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Best Payroll Apps Of 2024

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Whether you’re trying to process payroll on a remote expedition or while on the way to get your car from the parking garage, payroll apps make payroll processing easier than ever before. Most apps come fully featured with payroll tax calculation, automatic payroll and employee direct deposit. The best payroll apps will also offer features, such as time tracking, paid time off (PTO) tracking and 401(k) integration. To help you find the best payroll app for your business, Forbes Advisor did the research and analysis to bring you the best payroll apps.

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The Best Payroll Apps of 2024


Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business

The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content and guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.

We reviewed several payroll software providers using a detailed methodology to help you find the seven best payroll apps for small businesses. Our ratings consider factors, such as starting price and per-employee pricing, essential payroll features useful to small businesses, third-party reviews and our own expert scoring review. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.


Best for Full-Service Payroll

OnPay

OnPay
4.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$40

per month, plus $6 per person

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

Mobile responsive

OnPay
Learn More Arrow

On OnPay's Website

$40

per month, plus $6 per person

Yes

Mobile responsive

Editor's Take

While not an app in the traditional sense, where you have to download an application to your smartphone, OnPay’s payroll app is mobile responsive. This means that whether you use an iPhone, Android or another type of smartphone, the OnPay payroll app will adjust to fit your screen size. All you need is to access your OnPay account via your mobile browser. Employees have an app, though, where they can access features such as pay stubs, submit PTO requests and onboarding.

Learn more: Read our full OnPay review.

Who should use it:

OnPay is best suited for businesses needing a full suite of payroll features that includes HR tools.

Pros & Cons
  • Some of the best pricing in the industry
  • Built-in reporting tools
  • Needs just a bar of cell service to process payroll
  • Its employee self-service app doesn’t have the best reviews
  • Payroll isn’t automated

Best for Quick Payroll

Gusto

Gusto
4.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$40

per month, plus $6 per person

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

Mobile responsive

Gusto
Learn More Arrow

On Gusto's Website

$40

per month, plus $6 per person

Yes

Mobile responsive

Editor's Take

According to Gusto, its customers process payroll in 13 minutes. And it’s easy to see why. They designed Gusto payroll software for fast and simple payroll processing. The payroll app is mobile responsive, so you can easily handle payroll on the go. It even has AutoPilot, where payroll will run automatically the day before your payroll deadline. While many payroll apps charge to file payroll taxes, Gusto includes this as part of its service. It’ll calculate and file payroll taxes automatically, whether they’re local, state or federal.

Learn more: Read our full Gusto review.

Who should use it:

Gusto payroll software is ideal for small businesses and startups that don’t have a dedicated payroll person or team.

Pros & Cons
  • AutoPilot will auto-run payroll
  • Automatic calculating and filing of payroll taxes included
  • Has an employee self-service mobile app
  • Doesn’t offer international payroll
  • Limited support hours

Best for QuickBooks Users

QuickBooks

QuickBooks
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$17.50

per month for your first three months (then $35 per month)

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

Mobile responsive

QuickBooks
Learn More Arrow

On QuickBooks' Website

$17.50

per month for your first three months (then $35 per month)

Yes

Mobile responsive

Editor's Take

If you’re already using QuickBooks Online or Desktop, you can add QuickBooks Payroll App and get a 30-day free trial even as a current customer. Edit employee details, run reports, set up reminders (to run payroll, submit forms or file taxes), sign employee pay stubs, e-file and e-pay payroll taxes in all 50 states and run payroll with same-day direct deposit. QuickBooks Payroll used to come as a mobile app, but discontinued it as of July 2022, moving everyone to its mobile responsive design instead.

Learn more: Read our full QuickBooks review.

Who should use it:

QuickBooks payroll software is ideal for businesses that are already using QuickBooks Online or Desktop and want to add payroll functionality.

Pros & Cons
  • 30-day free trial, even if a current QuickBooks customer
  • Same-day direct deposit
  • E-file and e-pay payroll taxes
  • Workers’ comp administration unavailable on lowest-tiered plan
  • No general reports with its base plan

Best for PEOs

Justworks

Justworks
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$8 per user per month + $50 monthly base fee

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

Mobile Responsive

Justworks
Learn More Arrow

On Justworks' Website

$8 per user per month + $50 monthly base fee

Yes

Mobile Responsive

Editor's Take

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. Justworks offers off-cycle payments, 24/7 support, commuter benefits, online employee onboarding, vendor and contractor payments, HR consulting, employee training and payroll for both hourly and salaried employees.

Learn more: Read our full Justworks review.

Who should use it:

Justworks is ideal for businesses that are looking for payroll software that also offers employee benefits, HR consulting and training.

Pros & Cons
  • 24/7 support
  • Automatic tax filing
  • Great option if you want a co-employer to help navigate HR issues
  • Very expensive if you only need payroll
  • Enrollment can take some time because of workers’ comp approval delays

Best for International Employers

Remote

Remote
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$29

per month, per contractor, or $599 per month, per employee

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

Mobile Responsive

Remote
Learn More Arrow

On Remote's Website

$29

per month, per contractor, or $599 per month, per employee

Yes

Mobile Responsive

Editor's Take

Remote payroll software is designed for businesses with employees in multiple countries. It includes features such as payroll processing, compliance management, employee onboarding, time tracking, payroll reporting and direct deposit. The payroll software is mobile responsive, so you can easily access your account on the go. Each plan level comes with remote IP guard, necessary for invention rights and intellectual property protection.

Learn more: Read our full Remote review.

Who should use it:

Remote payroll software is ideal for businesses with employees in multiple countries.

Pros & Cons
  • Employer of record (EOR) services are free when hiring refugees
  • Compliance management
  • Automated payroll in multiple currencies
  • The most expensive payroll app on our list
  • Limited support (24/5)

Best for Pay Flexibility

Paycor

Paycor
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$99

per month, plus $5 per employee

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

App

Paycor
Learn More Arrow

On Paycor's Website

$99

per month, plus $5 per employee

Yes

App

Editor's Take

Paycor offers pay flexibility rarely seen with payroll apps; employees can elect to get paid as they earn. This provides ultimate control to employees, who can receive their paycheck as soon as they clock out for the day or wait until the end of the pay period. Administrators can use the app to approve time-off requests, approve workflows, acknowledge time card exceptions, track applicants, add, edit and delete punches for employees and approve time cards.

Learn more: Read our full Paycor review.

Who should use it:

Paycor payroll software is ideal for businesses of all sizes that are looking for payroll flexibility.

Pros & Cons
  • Employees can elect to get paid as they earn
  • Use the app to track applicants
  • Approve time-off requests on the go
  • App has location tracking
  • Users complain about glitches in the app

Best for Nanny/Household Payroll

SurePayroll

SurePayroll
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Price

$29.99

per month, plus $4 per employee

Tax Modules

Yes

App or Mobile Responsive

App

SurePayroll
Learn More Arrow

On SurePayroll’s Website

$29.99

per month, plus $4 per employee

Yes

App

Editor's Take

Whether paying a housekeeper, landscaper or an actual nanny, you might be subject to the nanny tax. SurePayroll is one of the few payroll apps that specifically caters to nanny and household payroll. It includes deductions for Medicare, unemployment, state taxes and Social Security. It files 1040-ES on your behalf and provides a Schedule H to attach to your 1040 filing.

Learn more: Read our full SurePayroll review.

Who should use it:

Any household paying a nanny or household employee more than $1,000 in a calendar quarter or $2,400 in a calendar year should use SurePayroll to process payroll.

Pros & Cons
  • Helps your household stay compliant with “nanny tax” laws
  • Prepares your Schedule H
  • Files 1040-ES on your behalf
  • Pricing isn’t transparent
  • Limited support hours

Forbes Advisor Ratings


Methodology

To create a ranking of the best payroll apps, we analyzed a variety of payroll app options and narrowed them down to the best based on the following criteria: features, ease of use, customer support, pricing and reviews. We assigned weighted scores to numerous data points to narrow down the payroll apps that offer the best features and customer support while also being easy to use and reasonably priced.

Pricing – 20%

For pricing, a payroll app’s starting price was given the most weight, with providers that were more budget-conscious faring better. We also looked at the range of pricing between an app’s lowest and highest pricing tier and whether the provider offered a free trial of the app. This accounted for 20% of our weighted scoring.

Features – 35%

A payroll app needs to offer useful features for companies handling many different payroll situations. Some of the key ones we considered included offering tax modules and compliance features, along with analytics, new hire reporting, integrations with third-party providers and quality of the mobile app. We weighted features at 35% of our total score.

Third-party Reviews – 15%

We looked at reviews on third-party sites, such as G2 and Capterra, from real users to gauge opinion of each software. Specifically, we looked at the number of ratings of 3.5 or higher out of 5 that each payroll app had on each site. These accounted for 15% of the total score.

Expert Analysis – 30%

Finally, taking all of these aspects into consideration, we considered each software app by how it performed in customer reviews that included popularity, value for the money, ease of use and any stand-out features or details. Altogether, these criteria make up 35% of the total score.


How To Choose a Payroll App

When choosing a payroll app, it’s important to consider your business’s needs. Does your business have employees in multiple countries? If so, you’ll need payroll software that offers compliance management for multiple countries. Does your business have hourly employees? If so, you’ll need payroll software that can track time and approve time cards. Does your business have salaried employees? If so, you’ll need payroll software that can calculate payroll for salaried employees.

Payroll apps typically charge per employee, per month. The price usually ranges from $35 to $55 per employee, per month. Payroll apps rarely offer a free trial but there are some that do, such as QuickBooks Payroll App.

When choosing a payroll app, it’s important to read the reviews. Reviews can give you insight into an app’s features, ease of use, customer support and pricing.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do I need a payroll app?

If you have employees, you need to pay them. Payroll apps make it easy to pay your employees by direct deposit and can also calculate payroll taxes for you.

How much does a payroll app cost?

Payroll apps typically cost $35 to $55 per employee, per month. If you’re combining payroll with other HR features, you may spend a couple of hundred dollars per employee, per month.

What is the best payroll app?

The best payroll app for your business depends on your business’s needs. If you have employees in multiple countries, you’ll need payroll software that offers compliance management for multiple countries, such as Remote. OnPay is our number one pick for payroll apps and is ideal for full-service payroll needs.

What features should a payroll app for small businesses have?

The features you want in a payroll app for your small business include one that is simple to set up, provides payroll processing and management, makes it possible to do tax filing, creates detailed payroll reports, offers direct deposit to your employees, allows employees to make certain changes as needed and offers quality customer support.


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