The 8 Best Payroll Software Platforms 2024

ADP stands out in a crowded field thanks to their ability to offer related HR functions like benefits administration, compliance, and time and attendance in addition to tailored payroll packages - all from a single, easy-to-use platform. Their tailored payroll packages offer a range of tools and add-ons, and we’ve found that upgrading between packages is easy, which is great for companies expecting notable shifts in headcount. 

However, ADP may not be the best fit for SMBs due to its high price point. Fees tend to increase with time, and it’s not the cheapest tool out there. Also, we’ve spoken to numerous users who have remarked upon their customer service as an aspect they could improve. Some common complaints include the time of each response and not having a stable point of contact to refer to within the company. 

In our experience, the software itself can also create some issues with time. While few companies are able to offer as much, it’s common to encounter bugs and errors that require you to speak to a representative in order to get it fixed – for instance, the hourly pay rate doesn’t come through properly. 

Overall, ADP is one of the best-known names in the space and their huge market share means they’re definitely a must-consider for some companies, but they are certainly not the most flexible. Also, since you’ll be among thousands of other customers, you’re unlikely to receive a white-glove customer service experience.

Margaritaville, BP, The Bancorp, The Boston Globe, Whole Foods, LongHorn Steakhouse and more. 

APD’s pricing is not publicly available. However, they can provide a custom quote through their website if you indicate your company size and the desired modules. 

Gusto has always been a worthy consideration within the payroll software category, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. 

First, Gusto is very user-centric: Even the cheapest plan includes call, email, and live chat support at extended hours. There is also an online help center and dedicated community where accountants can connect and learn from each other. 

With features ranging from full-service multi-state employee and contractor payments to benefits and even global EOR, Gusto can assist with many business types. We tested its payroll capabilities and can report that its ability to schedule and run fast, flexible (and unlimited) payrolls is pretty much on par with enterprise solution ADP.

That said, we can’t escape the fact that Gusto relies on third-party integrations for accounting capabilities. And while this vendor now provides an international EOR ( partnering with Remote), this service is not available for part-time, hourly workers.

Gusto has a transparent pricing structure and is more affordable than some competitors like Deel. For contractors, it's $6 per contractor per month (Deel is $49) and for employees, it's $40 per person per month (Deel charges $500). 

It may be cheap but Gusto does lack some essential features in higher-tier plans, including federal/state compliance alerts, time tracking, and multi-state payroll services. The most affordable plan only supports single-state payroll. For online signatures, time tracking, and expense management, you’ll have to integrate Gusto with third-party tools.

American Canning, Matchless Builds, Citizen Pilates, Pain Clinic, Distant Moon & more.

Gusto provides 3 plans:

• Simple starts at $40 per month plus $6 per person.
• Plus is $60 per month plus $9 per person.
• Premium offers customizable options and personalized pricing.
• Businesses with contractor-only workers can opt for a monthly plan at $6 per person.

One of the best things about Deel is that the platform keeps getting more comprehensive each time we pay it a visit. 

Starting with core payroll and contractor management services in 2019, Deel now includes a global EOR that works across 100+ countries, an expanded array of payment options, visa support, and automated compliance management. So, whether you’re looking to hire full-time employees, contractors, or freelancers in countries where you don’t have local entities, Deel can still assist.

One particularly impressive feature offered by the platform is the ability to process payroll in over 200 currencies with one click (you read this right, one click). 

Another is its extensive payment options. There are 15 different methods, ranging from traditional bank transfers to the more modern PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, and even cryptocurrency via Coinbase. As a cherry on top, your contractors can also obtain a Deel card which lets them receive payments in USD and use these funds directly for purchases.

As expected from a tech-savvy startup, Deel’s built-in automation is good, too. Payroll can be fully automated, and invoices can also be auto-generated based on contract terms.

However, Deel payroll and EOR are more expensive than some alternatives. For example, Papaya Global offers contractor management for $30 per month per contractor and that’s $29 with Oyster, whereas Deel charges $49.

As of this writing, Deel still doesn’t provide phone support. Time tracking features are also missing, which may lead to extra money spent on supplemental solutions for such needs.

Brex, Google, Duffel, Andela, HomeLight, and Makerpad.

Deel offers a free sign-up option and only charges as follows once the first team member is onboarded:

• Contractors: $49 per contractor per month for payroll and compliance across 150 countries.‍
• Full-time: Starts from $500 and facilitates employing full-time team members in new countries without the need for establishing a legal entity. Deel acts as the Employer of Record, managing the employee on your behalf.

Rippling is a 3-in-1 HR, IT & finance platform that can handle multi-state payroll, global payroll, benefits, PEO, EOR, and anything in between for your business.

Rippling has always stood out for its UI. The design is crisp, but more importantly, it’s very well thought out. We tried multiple features during our tech test: onboarding, payroll processing, PTO, and time tracking, and we had no complaints.

Rippling’s payroll solution stands shoulder-by-shoulder with other peers on our list. You can use multi-state and global payroll, as well as EOR and PEO, depending on your needs, to hire and pay employees and contractors in the U.S. and overseas. 

On the benefits front, while not as versatile as Gusto’s (9,000+ plans available), Rippling offers 4,000+ options—still a lot more than ADP’s 700. We also love that the platform’s integration list is always growing (500+ at the time of writing).

We’ve talked to HR pros who use Rippling daily. Efficient payroll tools, user-friendly benefits enrollment, and generally helpful phone and email support were all mentioned.

However, we’re quite surprised to discover that it’s not possible to automate the entire payroll process—a feature most modern payroll solutions offer.

Rippling is also less flexible when it comes to billing. There’s no free sign-up option like with Deel. A minimum one-year commitment is also required, unlike Gusto or PapayaGlobal which let you pay either monthly or annually.

Rippling's pricing begins at $8 per month per user and can be customized based on selected modules or the entire platform and the number of users.

Paycor is a great option for small to mid-sized businesses seeking a solution that can handle HR tasks in addition to payroll.

Paycor doesn’t (directly) handle global payroll like Deel or Papaya. Instead, the platform outsources such service to its partners and pays close attention to its domestic users—U.S.-based companies and staff. Thanks to that, its national payroll functionalities are rich and, at the same time, straightforward.

Within this single software, you’ll find autorun, pay options, compliance alerts, and employee self-service, to name a few. The system automates federal and state tax filings and you can do as many payroll runs as you like.

Paycor is particularly well-liked for its flexibility. With multiple plans to choose from, businesses can opt for extra tools like onboarding and compensation planning when they truly need them. 

The self-service portal is easy to use and provides access to a bunch of cool features. From checking pay stubs to viewing work schedules, updating profiles, and requesting time off, everything's right there on desktop and mobile.

However, a fair number of HR pros we’ve spoken with mentioned that they weren't happy with Paycor's customer support. Most cited the service being often unavailable and the support team members not being on the same page, so they had to report the same issue multiple times.

We also recommend that you communicate clearly with Paycor about the full costs associated with using its product as, from what we found, there may be extra fees like minimum billing and charges for early check clearance on top of the regular subscription cost.

40,000+ companies including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Zoo, and the Chicago Fire FC.

Varies depending on your headcount and the specific features you choose. 

We quickly understood why Paychex is so popular among U.S. businesses after diving into its automations. 

The auto payroll tax filing, for example, is nicely done. It can handle the whole tax filing process, which is super handy for multi-state teams in minimizing errors and avoiding penalties. Additionally, the employee onboarding feature is one of the most robust we have tried, with easy-to-complete online forms and personalized messages.

We also got a good impression of Paychex’s time tracking, as this tool not only supports touchless employee clock-ins but is agile enough for both medium and large teams. 

On top of that, the availability of PEO services means Paychex users can gain access to specialized support for health benefits, compliance, and onboarding without the hassle of finding a whole new tool.

Paychex might be a bit trickier to use and get support than ADP but its strong automation focus is a boon and its HR tools are high quality.

However, if top-notch design is important to you, a fair warning: Paychex’s UI isn’t very good. Perhaps due to its abundant feature set, the payroll platform’s interface gives off a rather cluttered feeling.

Cluttered interface aside, we found the customer support team to be underwhelming. It's tough to get hold of someone on the phone and, when it comes to email support, this vendor can take hours and even weeks to respond. We're also not big fans of the frequent changes in Paychex's customer success managers' contacts, either. This, according to several users we spoke to, has made it even tougher to get assistance.

740,000+ companies, including ESET, Funnelbox Inc., Smile Cafe, H.Y.P.E. Counseling Services, ASG, and Pet Partners.

• Flex Essentials plan costs $39/month + $5/employee/month.
• Flex Select and Flex Pro plans have custom pricing.
• Some features like recruiting, document management, and time tracking are charged separately.

APS Payroll is a solid, U.S.-focused payroll solution with a human touch that truly sets it apart from many competitors.

One of its biggest strengths is customer service. From day one, you’re assigned a dedicated account team, which means there’s always someone familiar with your setup available to help. Throughout our experience, we found APS’s support team to be responsive, with most issues resolved within the same day. Most users we spoke to also praised the payroll software vendor for being there from the implementation phase through ongoing assistance.

APS specializes in payroll for service-based industries such as healthcare, hospitality, churches, and non-profits. This focus has allowed APS to develop a payroll system tailored to meet the unique needs of these sectors, including managing workforce planning while ensuring compliance with the varied payroll regulations across different U.S. states.

During our test, we appreciated the expertise of APS’s payroll specialists, who clearly knew the intricacies of state-level payroll requirements—something that sets APS apart from competitors relying solely on automation.

Over the past couple of years, APS has made notable product enhancements, including AI Assist for HR and integrations, but our favorite is the platform’s new look. Previously, the outdated design was one of our biggest complaints. However, by the time of our test, APS had updated its interface while striking a balance between modernizing and maintaining the familiarity that many long-time customers prefer.

APS doesn’t offer a free trial; however, the pricing starts at $250 per month for 25-100 employees, which makes it quite affordable for small SMBs compared to other payroll providers.

During our research, we spoke with Jackie R., an HR Director for a small company. “I love that APS offers all aspects of an HRIS system at an affordable price. We are a small business and can't afford the big name payroll vendors, but we get everything they offer at APS for a price we can afford as a small business,” Jackie shared.

This aligns with our experience—while it’s not the cheapest option out there, the features provided make APS a valuable solution for businesses needing robust payroll and HR services without breaking the bank.

Unfortunately, APS's primary focus on the United States means it lacks the ability to handle operations for companies outside the country, making it a poor fit for international organizations.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the payroll solution is a required component of using other services that APS offers, such as benefits or HR. So, if you’re looking for a workforce management solution but want to keep your current payroll tool, APS is not ideal for you.

3,500+ companies, including Wahlburgers, Rainbow Sandals, Grayson College, and Hillside Christian Church.

• For businesses with 25-100 employees, APS starts at $250/month, which includes a base fee of $50 and an additional $5 for each employee. Optional features like attendance tracking and scheduling are available for additional costs.
• For companies with more than 100 employees, pricing is available upon request.

Papaya Global has its own time and attendance tracker that works really well with its payroll and compliance services. We can imagine how well-received this feature is by HR pros who can now handle employee hours, PTO, and payroll in one unified place.

We think Papaya’s benefits team is also among the best in the field. They break down all the options and can pair you with top-quality benefits providers across hundreds of different countries and regions. Best of all, you get all this bespoke advice at no extra cost.

And, just as we expected from a top player, Papaya’s self-service portal is good. It’s very handy for getting started, requesting time off, and checking pay stubs, and now, it’s even accessible on the go.

However, unlike Deel, which has its own entities in more than 150 countries for its EOR services, Papaya Global relies entirely on local partners. This presents compliance risks and potential add-on fees. Further, the fact that the platform doesn't offer a tax penalty guarantee is another thing worth noting.

We contacted several individuals who have used Papaya for at least three months to see how their experience with customer service has been, and the gathered feedback was kind of mixed. While some found the support quick and helpful, others have been dealing with the same problems over and over again. A few even felt like the reps might not have all the answers to solve their reported issues.

1,000+ companies, including Fiverr, Toyota, Wix, Deezer, Intel, and Microsoft.

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Papaya offers 5 different modules:

• PayrollPlus has 3 plans: Grow Global, Scale Global, and Enterprise Global, priced at $25, $20, and $15 per month per employee respectively.
• EOR: Starts at $599 per employee per month.
• Contractors: Begins at $30 per contractor per month.
• Global workforce payments: Starts at $2.5 per transaction.‍
• Agent of Record: Begins at $200 per contractor per month.