Best payroll software for small business of 2024

The best payroll software for small business makes it quick and easy to manage wages, benefits, and taxes due on employees.

Payroll software is vital for any business with employees. However, it's not simply a case of ensuring taxes and benefits are properly managed, but also that employees are provided with clear information that outlines their earnings, as well as highlighting necessary deductions.

It used to be the case that payroll software was downloaded and run from the accounts office, with pay slips printed out for employees to reference. Now though, modern cloud-based payroll systems allow not just for better redundancy and backups, but also digital record keeping. 

Payroll software provides pay slips that employees can access from home or even on their phone, which saves on printing and paper too. It's much more cost effective and efficient.

Better still, this digital transformation makes it simpler for employees to submit queries, and comprehensive support for workers can be easily centralized as a result. 

However, whichever form of payroll software you choose to work with, it's imperative that it also runs smoothly with any of your existing accounting packages. Therefore, don't be surprised that the best payroll software also tends to be supplied by the same suppliers who deliver the best in accounting software.

When narrowing down on the best payroll software for small business, we looked for useful and reliable features, like unlimited payroll runs, easy employee and administrative access, as well as a no-nonsense interface. We also looked at the quality of their customer support across phone, email, and chat, along with the documentation available for learning. 

Here we feature the best payroll software platforms currently available.

We've also highlighted the best free software for small businesses and the best tax software.

Reader Offer - 3 months free trial

Reader Offer - 3 months free trial
Paychex provides a full range of full HR solutions for business, to cover the entire employee lifecycle, including Payroll. It covers everything from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and benefits, as well as development and training. 3 Months Free Trial - $39 per month, plus $5 per employee. 

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)

Reader Offer: $100 gift card

Reader Offer: $100 gift card
Rippling is ideally suited for small to medium-sized businesses that require a well-rounded HR solution along with payroll back up if they need it. Learn about their super user experience and great app integration today - and receive a $100 gift card

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)

Reader Offer: Bundle Global Payroll and HR products and collect $1,000 

Reader Offer: Bundle Global Payroll and HR products and collect $1,000 
Deel is a top-rated HR software thanks to its ease of use, simple design, and affordable base product. Free for companies with under 200 employees. Learn more today. 

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)


The best payroll software for small business of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Best HR outsourcing

Paychex, formerly Oasis, delivers HR solutions for business covering the entire employee lifecycle (Image credit: Paychex)
The best HR outsourcing service

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Workers comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered/Contract

Reasons to buy

+
Comprehensive features
+
Self-service platform
+
Fortune 500 benefits

Reasons to avoid

-
Interface seems a bit old

Paychex provides a full range of full HR solutions for business, to cover the entire employee lifecycle, including of course Payroll.

This means covering everything from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and benefits, as well as development and training. The software interface is relatively straightforward and accessing employee records and payroll is easy. 

Paychex also ensures regulatory compliance and risk mitigation. It does this through a combination of self-service computer software for easier employee management, to personalized support to ensure you're getting the help you need. Performance management also ensures that employee development works in line with your business strategy.

Because Paychex has offices across the US, the company can offer competitive benefits and insurance packages for employees on a par with those offered by Fortune 500 companies.

Read our full Paychex review.

Paychex - flexible packages to suit all businessesbest dealfree consultation

Paychex - flexible packages to suit all businesses
Get the best deal for your business by answering a few questions and you'll be able to get a tailored solution that covers everything from recruitment to onboarding, payroll, benefits and more besides. Get a free consultation with a solutions specialist.

Best flexible choice

Rippling website screenshot

(Image credit: Rippling)
Best flexible choice if you need maximum versatility from your HR department

Reasons to buy

+
Flexible scaling options
+
Good remote management tools
+
Plenty of features

Lots of businesses are moving to flexible, remote ways of working, and plenty of companies are growing quicker than ever. Rippling is the ideal HR provider if you need a company that can cope with the versatility of modern business.

Rippling offers remote laptop management and instant local tax registration, so you can manage staff no matter where they're located. It also provides a slick, straightforward dashboard that you can use to evaluate data, manage employees, pay salaries and alter employee benefits.

This company offers the sort of benefits you'd expect from the most prestigious organizations, and you can rely on one-on-one support from experts on a complete range of issues.

Rippling is eminently scalable. That means it's easy to upgrade or downgrade your services to match your business needs, and it's simple to stop using Rippling if you want to bring HR in-house. Services are billed using a flat per-employee rate, too.

If you've got a company dominated by remote or flexible working or if your business is growing rapidly, then Rippling could be the HR provider you need thanks to its balance of versatility and features.

Read our full Rippling employee management review.

Rippling - employee management and moreRippling

Rippling - employee management and more
Employee management isn't just about processing payroll, which is why Rippling makes a solid option to consider. Keenly priced, this is a software package that delivers a lot for small business owners, without too much cost. It's easy to use too.

Best dependable solution

Gusto offers everything from full-service payroll through to compliance (Image credit: Gusto)
Best dependable payroll solution

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Workers comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Easy to use 
+
Works out tax 
+
Full-service payroll in all 50 states

Reasons to avoid

-
Less suited to big firms
-
Efficiency could be better

Gusto offers a full-service payroll, incorporating time tracking, compliance, as well as managing taxes, 401(k), and benefits such as medical, dental, and vision plans. 

Gusto also integrates with a number of existing accounting software and related platforms, such as Freshbooks, Quickbooks, Aplos, Zipbooks and Xero accounting software.

There are a handful of different plan levels available, with the cheapest offering to cover the basics of payroll, by way of a monthly software fee plus a fee per employee. After that plans offer features such as onboarding, time tracking, accounting, benefits, and document management. 

There is also a full-service payroll available, which along with employee self-service, also offers onboarding, directories, surveys, as well as support and a resource center. Although Gusto is a brilliant payroll and HR software choice for small businesses and users who are new to payroll, it may not be ideal for larger companies.

Read our full Gusto Review.

Gusto - the complete payroll solution$6/mo per person$12/mo per person$12/mo per person$6/mo per person

Gusto - the complete payroll solution
Choose a plan that suits your business needs. Packages include Core from $6/mo per person, Complete from $12/mo per person, Concierge from $12/mo per person and Contractor from just $6/mo per person.

Best for onboarding

(Image credit: Remote Payroll)
Best for more efficient onboarding

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Nicely engineered
+
Custom setup options
+
Meets local legal requirements

Reasons to avoid

-
Sales consultations
-
Support could be better

Businesses including larger corporations have flocked to Remote Payroll, simply because it has a very powerful feature set, albeit at a higher cost than many rivals. And, while there’s no shortage of best payroll software providers on the market, sometimes you need a little more potency to get the job done. If you’re running a larger organisation then Remote Payroll makes an awful lot of sense.

Remote Payroll comes with an extensive list of features, which can help business owners tackle every facet of their onboarding needs. The functionality within Remote Payroll means workflow is pretty much seamless too. It can also be tweaked to suit different country requirements, with functionality that can be similarly adapted to meet local laws.

Read our full Remote Payroll review.

Best one-stop platform

(Image credit: Deel)
Best one-stop platform for HR and payroll

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Simple but powerful design
+
Base product is affordable
+
Powerful structure
+
Great templates

Reasons to avoid

-
Adding features raises cost
-
Signing up can be convoluted

Deel is an extensive package that combines all of the tools that best payroll software offers. It includes a dazzling array of the features and functions businesses need on a daily basis, but also proves really useful for building up a more efficient bigger picture of how your company ticks. If you’ve got employees to hire and subsequently manage, as well as pay, then Deel packs a sizeable punch.

Inside the Deel software suite there are tools for fast and efficient onboarding, functionality that facilitates paying employees, even on a global scale where it’s needed and lots of HR features. In fact, Deel boasts HR functionality that makes light work of handling employees, no matter where they happen to be located.

Adding to the overall appeal is a dependable level of compliance, with Deel proving able to stay on top of any relevant regulations, irrespective of where your business operates. Deel is well-known for its quick and easy setup processes and ongoing administration benefits, making it suitable to companies of all shapes and sizes.

Read our full Deel review.

Best for SMEs

Sage Payroll is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (Image credit: Sage)
Best payment solution for SMEs

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Enter hourly or annual pay 
+
Quick calculations

Reasons to avoid

-
Not suitable for big firms
-
Steep learning curve

Sage Payroll is a payroll platform that makes it easier for businesses and human resource managers to process employ payments. Sporting a quick, four-step pay run, the platform lets you enter hourly or annual pay, and Sage will then handle the rest.   

There are tools to process absence, bonuses, expenses, holiday pay, pensions and student loans. Additional features can process PAYE and HMRC tax filing, and there is even a mobile app to manage payroll while on the go.

More than anything, the software is easy and quick to use. You certainly don’t need any experience or training to get around the user interface. However, if you do end up getting confused or experience an issue, you can access a 24/7 support service.

What’s worth noting is that this software is aimed squarely at small and medium-sized businesses, and offers transparent pricing.

Sage Business Cloud Payroll - feature packed solutionexclusive offer:90% off for 4 months

Sage Business Cloud Payroll - feature packed solution
Explore the multiple features and functions of Sage by trying this exclusive offer: Get Sage Payroll today and enjoy 90% off for 4 months. The offer doesn't run for long but Sage always has great deals on the go.

Best mobile-friendly

The QuickBooks self-service payroll package can be tailored to suit any business (Image credit: QuickBooks)
Best mobile-friendly payroll solution

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Mobile optimized 
+
Generates and sends payslips 
+
Variety of plans

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite a lot to learn
-
Costs add up
-
Almost too much choice

If you are looking for a mobile-friendly payroll application you should definitely take a look at the venerable QuickBooks from Intuit. Working across smartphones, tablets and computers, the software functions as an affordable and easy system for managing employee payments.

Through the platform you will be able to generate pay slips and send them directly to employees, as well as mandatory forms. There is a feature to calculate maternity and sick leave too, and QuickBooks will also remind you to send payments so you don’t forget. You can also quickly access employee data and manage pension contributions from one dashboard. 

The QuickBooks self-service payroll package has both a monthly cost for the service, plus an additional cost per employee, with fees varying according to the number of features and payment tier required.

Read our full QuickBooks review.

QuickBooks - great deals on one of the best payroll bundlesfree for 30 daysbuy now and save 50%

QuickBooks - great deals on one of the best payroll bundles
One of the biggest and best names in the business always has deals and incentives available. For example, save time, track money, and get important insights using a plan that's right for you. Try it free for 30 days or buy now and save 50%.

Best no-frills

Patriot offers business owners plenty of features including unlimited payments (Image credit: Patriot)
Best no-frills payroll solution

Specifications

Unilmited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Account setup
+
Strong at the basics
+
Free trial

Reasons to avoid

-
Pay type limitations
-
Additional features incur cost
-
Could run slightly better

Using Patriot Payroll means it’s possible to tackle both your accounting and payroll tasks, with a strong emphasis on ease of use, especially for small business owners. Patriot also gets a resounding thumbs-up for its efficient support infrastructure. The company has a long-standing pedigree too, with around three decades of experience shaping the look and feel of the current package.

Choose from one of two different packages that include the Accounting Premium option, which lets you handle business expenses, financial affairs and invoicing duties too. 

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. 

Lookout for plenty of features, including unlimited payments to vendors, the option or creating and printing 1099s and 1096s, optional 1099 e-filing, expense and income tracking. There’s also the option for producing unlimited customer invoices, accepting credit card payments, recording payments, importing bank transactions automatically and integration of your accounts with payroll. 

Read our full Patriot Payroll review.

Patriot Payroll - affordable options for businessesfree for 30 days

Patriot Payroll - affordable options for businesses
Frequently ranked as Best Value for Money, Patriot Payroll delivers easy onboarding, payroll delivery in three simple steps, free USA-based support and free direct deposit. Run unlimited payroll for your business free for 30 days.

Best for ease-of-use

BambooHR offers lots of features and two tiers of subscription (Image credit: BambooHR)
Best software solution for making payroll easy

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Integration with HR platform 
+
Time-off tracking

Reasons to avoid

-
Not available as standalone product
-
Pricing vague

When searching for a good payroll solution you will generally find that most HR technology companies offer their own payment features or applications. BambooHR, for instance, provides a separate payroll platform that syncs with its employee-management software.   

The software allows you to eradicate double entries, add new employees quickly, and track employee hours and bonus payouts. Other features of the platform include time-off tracking, staff database and records, an applicant tracking system, performance management and electronic signatures.

BambooHR offers two tiers of subscription, starting with the Essentials plan at the lower end. The upgrade is the Advantage plan with a gaggle of additional features including support for on-boarding and off-boarding, electronic signatures and custom email alerts. Unfortunately, pricing is opaque, and you'll have to get in touch for a quote.

Read our full BambooHR review.

Bamboo HR - fuss free payroll and more
free price quote

Bamboo HR - fuss free payroll and more
Get a free price quote for one of Bamboo HR's packages that include everything needed to keep your business running efficiently.Choose from Essentials or Advantage options, which come with a complete collection of features and functions aimed at improving efficiency.

Best for time tracking

Hourly comes packed with features and currently offers three plan options (Image credit: Hourly)
Great payroll software for time tracking and payroll

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
Contractor-friendly
+
Strong set of features
+
Combo package is good value

Reasons to avoid

-
Niche appeal
-
Some complex areas

Hourly payroll covers other crucial areas of your business, with unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit and paper checks, automatic tax filing along with 1099 and W-2 handling all featuring as part of the package. Lookout too for easy handling of garnishments and benefits, while the combination of Time Tracking and Payroll offers the added benefit of smart works comp insurance. Priority phone support is included too.

If you’re looking for a combination of payroll and time management software, with a worker’s comp insurance package also included Hourly is well worth investigating. It’s already doing a decent job of rivalling the likes of Gusto and OnPay, with two plan options including Time Tracking, Payroll or a combination package that includes both.

Opting for the combination deal lowers the cost overall. You can also experience it by requesting a demo if you’d like to see exactly how it ticks.

Features are many and varied, with the Time Tracking package including the ability to track time for all of your workers with the benefit of automatic timesheet creation and GPS clock-ins. Overtime and breaks can also be monitored with ease and it’s all supplemented with detailed reports and audit logs.

Read our full Hourly review.

Hourly - quick and easy payroll Gold edition, $6/mo Per person + $40/mo BasePlatinum for $10/mo Per person + $60/mo Base

Hourly - quick and easy payroll
Hourly is the payroll app for small business owners who hate paperwork. Choose from the Gold edition, $6/mo Per person + $40/mo Base or Platinum for $10/mo Per person + $60/mo Base.

Best for small business

Workful offers competitive pricing plans and a raft of features (Image credit: Workful)
Best small business payroll wizard

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Monthly

Reasons to buy

+
Simple interface
+
No-nonsense feature set
+
Affordable solution

Reasons to avoid

-
A work in progress
-
Some limitations
-
Tax shortcomings

The benefit of Workful for small business owners has to be its ability to cover many bases at once thanks to payroll, HR and timesheets all being handled within one package. Developed by the people who brought TaxSlayer to market, this is an easy to use option that has a relatively straightforward setup process.

Pricing is keen too, with a free 30-day trial and the single tier pricing helps to keep things even simpler while still offering payroll, time tracking and a host of employee tools too.

For the payroll aspect of the package you get unlimited payroll runs, multiple pay rates, built-in time tracking, state/federal tax forms and integration with QuickBooks. On top, you can also prepare W-2 and 1099 forms, create reports, produce electronic paystubs and carry out direct deposits. 

In addition, users get an employee portal for W-4’s, onboarding tools, check printing and everything can be access from any location. Time tracking follows suit with more on the features front, including payroll syncing, automatic calculation of overtime and hours plus PTO tracking. It also delivers customized policies and there are multiple accrual methods. 

Employee tools add another edge to the feature set, with the aforementioned employee portal allowing easy onboarding, expense tracking and a place to store documents and file for mileage reimbursement.

Read our full Workful review.

Workful - One price payroll dealsfree 30-day trial

Workful - One price payroll deals
Enjoy the benefit of payroll, time tracking and lots of employee tools with a package from Workful. Explore the benefits with a free 30-day trial and then pay $25/month + $5/employee/month. 

Best simplified HR

Automation is central to a lot of what Uzio does making it ideal for businesses (Image credit: Uzio)
Best simplified HR and payroll solution

Specifications

Unlimited runs: Yes
Employee self-service: Yes
Worker comp: Yes
Pricing: Tiered

Reasons to buy

+
HR management
+
Automated payroll
+
Excellent onboarding

Reasons to avoid

-
No obvious pricing
-
Useability a bit clunky

The appeal of Uzio is that it is a SaaS-based package that allows you to streamline many of your business administration tasks into one single online platform. There are plenty of tools for getting the job done too, with everything from HR issues through to tax affairs all covered by the package. Add in the ability to manage records, ensure compliance and cover payroll duties and you have many business bases covered.

This cloud-based package does need to be tailored to fit your business, which means there are no off-the-shelf pricing options available. However, this will probably prove more favourable to businesses as it can be scaled to suit the requirement, with the likes of onboarding new employees, time-tracking, PTO and personnel tracking all on offer for companies of varying sizes.

Payroll is similarly well covered, with a fully integrated cloud-based system that integrates with the HR side of things. Therefore, your business can manage payroll, handle taxes, salaries of employees and then carry out year-end reporting all within the same application. That’s always going to be a bonus.

Automation is central to a lot of what Uzio does too, which, combined with intuitive dashboards and controls, makes multi-tasking a doddle. Uzio offers a high level of employee self-service access too.

Read our full Uzio review.

Uzio - Transparent pricing and no hidden fees$4.50/month per employee + $30pm30-day free trial

Uzio - Transparent pricing and no hidden fees
Pick from a range of payroll packages that can be tailored to suit your business. Payroll from $4.50/month per employee + $30pm or sign up today to get the benefit of a 30-day free trial. Uzio also has HRIS, time tracking and more for your business needs.


Also consider

While our main listing includes the top names in payroll software there are many other options to choose from. If you're in business and have employees then you'll also need software to help handle HR requirements. There are payroll software packages that make this possible, all from within one interface. Others let you tackle numerous admin chores too, all using the benefit of just one software bundle. 

Here's our selection of other best payroll software packages worth considering.

Square Payroll - basic but practicalGet started for free

Square Payroll - basic but practical
While it may not bristle with quite as many bells and whistles as some of its payroll counterparts, Square Payroll is mighty handy. This is especially so if you already make use of other Square apps in the portfolio, most notably for processing payments through your business using point of sale products. Get started for free.

SurePayroll - Great all rounderSurePayroll

SurePayroll - Great all rounder
Small business users with reasonably modest needs will find the power and potential behind SurePayroll ideal. It offers quick and easy payroll processing, but it's also useful for handling and managing company data. SurePayroll can also be easily adapted to suit the needs of businesses working across a variety of industries.

OnPay - power packed payroll and HROnPay

OnPay - power packed payroll and HR
If you're looking for a one-stop payroll and HR solution OnPay is well worth further investigation. It has a great selection of scalable features, which make it suitable for business of all shapes and sizes. Competitively priced, OnPay is also free to set up.


FAQs

What is payroll software for small business?

Payroll software for small business is an essential tool for companies to manage their accounting and payroll processes. This software simplifies otherwise arduous processes, like managing employee salaries, wages, and deductions, and it integrates with existing HR or accounting systems. 

How to choose the best payroll software for small business?

In order to compile our best payroll software for small business list, we tried all of the software options available over a period of time. This allowed us to evaluate all of the features and functions designed to help small and medium-sized business work more efficiently. 

If you run a business and have employees then a good quality, robust payroll package is invaluable for letting you get the task completed. Processing payroll doesn't just involve producing checks and direct deposits either because you'll want to have a payroll system that can help you with calculating taxes correctly and staying on top of other accounting chores. 

Quite how many features and functions you'll need from your payroll software largely depends on how big your business is. While larger brands such as Sage and QuickBooks can often be easily scaled up as you need more functionality, it may be an idea to stick with a smaller scale, slightly cheaper option. After all, there's no point in paying for the best payroll software if it contains more features than you actually need.

How we test

We look for a solid collection of features and functions when we test the best payroll software for small business. That means we're on the lookout for unlimited payroll runs, options for administrative and employee access, plus cover for things like health benefits and workers comp. 

Given that payroll software can frequently have its complicated aspects we always make a point of checking the customer support side too. This should ideally include phone, email and chat options, supplemented by plenty of documentation and training where possible.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.

Get in touch

  • You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^
Jonas P. DeMuro

Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.

With contributions from