Charlette Beasley

Paychex, ADP, and Gusto are all popular payroll software, but for different reasons. ADP and Paychex are established providers that offer comprehensive HR and payroll services for businesses of all sizes, while Gusto is a newer provider that gives small businesses an affordable full-service payroll option with features that users would pay extra for with other services. ADP and Paychex are very similar overall but have some different products that might make one a better fit for certain businesses over the other. : Best for one person to midsize businesses looking for strong HR and payroll support : Best for growing companies that plan to scale quickly and need a flexible plan option that changes with their growth : Best for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees looking for an affordable payroll and HR software Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto Compared *This may change at any time. Visit the provider’s website to check the latest promos on offer. **Pricing is based on a quote we received. If you’re unsure about which payroll provider is best for your business, take our online Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto quiz. Why Paychex Is Best for One Person to Midsize Businesses Paychex is the only provider of the three that has a self-employed product that comes with payroll, a retirement plan, and business incorporation services. Solopreneurs can start with its Paychex Solo solution and transition to Paychex Flex once they start managing employees and need more HR, payroll, and compliance support. Its robust suite of HR tools, which includes new hire reporting, onboarding, background checks, and time and attendance, is well-suited for midsize businesses. Why ADP Is Best for Quickly Scaling Companies While Paychex also offers multiple tiers that cater to different business sizes, ADP has a wider selection of products and plans that help companies scale their HR operations quickly. Its packages are targeted toward companies with fewer than 50 employees to those with 1,000+ employees; its midsize to large business offerings even include hands-on implementation assistance and expert support from certified payroll and HR professionals. Why Gusto Is Best for Small Businesses At a reasonable cost, Gusto provides all the basics—like unlimited and automatic pay runs, payroll tax payment and filing services, year-end tax reporting, and employee benefits. Aside from payroll, it offers basic hiring and onboarding tools, as well as performance reviews and simple time tracking tools. What’s more, Gusto doesn’t charge extra for payroll tax administration services—both ADP and Paychex have add-on fees for year-end tax reporting. Best for Affordability: Gusto Paychex, ADP, and Gusto all have multiple plans with month-to-month billing. However, only Gusto offers fully transparent pricing and pay processing tools that let you run payroll and off-cycle payments as many times as you need and want. Plus, it doesn’t charge add-on fees for year-end reporting. *This may change at any time. Visit the provider’s website to check the latest promos on offer. **Pricing is for Paychex Flex’s starter plan. Its other tiers (Select and Pro) are custom-priced. ***Pricing is based on a quote we received; rates can vary depending on the payroll frequency—the more often you pay employees, the greater the base cost fee. Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto Pricing Calculator Need a quick way to compare costs? Use our online calculator to compute the estimated monthly and annual fees. Why We Recommend Gusto for Affordability Subscribing to Gusto makes more sense if your company needs to do payroll for fewer than 100 employees. All of its plans come with full-service payroll, unlimited and automatic pay runs, tax filings, and year-end reporting. Plus, its basic tier has features that you only get in Paychex’s and ADP’s higher plans. However, while it has a feature-rich platform with solid pay processing tools, Gusto lacks the advanced HR functionalities (such as robust hiring and learning management tools) that businesses with large teams need. When comparing Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto for pricing transparency, Gusto wins because its plans are fully transparent. You can easily do cost comparisons between its options to see which one fits your budget and payroll needs. Paychex may publish the monthly fees of its Paychex Flex’s basic plan on its website, but the pricing details of its higher packages and other products (like hiring services) follow a call-for-a-quote scheme. ADP also requires you to contact its sales team to get pricing information and it charges fees based on the number of pay runs. Even with its basic Simple plan, Gusto offers features (such as PTO policies and State unemployment insurance management) that Paychex and ADP either include in its higher tiers or as part of a paid add-on solution. With Gusto, you only have to pay $40 plus $6 per employee monthly for both features. The starter per-employee fees of Paychex’s payroll solution, Paychex Flex, may be slightly lower than Gusto’s but you end up paying more with Paychex. This is because of the add-on fees it collects for handling your end-of year tax reporting. ADP also charges extra for generating, delivering, and filing W-2/1099 tax forms at year-end. However, if you’re a midsize business with over 100 employees and need advanced HR solutions for managing workers, Paychex (monthly fees start at $39 plus $5 per employee) would be a more cost-effective option than Gusto—provided you don’t mind paying extra for payroll tax filings. Gusto is also great for small businesses that mostly employ contract workers because it has a low-cost contractor-only payroll plan ($6 per contractor monthly). With ADP and Paychex, you have to pay monthly base and per-employee fees even if you’re only processing contractor payments. When to Consider ADP & Paychex It’s difficult to compare Gusto vs Paychex and Gusto vs ADP for affordability because many, if not all, of ADP’s and Paychex’s products and plans are custom-priced. However, there are a few instances where either ADP or Paychex may be a more suitable option for you. Best Payroll Features: Gusto *May require additional fees **Some solutions and services are available only in higher tiers Why We Recommend Gusto for Payroll Features Gusto is our top-recommended payroll software for small businesses because it has the best value for the payroll features it offers. Plus, some of its pay processing functionalities are slightly better than those from Paychex and ADP. Paychex and ADP have automatic payroll capabilities but don’t offer unlimited pay runs—Gusto offers automatic payroll with unlimited pay runs and off-cycle payments. While you get standard two-day direct deposits with Paychex and ADP, Gusto has two- and four-day options, but provides next-day direct deposits in its higher tiers. Paychex and ADP charge extra for its year-end reporting services—you get this for free with Gusto. Best Employee Benefits: Paychex & ADP *Some plans may require participation fees or premium payments. **Premium-only plans help you and your employees to save on certain payroll taxes by allowing your staff to prepay a portion of health insurance premiums using pretax dollars. Why We Recommend Paychex & ADP for Employee Benefits When comparing Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto just on health benefits, ADP and Paychex offer the best coverage. Their health insurance options are available across the US, while Gusto’s health plans are limited to 39 states (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). Paychex and ADP are also our top picks for employee benefits because they have helpful perks (like discounts and financial wellness tools) that your staff will appreciate. Paychex offers a better selection of financial wellness tools on top of the typical benefits options (such as workers’ comp, medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans). Aside from short-term loans, your employees are granted advanced access to their earned salaries between paydays in case of emergencies. Educational resources are also available to help your workers manage their finances and meet their savings goals. ADP also provides employee benefits that companies usually offer to their workers, such as health, retirement, FSA/HSA, and disability insurance plans. While it lacks Paychex’s financial wellness tools, it makes up for it by providing an employee perk that allows your staff to get discounts from popular brands and retail shops. When to Consider Gusto for Employee Benefits Gusto is a great choice if your business isn’t located in one of the 11 states (see map below) not covered by its health plans. It offers a wide variety of employee benefits with unique options, like college tuition savings plans. Similar to Paychex, workers who need money for emergencies can use its Gusto Cashout feature to get a portion of their average salary, max 40% or up to $500 ($200 for the first transaction). Best HR Features: ADP *Paid add-on **Available in higher tiers Why We Recommend ADP for HR Comparing ADP vs Paychex’s HR tools is difficult since they have many similar features. They offer robust HR solution suites for managing the entire employee lifecycle. However, ADP has a few key advantages over Paychex—it can post job listings to over 25,000 job sites and doesn’t have a limit to the number of background screens you can run. This makes ADP ideal for employers who want efficient hiring tools that are bundled in payroll software. Gusto also offers HR solutions, but these aren’t as robust. It lacks the learning management and compensation planning tools that the two others offer. And while Gusto can help you track applicants, it posts jobs to only 100+ job boards (ADP can post to more than 25,000 job sites). Best for Ease of Use & Customer Support: Paychex *Available in higher tiers Why Paychex Is Best for Ease of Use & Customer Support Paychex, ADP, and Gusto all have intuitive interfaces with tools that are cloud-based and generally easy to use. However, what sets Paychex apart from the other two is the dedicated payroll specialist that it assigns to its clients. With only one point person to contact for payroll and tax concerns, you can easily get expert advice without having to go through different customer service reps. You also have access to online guides and 24/7 phone support. Best for User Popularity: ADP *Data from third-party review sites (such as G2 and Capterra) To compare Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto on user popularity, we looked at each providers’ average overall ratings and the number of reviews on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. For user ratings, ADP’s average score is higher than those of Paychex and Gusto (4.5 out of 5 versus Paychex’s 4.15 and Gusto’s 4.45). However, Gusto’s average number of reviews online is higher—it has close to 2,100 compared to Paychex’s more than 1,300 and ADP’s nearly 850 reviews. What Users Think: Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto How We Evaluated Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto We evaluated Paychex vs ADP vs Gusto by looking at each provider’s pricing structures, features, and ease of use. We also checked whether HR professionals are available to give expert advice. Customer support was also an important factor, since small business owners may need help navigating through the software. Bottom Line Deciding among ADP vs Paychex vs Gusto can be challenging since they have a lot of similar payroll and HR tools. However, we recommend you choose the best HR payroll software based on both your current and expected future business needs. can support large growth plans given its multiple yet flexible payroll tiers. If you need a special solopreneur package, or you’re planning to stay a midsize employer, then can provide you with a more personalized payroll experience and service. If your business has a simple structure with fewer than 100 employees, full-service plans would likely be a better fit. You May Also Like … Best Paychex Competitors Best ADP Competitors Best Gusto Competitors

Commission tracking software automates the process of calculating and tracking sales and performance-based compensation. Primarily used in industries like sales, insurance, real estate, and finance, these platforms usually include commission tracking, sales forecasting, and payment processing. To find the best commission tracking software, we analyzed a dozen top providers for critical features to help with sales management and commissions. The best seven for small businesses are: : Best overall commission tracking software with excellent commission forecasting tools : Best for individuals or small commission-based sales teams that want a customer relationship manager (CRM) with simple goal tracking using visual pipelines : Best for industries that utilize incentive programs, such as insurance, real estate, finance, and retail : Best for businesses that want a solution for accurate commission payment calculations from contract to statement : Best commission tracking software for insurance agencies : Best for users who want a commission tracker with multi-stage payout capability : Best for managers that want a quick interface for creating rules and reports without a lot of programming Commission Tracking Software Compared See fullscreen table × Check out our guide for helping choose the right payroll software if you're considering a payroll service as an alternative. Performio: Best Overall Commission Tracking Software offers users essential tools to calculate commission-based compensation. It lets them customize sales compensation plans and commission calculations. It also provides users with a commission table that shows a complete record of all payouts and their corresponding recipients. Its commission forecasting tool can predict values, results, and achievement percentages related to commission compensation. Performio earned a 4.38 out of 5 on our rubric. It topped the chart for support and value and did well in all other areas as well. However, this provider requires a lengthy setup process and has limited third-party integrations. Users who need an easy-to-set-up system can consider Pipedrive, while those who require extensive third-party integrations can consider either QCommission or Blitz. Performio Pricing Performio does not list its pricing online, saying it gives a custom quote based on company size. We did not receive a quote but were told that they believe only companies with 50+ employees see a positive ROI from automating sales commissions. However, they do have plans for smaller teams that handle complex or high volumes of data. Other commission trackers on our list have plans that effectively accommodate smaller companies. Contact Performio for a quote. Performio Features Performio provides tools for easy commission calculation and forecasting. It includes excellent 24/7 customer service but can take some time to set up and learn compared to others on our list. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Commission tracking for agents: Motivate reps with goal setting and tracking, including sales crediting and rollups. Offers agents access to all their performance metrics, real-time leaderboards, commission payouts, and commission estimates on desktop and mobile (Apple app only; Pipedrive has apps for both iOS and Android devices). Robust reports: It can provide sales managers with commission reports and detailed transaction information for all their agents. It also offers data-driven insights around incentive plan effectiveness and sales team performance. Commission dispute tools: Easily handle disputed cases and edge situations with commission tables and overrides. Forecasting: Its What If calculator provides simulation and forecast capabilities that let users accurately predict commission expenses and manage accruals—a feature that’s unique among those on our list. Integrations: While having fewer integrations than others on the list, it does work with the big ones in the industry, such as Salesforce, Oracle NetSuite, and DocuSign. Excellent customer support: Includes implementation, one-on-one training, customer success manager, 24/7 global support. Performio claims to solve nearly all issues in less than a day. Pipedrive: Best Commission Tracking Software for Managing Sales Pipelines With simple and highly visual sales pipelines, is a CRM system that includes goal tracking, allowing users to calculate bonus compensations based on either individual or team performance. Its Insights feature provides users with deal reports that show how many opportunities sales reps won or lost and why. It is a great choice for teams that want to compensate their salespeople based on performance-to-goal calculations tracked within their CRM. Otherwise, its Kanban board and easy access to sales projects make it a great choice for those wanting sales tracking too. With 4.32 out of 5 on our rubric, Pipedrive takes second to Performio. Its pricing and ease of use gave it a big leap forward, but it also offered a lot of excellent features. It should be noted that while you can use the insights feature for tracking commissions, Pipedrive needs third-party integrations for processing payments and lacks in-app commission calculation features. Those needing both in one system can consider Commissionly. Pipedrive Pricing Pipedrive is one of the few on our list that shows pricing clearly (Commissionly and NextAgency also list prices; the rest provide quotes). It does not require a minimum number of users, putting it above most of those on our list and making it the least expensive for small businesses with only a handful of salespeople. Pipedrive is also one of the few to give a free trial. Pipedrive Features Pipedrive provides users with tools that can calculate commissions based on their performance directly from their CRM dashboard. It includes recurring commissions, like for service plans. We liked the Kanban-style board for organizing leads, something we didn’t see in Performio. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Kanban board project management: It’s an easy-to-use sales project management software that includes card-based progress management, where each card opens to the project information and tools to pursue the sale to completion. Detailed reports: It offers reports that provide insights on sales cycle duration and win rates to improve users’ sales processes—it’s the only software on the list that lets you track reasons a sale did not go through. Progress tracking: It lets users set individual, team, and companywide goals, then track progress with real-time metrics on customizable dashboards and CRM reports. It provides visual pipelines that make it easy for agents to keep track of their leads and sales goals. Mobile apps for Android and Apple: The mobile apps (for both Android and iOS) let reps and managers handle sales and see commission reports no matter where they are—although Blitz and Performio have apps, these are not nearly as popular as Pipedrive’s. Integrations: Over 250 integrations to popular sales, communication, marketing, lead gen, accounting, and data management tools. 24/7 customer support: Robust support can be received via chat or email Blitz: Best Commission Tracking Software With Industry-specific Incentive Features offers industry-specific commission tracking solutions for insurance, real estate, finance, and retail businesses. Its features include analytics and reports, incentive forecasts, and real-time commission calculations. It lets users set up custom compensation plans tailored to their processes and requirements, as well as automates simple and complex calculations through its compensation calculation board. Blitz earned 3.95 out of 5 on our rubric. We were impressed with the mobile app, although it’s for your reps rather than managers. The industry-specific plans are a plus, and Blitz earned top scores for reports and customizable pipelines. Real-world users rated it 4.2 out of 5 averaged over multiple review sites (an excellent score)—yet it’s still the second lowest on our list. Customer complaints about the software lacking some automation tools and not working as well when there were a lot of entries reflected in our ease-of-use scores. If you have a large sales force, Performio might work better, while Commissionly offers easier customizations. Blitz Pricing Like most of the software on our list, Blitz charges on a per-user rate, and does not list that price online. Our past research showed the rate at $19 per person monthly. Capterra, a reputable user-review site, now says $49 per month. We were unable to contact Blitz for pricing for this update. If you are interested, we recommend scheduling a demo online, which will include pricing for your situation. Blitz Features Blitz helps users manage commissions easily through its real-time commission calculations and sales forecasts. Industry best practices are integrated into its software for calculating commission for real estate, insurance, finance, and retail. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Commission tracking: It helps users visualize trends and calculate commissions, hit projections, analyze sales data, and consolidate commission tracking process in one platform. It also tracks non-monetary incentives, a feature that’s unique among those on our list. Attention to industry needs: Blitz commission rules follow real estate best practices for calculating commissions, offers real-time tracking of commissions for retail, automates and integrates data from multiple finance and insurance platforms, and offers flexible compensation schemes to meet the unique needs of different industries. Commission rules and automation: Its AI-enhanced rule design system makes it easy to create commission calculations, giving it fewer steps than QCommission. It automates commission calculations and measures against the performance of agents to identify the top performers and those who need more coaching. Integration: It integrates with popular third-party apps such as Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, QuickBooks, Close.io, Salesforce, HubSpot, Xero, and Bullhorn—thus covering the basics, but QCommission, Commissionly, and Pipedrive offer more options. Available on mobile: It provides a mobile app that’s clean and modern, useful for sales reps to view current and anticipated commissions or to look back on previous earning reports. It’s not as popular as Pipedrive’s, although better rated than Performio’s. QCommission: Best for Paying Commissions integrates with various CRM and accounting software to analyze sales details and compute commissions based on sales reps’ performance. Its 150 reports include annual incentive summaries, compensation adjustments, and payee incentive commission reports. It also offers advanced commission calculation tools, including split commissions and variable rate compensations. It’s also the only one that makes a point of meeting both ASC 606 and Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance standards. These tools make it a top choice for paying employee commissions. QCommission earned 3.93 out of 5 on our rubric. It took big hits for its minimum number of payees per plan, lacking a mobile app, and having limited customer service hours. However, the pricing is very competitive, and the reporting and statement features are extensive and full of extra tools to make payout accurate. QCommission Pricing QCommission, like several on our list, does not post pricing on its website. You’ll need to call for a demo and quote. It does list the separate plans and what each entails. We found pricing on third-party sources in our last review, and these have remained the same. QCommission has a minimum of five users for the Pro and Premier plans, and 10 for the Enterprise plan. This means at the bare minimum you will pay $75 per month (Pro Plan) whether you have one user or five. While Commissionly’s starting price is higher, its per-person price is lower. QCommission Features QCommission lets users easily calculate their agents’ commissions as well as generate payout reports. The interface starts with a task chart rather than dashboards, and you can refer to contracts to create commission calculations. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Commission tracking: It has a commission processing calendar that lets users set commission payout schedules to monthly, quarterly, biannually, and annually. It also allows users to establish payees, products, customers, plans, incentives, and sales quotas in the system. Contract storage: It offers dozens of contract templates for commissions in a variety of industries, something we did not see in the other software on our list. Compliance support: Its advanced plans offer compliances important to sales, including ASC606, Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, HIPAA, ISO, and more—most on our list have ASC606. Reports: It offers over 150 reports, including year-to-date commission payouts, payee attainment against goals, compensation adjustments for payee, payee incentive commissions, commission due statements, and unpaid commissions—the most of any on our list. Integrations: It integrates with 40 popular third-party apps, such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, SuiteCRM, QuickBooks, Xero, and PayPal—more than Performio, NextAgency, or Blitz. NextAgency: Best Commission Tracking Software for Insurance Agencies is commission tracking and processing software designed specifically for insurance professionals. It allows users to upload and audit commissions, bonuses, fees, and overrides. Its reporting features let users analyze and monitor their compensation by carrier, client, product line, broker, rep, and sub-agent. It also syncs with users’ email accounts, automatically matching leads to agents—resulting in accurate commission compensation. NextAgency earned a 3.53 on our list. It had excellent scores for ease of use, as well as help and support, and real-world user scores averaged an impressive 4.8 out of 5. However, its steep price earned it last place in pricing, and it lacks a mobile app and charges extra for the ability to integrate, even with an API. Plus, it requires a lengthy customization process. If these issues concern you, several of those on our list also handle insurance agencies: Pipedrive, QCommission, Blitz, and Commissionly. NextAgency Pricing Like Pipeline and Core Commissions, NextAgency lists its pricing on its website. While not the most expensive on our list as far as base price, it does have the highest price for a single user. NextAgency Features Next Agency lets users track commissions from various sources, as well as audit commissions, bonuses, and overrides. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Best designed for insurance agencies: It allows users to identify trends and project the future with historical reports and monitor their compensation by the carrier, client, product line, broker, rep, and sub-agent. Commission tracking: The platform lets users track different forms of compensations, including commissions, overrides, fees, and bonuses. However, it is not as detailed as Commissionly, but better suited for health services. Email support: It syncs with sales reps’ email accounts, automatically routing emails sent to or received from prospects and clients to their record. This works similar to Pipeline for CRM. Project management: The platform lets users set up schedules, create commission statements, attach files, make notes, and establish tasks from within the system. Integrations: It integrates with popular third-party apps, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Zendesk, Mailchimp, Trello, and QuickBooks—for a fee. Commissionly: Best Commission Tracking Software With Multistage Commission Payout Capability is an easy-to-use commission tracking system that integrates with a wide range of software, including customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, ecommerce, payment processing, and recruitment. Its features include commission sales split calculations, multicurrency support, multistage commissions, and commission payment processing upon target hits. We particularly liked its multistage commission tools, which allow you to pay your lead gen team when the lead is captured, the sales rep when the deal is closed, and the delivery team when the project is complete. Commissionly earned 3.49 out of 5 on our rubric. We loved the many ways commissions could be calculated and paid out, and real-world users gave it an amazing 4.8 out of 5 (averaged from several user review sites). However, its pricing options are expensive, and (like Performio) setting up the system requires technical experience and can take weeks. Users who want affordable pricing options can consider QCommission, while those who want an easy-to-set-up system can consider Pipedrive. Commissionly Pricing Since our last update, Commissionly changed its pricing. It now starts at a base rate of $299, which gets you up to 15 users. This makes it the most expensive system at the start, although the per-user price is reasonable at $20 per person. It also charges an implementation fee, which it determines based on your individual needs, number of sales reps, the complexity of rules and payouts, and the like. You need to call for a full quote. Commissionly Features Commissionly helps users manage incentives and compensations through sales split calculations and multi-stage commission processing. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Commission tracking and payout tools: It offers commission split calculation and processing for projects that involve multiple sales agents. Draws against commissions allow reps to get a regular paycheck based on future commissions (Performio also allows this through a minimum payout feature). Multistage commissions: You can pay employees at any stage of the sales process with this provider. Commissionly lets you manually set pay at different stages of lead generation to delivery, or you can automate through your CRM. Multivariable commission tracking: Its matrix commission feature allows users to create commission plans based on multiple variables, such as varying rates for types of products, services, or locations. Integrations: It integrates with popular third-party apps, such as PayPal, Slack, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Shopify, Stripe, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM. Core Commissions: Best for Easy Rules & Reports Creation is a newcomer to our list. It’s well suited for a multitude of industries that offer sales commissions. Its claim to fame is its drag-and-drop technology which makes it very easy to set up commission rules and create original reports. It helps you stay compliant with regulations as well as accurately pay your sales reps. Core Commissions earned 3.44 out of 5 on our rubric. Its by-user pricing is the cheapest, but with a 10-user minimum, the base price still comes out more expensive than QCommission, Pipeline, or (potentially) Performio. It lost points for lacking monthly plans and a mobile app. The integrations are not as extensive as Pipedrive, QCommission, or Commissionly. Nonetheless, it got high marks for reporting tools and ease of use. Core Commissions Pricing Like Pipedrive and NextAgency, Core Commissions lists its pricing upfront. However, it does note that these are “starting at” prices, so you may need to call for a quote to determine if your needs require a higher per-payee price. Like most on our list, a minimum number of payees is required. Thus, while Core Commissions is the cheapest by payee, Pipeline is the least expensive if you only have a few sales reps. Launch, $12 per payee monthly, minimum 10 payees: Includes drag-and-drop rule creation, automated auditing, dispute management, payment and dashboard information. Five rules included, 50 cents per subsequent rule. Enterprise, $25 per payee monthly, minimum 15 payees: Includes Launch plus custom input forms and views, assigned support technician, integration capability, schedule automated cycle runs. Managed Services, $40 per payee monthly, minimum 15 payees: Includes Enterprise plus data importing and auditing by a Core expert, sales team member status updates, commission cycles processed for you, reports and dashboards published to Core Portal. Like Commissionly, Core Commission also charges a setup fee. Core Commissions Features Commissionly automates sales commissions, including split commissions, making it easy to pay your sales reps accurately. Below are features we find most beneficial for users: Easy rules creation: It offers a drag-and-drop rulebot for easy creation of complex commissioning rules, plus drag-and-drop analytics—none of the others use drag-and-drop. Multiple commission types: It can handle splits, hierarchy overrides, accelerators, team pools, bonuses, tiered rates, ramped targets and more. It rivals Commissionly for versatility. Automations: It features automated scheduling for importing and processing commissions and automated auditing to ensure commissions are correct and in ASC 606 compliance. Dispute management: It can track disputes and responses and keeps payees informed on progress—most simply allow for changes to the payout. How We Evaluated Commission tracking software streamlines incentive compensation processes using commission formulas. It must have helpful features, such as real-time commission calculations and leaderboards, to encourage reps to track their performance and increase their commissions. It should also have a range of affordable pricing plans. For this update, we considered the results of customer polls as well as a deeper consideration of commonalities and real-world user reviews to alter the scoring matrix. You’ll find slightly less emphasis on price and more consideration for features and ease of use. Nonetheless, Performio still took the top spot because of its excellent toolset and support. The tabs below offer more insight into our evaluation process for selecting the best commission tracking software: Commission Tracking Software Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line If your commissions are getting too numerous or complex to handle on a spreadsheet or with your payroll processing software, then you need commission tracking software. These software are designed to handle complex commissioning rules and multiple payout schedules and helps incentivize salespeople with leaderboards, goals, and forecasting—ultimately saving you time and motivating your reps to generate more sales. Although best suited for larger businesses, is our top recommendation for commission tracking software. The toolset and ease of use are top-notch, and the pricing is competitive. Contact Performio and get your sales commissions on track.

The best time tracking software for accountants helps accurately monitor the time spent on your clients and jobs and offers strong project management, reporting, and billable hours tools. With it, you can rest easy that your numbers are correct and that billing and income reporting will be simpler and faster. Of the 24 solutions we scored, here are our top seven recommendations: : Best overall time tracking software for accountants : Best for large accounting firms : Best for small accounting teams : Best for freelance accountants : Best for midsize accounting companies : Best for accounting firms with mostly remote employees : Best for accounting firms with remote and in-office employees Best Accounting Timekeeping Software Compared See fullscreen table × *All providers except Clockify offer discounts on yearly billing. **Refers to the app’s ability to detect and record time for apps used and activities done while working. Paymo: Best Overall Time Tracking Software for Accountants not only lets accountants track working hours, but it also has invoicing, expense, and project management tools to help provide deeper insights into the business while helping monitor revenue and costs. This platform also lets you create multilingual invoices, which uses more than 85 currencies, and lets you get paid faster by automating payments with PayPal, Payoneer, Stripe, and Authorize.net. It earned 4.80 out of 5 on our rubric, getting perfect scores on almost all criteria except popularity due to its low number of user reviews and ease of use (no live phone support and has limited integration options). Hubstaff: Best for Large Accounting Firms is an all-in-one time tracking and employee monitoring solution that is excellent for large accounting companies. Its paid plans offer scheduling, invoicing, and payroll for unlimited teams and payments. It also has a free plan that’s useful for individuals, as it has both time tracking and reporting functionalities. With it, you can set a schedule to automatically send reports to yourself, your client, or even stakeholders so that everyone is updated. In our evaluation, Hubstaff earned 4.68 out of 5. It got perfect marks on pricing, time tracking tools, reporting, and project management features. It took a hit for lacking phone support, having some billing features only in paid plans, and complaints of glitches in the mobile app. Clockify: Best for Small Accounting Teams is an affordable, full-featured time tracking software. While the free version helped make it our top recommendation for the best freelancer time tracker, this provider is also recommended for employers on a tight budget needing to manage their accounting teams. For small accounting teams struggling to get on their feet, it offers paid plans on a per-user pricing scheme, so you can go as small as you need. The plans offer billing, labor costing, and expense tools aside from basic time tracking. In our evaluation, the system earned an overall score of 4.55 out of 5. It got perfect marks on pricing, time tracking functionality, reporting, and project management features. It could have gotten perfect scores for ease of use if not for its limited integration options. Clockify also took a hit for billable hours tools as its invoicing and budget-to-actual hours tracking cost extra. Harvest: Best for Freelance Accountants stands out for its invoicing and billing because it offers integration with Stripe and PayPal. It offers free time tracking, invoicing, and expense reporting for one user and two active projects. The free plan is ideal for freelance accountants who don’t need to give other users access to their data. Although Harvest earned a lower spot than Clockify on our best time tracking software for freelancers (because of some pricing and popularity distinctions), we recommend it for freelance accountants due to its built-in invoicing capability, even with its free plan. This platform also integrates with other popular software like QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Trello, and Slack, so you can easily export hours. It lets you take photos of receipts for expenses, and the app works great with Android and Apple. With a 4.38 out of 5 per our evaluation, it stands out for billing features and project management tools. It doesn’t have an app monitoring feature, taking its time tracking features score down. It also does not currently integrate with or provide any payroll tools, plus you can’t add fields to create custom reports. Trackabi: Best for Midsize Accounting Firms offers project management, invoice, leave management, and time tracking tools. It’s notable for using gamification in time tracking to help improve motivation and engagement among employees. With it, you can also create employee and client directories to help save essential information such as contact details. We’ve chosen it for small to midsize companies as it provides great tools at bundled and affordable plans. Unlike Clockify, which has per-user pricing, Trackabi’s plans are priced per five employees—so midsize businesses can get more from these plans. Trackabi got an overall score of 4.30 out of 5 based on our evaluation. It got perfect marks for pricing, time tracking features, billable hours tools, and project management functions. It scored low for reporting as it didn’t allow custom reports. Its ease-of-use score was brought down because it doesn’t have training videos on its website. It’s also not as popular as other software here on the list. Time Doctor: Best for Companies With Mostly Remote or Outsourced Accounting Employees , launched in 2012, was primarily designed for businesses with remote employees. Aside from time tracking, it offers helpful tools for monitoring your employees’ productivity. With Time Doctor, managers can reduce the time spent supervising employees. You can see the time spent on meetings, calls, website usage, and other activities via its reporting and screen monitoring tools, thus allowing you to pinpoint time-wasting activities and ensure you’re billing clients for actual time spent on projects. Based on our evaluation, Time Doctor earned an overall score of 4.25 out of 5, with a perfect mark for reporting. It also got high marks for time tracking functions, billable hours tools, ease of use, and popularity. It didn’t get a higher score for pricing due to its lack of a free plan, while its project management tools score suffered because it doesn’t have an expense tracker. TimeCamp: Best for Companies With Remote & In-office Employees , like Clockify, offers a free tier with unlimited projects and user seats. Its automated time tracking feature captures time and assigns it to the right client or project, which helps with project tracking and management. It’s an essential tool for companies with both in-office and remote employees because of its GPS, productivity, and project management tools. So while you can still monitor how remote employees spend their working hours, you can also check employees that are required to report on-site through GPS tracking. Scoring 4.23 out of 5, TimeCamp earned perfect marks in pricing and reporting. It also rated high in time tracking functions, billable hours tools, and job labor costing features, given its productivity, invoicing, and online payment tools. It scored low in popularity because of its limited number of reviews. It also doesn’t have an expense tracker, bringing down its score for project management features. How We Evaluated the Top Accounting Time Tracking Software We looked at 24 timekeeping solutions and narrowed our list down to the top seven. We compared each product’s pricing and ease of use. We also looked for essential features like time tracking, project management, invoicing, reporting, and the ability to provide productivity insights. Also, we considered the providers’ integration options with third-party software like payroll and accounting solutions. Based on our evaluation, is the best time tracking software for accountants. It earned an overall score of 4.80 out of 5, with perfect marks for pricing, time tracking, billable hours, project management, and reporting features. It also got almost perfect scores for ease of use and popularity. To see our full evaluation criteria for the best free time tracking software, click through the tabs in the box below. Bottom Line The best timekeeping software for accountants offers a variety of tools to help you track time on a project and manage employees. It should help ensure productivity, accuracy, and efficiency in your business by easily managing projects, creating invoices, monitoring expenses, and creating reports. Whether you’re a self-employed accountant or running an accounting firm, time tracking software is essential for transparency, time management, workflow automation, and managing the financial aspects of your business. Overall, we found to be the best overall time tracking software for accountants. It maxed our rubric for time tracking features, billable hours tools, project management functionality, and pricing. It has a feature-packed free plan for up to 10 users while its paid plans offer advanced tools at reasonable prices.

BambooHR is a popular and highly customizable human resources (HR) software ideal for small to midsize businesses (SMBs). It has features to track applicants, manage employee information, monitor paid time off (PTO) requests, measure staff engagement, and conduct performance appraisals. Before purchasing, you can check out BambooHR’s seven-day free trial to learn more about its features. BambooHR Overview What We Recommend BambooHR For With BambooHR, you get a user-friendly platform and a suite of cloud-based solutions for managing day-to-day HR processes—from tracking applicants to monitoring performance appraisals. Its HR management module lets you capture and store employee information and provides access levels and workflows for approving requests such as PTO and employee information changes and customer service. Because of its advanced features, BambooHR earned a spot in our best HRIS software guide, scoring 3.85 out of 5. In short, BambooHR is best for: Small businesses that need an all-in-one, easy-to-use HR software: One of our best HR software for small businesses, it provides companies with a simple and affordable platform to manage employee HR processes. There are many canned reports you can run so that you don’t have to create from scratch. It also has a range of HR services, including payroll, onboarding, recruitment, time tracking, and performance appraisals. Office managers or executive assistants handling HR and payroll: It streamlines HR processes and integrates the different systems it offers, so you don’t have to enter the same data twice. It also gives each employee access to its mobile app, allowing them to view their employee information without going through you. Companies that need HR tools that supplement what they currently have: BambooHR can integrate with more than 50 third-party applications, most of which are HR solutions like recruitment, time tracking, training, and compensation systems. It also integrates with communication and identity management tools such as Slack, Idaptive, OneLogin, and Okta. In addition, it has an open API. HR managers who primarily work via mobile: Not all employee management systems come with a mobile app, but BambooHR does and earned a spot in our best HR app guide. The mobile app allows users to access the company calendar, track employee progress, approve time-off requests, and view the employee directory. Both managers and employees can use the mobile app to ensure communication and access to essential information anywhere. When BambooHR Would Not Be a Good Fit Mom-and-pop companies looking for payroll software: You have to pay additional fees to access its payroll tool, which isn’t proprietary but rather from partner TRAXPayroll. If payroll is your main concern, consider Patriot Payroll, which offers an inexpensive, do-it-yourself (DIY) payroll service. Businesses with contractors, freelancers, and global or remote workers: BambooHR doesn’t have tools to simplify the process of working with contractors, freelancers, or temporary employees. Also, although BambooHR is excellent for companies with US and―more recently―Canadian employees, it’s not designed to cover global employee management needs. In this case, you may check out Rippling, which lets you track employee work hours and process payments in the appropriate currency. Startups looking for a free HR tool: BambooHR doesn’t offer a free plan. Therefore, you may instead want to consider Zoho People, which has a free plan for organizations with fewer than five employees. Top BambooHR Alternatives BambooHR Pricing BambooHR has two plans: Essentials and Advantage. The pricing details for these aren’t available on its website. You have to contact the provider to discuss your business’s requirements and request a quote. The Essentials plan has basic HR features, including benefit tracking, employee records, and time off management. The Advantage plan has additional hiring tools such as onboarding and training tracking. It also has more advanced features such as company branding and high-level reporting. Based on a quote we received, BambooHR charges per employee. The more employees you have, the lower the pricing. For businesses with 20 employees, it charges $8.75 per employee monthly for its Advantage plan. For those with 30 employees, pricing is at $8.37 per employee. At 200 employees, pricing per employee is $5.59 monthly. As for its add-on tools, the performance management module costs $5.25 per employee monthly while its time tracking tool is priced at $3 per employee monthly. We were also quoted $75 plus $4.05 per employee monthly for the TRAXPayroll solution as well as one-time fees for payroll implementation ($241.25) and “QuickStart Training” for new clients ($299). BambooHR Features With BambooHR’s suite of HR solutions, you can streamline and automate hiring, onboarding, and performance management processes while providing employees with self-service tools for updating personal information and tracking attendance-related requests. Let’s look at some of BambooHR’s important features. BambooHR Ease of Use Intuitive interface Employee self-service and mobile apps More than 50 integration options Standard and customizable workflows Library of webinars and how-to guides BambooHR is easy to use and comes with a wide range of cloud-based solutions, including self-service tools, which allow you to manage essential HR processes more efficiently. With its intuitive and all-in-one HR platform, your HR team can spend more time on strategic business-related projects and less time handling day-to-day tasks. The platform also comes with basic customization options. Aside from adding your company’s branding elements, BambooHR lets you create custom workflows and user access levels. Note, however, that these options are available only with the Advantage plan. What’s also great about BambooHR is its marketplace of third-party partner systems, which consist mostly of HR-related solutions. With more than 50 integration options, BambooHR can help you manage your employees well. For reference, here are some of its partner software. Applicant tracking systems: Greenhouse, Workable, BreezyHR, ApplicantPro, JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, LinkedIn Talent Hub, and SmartRecruiters Assessment tools: Criteria Corp, imocha, and Qualified Background check solutions: GoodHire, Checkr, Universal Background Screening, and Backgrounds Online Job board sites: Glassdoor and Indeed Video interviewing tool: Jobma Learning and training software: Litmos, Northpass, TalentLMS, Absorb, Travitor, and Traliant Performance management systems: Lattice, 15Five, Engagedly, 7Geese, GoalSpan, Primalogik, PerformYard, and PerformancePRO Recognition and reward tools: Bonusly, Gifted, Kudos, Applauz, Kazoo Recognition, and Reward Gateway Benefits administration solutions: Maxwell Health, Effortless Admin, PlanSource, and Benetrac Compensation software: Payfactors and PayScale Payroll systems: TRAXPayroll, Blue Marble Global Payroll, and CloudPay Time tracking and scheduling tools: Humanity, SwipeClock, Boomr, ClickTime, Deputy, MakeShift, stratustime, and Somroli Other business software: Slack, Okta, OneLogin, Idaptive, Zapier, OrgChart Now, Pingboard, and Orginio What Users Think About BambooHR Many BambooHR users are happy about its intuitive and simple-to-use interface. They also like that they have access to several HR solutions—from PTO tracking to employee information management and self-service tools. Meanwhile, some reviewers commented that its integration options aren’t robust. Some even wished that it offered more customization options for its performance management module and reporting tools. At the time of publication, BambooHR reviews earned the following scores on popular user review sites: Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 based on more than 1,800 reviews G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on 800-plus reviews Bottom Line Small and midsize businesses that want an integrated cloud-based HR platform should consider . Aside from its wide range of HR tools, it has a user-friendly platform that can help streamline and automate HR tasks. Its monthly fees, based on the quote we received, are also reasonable. However, you do need to pay extra if you want payroll, time tracking, and performance management tools. If you want to learn more about BambooHR’s features, sign up for a free trial—no credit card required.

A business has some options when the need to downsize arises—the most common being furloughs and layoffs. A furlough is a mandatory temporary leave of absence for your employees. A layoff is a permanent termination of their contract with you. Too many small businesses use these terms interchangeably, but it is important to understand the distinctions as there are legal consequences to doing either. They can both be considered when you need to reduce your overhead, but knowing when to do a furlough vs a layoff is necessary to ensure that you won’t face legal consequences while still saving enough money with your action. If you are going to be terminating employees and need help, consider using . It provides a dedicated HR manager who can give expert termination advice and help you put together any documentation you may need. It’s only $99 a month. Sign up today. Furlough Furloughs can be for full-time or part-time employees, and these temporary leaves of absence can last anywhere from a few days to several months. Businesses typically use furloughs during times of financial hardship or economic downturn, as they are a way to reduce payroll costs without resorting to layoffs, which is a more permanent solution. One of the biggest drawbacks to a furlough is that your employees on furlough may find another job, and you won’t be able to get them back. This can add hiring expenses, effectively eliminating any savings you may have had from the furlough. On top of that, furloughing employees doesn’t completely eliminate your payroll costs—you may still be on the hook for healthcare premiums and other benefits costs. How Furloughs Work The first step in implementing a furlough is to determine how long the leave will last and how many employees will be affected. Once you’ve made the decision, develop a plan for how work will be completed during the furlough period. This may involve assigning tasks to other employees, hiring temporary workers, or using automation and technology to keep things running smoothly. You’ll also need to have a plan for continuing health benefits, if applicable. Depending on your plan documents, you may be required to continue paying health premiums for any furloughed employee since they’re still technically employed by your company, even though they’re not working any hours. Once the plan is in place, communicate the furlough to your employees. This includes letting employees know how long it will last, what their job responsibilities will be during the mandatory leave, and when they can expect to return to work. Employees may also be given the option to take unpaid vacation time or use other leave options during the furlough period. Furloughing Exempt vs Nonexempt Employees There’s a small but important point to make with furloughing different types of employees. Exempt employees, those ineligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), should be told that they are not allowed to do any work during their furlough. If an exempt employee works a single moment, they’re entitled to their full salary for the entire week. You may also want to restrict nonexempt employees from doing any work during a furlough, but the consequences are less severe. For nonexempt employees, you only need to pay them for the time they work, effectively reducing their hours dramatically but still getting some level of productivity. This is an alternative option discussed in more detail below. When to Use a Furlough If you don’t have enough work for your employees, you can temporarily bridge that gap by furloughing affected employees for a brief period. On the other hand, if you’re furloughing employees because of an economic downturn and trying to be proactive in reducing your payroll costs, then consider how long you expect to have employees furloughed. If you think the economic situation may last a long time, you may be better off using a layoff. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to reducing payroll costs. However, there are some circumstances in which a furlough may make sense for your business. It’s important to analyze your specific business needs to ensure you’re making the right choice. Layoff Layoffs are usually done in an effort to cut costs or save money. Sometimes, they are done in response to a decrease in business or a change in the economy. However, if you’re just experiencing a temporary downturn in business, a furlough may be a better option. A major drawback to a layoff is potentially increased hiring costs. After you’ve weathered the economic problems your company faces, you’ll need to hire and train new employees. This could negate any payroll cost savings you may have had during your layoff. How Layoffs Work There are two types of layoffs: voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary layoffs happen when employees voluntarily leave their positions, usually in exchange for some sort of severance pay. Involuntary layoffs happen when employees are forced to leave their positions, often with no severance pay. Regardless of whether a layoff is voluntary or involuntary, you’ll need to identify the positions you want to eliminate. If you’re facing a reduction in work, start by eliminating the positions most affected. If you’re looking to reduce payroll costs while minimizing the impact to your business, you’ll need to conduct an analysis of highly compensated positions and the revenue they generate. The larger that gap, the more likely you are to eliminate that position. Once the decision has been made, you’ll need to deliver the news to the affected employees. We recommend giving them as much notice as possible, at least two weeks. You will also work with those employees to determine their severance package and help them transition out of the company, including giving them information on benefits continuation as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). When to Use a Layoff Sometimes a layoff may be necessary. While the exact times you’ll consider a layoff will depend on your unique circumstances, here are four common times small businesses use layoffs. Legal Considerations Employment laws affect every business, especially when you’re dealing with employee separations—permanent or temporary. WARN The first thing you need to be aware of is the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. This federal law requires employers to give workers 60 days' notice before a mass layoff or plant closure. The law applies to businesses with 100 or more full-time employees, as well as businesses with 50 or more full-time employees if they make up at least one-third of the workforce. If you do not comply with the WARN Act, you could be subject to significant fines and penalties. While WARN immediately applies to layoffs, if a furlough lasts longer than six months, it may be considered an employment loss, subject to WARN Act requirements. As such, make sure you’re following proper procedure if your furlough lasts a long time. In addition, any workers laid off without proper notice may be able to sue your company for lost wages and benefits. Federal & State Discrimination Laws Another area of concern is discrimination laws. When making furloughs or layoffs, employers must be careful not to discriminate against protected groups of workers. Both federal and state laws prohibit employers from making decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. Your best course of action is to base your furlough or layoff decisions on performance or other legitimate business reasons. It’s also a good idea to document these reasons, in case of any legal challenge from an employee. If you are found to have discriminated against a protected group of workers, you could be subject to costly fines and penalties. Employee Lawsuits There are a few different types of employee lawsuits that can crop up after a furlough or layoff. Here are some of the most common ones. Wrongful Termination The most common lawsuit after a layoff is wrongful termination. This occurs when an employee believes they were let go for an illegal reason such as discrimination or retaliation. If your company has kept detailed records, you may be able to defend your decision by providing evidence that the employee received multiple warnings and opportunities to correct their underperformance or that the position was eliminated for legitimate operational or financial reasons. ADEA Another type of lawsuit that can occur is an Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) claim. This happens when an older worker believes they were furloughed or laid off because of their age. The ADEA protects workers who are 40 years or older from age discrimination, so if an employee in this age range believes they were let go because of their age, they may have grounds for a lawsuit. You can again defend against an ADEA case by having robust documentation. Breach of Contract Lastly, there's the possibility of a breach of contract lawsuit. This occurs when an employee has an agreement—usually as a written contract—that guarantees them certain job protections such as a certain salary or minimum number of hours worked per week. If an employer doesn't uphold their end of the bargain, the employee may have grounds for a breach of contract lawsuit. This is more complex to defend against and we recommend speaking with an employment attorney to guide you. One of the best pieces of evidence you can provide, however, will again be a thorough documentation of the employee’s underperformance or a violation of any terms of their employment contract. Other Considerations Furloughs and layoffs can be disruptive to your business. You may not be able to keep up with customer demand if it suddenly rises, reducing your company’s reputation in the long term. On top of that, these can reduce morale and engagement for employees laid off or furloughed and those who are retained. The ones furloughed or laid off may wonder why they were chosen and become resentful, while those still working may be asked to take on additional work—possibly even work they’re not qualified for or don’t like—to cover the gaps. This can lead to resentment, disengagement, or even turnover. Better Alternative: Reduction in Hours If you’re facing a financial crisis, furloughs and layoffs aren’t your only options. Consider a reduction in hours, either for individual positions or your entire company. Reducing individual employee hours can be a way for your company to save money without causing a massive decrease in morale. It also lets you keep employees on staff and have them remain productive. If you have nonexempt employees working 40 hours per week, you could reduce them to 32 or even 25, saving your company money. Just make sure you have enough employees on staff to meet customer demand. Alternatively, you could reduce your entire company’s hours. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many companies reduced their operating hours to 32, closing on Fridays. While this could reduce productivity, it’s a way to keep employees on staff, keep customers happy, and give your company a reduction in overhead. Bottom Line Deciding to reduce your workforce, whether temporarily or permanently, is never easy. But for small businesses, it's important to understand all of your options, such as when to do a layoff vs furlough (or apply a reduction in hours), so that you can make the best decision for your business. The choice you make will largely depend on your specific circumstances. If you're confident that things will eventually pick back up and you'll be able to bring your employees back on board, then a furlough might be the way to go. However, if you're facing long-term financial challenges or don't see things improving soon, layoffs might be necessary.

is a full-service payroll software that many new and small business owners use to pay their employees. Besides providing automatic and unlimited pay runs, Gusto handles all your payroll tax payments and filings, including year-end reporting. Its reasonably priced plans, solid HR tools, and user-friendly interface make it an ideal payroll software for small businesses. Plus, it is easy to set up—allowing you to start using it in minutes. Monthly fees start at $40 plus $6 per employee, and if you’re paying contractors (no W-2 employees included), Gusto will only charge you $6 per contractor monthly. In our review of the best payroll software for small businesses, Gusto earned an overall score of 4.71 out of 5. What We Recommend Gusto For Aside from offering reasonably priced monthly plans, Gusto provides an intuitive payroll platform for employers and employees. Its features are easy to learn, and you can run payroll in a few steps. Tax penalties are covered if Gusto ever makes a mistake, and year-end W-2 and 1099 preparation are included in all plans at no extra cost. Its direct deposit option is also a favorite for many users—they can switch between it and manual checks at any time, and there’s HR support. In short, Gusto is best for: Mom-and-pop businesses looking for an affordable payroll solution: Gusto’s affordability is one of the reasons it is our leading payroll software for small businesses. Its starter Simple plan (priced at $40 plus $6 per employee monthly) comes with all the essential tools you need to process employee pay, manage benefits, and onboard new hires. Plus, you can run payroll, off-cycle payments, and bonus payouts as many times as you want. Businesses with 50 and more full-time equivalent employees: Once companies reach 50 full-time employees, they’re no longer considered a mom-and-pop business. Gusto, which also topped our list of best HR payroll software (scoring 4.66 out of 5), can help small employers streamline and automate payroll and basic HR processes. It enables you to provide employees access to onboard themselves via a self-service portal (all new hire documents are available), offer benefits (like health insurance, which is required at 50 full-time employees), and even electronically track employee work hours. Companies that use contract help: Gusto ranked No. 1 in o  ur best contractor payroll software buyer’s guide with an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5, primarily because of its contractor-only plan and year-end reporting. It waives the $40 monthly base fee it charges if you’re only paying contractors and costs $6 per month for each contractor. And, if you skip a month paying them, you don’t pay for the service at all. It also preps and files 1099 year-end reports (essential for contractors) and even submits new hire reports for contractors if this is required in your state. Self-employed business owners: Gusto is our top-recommended self-employed payroll provider for business owners or sole proprietors who only need to pay themselves. Running payroll for one employee costs $46 monthly (Simple plan, computed as $40 plus $6 per staff monthly) and includes full-service payroll, automatic tax filings and payments, and two-day direct deposits. When Gusto Would Not Be a Good Fit Large enterprises: Businesses with 1,000+ employees may not find all the support they need under Gusto. HR needs tend to increase as companies grow, so a provider like ADP or Paychex, with plans that include payroll plus robust HR features (such as learning management and compensation planning), would be more suitable. International payroll operations: Gusto doesn’t support international employees unless they are foreign workers with valid SSNs and US bank accounts (for direct deposit payments) and are legally allowed to work and reside in the US. So, if half of your staff is overseas and the other half is scattered throughout the US, you will run into issues. A top international payroll provider would work best for those types of scenarios. Looking for something different? Read our guide to the best online payroll services for small businesses to find a payroll service or software that’s right for you. Top Gusto Alternatives Also, check out our guide to Gusto competitors. Gusto earned perfect marks for pricing, given its zero setup fees, reasonable and transparent prices, and multiple plan options. Plus, all Gusto pricing plans come with unlimited pay runs, which lets you process payroll (including off-cycle payments) as many times as you need in a month without having to pay extra. Monthly fees start at $40 plus $6 per employee, and you get three pricing options: Simple, Plus, and Premium. All plans come with full-service payroll, tax payments and filings at all levels (federal, state, and local), basic new hire onboarding, employee benefits, and self-service tools. However, subscribing to higher tiers will unlock additional functionalities, like next-day direct deposits, multistate payroll, time tracking, paid time off (PTO) management, job postings and applicant tracking, performance reviews, employee surveys, priority support, and HR advisory services. *HR advisory services add-on for the Plus include access to priority support With Gusto, you can change your plan at any time. However, if you’re downgrading your subscription, the new pricing will only take effect at the start of the next billing period, which is the first of the month. If you’re upgrading your plan, the new pricing will take effect for the current month, and you’ll get instant access to the new plan’s additional features. Gusto earned high marks (4.75 out of 5) in payroll features given its solid pay processing tools, tax filing services, and multiple payment options (such as direct deposits, paychecks, and pay on-demand). It didn’t get a perfect rating because its penalty-free guarantee only covers tax filing mistakes that its representatives might make. This is unlike QuickBooks Payroll, which offers a separate program for its premium plan subscribers, covering all tax filing penalties regardless of who made the mistake. In our evaluation of Gusto’s HR tools, the provider earned 4.38 out of 5 given its robust selection of both standard and non-standard employee benefits, including a solid set of recruiting, new hire onboarding, performance reviews, and employee survey tools. It would have received perfect marks in this criterion had it not been for the limited coverage of its health plans (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming as of this writing). Gusto earned perfect marks in this category with its built-in reports that tackle a wide range of subjects—from payroll summaries, tax forms, and workforce costings to contractor information, employee work hours, and benefits elections. It even offers an employee and payroll report builder that allows you to add filters and select the data you need. Creating report templates that you can customize is also very easy, plus you can choose the report file format (either CSV or PDF). Gusto received high marks (4.75 out of 5) in this criterion because of its easy-to-use software that small businesses can use to start processing payroll quickly. It also offers strong HR support through its HR advisory services and online help center, as well as access to a support team you can contact through email, chat, and phone. However, it lost points due to its limited customization options—you can’t rearrange its dashboard to fit your requirements. Intuitive dashboard Guided onboarding and setup Email and live phone support In-app chat How-to guides Online help center with HR documents and forms Priority phone support and access to HR advisers for Premium plan holders You can completely set up Gusto in less than 24 hours if you have all of your business and employee information on hand, plus you can link your bank electronically. The way the dashboard is laid out makes its setup process easy to follow, but you can also read our guide on setting up and running payroll with Gusto. If you’re on the Premium plan, its customer representatives will walk you through the process for free and help you transfer your payroll data into Gusto so that your annual records are complete. Gusto’s main dashboard is also user-friendly, with a menu placement on the left-hand side of the display that’s easy to follow. And, since Gusto provides the services that a small business would need versus trying to serve all employers, the interface is not overwhelming, and there’s no steep learning curve. When problems do arise, it has an online help center with answers to frequently asked questions. Live phone support is also available from Mondays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Pacific time)—although those on the Premium plan get a direct line for priority phone support with extended weekday hours (from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.). In our expert evaluation, Gusto scored fairly well with ratings of 4.38 out of 5. Its solid pay processing tools and reasonably priced plans make it a great payroll software partner for a wide range of small businesses (such as restaurants, payroll accounting firms, and retail shops). It also has a feature-rich platform that not only handles payroll and payroll taxes but can also manage essential HR processes like hiring, time tracking, benefits administration, and performance reviews. While Gusto may have these HR tools, its core platform is still payroll—which means that it lacks the advanced solutions that other HR software may offer. So, if you need to manage learning sessions and create compensation plans in addition to handling payroll and basic HR, you’re better off with more robust HR systems like Paycor and TriNet Zenefits. Overall, Gusto payroll reviews on third-party sites are positive. It also earned perfect marks in our user popularity criterion, given its ratings of 4 and up on G2 and Capterra and the high number of average user reviews (more than 1,000). Many reviewers said it has an intuitive and user-friendly interface that helps simplify payroll, tax filings, and onboarding processes. They also like that it is easy to set up and has payroll plans that provide the best value for money, given the wealth of features included in each package. However, there are mixed reviews about its customer support. While many users mentioned that they received excellent service, several others are unhappy with Gusto’s customer support, mainly because of long wait times and some reps that aren’t always responsive. At the time of publication, Gusto reviews earned the following scores on popular user review sites: Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 based on more than 3,500 reviews G2: 4.2 out of 5 based on 600+ reviews How We Evaluated Gusto When we evaluate payroll software for small businesses, we look at pricing and ease of use. We also check the provider’s customer support and whether it offers unlimited pay runs, multiple pay options, full-service payroll, and tax filing services. Access to third-party integrations and basic HR tools like employee benefits and onboarding are also important. We even consider the feedback that actual users posted on popular user review sites. meets most of our requirements, earning ratings of 4 and up in all of our evaluation criteria and an overall score of 4.71 out of 5. It lost points due to its limited customization options, health benefits plans that are unavailable in 11 states, tax penalty program that only covers mistakes that its representatives make, and the lack of advanced HR tools like learning management and compensation planning. Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria: Bottom Line Gusto is a popular payroll software that’s accessible to the smallest of employers. It is a full-service provider and manages payroll taxes under all of its plans. Plus, the multiple payment options, online onboarding tools, and variety of benefits it offers give you some flexibility, helping you provide attractive perks to potential new employees. This makes your company much more desirable to work for. While Gusto has several benefits that you can offer to your employees, the coverage of its health insurance is limited to 39 states. However, the provider has continued to actively expand its benefits coverage, meaning if it’s not in your location yet, it will likely be available soon. Sign up with Gusto today.

A sales coordinator organizes and coordinates sales activities to help your sales team increase its productivity. Those who fill this role are typically individuals who want to get into sales but don’t yet have much experience. To fill this post successfully, you must have a well-written job description that will attract quality candidates and help them better understand what the job entails. A strong sales coordinator job description will include details about the position, required skills and experience, and job duties, as well as information on your company culture and benefits and instructions for applying. Download our free template to get started. Position Details The first items to include at the top of your sales coordinator job description are some basic details about the role. Consider adding the following: Title: Putting the job title at the top makes it easy for you to determine which job you're looking at and helps potential candidates see what their job title might be. Some companies choose to advertise their jobs with fancy or fun job titles. For your job description, however, it's best to keep it straightforward. Department: Adding the department ensures you're putting the role in the right section of your company—in this case, sales. Classification: This is extremely important for employment law compliance purposes. You need to classify your employees as either exempt or nonexempt, and full time, part time, seasonal, or temporary. Compensation: Adding the compensation range to your sales coordinator job description will help ensure that you're paying competitive rates and attracting the best talent. Reports To [Job Title]: A sales coordinator may report to the sales manager, sales director, or other position. Putting this job title here shows potential candidates where the sales coordinator role falls in the organizational structure of your business. Direct Reports: It's important to include whether your sales coordinator will have any people reporting to them. Most likely, they won't. Sales Coordinator Salary/Compensation We mentioned above the advantage of including the sales coordinator salary or salary range in your job description. So, you'll need to figure out what to pay your sales coordinator. To do that, conduct an analysis of what a sales coordinator makes in your industry and your office location. If you're hiring a remote worker, use the national average. The average base salary for a sales coordinator in the US right now, according to Indeed, is $18.17 per hour, or $51,734 per year. Take note that this figure is for a base salary, and because a sales coordinator will be on your sales team, they may also expect commissions. The average commission for a sales coordinator right now is around $12,000 per year. This is a significant bump to someone's pay, so you'll want to include a good range in your job description. Skills & Experience More often than not, a sales coordinator position is an entry-level position, but depending on your needs, you may want someone with a few years under their belt. As such, it's important to clarify exactly what you expect of someone in this role. List the skills you want someone to have and include any details about software you use or the past experience you’re looking for. For example, you may want to include the following bullet points in your sales coordinator job description: Two or more years' experience as a sales coordinator or in sales administration Good team development and leadership skills Computer literacy Good administrative, organizational, and problem-solving skills Excellent communication, sales, and customer service skills The ability to multitask, work in a fast-paced environment, and meet deadlines Current knowledge of industry trends and regulations Education, while important for positions like a lawyer or doctor, shouldn't be disqualifying for a sales coordinator. Instead, we recommend focusing on skills-based hiring. It generally provides a better evaluation of whether someone can do the job you need them to do. Job Duties Your sales coordinator job description must include the job duties of the role. It should be concise but convey enough detail that a potential applicant will be able to quickly tell if they're qualified for the role. A sales coordinator should be adept at overseeing the productivity of the sales team. While not managing salespeople, a sales coordinator helps sales team members by arranging appointments, keeping their calendars, and providing them with up-to-date information. They may also handle customer calls and emails if a sales representative is unavailable. Consider including some of the following bullet points in your job description to help outline these duties: Handle customer calls and emails Collaborate with the sales team to give them updated sales information and data Develop and maintain file systems to keep sales records, run reports, and provide financial information Answering customer and potential customer questions Managing calendars for salespeople Collect and analyze data to target new sales Track goals and quotas for sales team Collaborating with other teams to increase sales Your Company Culture & Benefits Every job description should also include details about your company culture. You're ultimately trying to answer one key question from every applicant: Why would I want to work for you? You can answer that question by mentioning the tools and software you use. Include details about your company's career advancement opportunities and any specific training you provide. Don't forget to mention your company benefits also. Employees today expect a full package that includes healthcare and time off. Depending on your industry, employees may also expect hybrid or remote work flexibility as well. Make sure you highlight your key benefits offerings to entice high-quality applicants. Some companies choose to include this information within the rest of the job description instead of making it a separate section—either way is acceptable. Just make sure you're including the information necessary to answer the candidate's key question. How to Apply Lastly, when you write your sales coordinator job description, add details on how a candidate applies to save you time when you're ready to post your job ad. Some businesses prefer that candidates email them directly, while others use their careers page on their website or a Google Form. You could also use a third-party job board, like . This can help reduce the time you spend reviewing unqualified candidates, as you could have candidates answer specific questions before you see their applications. Whatever your company practices, include that information so that it’s ready to go when you post the job. Tips for Hiring a Sales Coordinator Finding employees you’ll love doesn’t have to be hard—but it does require you to put in some effort. Here are our best tips for hiring a stellar sales coordinator. 1. Define the Role Clearly Before you even start looking for candidates, you need to take some time to define the role of the sales coordinator. When approaching this task, ask yourself: What exactly will this person be responsible for? What kinds of tasks will they need to perform? Taking the time to answer these questions will help you identify the skills and qualities your ideal candidate should have. 2. Look for Good Communicators A big part of being a sales coordinator is communicating with clients, vendors, and other members of your team. As such, it’s important to hire someone who knows how to communicate effectively, both in person and in writing. 3. Find Someone Who Is Organized An organized sales coordinator is a productive sales coordinator. When you’re looking at candidates, pay attention to signs that they are organized and detail-oriented. Do they have a well-organized resume? Do they seem like they could keep track of multiple deadlines? These are all good signs that you’ve found an organized candidate. 4. Look for Someone Who Is Coachable Even if a candidate doesn't have direct sales experience, they may still be a good fit for the role if they are coachable. A coachable person is open to feedback and willing to learn new things. They also have a growth mindset, meaning they believe they can improve with practice and experience. When you're interviewing candidates, ask them about times when they've had to learn new things on the job or how they've handled constructive criticism from a boss or co-worker. The best candidates will give specific examples of times when they've been able to learn and grow in their roles. Bottom Line Finding a qualified sales coordinator starts with putting together a well-written and thorough sales coordinator job description. By using our provided template and stitching together the elements of your company that candidates will want to see, you’re already one step closer to a more productive sales team. Be sure to check out when you’re ready to post your job ad, where you can post to multiple job boards at once for free.

Google is the go-to resource for almost any query, including open job posts. As such, it can be a powerful tool for finding qualified new hires (although you cannot post a job ad directly to the search engine). Through its job ad aggregator, Google for Jobs, it will pick up your listing either from a third-party site—generally a job board—or your own website. The latter is more technical and frequently used for larger companies, while the former is more appropriate for small businesses. Using a Third-party Job Board Third-party job boards are the most straightforward option for small businesses wanting to know how to post a job on Google. You probably already know some of the best job boards—and if you use one that’s integrated with Google, you’re all done. At that point, if a job seeker searches for a job that matches yours, your listing may appear in the top Google search results. This is the easiest and fastest way to get your job posting in front of more candidates. Here’s a list of some of the major boards that are already integrated with Google (note that popular job board Indeed is not one of them): LinkedIn ZipRecruiter Monster Facebook Glassdoor Snagajob Here’s what it might look like when a candidate searches for a payroll specialist job in Baltimore. Google search results show jobs related to the search query and indicate where the job ad is posted. In the above image, the top result is from an employer’s website, and the second is from ZipRecruiter. Using Your Website Learning how to post a job on Google via your own website is less common for small businesses, but you’re welcome to give it a shot. Just make sure you’re familiar with HTML editing or have someone on your team who can handle these technical steps. Step 1. Get Your Website Ready You’ll need to make sure your website is capable of posting your open positions by having a career page or other dedicated page on your company website just for open job posts. If you use a developer or third party to handle your website, contact them to set this up for you. We’ll provide a few example steps below. Note that these are specific to WordPress. On your Dashboard, navigate to “Pages” shown here at the bottom. At the top of the next page, you'll see a button called “Add New.” Click this button to begin the process of adding a new page to your website. Here is where you will add the title of your page and text about your company. Make sure to highlight your company benefits and why candidates might want to work for you. Also showcase your company culture and benefits. Below that, you can provide details about your option positions. Here’s how that might look for a digital media company: For each of the positions, create links to the full job description. You can either create a new page for each job or you can link to a PDF of the job description. More on this in Step 2. Before you publish this page, make sure you create a permalink (that’s what comes after the “/” in your company website). This makes it easier for candidates to find employment opportunities with your company. So, in the example above, if your company website is acme.com, then your careers page would be found at acme.com/careers. Step 2. List Your Job Openings Once your website has a dedicated job openings page, add your new positions. Remember to keep your job posting clear and direct while including important details about your company and benefits. As noted above, you can either add a new page for each job position (which could be time-consuming if you have lots of open roles), or you can link to a PDF of your job. Step 3. Add Structured Data Adding structured data—a standardized format for page information and content classification—is where things get a bit more technical. To ensure accuracy, we recommend having your web developer or in-house tech expert handle this step. If you’re going to do this yourself, Google shows you how to add structured data. This is an in-depth and complex process if you’re new to this level of technical work, so be prepared to carve out some time in your day to complete this step. Step 4. Stay Updated Use your Google Search Console to stay updated on your job posting by seeing how much traffic that page is getting. Reviewing these stats is a great way to see if your job ad is getting traction. This is important data because you need to know if your job ad is getting in front of potential candidates. If it’s not, you’ll need to adjust your strategy and post to a popular job board for more visibility. Tips for a Successful Google for Jobs Listing Today’s job market is tough, and you need every edge you can get to find employees you’ll love. That includes using the right keywords to ensure Google shows it at the top of the search results, among other things. 1. Include SEO Best Practices Make sure your job ad includes your job title and relevant keywords to the role. However, don’t overdo it—ensure it still reads naturally, as this is important to the search engine’s algorithm. Doing this will help boost your chances of including your job post in the engine’s top search results. 2. Use a Clear & Common Job Title Many companies like to create unique job titles. While that can be fun and showcase company personality, it’s not great for getting your job ad on Google’s top results. Instead, consider using a basic or recognizable job title for your online job posting, even if you use a different one internally. 3. Include Bulleted Lists Search engines like Google prefer easy-to-read bulleted lists and tend to rank pages with these higher than those that don’t use them. Narrow down some key traits you need applicants to have and place them in a bulleted list. Also, include a half dozen key duties for the role in another bulleted list to improve search results even more. Google for Jobs: FAQ Bottom Line When you are hiring employees, you want to make sure your open positions get in front of as many eyes as possible. You can do this by posting a job on Google—everyone uses Google, including job applicants. Using either third-party job boards or your own website to get your listing on Google for Jobs will help ensure you make a great hire.