And if you grow your business down the road, an unlimited number of employees can access the Homebase app, no matter what paid plan you choose (unlike many competitors). Many small businesses opt for payroll software because they don’t have an HR department, and the responsibility for payroll falls on the CEO or owner. Since small business owners already have packed schedules, payroll software offers a great solution to help them save time, reduce errors, ensure tax compliance and more. The free online payroll calculator offered by eSmart Paycheck lets you create paychecks, print them and calculate federal and state payroll taxes. Generating tax forms, like W-2s, is free and users can pay a fee to file them through a service called eSmart Payroll. The site says private information is not saved, which may require more manual data entry from one payroll period to the next.

• A reputable brand that offers payroll software with a solid feature profile and integrates with other QuickBooks tools.
• You can use a payroll template to create and print pay stubs and generate checks that you can print directly from your computer.
• Generating tax forms, like W-2s, is free and users can pay a fee to file them through a service called eSmart Payroll.
• In other words, the add-ons up Patriot’s price by quite a bit without adding as many features as Gusto, which includes more features than Patriot in its base pricing.
• When you launch a payroll, they display a list of employees and contractors and their pay rates.

Most importantly, a full-service payroll company takes on the responsibility for withdrawing the right amount of taxes. If there’s an issue with federal or local taxes, it’s the payroll company’s problem, not yours. ADP is one of the biggest names in the PEO world—and it’s also our top PEO pick for businesses that are big enough to need a separate company to wrangle its HR and payroll needs. ADP also takes over issues like recruiting, hiring, and onboarding. If you have questions about payroll, you can reach out to your dedicated payroll specialist.

Payment Processing and Cash Flow Management (Rating: 8/

As a professional employer organization (PEO), Justworks offers payroll and HR software that includes payroll processing. And while it’s not an app in the traditional sense, the Justworks payroll website is mobile responsive. Most of the best online payroll software options include a free app with their plans. For instance, ADP, SurePayroll, Paychex, and QuickBooks Payroll have apps for employees plus a separate payroll app for employers to process payroll on the go. However, HR.my isn’t based in the US, which means the company isn’t required to comply with US labor laws. Like most free payroll services, HR.my doesn’t have a dedicated customer service team.

Meanwhile, team members can access the app to request time off, swap shifts, and more. Choosing a good payroll app can be challenging, particularly for small businesses. Yes, there are plenty of employee apps, but small business employers may also want mobile payroll access.

Paychex Mobile App Features

With a monthly base price of just $17 plus $4 per employee, Patriot Payroll’s self-service plan is one of the cheapest out there. If you want a few more features, you can add HR assistance starting at $6 a best payroll app month and time and attendance integration at the same price. QuickBooks Payroll’s interface has next to no learning curve, and its well-reviewed employer-facing mobile app makes on-the-go payroll easier.

EFile.com is a potential solution to some of these hurdles, adding simplicity and reducing difficulty for local organizations that have suddenly found themselves operating as a nationwide entity. Another heavyweight in the tax industry, H&R Block started as a tax preparation service provider before pivoting into digital filings. Much like TurboTax, H&R Block boasts impressive expert support, as well as full-service tax prep. What’s more, this software has offerings heavily tailored to businesses. Beyond that, those interested in “done for you” tax services can simply drop off the necessary documentation, and H&R Block handles the rest.

SurePayroll has the most straightforward approach to payroll

You just need to set parameters, and the software will build a schedule for you. You can use self-service payroll most of the year and hire an accountant for a few hours a week during tax season. In contrast, if you run full-service payroll, you outsource at least some parts of your payroll process to another company. Payroll software organizes and automates the payroll process by keeping track of hours, expenses and withholdings. This way, you don’t have to worry about keeping a record of and calculating hours, taxes and retirement contributions manually. Plus, Square Payroll syncs with the entire suite of Square products.

For an HR payroll platform with time tracking, software integrations, and onboarding/offboarding tools, we were quoted a monthly fee of $35 plus $8 per employee. You can choose to add Rippling’s IT tools to manage business apps and computer devices for $8 per employee, per module monthly. Benefits administration services are also available, but pricing varies depending on the insurance broker. What makes Rippling a good payroll option for businesses is its modular solutions that allow you to choose the HR and payroll tools you need. It even has an expense management module, as well as an IT solution for monitoring business software access and company computer devices.