’s helped small business owners make money online. When she’s not trying out the latest tech or travel blogging with her family, you can find her curling up with a good novel. The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence.

What price range do you consider reasonable for small business payroll software?

We also considered pricing, such as whether the app is free to download and if the software subscription fees. Then, we rated each function on a 5-star scale designed to assess payroll apps. Similar to Paychex and Fingercheck, Paycom’s online platform enables better navigation—the text and screen sizes are bigger if the software is accessed via computers and laptops. The main platform is also more intuitive than its mobile app, making it easier for you to view and manage HR payroll tools, online documents and checklists, and onboarding forms like I-9s and W-4s.

While its contractor payments plan includes next-day direct deposits, it lacks Square Payroll’s flexible options that allow you to pay contract workers via check, direct deposit, or its Cash App. QuickBooks Payroll is the best option for most QuickBooks accounting users. It integrates seamlessly—you access it within the same system with the click of a button—and all information flows throughout both systems (you don’t best payroll app have to enter twice). Payroll runs are made easy with automatic pay calculation and tax payment/filing features. Unlike most of the other providers in this guide, its standard direct deposit timeline is a next-day option but can also handle same-day direct deposits if you get one of its higher tiers. ExcelPayroll is a payroll processing application that runs on Microsoft Excel using preformulated Excel functions.

What Do Larger Businesses Use for Payroll?

Also, your team managers can advise on tools that support your workforce. Roll by ADP is our pick for the best mobile payroll solution because it allows you to run and manage your payroll quickly and easily while on the go. If you know how to send a text, you don’t need special training to use Roll by ADP. You can accomplish most payroll tasks by sending a message to the system and tapping your smartphone or tablet screen a few times.

If you have employees spread across different states or around the globe, you will need to meet more regulations. With hybrid and remote work becoming commonplace as a result of the pandemic, you must consider if you might have people working from different locations in the future. Jessica Elliott is a business writer specializing in technology, marketing, and operations. She dissects complex topics and empowers leaders to make informed decisions. Her work appears in Business News Daily, U.S News & World Report’s 360 Reviews, and Investopedia.

Determine onboarding and ongoing support requirements

Work with our lending specialists to get smart answers to all your small business questions. But in the end, it allows you to run your payrolls so much faster than you could with a manual system. QuickBooks Payroll syncs easily with your existing accounting software, making bookkeeping a breeze.

There are no fees to use Payroll4Free unless you have more than 25 employees or you want Payroll4Free to file your payroll taxes for you. If you want to pay your employees via direct deposit, that will be another $25 per month. Otherwise, funds will be deposited into your account so you can manually pay your workers by check, though you may want to consider paying for check printing software. Even if you choose to pay for these services, you’ll still pay less than most other services. OnPay offers an easy-to-use, affordable online payroll solution that’s ideal for small businesses.