7 Payroll Programs for Businesses Large and Small

Last update: 04/10/2024

Payroll software for companies Here we will show you the best payroll programs for businesses. We publish unbiased reviews; our opinions are unique and not influenced by advertiser payments.

Your employees go to work to earn a paycheck. Paying them correctly and on time contributes to employee satisfaction and retention. However, for your payroll administrator, running payroll can be a hassle without the right software.

The best payroll software It's easy to use and runs state and national taxes for you. Whether your team is five people or 5,000, payroll software is affordable and customizable to your organization's pay structure and growing needs. We break down the payroll software that offers the best features.

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1. Square

Square started out with a small, white, square-shaped credit card reader and a tablet-like cash register, hence the name. But it has since expanded to provide businesses with a variety of tools that make doing business easier, including the payroll software.

Square's payroll software enables employers to pay full-time employees and contractors, track hours, and pay salaried and hourly employees with ease.

The company says its software is the best because it is a "all in one solution» that allows employers to offer health benefits and give employees online accounts while leaving payroll tax reporting and withholding up to them.

INCLUDED There is a mobile app so managers on the go can pay employees from anywhere. Square tops our list of best payroll software because it works for businesses of any size and can be customized to how and when you pay employees.

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2 QuickBooks

If your salary structure doesn't change often and you're on a tight budget, QuickBooks software is a great option. After the initial setup, payroll will run automatically through autopay.

You'll get notifications to keep you up to date, but most of the time you can set it and forget it. QuickBooks offers protection against tax penalties, so it resolves any errors and pays any fines for you. By using QuickBooks, even time tracking can be automatic.

A particularly nice feature in both of the top plans is QuickBooks Same-Day Direct Deposit for employees and contractors. This allows you to hold onto funds longer and get employees paid faster. QuickBooks offers three Main, Core, Premium and Elite packages, with up to 50% off for the first three months.

Core offers automated payroll, health benefits processing, and next-day direct deposit. The Premium package offers automated payroll, same-day direct deposit, on-the-go time tracking, and an HR support center.

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The Elite package offers everything Premium does, plus a tax penalty protection setup and a personal HR advisor. QuickBooks is a product from Intuit, which has been very popular since 2020 and is ranked as one of the best payroll software.

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3 Taste

Taste, formerly known as ZenPayroll, also deserves an important position among payroll programs. It started as a way to help small businesses manage their teams through an integrated platform.

It is a great option for growing teams that want to send professional offer letters, offer 401(k) and other perks. The service offers three plans for clients: Core, Complete and Concierge.

The Core package is best for small businesses looking to keep it simple. The Full package offers additional tools like time tracking and the ability to manage PTO requests.

The Concierge package has added human resources support with full payroll features. For mid-sized businesses with no or small HR department, this is a great option because there will be HR professionals to rely on when needed.

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4. Zenefits

Zenefits, which started as an HR platform, syncs your payroll with your existing HR platform. This means benefits, There free paid, the tracking hours and salary changes are all in one place.

For example, users will only have to enter an employee’s salary change once, and it automatically syncs across the platform with payroll and other areas. The problem with Zenefits is that you have to purchase the HR software first, and payroll is an add-on feature.

While the payroll feature is new, it is becoming an industry favorite. There are three basic packages of the HR platform. This program Automatically calculate payroll taxes, support for garnishments, direct deposit, mobile payments, and the ability to pay in multiple payment structures.

Other useful features that make it among the best payroll software include: Lifetime access for employees to their portal, even after they have left the company, and labor cost reports so management understands how payroll expenses are distributed among different types of labor.

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5. ADP

Looking for something more than a payroll startup? ADP has been managing payroll for over 70 years and is the industry leader. It's easy-to-use software that allows users to quickly set up new employees, whether they're contractors or full-timers. Users can run payroll via their phone or online.

ADP offers packages for businesses with one to 1,000 or more employees with multiple plans. Plans start with Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll, Complete Payroll with HR Plus, and HR Pro. ADP doesn't list its prices online and pushes you to talk to a professional to get a quote.

ADP charges per payment period rather than the per month model, so if you need additional payroll, you'll likely pay more. The platform allows employees to have their own logins to view pay stubs and taxes.

This software promises security to business owners by keeping them updated on changes in HR regulations and payroll rules. One standout feature: ADP provides businesses with plenty of human interaction. It is for this and many other reasons that it deserves to be among the top payroll software.

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6. Paychex

Paychex software allows you to import payroll or enter it yourself. Founded in 1971, Paychex provides each client with a learning management system, which offers employees online courses to learn new skills and increase employee retention within the organization.

The platform allows for seamless 401(k) integration, calculates federal, state and local taxes for you and has a free mobile appPaychex has three packages: Paychex Go, Paychex Flex Select, and Paychex Flex Enterprise.

The packages Paychex Flex Select and Paychex Flex Enterprise They offer additional workers' compensation reporting and analytics reports, as well as background checks for new employees. For larger companies or businesses that want the payroll experience of a large scale, Paychex is a great choice.

El Paychex Go plan price is located on the Web. Businesses will need to contact Paychex for quotes for the other two plans, as prices are not listed on the website.

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7. Namely

Namely provides HR and payroll integration through its cloud based software, which allows employees to access payroll from anywhere. It supports companies with up to 120.000 employees and this software It is best for companies with at least 50 people.

The platform handles all taxes, compliance, and year-end reporting. It adds services that help you with benefits, hiring, onboarding, and more. The software even has a feature to distribute employee surveys throughout the company to gather feedback.

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Namely does not list its pricing information online, so businesses should reach out directly for a quote. It's a solid all-purpose solution for mid- to large-sized businesses looking for cloud-based software that truly covers all of their HR needs.

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What can payroll software do?

Payroll programs can Pay your team automatically and differentiate payment structures. As many tech-enabled payroll startups grow, they also offer software that syncs with HR platforms.

This allows your company to manage time tracking, paid time off, benefits, and more, all in one integrated platform. Many of these payroll programs also offer employee logins, so your team members can track their pay, taxes, and more.

Is it worth paying for payroll software?

Good payroll software is worth the money. Even with an accountant on staff, investing in payroll software can help reduce the time it takes you or your team to collect W-4 forms, calculate and withhold income taxes, and pay your employees' taxes. While possible, it is time-consuming, leaves room for error, and has the potential to result in costly penalties if done incorrectly.

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Final thoughts

We chose these payroll software programs on the market based on their ease of use, customization, and the support each company offers. In today's flexible work economy, being able to manage payroll from anywhere is a necessity. So, cloud-based platforms or those that offer an app ranked at the top of our list.

Companies that offered HR support, help setting up payroll, or integrated HR features also ranked high on the list. Finally, companies that seamlessly allow employers to pay contractors, full-time, and part-time employees with ease scored highly.