Best Program’s payroll software program is cheap and easy to use. It offers big business features in a small business program. Best Program offers Four options for single user payroll software, plus four options for enterprise level.
Our small business payroll software is easy to use, accurate and reliable. Designed for small business owners that need to maintain payroll records but don’t have the time or money to purchase additional payroll software. Our payroll program offers an easy seamless interface that guides you through new pay periods and employee additions or removals. You can print checks at home using laser bubble free checks or order pre-printed checks form us if your accountant prefers them.
Paycor: Best for Businesses Needing an All-in-One HR Payroll System
Overall Score: 4.16 OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Easy to set up and use
- Payroll and HR features are integrated
- Customizable pay grid and pay stubs
What’s Missing
- Pricey for small businesses
- Onboarding and HR tools are available only in premium plans
- Setup fees required for higher tiers
- Customer support delays
Paycor Pricing
- Small Business plans (those with up to 49 employees)
- Basic: $99 per month + $5 per employee monthly
- Essential: $149 per month + $6 per employee monthly + $59 one-time setup fee
- Complete: $199 per month + $7 per employee monthly + $99 one-time setup fee
- HCM: $199 per month + $12 per employee monthly + $199 one-time setup fee
- Mid-market plans (businesses with 50 and more employees): Custom-priced
For businesses looking for a cloud-based platform that comes with all of the essential tools to manage the entire employee lifecycle, Paycor is a good option. It offers a robust suite of solutions for handling basic to the most complex payroll and HR tasks. It has recruiting, onboarding, time and attendance, benefits, learning, and employee information management tools in addition to payroll and automated tax services. However, Paycor isn’t the most affordable payroll system for small businesses as its starter Basic plan costs $99 plus $5 per employee monthly—pricier than big-name payroll and HR providers like ADP and Paychex.
Scoring 4.16 out of 5 in our evaluation, Paycor received high marks in nearly all of our criteria with perfect scores in reporting, HR features, and popularity among users. However, its expensive pricing and limited interface customizability prevented it from ranking higher on our list. Several users said that not being able to fully customize some of its features (like creating special vacation accrual rules) is one of the things they like least about Paycor. Others commented that while it offers solid payroll and HR tools, its support team isn’t always responsive and can be difficult to reach at times.
Paycor Features
- Time and attendance: Paycor enables you to collect and monitor employee work hours, helping manage attendance and labor costs through automated and accurate processes. Its system is much more robust than Gusto’s simple time tracking tool. Employees can clock in and out, and you can use it to schedule shifts.
- All-in-one HR platform: Paycor offers an all-in-one platform that combines its payroll software with onboarding, time tracking, scheduling, performance management, and recruiting tools. You won’t get these robust HR features with traditional small business payroll software like Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, and Homebase Payroll.
- Customizable pay grids: Paycor’s payroll solution is flexible, allowing you to create intuitive workflows and build an online pay grid to fit your unique pay processing needs. You can select the pay data columns you want, remove those you don’t need, and choose whether you want the system to display the applicable hours or amount (or both) for each data type. You can even create a customized pay stub.
- Accurate payroll and tax filing: Aside from calculating employee payments and deductions, Paycor handles your quarterly tax payments and filings, including year-end reports. It also automatically pays and files your taxes at the federal and state levels on time. You can pay employees via direct deposits and manual checks. Paycor even offers check stuffing services.
Paycor’s Drawbacks
- Expensive: Out of all the small business payroll software we reviewed, Paycor has the priciest plans. Its starter Basic plan costs $99 plus $5 per employee monthly, which is more expensive than Paychex’s starter tier ($39 plus $5 per employee monthly) that already comes with garnishment payment services. With Paycor, you have to subscribe to its premium plans to get this.
- HR tools are available only in higher tiers: While Paycor’s small business payroll plans include access to basic HR tools (like PTO tracking and onboarding), these are available only in the premium tiers. We recommend Homebase Payroll if you want a payroll package that includes new hire onboarding, time tracking, and scheduling tools in a basic subscription tier.
Rippling: Best for Businesses Looking for a Modular HR, Payroll & IT Solution
Overall Score: 4.11 OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Has modular HR, payroll, and IT solutions that integrate seamlessly with each other
- PEO option can be easily switched on and off
- Connects with 400+ business apps
- IT tools simplify the company computer/app provisioning and deprovisioning processes
What’s Missing
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- You have to purchase its employee management platform before you can buy its other modules; can get pricey as you add more features
- HR help desk option with phone and email support costs extra
- Occasional software glitches
Rippling Pricing*
- 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
*Pricing is based on a quote we receivedRead Full ReviewVisit Rippling
What makes Rippling a good payroll option for businesses is its modular HR, payroll, and IT tools that allow you to choose only the solutions you need. While its employee management platform is a must-purchase, the cost of adding full-service payroll is still reasonable—although not as cost-effective as most of the small business payroll software in this guide (like Gusto and Patriot Payroll). It still made our list because, apart from its efficient online tools, Rippling is the only HR and payroll software we reviewed that can help you manage essential IT processes, such as assigning and deploying computers and business apps that employees can use.
Rippling earned a 4.11 out of 5 in our evaluation. It scored the highest in reporting capabilities, HR features, and payroll processing, but posted the lowest ratings in ease of use, primarily because it lacks free phone support—you have to purchase its HR help desk add-on that includes phone and email support from HR experts. In terms of user feedback, many appreciate its user-friendly platform and efficient payroll and HR tools; it has solid payroll analytic tools to ensure you don’t make any mistakes before running. However, some said that it can be glitchy at times with occasional login issues.
Rippling Features
- Modular solutions: Rippling has a flexible employee management platform that lets you choose the payroll, HR, and IT features that you need. You can start with its employee management (a must purchase) and full-service payroll tools, and then add more solutions like employee benefits and applicant tracking as you grow your business.
- Payroll Analytics: Rippling automatically pulls your last payroll numbers when you begin processing a new payroll so you can easily compare the two. It helps you identify any obvious errors quickly to prevent you from having to backtrack to correct them later.
- Full-service payroll: With Rippling, you can run payroll with just three clicks. It automatically calculates all employee payments, taxes, and deductions. Payroll tax filings are also automatically done by Rippling. If you have employees and contractors based in satellite offices outside of the US, Rippling can help you manage international payroll processes so you can pay your workers accurately and on time.
- Robust HR tools: Rippling offers more than payroll and employee information management solutions; it also has applicant tracking, benefits administration, time and attendance, and learning management tools. However, these modules are paid add-ons to Rippling’s core employee management platform.
- IT solutions: Rippling’s IT tools are designed to streamline and automate device and apps management processes. If you have new hires, Rippling can help you assign the computer units and identify business apps that employees have access to. For resigning employees, you can easily disable access to business apps and lock their computers on their last day. Rippling even stores your unassigned computer units in its warehouse, and you can check the inventory through its system.
- Flexible PEO: Rippling offers PEO services to businesses that need help managing payroll and day-to-day HR operations. And unlike ADP and Paychex, if you decide that you no longer need a PEO, then you can simply turn Rippling’s PEO services off from your account.
Rippling’s Drawbacks
- Can get pricey as you add more features: Its per-module pricing may be optimal for those who only need specific solutions (such as payroll), but if you keep adding more features and growing your workforce, Rippling can get pricey.
- Lacks free phone support: Rippling offers email and chat support, but if you need expert advice from an HR professional, you have to purchase its HR help desk add-on ($100 monthly) that includes phone and email support.
Gusto
The smart and easy-to-use payroll system of Gusto can be your next payroll software no matter what your business size is. Process payments manually or schedule them through Autopilot mode in a few clicks.
They calculate all the federal, state, and local payroll taxes accurately through e-sign, e-tax, and e-file technologies and pay them automatically. Gusto also helps in reporting new employees to the government, so you stay compliant with the laws. They also offer child-support garnishments and can adjust wages automatically to stay compliant with FLSA Tip credits.
Gusto offers flexible features such as Gusto debit card to access money easily and net-to-gross calculations (which makes it easy for bonuses). Go paperless with direct deposits, customize pay schedules according to your team members’ needs, and run unlimited payrolls. You can also add pre-tax deductions for benefits or go for post-tax for garnishments.
Use the software to support both salaried and hourly employees, pay your contractors through Gusto, and let it file and automatically send the taxes. Perform easy cancellations, reimbursements, and process flexible payment frequencies monthly, bi-monthly, or bi-weekly.
Gusto offers advanced payroll features such as payroll reports, including payroll history, contractor payments, bank transactions, tax payments, and more, and allows you to download them. Integrate Gusto with time-tracking software like Xero and FreshBooks, accounting software, and sync expenses automatically.
Perform effortless employee management with direct deposits, conduct charitable donations where deductions will be made directly, and organize your employees and contractors well. Let employees access their paystubs easily in their Gusto account, payday emails, or Gusto’s Wallet app.
You can also add digital signatures, including your bookkeeper, accountant, and other team members. Run payroll anywhere using their user-friendly app, and you can also sync birthdays, payroll deadlines, and anniversaries in Outlook, Google Calendar, or iCal.
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.
Conclusion
You can trust our payroll software for small business. Thousands of entrepreneurs before you have. It’s flexible, so you choose the features you want—and don’t want. Plus, with our support specialists and a host of videos, it’s so simple to set up and use that you’ll be up and running in no time. You can access it from any desktop or laptop PC, no matter where you are. And if you’re on a Mac, there’s a free Windows emulator that enables your computer to run Windows-based software. Our payroll software lets you import the employees’ data from Microsoft® Excel®. God forbid something happens at the office—you can access your data on any computer and get back to work quickly because our payroll software is online; all your data is stored securely in the cloud.