The 5 Best Payroll Software Providers for Small Businesses in 2025

OnPay is an ideal payroll system for managing the entire payroll process. Its payroll solutions also include a suite of HR tools that include management of PTO policies, compliance audits, resource library, employee management, etc. Businesses can also explore their custom reports feature, which allows you to filter and drag-and-drop information as required. Payroll4Free.com offers robust free payroll software for paying up to nine people. Its payment processing format includes check and direct deposits.

Patriot Payroll: Best for affordable payroll tax management

• Only PEO Plus has a full range of health benefits and advanced payroll and HR analytics.
• While our main listing includes the top names in payroll software there are many other options to choose from.
• Companies that want to offer employees multiple payment options, such as direct deposit or payroll cards, benefit significantly from online payroll services.
• Workers can use the Team App to indicate their availability for shifts, view their benefits and request time off.

However, using an online payroll service dramatically speeds trial balance up how long it takes to run payroll. Most platforms have payroll processing workflows that take mere minutes to complete. Rippling even touts that most businesses can use their software to run payroll in only 90 seconds. Automated payroll is another feature of services like Gusto that makes running payroll fast and painless. In fact, storing payroll information in the cloud provides more security than keeping paper records.

• Additionally, features like multi-state payroll filings and time tracking are only available as paid add-ons​​.
• Finally, make sure your payroll app can integrate with other software you are using.
• It offers extensive payroll and HR features, making it ideal for growing businesses.
• We could use it to generate payroll history reports for audits or track specific tax details for compliance.
• I chose Deel because it offers complete global labor administration, encompassing contract modifications, reimbursement of expenses, and adjustments to off-cycle payroll.
• It delivers a wide range of services while adapting to companies at different stages of growth.
• This feature refers to the ability to file federal, state, and local tax forms using the software.

OnPay’s payroll software has the fewest additional fees

Multi-factor authentication is another area where feedback is mixed. Several G2 users report delays in receiving or confirming access codes, which can slow down their workflow during critical payroll tasks. Still, once logged in, most users emphasize that the platform’s strong compliance and automation features outweigh these minor hiccups. On the plus side, G2 reviewers often highlight Rippling’s rich feature set and how much it centralizes core HR and payroll functions.

Square Payroll Features

It can serve a wide range of industries, including companies that employ 1099 contractors, allowing for easy payroll processing. Paylocity stands out by continuously evolving and incorporating user feedback to improve its platform. They offer an early adopter program for users interested in trying new features.

Why ADP is better than QuickBooks for small business payroll & HR

The leave, attendance, and expense management modules are seamlessly integrated with its payroll module, ensuring accurate and timely payment of salaries while adhering to various laws and regulations. This means updates to each payroll input flow into the payroll system in real-time without any additional effort. The best payroll apps often include release notes that adapt to new tax or legal changes. This feature allows users to import data on employees’ hours with time-tracking systems. R&D tax credit, or research and experimentation tax credit, is awarded to businesses that incur expenses from research and development projects in the U.S.

Payworks: Best reporting

Cory Powl, manager of people operations at NewMedia.com, notes that time tracking apps are much more effective when employees are given more control over how the products track their worktime. However, the company struggled to accommodate their different roles. However, while many payroll software solutions include some HR features, these options tend to lack some of the richer HR features and services found within the best HR software. As the name suggests, Payroll4Free is a forever-free payroll software. For example, you may not be able to set up automated tax filing. These vendors also usually won’t provide accuracy guarantees and do not offer additional HR services.

• The app helps you to quickly find important information, such as upcoming pay runs and time-off requests.
• The Basic plan is only $17 per month (plus $4 per employee), making it the most budget-friendly option on this list.
• Along with unlimited payroll runs and automated tax filing, Square Payroll mails W-2 and 1099-NEC tax forms, which costs extra through most payroll services.
• Its clean, intuitive interface is easy to navigate, even if you’re new to payroll.
• TimeTrex has an automated payroll engine that handles federal and local taxes for you.
• AI automates routine payroll tasks such as data entry, time tracking and calculations.

A few users noted that opening multiple forms or generating reports sometimes caused the platform to freeze or feel sluggish. Overall, I’ve noticed that while users widely recommend Gusto for its seamless payroll capabilities, they also advise exploring certain feature gaps before making a long-term commitment. When I click on something, I get exactly what I’m looking for and then some. All of the modules talk to each other (for example, in my old system, recruiting didn’t talk to onboarding, and stipends didn’t talk to payroll). At Foreign Currency Translation the same time, I’ve seen some users highlight how easy Paylocity makes report creation, though a few noted limitations with sharing. Uploading invoices or documents can occasionally cause compatibility issues within the employee portal, but once set up, the reports themselves are detailed and reliable.