13 Best Payroll Software in Canada (2024)

Ease of setting up and configuring automation during the onboarding process allowed for key touchpoints to be made during an integral stage of employment. Rippling also served as a single sign-on for the Google suite products our organization used. We received multiple compliments from employees on how easy the system was to use from their perspective.

My organization wanted to move away from an HRIS that was not cost-effective. After vetting multiple HRIS options, we decided to go with Rippling. The relationship with the sales and implementation team was seamless. Rippling offered a fully integrated payroll and HRIS system at an affordable cost. My organization used Rippling during the final year we were in business and should have made the switch sooner.

There were extra fees related to year-end tax filings, such as ACA and 1095 forms. The reporting function had some limitations; while several report templates were already built in, much of the data we needed required creating custom reports. Not all of the "fun" areas of the system were included in the core package. We could have done a lot more with Rippling but simply did not have the budget to add on the additional functions.

It felt very modern from both an Administrator standpoint and an employee perspective. It did not feel like an outdated system like some others, which was something that stood out to my organization, especially being in the SaaS space.

I suggest identifying which HRIS features are most important for your organization. Some may prioritize a robust reporting function, while others may need compliant payroll across multiple states. Once those key features are identified, avoid compromising if possible. Also, consider the Administrator who will be heavily involved in the system each day—what tools do they need to succeed, how can this system help streamline their current processes, and how can it improve overall efficiency?

Unfortunately, I do not have enough experience with this system to accurately answer this question, as my organization was only with Rippling for 12 months.

Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a modern approach to HRIS and payroll. An ideal user would be someone who wants to embrace technology and utilize it in standard processes.

I like ADP's ADA health compliance features, I like their payroll processing features, and I like their report-generating tools

West Monroe has used ADP for 10 years now. We moved to ADP to streamline benefits enrollment and to process payroll. ADP was purchased to help West Monroe grow to scale. When it was first purchased we were at 300 employees. As of today, we are at 2000 plus employees who we process payroll and benefits for

I dislike their open enrollment platform, customer service is sorely lacking, and their employee benefits profile always has problems

ADPs reporting is intuitive and one of the only features i like and would recommend

People should think about how they want to grow with ADP. For example, West Monroe is now an international company, and ADP payroll and benefits only works well for those in the US

The updates in their reporting abilities have helped with our company's needs

ADP is good for payroll and tax admins

I like the features of Ceridian Dayforce. It's a very user-friendly HR tool that our hourly employees can maneuver effortlessly. The system troubleshoots itself if there's an error.

Our organization was in need of a more user-friendly timekeeping software for our hourly employees located across various plants in our US campuses. We required a consistent payroll and time management system that could be seamlessly implemented across all offices. After exploring multiple HR tools, we ultimately chose Ceridian. The impressive functionality and user-friendly features of Ceridian caught our attention, allowing us to streamline timekeeping processes for all employees nationwide without any issues. Specifically, we opted for the Ceridian Dayforce version, and the transition to this HR tool has been highly satisfactory. In fact, we have enthusiastically recommended it to several partners and clients who collaborate with our individual plants.

Occasionally, the troubleshooting function of Ceridian can be somewhat perplexing when attempting to identify the root cause of an issue. In the past, we have encountered login problems where employees have had difficulties logging in correctly. Another minor inconvenience we have noticed is that when inputting time, the screen does not automatically display the current day but rather defaults to the beginning of the month.

Ceridian stands out as a highly user-friendly timekeeping software compared to many of its competitors. What sets Ceridian apart is its exceptional customer service, with its team readily available to address any inquiries or issues that may arise. Personally, I have a strong preference for Ceridian over other alternatives we have tested primarily due to its superior functionality.

The primary factors that influence our purchasing decision are the user-friendly nature of the software and its comprehensive features related to timekeeping. Additionally, the troubleshooting function performs effectively, even when dealing with a large group of hourly employees simultaneously logging in.

While I'm not entirely certain, I don't recall the HR tool having the troubleshooting function from the beginning, but I could be mistaken. It appears that Ceridian recognized the importance of addressing the timekeeping challenges faced by larger companies operating on a nationwide scale. They dedicated efforts to meet the specific requirements of such corporations and enhance their capabilities to effectively manage timekeeping across the entire country.

I think it fits larger organizations best.

• QuickBooks is very affordable and reasonably intuitive.
• Out-of-box, it comes with a generous offering of features, and you are able to add more through its ability to connect with third-party applications (Bill.com).
• The online version allows us to access our financials from any computer, and there is a mobile app available for quick views and expense tracking.
• QuickBooks also has a fairly extensive self-help library if you are unfamiliar with certain features or processes.

My company was in the market for a new accounting software to handle AR, AP, and payroll. The software we used before QuickBooks Online was too complex and more robust than what we needed, and the pricing structure was simply unaffordable. We've been using QuickBooks Online for 3+ years. It handles all of our invoices and vendor payments, and also helps us manage and distribute our payroll.

• Unfortunately, QuickBooks has terrible customer service. In most cases, it is extremely difficult to contact a human customer service representative, and their support ticket system is very slow.
• QuickBooks also has issues connecting with smaller banks, so some features may not be available if you use a local bank or credit union.
• There are also a number of CSS and UX issues that hide certain Call To Action buttons or make them altogether unusable.

QuickBooks stands out from its competitors through its offering of a robust set of features at an affordable price. The price structure allows for affordable scalability, as you only need one license for each business entity. The interface is user-friendly and does not require a lot of details steps in order to customize your experience.

Before purchasing a license, you should think about how businesses you want to connect to the application. Other platforms may accommodate more elaborate business structures. You should also think about the total feature set you are looking to obtain. QuickBooks is great for general accounting, but its reporting capabilities are somewhat limited compared to other more customizable platforms.

QuickBooks continues to add integrations that increase the number of available features without directly altering the platform. Connections to third-party services like Bill.com allow you to do more than what is offered out of the box.

QuickBooks is great for small businesses and business owners that handle all of their own accounting needs.

• Simple user interface.
• Inexpensive compared to others.
• Canadian company.

To pay employees in Canada. Wanted something easy to set up, quick to set up and inexpensive.

Doesn't integrate with much. Very limited functions. Barely any features. Bare bones. Poor customer service, there's no number to call. And, they charge for help.

Simple, limited features, cheap.

If you have more than 5 employees, I'd recommend picking another provider.

Individual entrepreneurs.

• Payworks offers a one-stop-shop for queries regarding payroll, HRM, compensation, and employee management systems and records, which makes the processes efficient and effective and reduces the need for multiple HRM tools.
• It provides real-time data for employees and the company, allowing you to customize any report related to payroll, compensation, time off, overtime, and banked time.
• It ensures compliance with labor laws and provides security measures to protect both employees' and the company’s confidential information.
• Payworks is user-friendly; you don’t need to be an HR expert to navigate through the tool.

We wanted an accurate payroll system for our company’s HRM, compensation, and employee management processes that would reduce our administrative tasks and improve efficiency and accuracy. We needed a tool that helps us comply with provincial and federal labor laws.

Prior to Payworks, we were completing all the tasks manually, which was time-consuming and often prone to human errors. This tool has provided us with a one-stop-shop platform that simplifies the process, provides accurate data, complies with labor laws, and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of our HR operations.

• Sometimes, it is challenging to integrate Payworks with other systems and software, which impacts workflow and data management.
• Some of the reporting features may not always be customizable to meet the employer’s needs, which could affect work effectiveness.
• Some features under the Human Resources tabs are underutilized, as there is an opportunity to make them more customizable to cater to clients' needs.

The biggest value-added feature is having a dedicated case manager for your company, which makes a significant difference in utilizing this tool to its fullest. The ease of use helps reduce training time and errors. Even if you don’t have an HR expert on your team, they help you understand the processes and impacts of the tool. They provide many resources and articles with step-by-step guidance to address any HR-related queries. It also offers reporting and analytics tools that provide valuable insights into workforce metrics, payroll data, and HR trends.

When buying a tool, one should always consider a user-friendly platform that can be a one-stop shop for both employees and employers. It should offer features that meet specific HR needs. Investing in a good platform that reduces data duplication and improves efficiency across the board is essential. Lastly, employee confidentiality is very important, and thorough research should be done before making a decision that may impact personal and confidential information.

Payworks continues to refine its processes and operating systems to remain a user-friendly tool for all. This tool has consistently enhanced its features to keep up with changing provincial and federal regulations and laws. Its ongoing enhancements of HR operating systems aim to reduce the amount of extra administrative tasks, allowing employers to invest more in their company’s development and growth. I highly recommend this tool for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an HR solution.

Small to medium-sized businesses can certainly benefit from Payworks.

• It interfaced well with the bookkeeping.
• The pricing was good with the per-person add-on, not paying for more than needed.
• The interface was fairly easy to understand and navigate.

The company invested in Wave Payroll a couple of years ago, hoping it would simplify our payroll process compared to our existing method. However, we only used it for a few months before switching to another solution. The software was slow and did not deliver the improvement we had anticipated. The lack of efficiency and unmet expectations led us to seek an alternative. Ultimately, Wave Payroll did not meet our needs as hoped.

• Wave Payroll lacks detailed reporting options, limiting payroll analysis.
• It does not have the option to automatically run payroll.
• There is no support for additional benefits, so we had to manually enter deductions.

We switched to another software that had the option to run payroll automatically and offered more options for benefits deductions.

You should consider Wave Payroll if you're okay with manually running payroll and how in-depth the reporting needs to be. Also, consider if running non-cash benefits through payroll is important to you.

We didn't use Wave Payroll long enough to see any changes.

Small businesses that don't have bigger HR needs will find Wave Payroll helpful.

Pricing flexibility was great and affordable for smaller enterprises. The representatives and customer service staff were very knowledgeable and experienced, offering excellent guidance and a can-do attitude, which was very welcome as we had become bogged down in red tape. We liked that there were very relevant add-on services that could be used on an ad-hoc basis.

We bought Papaya Global because we were expanding internationally. Our business meant that we had small offices and remote workers in many countries. It was time-consuming and error-prone to individually pay staff in so many countries. We needed a tool that could centralize global payroll and pay multiple international staff seamlessly and effortlessly, and Papaya Global did this. I used it for about a year.

It would have been good if they had a solution for 50 to 100 employees. We had to take the minimum 100-employee tariff even though we initially had fewer than 100 employees. Reporting could be improved; I found that the invoices were a little low on detail. It is a bit more expensive than the competition.

I have used other similar tools, and while a little more expensive, I found that this one has better global coverage and a more comprehensive service offering.

Consider global coverage, e.g., what countries they serve and if they have a depth of knowledge and expertise. Ensure it has a good and efficient global payroll service at its core, but also has the appropriate add-on services (like EOR, global payments, contractor payments) so you can quickly adapt to changing business circumstances.

I think the library and knowledge base have grown substantially, providing more on-demand information and advice about global payments.

Papaya Global is good for any international organization with employees in multiple countries.