The Best Online Payroll Services of 2024

Syncing payroll journal entries to accounting software can be a pain for small business owners and accountants alike. Intuit QuickBooks eliminates this headache with its integrated payroll and accounting software solutions. Payroll administrators can pay employees and contractors through QuickBooks Payroll or update wages and benefits deductions, and all information syncs with QuickBooks Online. Its competitive price and bundled services made it our top choice for a payroll provider with accounting integration.

QuickBooks Payroll starts at $45 per month, plus a $5-per-employee fee. It also offers an affordable contractor-only option, which includes up to 20 independent workers or freelancers for $15 per month. You can add QuickBooks Payroll to your subscription if you already use QuickBooks Online. Intuit recently announced several new plans for Canadian customers, called New Payroll Premium and New Payroll Elite. These new plans include time-tracking, HR services and more.

Like competitors, QuickBooks Payroll provides unlimited payroll runs, a self-service employee portal and benefits administration tools. Since QuickBooks Online integrates with payroll tax preparation software, using its payroll services streamlines the entire reporting process. We liked that even the base plan offers next-day direct deposit, as most payroll companies have two- or four-day time frames. Premium and higher-tier packages provide same-day direct deposit, which is helpful for last-minute payroll processing.

OnPay’s payroll solution does not have automated payroll processing for salaried workers, so you must manually approve payroll each pay period.

OnPay’s transparent pricing model, excellent customer support and user-friendly payroll software set it apart from other payroll providers. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. OnPay offers many options that most online payroll services charge extra for, like multistate payroll processing and custom payroll reports. We appreciated OnPay’s commitment to small business owners and the overall value its service provides, which is why we chose OnPay as the best payroll software for small companies.

OnPay’s pricing ($40 monthly plus a $6 per employee fee) is on par with the base plans from most payroll services. Yet it does not skimp on features. OnPay allows unlimited payroll runs for employees and contractors, and it handles local, state and federal payroll taxes. Tax penalty protection provides peace of mind, while proactive alerts prevent payroll processing if errors exist.

The payroll service offers accounting software and time-tracking integrations and helps set up custom general ledger integrations. OnPay’s hands-on support extends to implementation and benefits management. The payroll company assigns an onboarding specialist who prepares the system for you, and licensed brokers help you compare employee benefits packages. OnPay even offers emergency weekend support, which is a huge help for small business owners processing payroll during non-business hours.

The best payroll services grow with your company so that you don’t have to switch providers and migrate to a new system. ADP is our top choice for growing businesses because it scales from a basic payroll solution to a full-service HR and payroll system for over 1,000 employees and contractors. Each feature, from payroll reports to compliance support, expands to handle your company’s growth. ADP helps ensure that your tax obligations, new hires and HR teams receive the attention they deserve.

Rapid growth often strains staff as companies seek new employees. With seven RUN Powered by ADP and ADP Workforce Now plans, you can add run payroll automatically and let ADP handle your quarterly and annual tax filing responsibilities. The employee portal and highly rated mobile app give workers access to pay stubs and tax forms, reducing calls to your HR department.

Moreover, ADP’s advanced features help you reach goals quicker. It supplies an applicant tracking system, workforce management tools and compensation benchmark reports to assist hiring and retention. Digital recordkeeping and an employee handbook wizard enable a small HR team to manage a growing workforce.

Exceptional employee self-service portals enhance user experiences, resulting in fewer calls and emails to your HR department. Indeed, we were impressed with Paycor’s online payroll software, which gives staff access to personal records, benefits, schedules and payroll data. Its drag-and-drop functionality lets workers swap shifts or request time off online. The functionality extends to HR leaders and managers. As such, we chose Paycor as the top payroll system for employee self-service.

Paycor’s self-service technology alerts HR leaders, managers and employees if there are any payroll or timecard errors. It allows staff to sign company documents online and can even notify them when certifications are about to expire. We found its payroll service comprehensive, with automated payroll processing and tax filing. Paycor supports multiple pay options, including paycards, earned wage access and a digital wallet. Furthermore, companies can monitor employee self-service usage through their reporting capabilities.

Gusto’s full-service HR and payroll solutions fit into and even improve existing workflows, helping small business owners save time and enhance employee experiences. We were pleased that Gusto connected to more than 20 time-tracking applications and dozens of other business apps. These integrations let us use our existing tools alongside Gusto’s native onboarding, benefits administration and payroll features. For these reasons and others, we selected Gusto as the best online payroll service for HR integration.

The tiered pricing model starts at $40 per month, plus $6 per employee, similar to rivals’. However, you won’t find hidden fees for syncing your time clock tools or accounting software. Nor will you pay more for cloud storage of employee documents. We liked the customizable offer letter templates, e-signature tool and onboarding checklist. Gusto scales to relieve HR burdens with its one-click software provisioning and team management tools. Additionally, managers can assess worker performance through Gusto’s platform.

Large organizations with diverse workforces and multiple locations can use Paychex Flex to serve employees and contractors better while streamlining back-office workflows. It offers direct deposit alternatives and employee self-service options. The payroll software integrates with over 250 third-party applications and supports custom integrations through its API Developer Center. Flexible plans and various add-ons make Paychex a great payroll service for large companies.

Paychex understands that larger businesses need more ways to pay employees. It provides eChecks service, on-demand pay, direct deposit, payroll cards, 24/7 real-time payments and a Readychex service that prints and mails paper checks. Paychex Flex Essentials pricing starts at $39 per month, plus a $5-per-employee fee, and scales to Paychex Flex Enterprise. This is a custom plan that includes a performance management system and payroll data visualization tools.

We also appreciate the Paychex Pre-Check add-on feature, which reduces payroll errors by allowing employees to preview paychecks. Tax penalty protection is a bonus for big companies wanting to provide more employee tools. And with more than 160 reports, enterprises can dive into employee benefits administration costs or benchmark compensation.

Workflow automation reduces task switching, allowing HR professionals to focus on high-level duties. The best payroll services automate tax filing and payroll processing, but none offer extensive integrations and prebuilt automation formulas like Rippling. Its no-code workflow builder can update your accounting software and assign tasks to pay employees a referral bonus or retroactive pay raise. Consequently, we chose Rippling as the best payroll provider for automating processes.

Although Rippling lacks an individual payroll service, its workforce management platform and payroll module costs are competitively priced. Rippling Unity starts at $35 per month, and Rippling Payroll has an $8-per-employee fee. For this price, you can automate over 1,000 common workflows and connect your HR and payroll system to third-party tools like Slack, Jira and Zendesk. One new feature is Rippling Recruiting. This new applicant tracking tool integrates with the wider workforce management platform.

With Rippling, you can run payroll in 90 seconds and pay employees via direct deposit. The customizable service packages let you add benefits administration, expense management and compliance tools. In each case, you can automate workflows across Rippling’s integrated modules.

Global payroll is challenging for small and midsize businesses, but Papaya Global makes hiring employees and contractors in more than 160 countries convenient. It supports over 100 payout currencies and offers international employee benefits plans. Papaya Global leverages AI technology to audit payroll to ensure accuracy and compliance. We identified Papaya Global as the best payroll software for an international workforce.

Papaya Global provides a dedicated mobile app and online portal available for use by global employees and contractors. The payroll provider enables a consistent experience regardless of your team’s location by automating workflows and notifications. It provides a full payroll calendar specific to each region, with customized approval chains to keep your payroll process flowing.

We were pleased with how Papaya Global helps small businesses avoid contractor misclassification. It handles the legal paperwork, including country-specific tax forms and agreement templates. Papaya Global payroll pricing starts at $3 per person per month to add international payments to your current payroll service, whereas full-service payroll costs $12 per person per month.

Small businesses with hourly workers and 1099 contractors will appreciate Square Payroll’s straightforward payroll processing platform. The system is intuitive, requiring only a few steps to run payroll each pay period. In addition, the payroll company provides live support for account setup and does not have a steep learning curve. For these reasons and others, we chose Square Payroll as the best payroll software for its ease of use.

Square Payroll imports commissions and tips from Square POS and attendance data from Square Team Management. And we appreciate that Square does not require a contract. Seasonal companies can pause billing to avoid paying for inactive periods. 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.

We also like that we could pay staff by direct deposit, check or Cash App. The single full-service payroll subscription costs $35 per month plus $5 per employee. Small businesses without W-2 workers can select Square’s contractor-only option, as it does not have a monthly fee. Instead, clients pay $6 per active independent contractor or freelancer.

More recently, Square unveiled AI-powered tools to make your life as a manager even easier. These include AI to generate personalized email content and team announcements.

Entering time card data into a payroll system is time-intensive and error-prone. Zenefits solves this problem with native time-tracking tools for on-site, remote and field workers. Built-in scheduling and compliance features help companies comply with overtime regulations and notify employees of new shifts. Since everything syncs to Zenefits’ payroll service, it’s our top choice for payroll software with built-in time tracking.

We were pleased with the flexibility of Zenefits’ attendance features. Employees could clock in and out from the mobile app, and employers can establish a perimeter to prevent buddy punching or enable GPS to monitor worker locations. Alternatively, you can set up Zenefits on an iPad terminal or a desktop. We were impressed that staff could switch shifts or request coverage and, when scheduling, we could block out dates to prevent time-off requests during the busy season.

Price-wise, Zenefits is reasonable. The base package starts at $10 per employee per month, or $8 with annual billing, plus an additional $6 per person for payroll services. It includes compliance features that can remind staff to take a break or go to lunch and assist small businesses with Affordable Care Act (ACA) benefits management.

No two small businesses are alike, yet payroll service providers must accommodate all of them. Often, owners end up paying for features they don’t want or use. isolved is the best payroll software for plan customization because you pick which tools and products your company needs. Choose the payroll processing module if you want unlimited payroll runs and automated tax filing without the bells and whistles. Or go all out and add benefits administration, scheduling and employee engagement tools.

Since isolved is a human capital management (HCM) solution, you’ll find solutions for every workforce-related issue, including financial wellness programs, learning management platforms and predictive analytics tools. The employee self-service portal displays pay stubs and direct deposit details. Each module expands the system’s capabilities, so if you add time tracking, the report writer tool can analyze employment trends alongside payroll reports and summaries.

Aside from full-service payroll, isolved offers a conversational virtual assistant to answer HR questions in Microsoft Teams, or you can partner with isolved to create a unique employee benefits program. Plus, isolved integrates with several third-party apps, including QuickBooks Online and OnShift.

Outsourcing payroll and some HR services to a professional employer organization (PEO) can help your company save on benefits and payroll expenses. Justworks is an affordable solution with robust online payroll services, employment practices liability insurance and accounting software integrations. Its high-quality health insurance options and native time-tracking tools make it our favorite payroll provider for PEO services.

Justworks’ pricing starts at $59 per employee per month, which is more expensive than standard payroll software solutions. However, as your PEO, Justworks becomes your co-employer and provides access to a 24/7 customer service team via Slack, phone, email, chat and text. Certified HR consultants offer assistance in handling complex payroll and employment situations. The payroll process supports employees and contractors, off-cycle or bonus payments, and reimbursements.

By working with Justworks, you can get workers’ compensation coverage and many employee benefits, including fitness memberships, retirement plans, pretax commuter benefits and life insurance packages. Employers can view tools through an intuitive online dashboard, and Justworks files your payroll taxes, W-2s and 1099s.

Not all online payroll services respond quickly when issues arise. However, Heartland Payroll provides on-demand access to professionals who can answer your questions about payroll tax preparation and labor laws. Its HR Support Center includes the Ease and Employee Navigator, simplifying new-hire reporting and benefits-related payroll deductions. With a full-service payroll solution and vast HR resources, small businesses can prevent manual data entry errors and stay updated on the latest regulations. We identified Heartland Payroll as the best payroll software for HR support.

Aside from its regular services, Heartland Payroll offers HR On Demand. With this option, companies can speak with SHRM-certified experts for advice on creating a company handbook or terminating employees. The HR platform also includes file storage for onboarding documents, and Heartland Payroll emails alerts when a court decision or regulation could affect your business. We also appreciate that the payroll software integrates with QuickBooks Online, POS systems and time-tracking apps.

AspenHR does more than offer health insurance and employee benefits. It answers employee questions, processes enrollments and manages claims issues. We were impressed with its level of service that extends to administering COBRA and providing ACA reports. With AspenHR, small businesses can attract and retain workers with a comprehensive Fortune 500 benefits package. It’s our pick as the top payroll solution and PEO service for companies wanting outstanding multistate benefits.

Aside from payroll processing and tax filings, AspenHR has a certified HR team to advise your company on payroll, benefits, compliance and labor issues. It offers the broadest range of customized benefits programs, including medical plans through Aetna and dental benefits with orthodontia care. We love the unique options like travel assistance, identity protection and pet care. Also, AspenHR can meet the needs of executives with coverage options that allow companies to cover some expenses or care on a pretax basis.

A small team does not always need a full-service payroll system, and we appreciate that Patriot Software offers a manual tax filing solution. With this option, a small business can save over $200 annually on monthly fees. Patriot Software still provides unlimited payroll runs for all pay frequencies and supports 1099 and W-2 workers. Alternatively, you can upgrade to its full-service payroll solution, which costs less than most competitors. Our evaluation found that Patriot Software is the best online payroll system for small teams.

Although Patriot Software is inexpensive, it supplies the payroll features a small team needs for accurate payroll runs and records. Employers can customize deductions, contributions and pay types. The payroll software lets you set up a PTO policy and run payroll reports. It integrates with 401(k) and workers’ compensation plans. In addition, the employee self-service portal gives staff access to pay history, time-off balances and W-2 forms.

Patriot Software’s pricing is $17 per month, plus $4 per employee for self-service tax filing or $37 per month, plus $4 per person for full-service payroll and tax services. While Patriot Software syncs with QuickBooks Online, you can also select Patriot’s accounting system.