Small business payroll software has never been easier to use. Free payroll software program and online payroll services for small businesses with less than 100 employees. Payroll systems for very small business’ have most options included, like automatic year-end W2 and 1099 federal, state and local tax forms. A free payroll software program from Accounting Software For Small Business that allows very small business owners to pay their employees – employee payroll management, company payroll organization and check printing – accounting for small business.
Small business owners will discover that our payroll software is easy to use and includes the tools to show employees how much they have been paid. Track and calculate taxes, deductions and employee wage rates. The system is so user friendly that even a novice can master it quickly. We believe successful small business payroll software should be affordable and flexible.
OnPay – Best Small Business Payroll Software of 2021
Best Small Business Payroll Software of 2021360 OVERALL RATING
4.2 out of 5MONTHLY FEE$36 + $4/Payee and UpDIRECT DEPOSITTRIAL PERIOD30 DaysPRIORITY SUPPORTMORE DETAILSSEE REVIEW
OnPay: OnPay is No. 1 on our Best Small Business Payroll Software of 2021 rating. It offers straightforward pricing that will cost your small business $36, plus $4 per person per month. That fee gets you access to all of OnPay’s features, including unlimited payroll runs, state and federal tax filings, and accounting and time tracking software integrations. OnPay’s customer service will set up your account for you, including adding in your employees’ information and helping you integrate any compatible business software. The payroll software comes with OnPay’s human resources (HR) software that gives you access to tools for onboarding, tracking paid time off (PTO), document storage, and HR auditing. Your company will also have the ability to add and manage employee benefits.
OnPay is also ready to help small businesses in special situations, such as restaurants with minimum wage tip makeup, agricultural workers that need to file Form 943, workers on H-2A visas, and nonprofits and churches that are exempt from federal unemployment taxes (FUTA).
Patriot – Best Payroll Software for Startups
Best Payroll Software for Startups360 OVERALL RATING
4.0 out of 5MONTHLY FEE$10 + $4/Payee and UpDIRECT DEPOSITTRIAL PERIOD30 DaysPRIORITY SUPPORTMORE DETAILSSEE REVIEW
Patriot: Patriot comes in at No. 2 on our Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses rating. It offers the most affordable plan in our payroll software ratings, starting at just $10, plus $4 per payee per month for its Self-Service plan. Small business owners may be attracted to Patriot by the price alone, but even at such a low cost, Patriot offers its users comparable features to most other payroll providers. Patriot will set up your account for you and allow you to process unlimited payroll runs, at any frequency, across multiple office locations. You can integrate payroll with Patriot’s accounting software or QuickBooks, and use Patriot Time and Attendance or TSheets to track your employees’ hours. And Patriot offers an add-on HR service for $6, plus $2 per employee per month.
However, Patriot’s Self-Service plan does not cover your payroll taxes. If you want to automate your local, state, and federal taxes, you will need to get Patriot’s Full Service plan for $30, plus $4 per payee per month.
Block (formerly Square) – Best Payroll Software for Contractors
Best Payroll Software for Contractors360 OVERALL RATING
3.8 out of 5MONTHLY FEE$29 + $5/Payee and UpDIRECT DEPOSITTRIAL PERIODN/APRIORITY SUPPORTMORE DETAILSSEE REVIEW
Block: No. 3 in our small business ratings is Block’s payroll software. Another payroll software with simple pricing, you get access to everything Block offers for $29, plus $5 per employee per month. And if your business only needs to pay contractors, Block waves the monthly fee of $29 and will only charge you $5 per payee per month. Block is ideal for small businesses that are already using one of Block’s other business products, such as its point-of-sales (POS) system. The payroll software integrates with Block’s POS and the Block Team app to help you manage your business. It will sync all of your business’s data together, including your employees’ hours and your company’s sales data. And payroll can be run from anywhere using the Block Payroll App from your cell phone.
However, you don’t have to use other Block products to make Block payroll software a good choice for you. It is compatible with third-party software, such as QuickBooks Online, and it has free seasonal inactivity, which will benefit small businesses, like pop-up shops, that only run certain months of the year.
You might associate Square with the portable square-shaped credit card reader, but this company has grown to include full-service payroll software as well. Like Gusto, Square’s services are customizable so you can adapt the plan to suit your company’s needs. The software can accommodate full-time employees as well as part-time workers and freelance contractors, paying both hourly rates and monthly salaries. It can also manage health benefits, which employees can see when they log in to their own Square accounts.
Gusto
Easy to use and compatible with requirements in all 50 states, Gusto makes payroll management easy. This software for payroll comes fully loaded with a number of important features. It can handle benefits, healthcare plans, taxes, 401(k) plans, and time tracking. It’s also fully compatible with most accounting software platforms, including the big names like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Xero. Small businesses can opt for the most basic Core plan when just starting off, levelling up to the more full-service options as your business grows. At the higher Concierge level, Gusto’s plan includes HR features including onboarding and surveys.
BambooHR
Payroll goes hand in hand with HR, so it’s worth looking at HR software when seeking your payment solutions. BambooHR covers all your bases, providing a separate payroll platform to sync with its main talent management software. This makes it super easy to onboard new employees, tracking hours right from the start. Additional features include staff databases, applicant tracking, time-off tracking, and digital signatures.
QuickBooks Payroll: Best Payroll Solution for QuickBooks Accounting Software Users
Overall Score: 4.62 OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Seamlessly integrates with
- Offers same- and next-day direct deposits
- Unlimited pay runs with automated payroll tax filings (federal and state)
- Its mobile app lets you run payroll and e-file taxes even while on the go
What’s Missing
- Automated local tax filings available only in higher tiers
- Lacks a contractor-only plan
- Basic HR features
- Doesn’t have mobile apps for employee self-service (only offers a workforce portal you can access online)
QuickBooks Payroll Pricing
- Core: $45 per month + $4 per employee monthly
- Premium: $75 per month + $8 per employee monthly
- Elite: $125 per month + $10 per employee monthly
Read Full ReviewVisit QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll is the best option for most QuickBooks accounting users; it integrates seamlessly—you access it within the same system with the click of a button—and all information flows throughout both systems (you don’t have to enter twice). Like Gusto, it offers full-service payroll with automated tax filings (federal and state, local taxes if subscribed to the Elite plan), year-end reporting (W-2s and 1099s), and an online portal where employees can access their pay stubs, tax forms, and PTO balances. QuickBooks Payroll also has fast direct deposits—its standard timeline is next-day but has same-day options if you get one of its higher tiers.
In our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll earned a 4.62 out of 5 with perfect scores in ease of use, pricing, and reporting capabilities. While all of its per criteria ratings are 4 and above, it scored the lowest in HR features (4.13 out of 5), mainly because it doesn’t file new hire state reports (it only generates them) and you have to get its premium plan if you want time tracking and expert advice from a personal HR adviser. However, many users still appreciate its ease of use, especially its seamless integration with QuickBooks accounting. A few others complained about having experienced occasional software glitches, while some said that it can be pricey for small businesses.
QuickBooks Payroll Features
- Automatic and unlimited payroll: You can approve and set payroll to run automatically with QuickBooks. It also lets you process payroll as many times as your business requires.
- Automated payroll tax services: Like most of the payroll providers on this list, QuickBooks Payroll handles all tax calculations, payments, and filings (including year-end reporting) for you. However, its tax filing services only cover federal and state taxes. You have to be on an Elite plan if you want automated local tax filings—otherwise, you’ll have to enter the local tax rates yourself.
- Fast direct deposits: Apart from next-day direct deposits, you can pay employees through same-day direct deposit at no extra cost, provided you subscribe to QuickBooks Payroll’s higher tiers. Note that most of the providers on this list have a standard two-day processing time—although Square Payroll offers instant payments if you have a Square Payments account.
- Tax penalty protection: QuickBooks will cover the penalty and interest for any payroll tax error for up to $25,000 a year—regardless of who made the mistake. Note that you must purchase its Elite plan to have your errors covered. Experts will also represent you before the IRS and concerned agencies and will assist you to resolve the problem. No other providers on our list will offer to represent you to help fix tax issues or cover mistakes you make under any circumstance.
- Payroll and tax filing while on the go: With QuickBooks Payroll apps (for iOS and Android), you can process payroll, pay taxes, and e-file tax forms in all 50 states. Square Payroll, ADP Run, and Paychex may let you run employee payroll on its mobile apps, but they don’t have the tax e-filing feature that QuickBooks Payroll offers.
QuickBooks Payroll’s Drawbacks
- Lacks mobile apps for employee self-service: While QuickBooks Payroll has a workforce portal where employees can check PTO balances, access pay slips, and view tax forms, its self-service tool doesn’t have a mobile app version. We recommend either Square Payroll, ADP Run, Homebase Payroll, and Paycor since these providers offer mobile apps for employee self-service. Gusto’s financial management app, Gusto Wallet, also lets you view pay stubs and W-2s but doesn’t show PTO details.
- Tax penalty protection can be costly: Compared to the other providers in this guide, QuickBooks Payroll offers more robust tax penalty protection for its clients that includes representing your business before the IRS to help address tax issues. However, coverage for its tax penalty protection is expensive since you have to sign up for its highest tier, Elite, which costs $125 per month plus $10 per employee monthly.
Conclusion
Payroll software specifically designed for very small business. Basic payroll system with free payroll program for employers with a single paycheck to print, no payroll taxes or deductions. Ideal for small business owners who need only to prepare and print one paychecks per month.