A payroll is one of the most important tasks for a business and its employees. This section is where you will find the best online payroll software for small business and online payroll software for large business. With our help you will be able to install payroll software that is designed to manage, process, and generate all the appropriate data. We recommend that before you begin looking at specific programs, you should establish what kind of system will work best for your needs, and whether you prefer working with an installed program or on a cloud-based platform.
EasyPay is the best payroll software for small business that you can use to run payroll online in the cloud at an affordable price. Free employee recruitment, job costing and time tracking capabilities make this a one-stop solution for all your company management needs. Best of all, this payroll software comes with an extensive list of features that any large business can use
Gusto
Gusto offers three thoughtful tiers for small to midsize companies that need payroll with a few helpings of human resources (HR) features, making it the best overall choice. Each plan includes full-service automated payroll that’s suitable for almost any business, depending on needs.Pros
- Affordable, but good value
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Paid time off (PTO) tracking available
- Full-service payroll available in all states
- Basic reports included at all tiers
Cons
- Next day direct deposit available only in the Complete and Concierge plans
- Dedicated support only for Concierge subscribers
Gusto is similar to other payroll software solutions in that it offers direct deposit or checks to pay your employees. It also tracks and files federal, state, and local taxes automatically. What sets Gusto apart from the other options is that it offers a better plan for each tier that you go up. Rather than removing direct deposit for the low-priced plan, Gusto increases the convenience of direct deposit the more expensive your plan. For example, direct deposit takes up to four days to clear for the lowest plan, but the high-tier plans get next-day direct deposit.
The Core plan from Gusto costs $39 per month, and $6 per employee per month, making it one of the most affordable choices for a full-service payroll plan. The Complete plan is also $39 per month, but the cost per employee is $12, and you’ll be able to offer next-day direct deposit. The Concierge plan is $149 per month and $12 per person and offers dedicated support and compliance alerts.
Price:
- Contractor: $6 per person per month.
- Core: $39 per month plus $6 per person per month.
- Complete: $39 per month plus $12 per person per month.
- Concierge: $149 per month plus $12 per person per month.
At all pricing tiers, Gusto’s robust payroll product includes a suite of HR features, like administration of health insurance and other benefits. Employees also get access to a mobile app (Gusto Wallet) to help them track their finances, and can opt to be paid via debit card. For businesses that want the human touch, the Concierge level ($149 per month base, plus $12 per employee) offers dedicated HR support. Gusto integrates with many third-party software products, including popular accounting apps like QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks and Xero.
Paychex Flex
Paychex Flex offers more than 160 reports for you to get a clear look at wages, taxes, turnover, and more. Paychex is our best reporting option because it checks almost all the boxes for what you’d want in payroll software when it comes to reports and data. It also automatically files your payroll taxes, ensures compliance, and includes integrations with important programs you also use, such as accounting and benefits apps.Pros
- 24/7 support
- Easy to use
- HR add-on options
- Robust reporting feature
Cons
- Hidden fees for setup & EOY tax docs
- Mixed reviews from users regarding support
There’s a lot to like about Paychex. The payroll software makes it easy to set up and run payroll, it automates the submission of federal, state, and local payroll taxes, and it offers plenty of upgrade options, which you may need as your business grows. Still, the basic reporting you get from Paychex could be worth the monthly fee alone, giving it the edge in this category. Plus, you’ll be able to add any other data field you’d like, thanks to custom fields, which is rare for small business online payroll services.
While the Paychex Flex Essentials plan is $39 per month and $5 per employee, it’s difficult to say how much Paychex will cost you for the more comprehensive plans—Paychex Flex Select and Paychex Flex Pro—unless you go through the process of getting a custom quote.
One of the most important aspects of a good online payroll solution is whether it integrates with software you already use. Paychex does integrate with QuickBooks and Xero accounting software, plus many health insurance and benefits apps, time tracking and attendance software, and HR software.
RUN Powered by ADP
Our pick for: Larger businesses
Price:
- Essential: $59 per month plus $4 per employee per month.
- Enhanced: Quote only.
- Complete: Quote only.
- HR Pro: Quote only.
This small-business payroll product from ADP, a payroll industry leader, offers a strong list of payroll features and solid customer support. And if you’re planning to scale your business up, ADP has products for every stage of your growth. The downsides: You have to talk to a sales rep to get a quote, and many features come with an extra price tag. RUN is geared toward companies of up to 49 employees; Workforce Now is the ADP product geared to those with 50 or more employees.
Rippling for Accountants: Best Payroll for Accountants With Clients Looking for Payroll, HR & IT Tools
Overall Score: 3.87 OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Payroll, IT, and HR tools are modular—you can select solutions that you need
- Robust integration options (over 400 apps)
- Partner program includes discounts for clients and accountants
- You need to get its core employee management platform before you can buy other solutions
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Purchasing all of its tools can get pricey
Rippling for Accountants Pricing
- Software fees: Starts at $8 per employee monthly
- Accountant perks: Discounted rates; dedicated support team
- Client discounts: Discounts for Rippling’s HR and payroll products; special app discounts from some of its partner third-party software
Read Rippling ReviewVisit Rippling for Accountants
Compared to all the providers in this guide, Rippling allows you to provide clients with a wider range of solutions given its modular HR, payroll, benefits, and IT tools. It even has efficient computer devices and apps provisioning and deprovisioning processes, plus Rippling can store your unused computers in its warehouse for safekeeping. However, its partner accountant program isn’t as robust as ADP with its benchmarking perks, Paychex with its CPE webinars, and Patriot Payroll with its wholesale pricing. Aside from a client dashboard, Rippling provides only discounts for you and your clients.
Scoring 3.87 out of 5 in our evaluation, Rippling received ratings of 4 and up in payroll and HR features, reporting capabilities, and ease of use. Many users even like its intuitive interface and the seamless integration between its products. It scored the lowest in pricing because details of its product suite’s monthly fees aren’t all posted on its website, plus it can get pricey if you purchase all of its HR, IT, benefits, and payroll modules.
Rippling for Accountants Pricing
Ripping requires you to purchase its employee management platform first and then add other paid HR, payroll, and IT modules that you want and need. Its pricing details aren’t all transparent—Rippling’s website only shows that monthly fees start at $8 per employee and doesn’t specify whether this is for its employee management platform or one of its modular solutions. However, you can contact Rippling to discuss your requirements and request a quote.
Based on the quote we received, monthly fees for Rippling’s HR, payroll, and IT tools are as follows:
- Core employee management platform: $10 per employee monthly
- Full-service payroll: $8 per employee monthly
- Employee benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- Flex HSA/FSA and commuter benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- HR help desk: $100 per month
- App management: $8 per employee monthly
- Device management: $8 per employee monthly
For Rippling’s partner program, accountants get discounted rates—and your clients can enjoy it too. Note that the client discounts are not only for Rippling’s HR, IT, and benefits administration modules; it also extends to some of the provider’s third-party software partners like Zoom, Expensify, Slack, and Salesforce Essentials.
Rippling for Accountants Features
- Payroll: Unlimited pay runs and auto-calculations of pay rates are just some of Rippling’s payroll features. You can pay both employees and contractors either through paychecks and direct deposits. Rippling even flags errors and pay data discrepancies between your draft pay runs and processed payrolls.
- Tax filing services: With Rippling, you don’t have to worry about filing payroll taxes yourself. Its tax services cover year-end reporting in addition to federal, state, and local tax payments and filings.
- Accountant-specific tools: Unlike QuickBooks and Patriot, it lacks an in-house accounting tool—although Rippling can integrate with QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, and Xero. Keeping track of all of your customers’ payroll needs and timelines is also made easy with Rippling’s client command center. In case you prefer a partner program with bigger discounts, consider Patriot Payroll as it can offer discounts of up to 50% off.
- HR features: Rippling’s suite of HR tools is designed to help you manage employees more efficiently. It has job posting, applicant tracking, time tracking, onboarding, and learning management solutions in addition to payroll and benefits options. If you need expert advice, sign up for its HR help desk add-on to get one-on-one support from an HR professional. However, if your clients prefer having access to a dedicated payroll specialist, then Paychex is an ideal tool for them.
- Employee benefits: You can choose to get one or all of its benefits modules that include ACA and COBRA administration, flex benefits (commuter benefits, FSA, and HSA), and benefits administration.
- IT tools: Rippling makes assigning and deploying computer devices to new hires easy. You can even install the necessary apps to computer devices and restrict access for resigning employees. Best of all, Rippling can connect with over 400 business apps. None of the providers on this list have a partner network this big.
Rippling for Accountants Drawbacks
- Accountant perks aren’t robust: The incentives included in Rippling’s partner accountant program aren’t robust when compared to the other providers on this list. For those who prefer higher discounts, Patriot Payroll can offer up to 50% off if you have 51 and more clients.
- Expensive if you get all of its tools: Having a modular HR, IT, and payroll platform can be convenient for those who only need one or two solutions. However, if you get Rippling’s entire solution suite, the monthly fees can be a bit costly for some of your clients, specifically small business owners.
Conclusion
There are many online payroll software or tools available for small business and large business. Some of them are Sage 50 Online, NetSuite, Intuit Quickbooks Online, etc. Paychex Flex is one such tool that is popular all over the world.