Robie Ann Ferrer

If you use Mac computers and laptops for your business, it’s important to find a payroll solution that’s intuitive, user-friendly, and can help you pay employees accurately. Besides that, the best payroll software for Mac not only provides solid pay processing tools, but it also allows you to access its features across various Apple devices—from Mac computers to iPads and the iPhone. However, with a cloud-based system, you shouldn’t have to worry about Mac compatibility issues, as its tools are accessible online. In this guide, we looked at a dozen payroll software that work on a Mac and narrowed our list down to the nine best options. : Best overall payroll software for Mac and those looking for solid HR tools : Best for small business QuickBooks users : Best for solopreneurs and startups needing a dedicated payroll specialist : Best for small restaurants and retailers already using or planning to use Square POS : Best for businesses looking for an affordable payroll software with robust system permissions : Best for companies that want customizable payroll tools and a wide range of HR solutions : Best for companies that rely heavily on technology and require global pay processing tools : Best for growing companies needing flexible plans that scale with their business : Best for microbusinesses needing a simple payroll solution If you want a computer-installed system rather than a cloud-based solution, you should consider downloadable Mac payroll software that’s easy to use and comes with up-to-date tax tables. : Best for budget-conscious companies that don’t need cloud-based software : Best for small businesses that prefer a downloadable payroll system to print high-security checks Gusto: Best Overall Payroll Software for Mac Users is a cloud-based payroll software that works well for both Mac and Windows computers. Given its reasonably priced plans and user-friendly online payroll tools, Gusto is an ideal pay processing solution for small business Mac users. Aside from automatic and unlimited pay runs, you get tax filings and payments for federal, state, and local taxes, including year-end W-2 and 1099 reporting. It also offers employee benefits plans and basic HR tools to help you onboard new hires and track staff attendance. With an overall rating of 4.71 out of 5 in our evaluation, Gusto scored perfect marks in pricing, reporting capabilities, and popularity among users. Many find its online tools easy to use, allowing them to compute and remit employee payments with just a few clicks. However, it lost points due to its limited customizability and health insurance coverage (available only in 39 states as of this writing). Gusto Key Features Multiple direct deposit and pay options: Apart from pay card and pay-on-demand, Gusto offers four- and two-day direct deposits. While it has a next-day option, this is available only in its higher tiers. If you require fast payments, consider QuickBooks Payroll since it offers next- and same-day direct deposits. For instant payouts, we recommend Square Payroll, although you need to have a Square Payments account to pay employees instantly. Employee benefits: For small businesses that don’t have an in-house HR team to handle benefits, the provider’s licensed brokers can help you select health insurance plans for your staff and manage online employee enrollments. Gusto offers commuter benefits, health insurance, retirement, college savings, life and disability, HSA, FSA, and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation options. Note, however, its health benefits, life and disability, FSA, and HSA, are unavailable in 11 states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). For benefits coverage that includes all US states, consider any of the other Apple payroll software on our list. Hiring and time tracking tools: Gusto offers basic hiring tools and services that include offer letter templates, electronic signatures, onboarding checklists, new hire reporting, and online document storage. Like QuickBooks Payroll, if you subscribe to Gusto’s higher tiers, you get additional tools for monitoring PTO and tracking your workers’ actual work hours. ADP Run, Paycor, and Rippling offer time tracking solutions as well, but these are paid add-ons. Meanwhile, with Square Payroll, you need to use its Square Team App (for iOS/Android devices) to capture employee clock-ins/outs and import them into its payroll solution. Third-party software integrations: Gusto integrates with several software like accounting, expense management, performance, collaboration, time tracking, and point-of-sale (POS) systems. However, if you want a robust integration network, Rippling is a good choice, as it connects with more than 500 apps. QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Small Business QuickBooks Users offers reasonably priced plans with essential pay processing tools small businesses need. Given that its cloud-based payroll solution can be directly and easily accessed through the QuickBooks system, it saves QuickBooks accounting users time from having to separately set up a chart of accounts and import pay-related data into its platform. Similar to Gusto, it offers unlimited pay runs, full-service payroll, payroll tax filings and payments, employee benefits, online onboarding, and year-end tax reporting. Scoring 4.58 out of 5 in our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll was rated favorably for ease of use, payroll functionalities, and HR features—even getting perfect marks in pricing and reporting capabilities. However, it didn’t rank higher than Gusto due to its limited payment options (doesn’t have pay-on-demand) and small number of user reviews (average number of reviews on G2 and Capterra is below 500). You also have to upgrade to its highest tier if you want QuickBooks Payroll’s tax filing services to include local taxes. In terms of user feedback, reviewers who left reviews on G2 and Capterra said that its simple, yet efficient tools make running payroll easier for them. On the other hand, some users commented that its app can be glitchy and that connecting with its support team via phone can be difficult at times. QuickBooks Payroll Key Features Payroll processing: You can set up payroll to run automatically—provided that all employees are under direct deposits and your first pay run using QuickBooks has been successful. You also get unlimited payrolls, wage garnishments, and automated taxes (federal and state) with year-end filings for Forms W-2 and 1099. However, you have to upgrade to its Elite plan if you want automatic local tax payments and filings too. This is unlike most of the providers on this guide (except if you’re on SurePayroll’s self-service plan, in which you handle tax filings yourself) whose basic plans have tax filing services that cover federal, state, and local taxes. Fast payment options: QuickBooks Payroll is the only provider on this list that offers next-day payouts as its standard direct deposit processing timeline. It even has a same-day option for Premium and Elite plan holders. Tax accuracy and penalty protection: All plans are covered by QuickBooks Payroll’s tax accuracy guarantee, in which it will pay for any penalties arising from late payments and form submissions—provided that you forwarded the correct tax information and have available funds in your account to pay the applicable taxes. Those on the Elite plan also get an extra tax penalty coverage, wherein QuickBooks will pay for all the penalties (up to $25,000 per year), regardless of who makes the mistake—none of the other providers offer this as an option. HR support and tools: QuickBooks Payroll’s partnership with Mineral grants you access to HR advisers and compliance support, as well as customizable job descriptions, onboarding, and performance tools. However, these features, plus time tracking (via QuickBooks Time), are available only for those who subscribe to its higher tiers. Employee benefits: All of QuickBooks Payroll’s plans include access to health benefits and 401(k) options in all US states. Its integration with SimplyInsured for health benefits provides you with affordable coverage and an efficient way to manage your benefits, while its partnership with Guideline for retirement ensures that you get expert administration of 401(k) plans. However, it lacks Gusto’s college savings option and ADP’s employee discount perks. Paychex: Best for Solopreneurs & Startups Needing Dedicated Payroll Support What’s great about is that it offers solutions for all business sizes. Aside from its payroll plans for small to large companies, it has a special tier for solopreneurs and the self-employed, which includes payroll, startup/incorporation services, and a retirement plan option. None of the Mac payroll providers we reviewed offer a similar package. And with Paychex Flex as its main payroll platform, you get solid pay processing tools with essential HR solutions for managing new hire reporting, onboarding, benefits, time tracking, and even learning programs. Scoring 4.53 out of 5 in our evaluation, Paychex posted perfect marks in reporting, HR features, and popularity among users. Its multiple payment options and tax filing services also contributed to its high scores. However, it lost points because not all of its pricing information is available on its website and it also charges extra for some of its payroll tax administration services (like year-end tax reporting). In terms of user feedback, those who left reviews on G2 and Capterra appreciate its user-friendly interface and efficient payroll tools. Others, on the other hand, said that its software runs slow at times and that the wait times when contacting its support team can be a bit long. Paychex Key Features Multiple plan options: With Paychex, you can select the payroll plan that fits your business size—regardless of whether you’re a very small company or solopreneur. Its Paychex Solo package comes with all the tools that self-employed business owners will need to pay themselves. And when the time comes for solopreneurs to expand their business and hire workers, Paychex offers multiple payroll packages that even comes with dedicated payroll support and payroll tax filing services. You may need to pay extra for its tax services, but if this is a deal-breaker for you, the other payroll software for Mac (except ADP Run) are great options. Employee payments: Paychex lets you pay employees either through direct deposits (two-day and same-day processing), paper checks, and pay cards. It offers pay check logo and signing services, although it doesn’t stuff checks into envelopes and deliver them to your office. HR tools: Paychex Flex may be a payroll platform, but it also comes with useful HR features to automate new hire onboarding, candidate screening, and learning management. You can even use its online library of HR documents to view and access business forms and important files, such as company policies. If you need to create an employee handbook, Paychex has an online handbook builder that includes federal and state policies—although, you can also add your company’s policies into the handbook. Square Payroll: Best for Small Retailers & Restaurants Using Square POS is optimal for small restaurants and retail shops already using or planning to use Square POS. Given the seamless integration between the two Square products, data imports of staff tips/commissions and employee attendance (Square POS can capture both information) for pay processing are much easier. Similar to Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll comes with automatic and unlimited pay runs, as well as payroll tax filings and year-end tax reporting. Scoring 4.19 out of 5, Square Payroll earned 4 and above ratings in payroll features, HR functionalities, reporting, pricing, and in our expert review. While it has a platform that’s easy to learn, it didn’t get a high score in our ease of use criteria because of its limited customization options and phone support that requires a customer code for you to get through. Another hard-hit criteria is popularity, mainly because its average number of user reviews on third-party sites (G2 and Capterra) didn’t reach 500. However, users still gave Square Payroll positive reviews, wherein many raved about its affordability and efficient payroll tools. Square Payroll Key Features Seamless Square POS integration: Tracking and importing employee time data, as well as tips and commissions, are made easy given Square Payroll’s direct integration with Square POS. This reduces manual inputs while helping you manage payroll effectively. Affordable contractor-only plan: While both Gusto and Square Payroll have contractor-only plans, Square’s package is more affordable—costing only $5 per contractor monthly (Gusto’s is priced at $6 per contractor, per month). And similar to Square Payroll’s “pay employees and contractors” plan, this package comes with unlimited pay runs, full-service payroll, year-end tax reporting, and multiple payment options. Multiple payment options: Square Payroll supports employee payments made through manual checks, direct deposits, and its Cash App (for iOS/Android devices). Note, however, that the standard turnaround time for its direct deposits is four days. Although, you can pay employees the next day or even instantly if you have a Square Payments account. Tax filing and reporting services: Square Payroll offers automatic tax payments and filings for federal, state, and local taxes. It also prepares and files W-2s and 1099s at year-end (this costs extra with ADP Run). Employee benefits: Square Payroll will provide your employees access to health insurance, pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation plans, and even retirement packages that will automatically sync with your payroll. However, it doesn’t have ADP’s employee discounts and Gusto’s college savings plans. OnPay: Best for Companies Looking for Affordable Payroll With Robust System Permissions is great for budget-conscious businesses, given its flat-rate and reasonable pricing. With monthly fees of $40 plus $6 per employee, you are granted access to all of its features, unlike other Mac payroll software (like ADP, Paycor, QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, and Paychex) that require you to upgrade to higher tiers to unlock all functionalities. It's also ideal for those needing robust system permissions to manage who has visibility into payroll and HR. Its six-level permissions even provide you with enough flexibility to control how you want to run payroll. In our evaluation, OnPay earned an overall score of 4.13 out of 5. Its affordability, unlimited pay runs, and HR tools for managing PTO, benefits, and new hire onboarding contributed to its high ratings (4 and up). However, it scored the lowest in user popularity given the low number of user reviews in G2 and Capterra (less than 500, as of this writing). Despite this, many users still appreciate its ease of use and intuitive interface. However, some reviewers said that its PTO customization and software integration options are limited. OnPay Key Features Unlimited payroll runs: Like most of the providers in this guide (except ADP Run), OnPay lets you run employee and contractor payroll as many times as you want in a month. Its services include tax payments and filings, as well as year-end tax reporting. This is unlike QuickBooks Payroll, which only offers local tax filings if you subscribe to its higher tiers, and ADP, which charges extra for W-2/1099 reporting at year-end. What’s also great about OnPay is that it can handle the payroll tax filing requirements for agricultural businesses—none of the payroll software for Mac we reviewed offers similar services. Essential HR tools: While it doesn’t have ADP, Rippling, and Paycor’s full suite of HR solutions, OnPay offers essential tools to help you streamline onboarding processes and state new hire reporting. It also has an online HR resource library if you need HR guides and legal templates. It even offers HR advisory services, but like Rippling, you have to pay extra if you want one-on-one HR support. Employee benefits: OnPay partners with top benefits carriers (like Aetna, United Healthcare, and Humana), allowing them to offer dental, vision, disability, and retirement plans to employees. And unlike Gusto’s health insurance, which covers only 39 states (as of this writing), OnPay’s health plans are available in all US states. Payroll support: If you have payroll inquiries or need assistance using its software, OnPay provides weekday support via phone, chat, and email support. However, you only get email support on Saturdays and Sundays. If you want 24/7 support, consider ADP Run. Paycor: Best for Businesses With Complex Pay Processing Needs has unified payroll and HR solutions designed to streamline day-to-day employee management tasks. It has robust online pay processing tools with paycheck stuffing and tax filings services, including proactive alerts to help reduce pay errors. It also provides a customizable pay grid with intuitive workflows, enabling you to process payroll based on your business’ unique and complex pay processing needs. In our evaluation, Payroll earned an overall score of 4.06 out of 5. It scored the highest in user popularity, reporting, payroll features, HR tools, and in our expert review. It lost points in pricing because of its expensive starter plan, which costs $99 plus $5 per employee monthly. This is unlike the other payroll software for Mac that we reviewed that allows you to run payroll for under $50 per month. Plus, similar to Rippling, you have to pay extra if you want to access its other HR modules such as recruitment, time and attendance, and benefits administration. In terms of user feedback, many reviewers gave Paycor positive ratings on third-party review sites (like Capterra and G2). Users commented that its wide range of payroll and HR tools are efficient and generally easy to use. Paycor Key Features Feature-rich solution suite: Similar to ADP and Rippling, Paycor has a wide range of HR and payroll solutions—including recruitment, onboarding, time and attendance, payroll, employee benefits, and learning management. It even offers employee pulse surveys and analytics. Payroll processing: It supports automated payrolls with multiple pay options, like pay cards and two-day direct deposits. Paycor also offers paycheck stuffing services like ADP Run. Further, Paycor has automated workflows and a flexible pay grid that you can customize to fit your payroll needs—none of the providers on this list have fully customizable pay grids. Payroll tax compliance: Aside from tax calculations and filings and W-2/1099 processing, Paycor offers expert tax compliance support to help keep you informed and compliant with the latest laws and regulations. Third-party software integrations: Paycor’s integration options include OnShift, Deputy, Square POS, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, WageWorks, PlanSource, AssureHire, and GoodHire. But if you require extensive third-party integrations, consider Rippling’s partner network of more than 500 apps. Rippling: Best for Businesses That Rely Heavily on Technology & Require Global Payroll Tools base program is a workforce management platform with full-service payroll as an add-on module—international payroll included. It has the most integration options in this list of best Mac payroll software, with more than 500 partner apps—from accounting and information technology systems to office management and HR-related solutions. If you purchase its device management add-on, you can buy, set up, secure, and monitor software and company devices (like computers and laptops) that are issued to employees. Overall, it earned 3.95 out of 5 in our evaluation. Rippling scored the highest (4 and above) in our expert review, reporting, user popularity, HR features, and payroll functionalities. However, it lost points in pricing and ease of use because of its limited pricing transparency and the lack of phone support—you have to pay extra for its HR help desk services that include phone and email support. In terms of user feedback, those who left reviews on G2 and Capterra raved about its intuitive interface, payroll analytics, and ease of managing benefits. On the other hand, some users complained about having experienced poor customer support and software glitches from time to time. Rippling Key Features Feature-rich HR and IT solution suite: Rippling offers a full HR solution suite that includes recruiting, onboarding, time and attendance, payroll, employee benefits, and learning management. It even has IT products that allow you to manage business apps and computers issued to employees, a feature none of the other providers on our list offer. However, it doesn’t offer a variety of benefits options as Gusto and ADP Run do—the former offers a college savings plan and the latter has employee discount perks. Full-service payroll: You can pay both employees and contractors via paychecks and two-day direct deposits, although it lacks ADP Run and Paycor’s check-stuffing services and QuickBooks Payroll’s fast direct deposit timelines (next- and same-day options). If you have a lot of staff transferring from one work location to another, Rippling automatically calculates payroll taxes and files the applicable tax forms with the IRS and other federal, state, and local agencies. It also handles your business’ HR compliance work. This is to ensure that your company is always compliant and up-to-date with the latest laws and regulations, including the use of all relevant forms like I-9s and W-2s. Job costing tools: Apart from capturing your staff’s actual work hours, Rippling can help you track how your workers spent their time and compute the applicable cost of that time (either by client, task, or work location). You can even change your employees’ pay rate depending on the type of job they’re handling, and it will automatically calculate the costs as your staff move from job to job. Flexible PEO: Rated highly in our best PEO companies guide, Rippling can provide you with the expert assistance you need to manage payroll and day-to-day HR operations. And unlike ADP, if you decide that you no longer need a PEO, then you can simply turn off Rippling’s PEO services from your account and start using its software again. Third-party software integrations: Among all of the Mac payroll software that we reviewed, Rippling has the most extensive network of third-party software partners. It provides over 500 integration options that include TSheets, Homebase, When I Work, GoodHire, Checkr, SurveyMonkey, Greenhouse, Guru, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Slack, Asana, DocuSign, and Adobe Sign. ADP Run: Best for Companies Needing Flexible Plans That Scale With Their Business has a suite of cloud-based payroll and human capital management solutions. It’s great for businesses that plan to scale because it has a wide selection of products to fit your company’s growing HR and payroll software needs. It also has payroll packages for small businesses to large enterprises, including a professional employer organization (PEO) option. This enables businesses to easily upgrade their ADP plan without having to change providers and get extra HR support if the need for a team of HR professionals and experts arises. Earning an overall rating of 3.85 out of 5 stars in our evaluation, the criteria where ADP scored the highest include HR features, payroll tools, ease of use, and reporting capabilities. It’s also highly rated by users given its easy-to-use interface and robust solution suite. However, ADP scored the lowest in pricing because it lacks unlimited payroll and transparent pricing. ADP Run Key Features Multiple pay options: You can pay your employees via direct deposits, paychecks, and a Wisely direct debit card. If you prefer paychecks, ADP Run has check signing, stuffing, and delivery services—wherein it will send the checks to your business just in time for you to hand them out to employees. Apart from Paycor, the other providers we reviewed don’t offer this check-stuffing service. Secure paychecks: ADP offers highly secured payroll checks, which come with 10 advanced fraud protection features, that your company’s designated approver can sign off. None of the software on our list have this feature. Payroll tax support: ADP Run automatically calculates, pays, files, and reconciles payroll taxes (federal, state, and local). In addition, you get tax compliance support, wherein ADP will respond to tax agencies in case they have questions about tax deposits and returns that the provider made for you. However, year-end tax reporting costs extra. Plus, it lacks QuickBooks Payroll’s tax penalty protection that covers even your tax mistakes. Hiring solutions: What’s great about ADP is that aside from payroll, new hire reporting, and employee onboarding, you have additional access to basic hiring tools that include background checks and job postings on ZipRecruiter—provided you subscribe to its higher tiers. Rippling and Paycor require you to purchase a separate recruitment module, while Gusto offers its applicant tracking and job posting tools in its higher plans. The other Apple payroll software on our list lack hiring capabilities. HR documents: ADP has a library of key HR documents that you can use for your checklists, best practice guides, and company policies. Aside from HR documents, you also get an employee handbook wizard to help you create a comprehensive handbook based on federal employment laws. However, access to these resources requires a paid subscription to one of ADP’s premium payroll packages. Third-party software integrations: ADP’s integration options include QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, TSheets, Homebase, iCIMS, Docufree, OrgChart Now, Slack, and Pingboard. For those that want a bigger selection, we recommend Rippling, since its integration network includes more than 500 systems. SurePayroll: Best for Microbusinesses Needing a Simple Payroll Solution offers affordable and simple online tools for calculating salaries, taxes, and other earnings and deductions. This makes it ideal for those with less complex payroll needs such as small companies and microbusinesses, including household employers wanting to pay their housekeeping staff and nannies (check our nanny payroll buyer’s guide if you have a household employee). You also have the option to save money filing payroll taxes yourself or have SurePayroll manage this for you. Scoring 3.81 out of 5, SurePayroll’s ease of use, reporting capabilities, efficient payroll tools, and affordable pricing helped boost its ratings. It didn’t rank higher on our list given its limited payment options, third-party software integrations, and interface customizability. And while its average number of user reviews is below 500, and it isn’t as highly rated (with average scores of 4 and up on G2 and Capterra) as most of the Mac payroll software in this guide, many users left positive feedback that commended its solid customer support, user-friendly interface, and affordably priced plans. SurePayroll Key Features Payroll processing: Aside from automatic and unlimited pay runs, SurePayroll can handle pay processing for contractors, hourly and salaried employees, nannies, and household staff. It also caters to the specific payroll needs of restaurants, agriculture businesses, churches, and nonprofit organizations. Payroll tax filings: While self-service plan holders have to remit tax payments and file tax forms on their own, those on the full-service tier are assured that SurePayroll will handle all tax payments and filings for them. Aside from W-2 and 1099 reporting, it can also help you file 940, 941, W-3, and 1096 tax forms, as well as 1040-ES and Schedule-H for nanny taxes. Further, all tax filings are covered by SurePayroll’s tax accuracy guarantee in which it will pay all penalties for tax errors made by its representatives. However, it isn’t as robust as QuickBooks Payroll’s tax penalty protection (for its Elite plan subscribers) that covers even the tax mistakes you might make. Employee benefits: SurePayroll has a wide range of affordable benefits options that include retirement, health insurance, and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation plans. Although, it lacks ADP’s employee discount perks and Gusto’s college plan savings. Third-party software integrations: It integrates with some accounting and time clock software like QuickBooks, Xero, stratustime, and TimeForge. However, unlike most of the providers on this list, you have to pay extra for software integrations. How We Evaluated the Top Payroll Software for Mac In finding the best payroll software for Mac users, we compared several reputable providers and looked for essential features like automatic payroll runs, direct deposits, payroll tax payments and filings, and whether it offered basic and customizable payroll reports. We also considered its ease of use, pricing, customer support, and feedback from users. Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria. Bottom Line Just because you’re a Mac user doesn’t mean that you get limited access to payroll software. There are plenty of online payroll solutions that are easily accessible using Mac OS or iOS. Many of these options have the essential tools you need to process employee salaries. What’s important is finding the best payroll service that can handle your company’s needs. Based on our evaluation, we found Gusto to be the best overall payroll software for Mac users. With its cloud-based platform, you can easily access it through any device. It also offers reasonably priced plans with fees that start at $40 plus $6 per employee monthly, plus a contractor-only tier that costs $6 per person monthly. This makes Gusto an ideal option for small businesses that want quality services at reasonable rates. Sign up for a Gusto plan today and see how its online tools can help streamline your payroll processes.

A pay period is the recurring period of time during which employees work and are paid. Pay periods are fixed and most often occur on a biweekly or semimonthly basis (state laws may require a certain frequency). Some industries follow a specific pay period calendar for certain workers, such as weekly payroll for hourly employees in manufacturing companies. Given that payroll impacts your business's cash flow and financial reporting requirements, you must select the pay period that best fits your company’s needs and worker types. Continue reading for a better understanding of what a pay period is and what it means for your small business, and download one of our free pay period calendars that correspond with your business’s pay cycles. Also, follow along with our pay periods video below: How Pay Periods Work Employers set a regular pay period to ensure their employees receive consistent paychecks. While most companies base their pay schedule on the needs of the business, there are labor laws in place that govern the minimum consistency with which these schedules must comply. Before choosing your pay schedule, it’s important to know how often your state requires employers to process payroll, which we detail in our state payroll guides. Employers consider the minimum frequency at which they can legally process payroll—usually monthly—to set a regular pay schedule. Remember, every pay schedule includes start and end dates for time worked and a payday on which employees receive their paychecks. The payday varies depending on the employer; some designate the payday to be the last date of every pay period, while others may opt to pay a week after the pay period ends. If you’re using a professional employer organization (PEO), your payday options may be limited (for instance, some larger payroll services only allow you to pay employees on Fridays). Types of Pay Periods & How to Choose A year can be divided into 52 weeks, 365 days, or 12 months, which means there are numerous schedules you can use for your payroll. Some businesses are more concerned with weekly payouts and opt to pay once a week or every other week. Others divide each month in half and choose to pay in the middle and at the end. Additionally, although not as frequent, a monthly pay schedule works better for some companies. Here are some factors you should consider when determining your pay schedule. Average wages: Restaurant employees who earn tipped minimum wage may be better suited for weekly paychecks. Forcing employees who receive low wages to wait two to three weeks for payday could damage morale. Company cash flow: Paying weekly means you must have enough cash available to pay more often. Some businesses have cash flow cycles that require more time before bank accounts are replenished—like stores that sell merchandise on credit. Profitability: Processing payroll more often usually costs more money ($50 to $100 per pay run for 10 employees), and some businesses, especially startups, have to manage their expenses more carefully. Using providers like Gusto allows employers to run unlimited monthly payrolls at no extra cost. Here are a few pay period examples and some of the most common pay schedules from which you can choose. Keep in mind that certain industries have norms, and you may need to follow your industry’s tradition to remain a competitive employer. Monthly With a monthly pay schedule, payroll is processed once a month. It’s not as common as the others and results in only 12 pay dates in the year. Some companies pay employees on the last Friday of each month, while others opt to pay on the last day of the month. If that happens to be on the weekend, they may pay on the last weekday before it. Monthly is used the least frequently of the pay schedules but is sometimes used by businesses that offer professional or business services. 2022 Monthly Calendar 2022 Monthly Pay Period Chart 2023 Monthly Calendar 2023 Monthly Pay Period Chart Semimonthly Semimonthly, which is sometimes confused with biweekly, means twice a month. Many companies opt to pay on the 15th and last day of every month. If either of those days falls on a weekend, payroll is processed on the closest weekday before it. The pay period can include 14 to 16 days, depending on the number of days in the month. Typically, businesses in the financial, information technology, professional, and business service industries pay semimonthly—it’s the second least frequently used pay schedule. 2022 Semimonthly Calendar 2022 Semimonthly Pay Period Chart 2023 Semimonthly Calendar 2023 Semimonthly Pay Period Chart Biweekly Biweekly means payroll is run once every two weeks or every other week, wherein employees are paid for two workweeks. For most months, this equates to two paydays, but three months in the year (that vary from year to year) have three biweekly paydays. The workweek for this pay period typically starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday. One thing to note is that biweekly is the most common pay schedule overall, with more than a third of US private businesses historically paying their employees every two weeks. Many businesses in education, healthcare, leisure and hospitality, and information technology industries follow it. 2022 Biweekly Calendar 2022 Biweekly Pay Period Chart 2023 Biweekly Calendar 2023 Biweekly Pay Period Chart Weekly Employees are paid once a week; their paychecks include hours worked (or salary) for a workweek—for instance, Sunday through Saturday. Many companies choose Friday as their payday since it’s the last weekday, but it can be any day of the week. Many businesses in the construction, manufacturing, restaurant, and mining industries pay on this cycle. 2022 Weekly Calendar 2022 Weekly Pay Period Chart 2023 Weekly Calendar 2023 Weekly Pay Period Chart Paying in Arrears vs Current When you pay on a current schedule, you pay employees as soon as or before their pay cycle ends. Paying in arrears means there’s a delay between the time employees work and when they receive pay for that work. This delay could be a week or more, depending on state laws. If you pay your employees for time that has not yet passed, there could be unexpected changes in their schedule for which you’ll need to make adjustments on the next pay period. This can become cumbersome, as you’ll have to keep track of pay cycles for which you’ve already processed payroll; it can also involve complying with federal overtime laws—paying time and a half (1.5 times regular hourly pay) for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Determining Whether to Pay in Arrears or Current There is no hard rule guiding whether you should pay in arrears or current. You should consider the needs of your business and your employees. Paying in arrears gives you time to gather all time sheets, tip reports, and other information to ensure you process payroll correctly; there’s no need to forecast employee schedules. Paying current is less confusing for some employees and works well in certain instances. Let’s assume a company has a Sunday through Saturday pay cycle, with Friday being the payday. If the employees only work weekdays, Monday through Friday, there would be less guesswork. Although Saturday is a part of the pay cycle, the employees don’t work on Saturdays. It also works for salaried employees who are paid the same amount every pay period, regardless of hours worked. Bottom Line Choosing the pay period that best suits your business is essential, and following it consistently is even more important. Our payroll calendars and charts make it easy to track the beginning and end dates of your pay cycle along with your pay dates, so you never miss payday or run payroll for the wrong period. However, if you want an easy way to pay your employees regardless of your pay schedule, consider . You can choose from the four major payroll schedules and even set up multiple and custom schedules if needed. Sign up for a 30-day free trial today.

is a professional employment organization (PEO) that offers full-service human resources (HR) solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. Its services, which include payroll processing, benefits administration, applicant tracking, risk mitigation, and access to a cloud-based platform with self-service and mobile tools, enable employers to focus on growing their business by outsourcing day-to-day HR tasks. Monthly fees start at $150 per employee, based on the quote we received. What We Recommend TriNet For TriNet’s feature-rich solution suite provides you with all the HR tools and support you need, so you get more time back in managing and growing your business. As a PEO, it handles administrative HR and payroll processes for you while you maintain complete control over making workforce and business decisions. TriNet is also one of our top recommended PEO companies for small businesses because it can customize its services to fit the HR needs of companies in a wide range of industries. With its team of specialists who are always up-to-date with the regulations unique to your industry, you’re assured that your business will stay compliant with the latest labor and tax rulings. In short, TriNet is best for: Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with industry-specific compliance needs that want to outsource day-to-day HR tasks: TriNet’s wide range of strategic services and cloud-based HR solutions, which can be tailored depending on the business’ industry, help minimize your HR administrative tasks and reduce employer-related risks. For example, if you have a financial firm, TriNet will assign a dedicated account specialist and a service team that knows the ins and outs of financial services to help you handle regulatory changes. Employers looking for PEO services with a reasonable pricing scheme: While TriNet requires you to contact its sales team and request a quote, it offers a pricing matrix that provides you with lower rates if you hit certain milestones and thresholds. For example, TriNet’s charges will go down if Social Security and unemployment tax maximums are reached. With other PEO companies, the fees remain the same even if you hit these thresholds. Small businesses with limited HR experience: What’s great about TriNet’s PEO services is that it takes on your HR and payroll administrative tasks and responsibilities, which is perfect for small businesses that don’t have an in-house HR team. When TriNet Would Not Be a Good Fit Startups and mom-and-pop businesses that want low-cost PEO services: Although TriNet has a pricing matrix in which fees go down as you meet specific thresholds, its services aren't cheap. We were quoted monthly fees of $150 to $165 per employee for a company with 25 workers. For a more affordable option, we recommend Justworks. Its monthly fees start at $59 per employee for the first 49 workers ($49 per employee monthly for 50 workers or more). Companies that want PEO services with HR, payroll, and information technology (IT) tools: TriNet may have a robust HR solution suite, but it lacks the IT tools that Rippling offers to help manage business apps and computers. What’s more, Rippling has a flexible PEO that you can directly turn off from your account settings, enabling you to easily switch to using its HR platform again. TriNet doesn’t have this option. Employers who need payroll services only: TriNet’s PEO service may be too much for those who only need to pay employees. For full-service payroll at reasonable rates, consider Gusto. It offers solid pay processing tools, efficient payroll tax filing services, and a wide range of employee benefits options. Top TriNet Alternatives While PEOs can handle a wide range of HR tasks, its services may be more than what your business requires. If you only require payroll and basic HR tools, check out our best online payroll services guide. If you want help selecting a service or software for your business, read our guide to finding the right payroll solution. TriNet Pricing TriNet’s pricing scheme is based on your business location, industry type, company size, and scope of services that you need. While its pricing page shows that it charges a flat monthly fee for each employee, you have to contact its sales team to discuss your business requirements and request a quote. For a company with 25 employees, we were quoted $150 to $165 per employee monthly. If you meet specific requirements, such as employees reaching the maximum rates for unemployment taxes and Social Security deductions, TriNet will charge you lower rates. Furthermore, its administrative fees remain the same even if your employees’ salaries go up. TriNet also doesn’t require its clients to sign long-term contracts with them. However, it offers a bundled solution that includes access to all of its full-service offerings, such as payroll processing, tax filings, benefits administration, risk mitigation, HR consulting, and online solutions for managing performance reviews and training programs. TriNet Features TriNet’s PEO and full-service HR solutions help businesses manage HR and payroll processes efficiently. Let’s take a look at some of its essential features. TriNet Ease of Use Integrated HR solutions Generally user-friendly Self-service online portal Access to HR experts Email and phone support 24/7 live chat TriNet’s PEO service and cloud-based HR platform take HR and payroll tasks off your hands so that you can focus more on managing strategic projects to build your business. While it handles HR processes for you, it also provides access to relatively easy-to-use online tools for onboarding new hires, enrolling in benefits, tracking employee performance reviews, approving transactions, such as PTO and expense reimbursement claims, and more. Its wide range of HR solutions also integrates well with each other, making data transfers between modules easy and seamless. For example, you don’t have to extract time data from its time and attendance solution manually and then upload it to its payroll tool for processing—TriNet captures the information it needs to run payroll automatically. You simply have to review and approve employee pay details. And if you need assistance, TriNet has a team of HR professionals who can provide expert advice in handling employees, payroll, and compliance issues. It also offers support through email, 24/7 live chat, and phone from Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to midnight Eastern time. What Users Think About TriNet Users who left positive TriNet reviews are generally satisfied with its HR and payroll services, adding that its online tools are generally simple to learn and use. They also praised its feature-rich platform, solid payroll tools, and comprehensive employee benefits options. However, the quality of its customer service is inconsistent. While some users commended its support team for providing exemplary service, there are several reviewers who said that its customer reps are not helpful. Other users also complained about having been passed around to multiple customer service reps without getting a resolution to their problems. At the time of publication, TriNet earned the following scores on popular reviews sites: Capterra: 3.9 out of 5 based on 30-plus reviews G2: 4.0 out of 5 based on about 540 reviews TrustRadius: 7.5 out of 10 based on more than 1,000 reviews Bottom Line TriNet may not offer the cheapest PEO service, but the wide range of solutions it offers make it a good option for SMBs looking for full-service HR and payroll. It can help manage your day-to-day HR tasks, from onboarding new hires and paying employees to tracking staff attendance and monitoring performance reviews. Plus, as a PEO, you get solid compliance support through its team of specialists and HR experts. Sign up for a free demo and quote today.

A solid nanny payroll software is important for families that don’t want to process payroll on their own. The best nanny payroll service ensures that you are tax compliant on federal, state, and local levels. Its features are also specifically structured for household employees, such as preparing Schedule H for household employment taxes and other tax forms. Some solutions even offer a self-service portal where your household staff can view pay slips and tax information. We evaluated 18 nanny payroll solutions, from full-service payroll providers with tax filing services to do-it-yourself (DIY) programs, and picked the five best nanny payroll services that offer the specific features needed for paying domestic workers. : Best overall nanny payroll service : Best full-service nanny payroll with comprehensive benefits : Best nanny payroll tax support, including back taxes : Best compliance and customer support for household employers : Best for families hiring temporary staff Top Nanny Payroll Services Compared All the nanny payroll software on our list provide automatic pay runs, new hire reporting, online pay slips, direct deposit payments, Schedule H forms, and tax filing services, although tax filings cost extra. These providers also offer access to basic benefits, but mostly through partner insurance companies. Below are some of the standout features. See fullscreen table × *Pricing is based on a quote we received. Best Nanny Payroll Service Quiz SurePayroll: Best Overall Nanny Payroll Service offers a cloud-based payroll software that can handle the pay processing needs of small businesses, including household employers. It has all the features you need to manage nanny payroll—from direct deposit payments to unlimited pay runs and payroll tax filings. Take note that those in Ohio and Pennsylvania have an additional charge for local tax filing. However, if you’re a new household employer, SurePayroll doesn’t take care of your federal tax ID setup like the other four nanny payroll services on our list. It earned 4.23 out of 5 on our evaluation because it offers the strongest set of payroll and tax filing features at the best price—around $600 per year for one household employee. This is significantly lower than the cost of similar nanny payroll services like HomeWork Solutions and HomePay. Users who left feedback on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra like the platform’s straightforward navigation. SurePayroll would have earned a higher score if not for its lack of dedicated support, employer ID setup assistance, and onboarding tools. SurePayroll Features Complete nanny payroll service: While SurePayroll doesn’t help get your federal employer identification number (EIN), it efficiently handles the rest of your payroll needs. It calculates nanny pay with withholdings and benefits and pays household employees via direct deposits. If you hire a new nanny, it handles state new hire reporting for you. It also offers compliance resources and guides to help you stay on the right side of the law. Employee benefits: Like Paychex and HomeWork Solutions, SurePayroll offers access to employee benefits plans you can provide to your staff. It also supports deductions for Medicare, Social Security, and unemployment state insurance in all 50 states. Automated tax payment and year-end report filing: Unlike HomePay, which only automates federal and state payroll taxes, SurePayroll automatically withholds, pays, and files taxes on the federal, state, and local levels (those in Ohio and Pennsylvania will have to pay an additional fee for local filing). Best of all, it offers quarterly and year-end tax filings for free while keeping you tax-compliant. You have to pay extra for some of these services if you get Paychex, HomePay, HomeWork Solutions, or NannyChex. Integrations with third-party accounting software providers: It works seamlessly with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Intacct, AccountEdge, Less Accounting, Zoho Books, and Sage 50-US Edition. Bilingual customer support: Among all the providers shortlisted, only SurePayroll has Spanish-speaking support (in addition to English) available through chat and phone Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central time. Read our SurePayroll review Paychex: Best for Full-service Nanny Payroll With Comprehensive Benefits is one of our top payroll services for small businesses. It offers several features, such as payroll and human resources (HR) tools, dedicated payroll specialists, and employment and income verification services. Its Paychex Flex solution is readily accessible online or through mobile apps for iOS and Android devices to ensure fast and efficient payroll delivery. Moreover, Paychex offers new hire reporting, accounting and HR productivity tools, benefits (retirement and health plans) management, and time tracking integrations to help you do more for your household employees. The system earned an overall rating of 4.08 out of 5 in our evaluation, with perfect marks in user popularity and high scores in nearly all of our criteria. It would have taken the first spot on our list of best nanny payroll software if all of its pricing details were readily available and if it didn’t charge for year-end tax filing services, unlike SurePayroll. However, users still praised its intuitive platform and efficient payroll tools. Paychex Features Fast and flexible payroll processing features: With two clicks, you can run payroll using a desktop computer or mobile device. It lets you pay employees via direct deposits and live checks—it even offers check-signing services. Multiple pay schedules are also supported by Paychex, just like HomeWork Solutions, NannyChex, and HomePay, but these providers’ pay schedule options are a bit limited compared to Paychex. Robust tax filing features: Similar to the other nanny payroll services we reviewed except SurePayroll, Paychex will help you set up your tax accounts if you’re a new household employer. It also files taxes in all 50 states and for local areas, although Paychex charges for some of its payroll tax services. Full range of HR and payroll features: Here is where Paychex stands out. While it does tasks that some of the nanny payroll service providers on our list do, such as new hire reporting and PTO tracking, it goes beyond that. You can offer health plans and other benefits for your employees, purchase workers’ compensation insurance, and integrate time tracking into its platform. These, of course, cost extra, but if you have multiple full-time household employees, it may be your best choice. Online and mobile self-service portal: Like SurePayroll, Paychex has free mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices that your household employees can use to access pay slips and update their personal information. The other nanny payroll services in this guide don’t offer such an app, although HomePay has a mobile time tracker solution. Dedicated support: Paychex has a team of compliance experts and payroll specialists that can provide knowledgeable advice on tax and labor regulations. HomePay and NannyChex also offer consultation services in their plans. However, Paychex―like HomeWork Solutions and NannyChex―gives you a dedicated representative and has 24/7 customer and technical support via phone and chat. Read our Paychex Flex review HomeWork Solutions: Best for Employers Looking for Solid Nanny Tax Support is an all-in-one payroll and tax compliance software. It has flexible plans that include full-service payroll and a tax filing option to help household employers only needing tax assistance. NannyChex offers a similar tax filing-only service, but HomeWork Solutions stands out with back taxes support. Apart from pay processing and tax filings, it provides a dedicated payroll representative and offers federal ID and tax account setup for new household employers. If you need help with back taxes, HomeWork Solutions can calculate the previous quarter’s nanny payroll taxes for an add-on fee of $225. It supports employee payments through direct deposits and live checks mailed to your staff. It even allows you to pay your employee directly—a payment setup that none of the providers in this guide offer. With 3.96 out of 5 in our evaluation, HomeWork Solutions scored high (4 and up) in payroll functionalities and our expert assessment of whether it is a good nanny payroll service option. While it has very few reviews online, users commended HomeWork Solutions for its reliability and responsiveness when there are issues. Its setup and year-end tax prep fees as well as its lack of onboarding tools, in-house workers’ compensation plan, and benefits options prevented it from ranking higher. HomeWork Solutions Features Flexible plans: HomeWork Solutions has both a do-it-yourself (Essential) plan and full-service (Complete) payroll package. The Essential plan provides you the option to outsource payroll tax calculation and form preparation, including tax payments and filings, and simply handle nanny salary payouts yourself. Meanwhile, its Complete payroll package lets you choose between weekly and biweekly pay runs and includes payroll and tax calculations and tax payment and filing services. Automated payroll: Like SurePayroll and Paychex, HomeWork Solutions offers automatic payroll tools. If you prefer to handle payments yourself, it can send you the calculated net payroll (less taxes and other deductions) so that you can pay your nanny directly. It can also pay your household staff via direct deposits and checks mailed to the employee. While Paychex has live check printing capabilities and offers check signing services, it doesn’t mail checks like HomeWork Solutions does. Extensive tax filing features: HomeWork Solutions handles new household employer account setup with the IRS and relevant state tax authorities. HomePay and NannyChex also offer the same service, while Paychex walks you through the process (SurePayroll doesn’t do this). Apart from completing all quarterly employment tax forms, filings, and remittances, HomeWork Solutions automatically files and pays employment taxes at all levels (federal, state, and local)—unlike HomePay, which does not handle local taxes. And for $225, HomeWork Solutions can calculate back taxes for the previous quarter—a service that none of the providers on our list offer. HR features: HomeWork Solutions ensures employer compliance with state-specific new hire reporting rules. Similar to Paychex, it can connect you with insurance partners to assist with workers’ compensation requirements. Both HomePay and SurePayroll also offer workers’ compensation insurance and other benefits, although with extra costs, while NannyChex does not provide this service. Dedicated account representative and unlimited support: Similar to Paychex, HomeWork Solutions has a dedicated payroll representative who can come to your aid whenever you need it. It also provides unlimited “concierge” support that you can reach either online, by email, or by phone from Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time. Read our HomeWork Solutions review HomePay: Best for Employers Needing Compliance & Customer Support by Care.com is the most expensive option on our list of best nanny payroll services. It manages the entire process, from setting up your employee in its system to processing payroll and managing taxes. It has a self-service portal for your employee and gives you lifetime access to pay stubs and other payroll records—none of the other nanny payroll services we reviewed do that (except Paychex). HomePay also offers a few HR services, like tracking PTO accruals and reimbursements. Its connection with Care.com enables you to access online tools to find and hire caregivers, nannies, and other household workers. You can also rely on it for unlimited support, plus it has a team of HR and payroll experts if you have questions about compliance and other household employee payroll issues. The solution scored 3.69 out of 5 in our evaluation, with ratings of 4 and up in HR features, ease of use, and our expert review. It would have gotten a higher score in payroll functionalities if it offered payroll tax services for all levels. With HomePay, only federal and state taxes are filed, and you need to pay for year-end tax preparation unlike SurePayroll, which doesn’t charge extra for this. It also scored the lowest in popularity because it doesn’t have user reviews on popular review sites like G2 and Capterra as of this writing. HomePay Features Hassle-free employee setup: HomePay will only require your nanny’s email address to set up an online profile in its system. The provider will even collect the household employee’s personal information, W-4 withholding elections, and bank account information for you. Aside from HomePay, only Paychex offers this level of onboarding support. Payroll processing: HomePay calculates and facilitates employee payments automatically through direct deposit or manual paycheck. If you want to monitor your household staff’s attendance, HomePay has a mobile time-tracker app. The other nanny payroll service providers we reviewed lack time tracker apps (except Paychex, but it costs extra), although SurePayroll can integrate with time clock software. Tax management: It will also calculate and withhold applicable taxes or payments that need to be made for each pay period. However, unlike the other nanny payroll services on our list, HomePay handles federal and state taxes only. HR features: Aside from new hire reporting, HomePay tracks PTO accruals and reimbursements. HomePay will also maintain general nanny information and payroll record-keeping for you. Online self-service portal: HomePay’s self-service portal allows your household staff to view their payroll records and pay stubs online. You are also granted lifetime access to payroll and tax records. Service accuracy guarantee and a “happiness” guarantee: Similar to the other providers in this guide, HomePay offers a service accuracy guarantee where it will handle any incurred tax penalties for mistakes its representatives make. On top of that, its “happiness” guarantee reimburses clients who are unsatisfied with HomePay’s quality of service within their first six months. None of the other providers on our list offer this. Access to Care.com’s network: HomePay’s connection with Care.com enables you to access its network of caregivers, tutors, nannies, and other household staff. It also provides online tools to help you find and hire household employees. Unlimited support: With HomePay, you can reach its customer support via phone, chat, or email on weekdays. Read our HomePay review NannyChex: Best for Nanny Payroll for Temporary Household Employees is a pay-as-you-go payroll and tax solution for household employees. Because it has no contract obligation and charges by paycheck rather than month or year, it’s a great choice for households that have a short-term nanny like a military family dealing with a deployment. It offers two plans, one with tax filing services only, but with some payroll prep assistance, and the other with full payroll and tax services. It earned 3.62 out of 5 in our evaluation. It received high marks (4 and up) in pricing, ease of use, and our expert review criteria. We gave it a near-perfect score (4.5 out of 5) in our expert evaluation section because its nanny payroll tools are sufficient for most families. It lost points due to its limited “Help” features and HR tools (such as access to online onboarding and benefits options), as well as the lack of user reviews on popular review sites like G2 and Capterra. NannyChex Features Flexible plans: Similar to HomeWork Solutions, NannyChex offers full-service and DIY payroll plans. With its tax-filing-only plan, you still get the payroll preparation tools included in its full-service option—but you write the checks while NannyChex handles the taxes. However, NannyChex doesn’t offer assistance in calculating back taxes as HomeWork Solutions does. Easy setup: NannyChex is easy to set up. Once you register, it takes care of securing your EIN and filing new hire reports. The other nanny payroll services in this guide will assist in the new household employer ID setup, except SurePayroll. Payroll processing: Payroll calculations include overtime and health insurance deductions. Similar to HomePay, it handles sick leave, vacation, and PTO tracking. With the full-service plan, it can pay your employee via direct deposit. However, it doesn’t pay by check like Paychex and HomeWork Solutions. Tax services: Tax services include calculating, filing, and paying quarterly and year-end federal, state, and local taxes (HomePay doesn’t handle local taxes). It also prepares W-2 and Schedule H forms for you. However, you have to pay for quarterly and year-end tax filing services. If you don’t want to pay extra, consider SurePayroll, as its monthly fees include payroll tax payments and filings. Read our NannyChex review Alternative Nanny Payroll Services Our goal is to share the best nanny payroll services, and certain criteria must be met to make our list. However, two products impressed us enough to be listed as the best alternatives: Poppins Payroll and NannyPay. Both are affordably priced, but the services are either limited to a handful of states or only offer payroll calculation tools. For $45 monthly, handles new employer registration, PTO and sick leave tracking, payroll and tax calculations, and tax filings for you. However, its services are limited to the following (as of this writing): Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, , is readily available to anyone, but it is software that allows you to run nanny payroll yourself. For an annual fee of $199.95, you can process payments for up to three household employees. While its system handles payroll and tax calculations with ease, NannyPay doesn’t offer tax filing services and new employer setup support. However, it’s a good option for those who prefer to handle pay and tax processing themselves. How We Chose the Best Nanny Payroll Service To find the best nanny payroll service, we compared 18 nanny payroll services against features we believe are most important for those hiring household employees. Aside from pricing, we looked at pay and tax processing functionalities specific to nanny payroll. We also considered ease of use and customer support since household employers don’t usually have much experience with processing payroll. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria. Nanny Payroll Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line As a domestic employer, you have responsibilities, which include paying payroll taxes and providing certain benefits. Failure to do so, even in ignorance, can cost you hundreds of dollars in penalties. The best nanny payroll service provides you with the information and tools you need to handle your household employee payroll correctly and keep yourself compliant with federal, state, and local laws. We found that offers all the features that household employers need to manage nanny payroll. It has the expertise of working with small businesses but has a special program specifically for nannies and other household employees. It provides payroll, tax filing and payment services, and benefits. Plus, it’s the cheapest of the nanny payroll services on our list. Sign up for a SurePayroll plan and get one month free.

Rippling and Paychex provide businesses with human resources (HR), tax, compliance, and payroll service support. They both help companies manage employees of all types, such as salaried, hourly, contract, remote, and foreign. However, Rippling has a wider suite of online solutions and makes it easy for you to mix and match the HR, payroll, and information technology (IT) services you need (customizing a-la-carte style). Paychex, on the other hand, focuses on offering a range of combined payroll and HR solutions. Here are our recommendations to help you determine whether Rippling vs Paychex is the ideal HR software for you: : Best for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that need a strong employee management and payroll system, especially those with remote and international workers : Best for businesses planning to scale significantly that need payroll services and HR support Rippling vs Paychex Compared The providers have many similar features such as employee onboarding and full-service payroll with tax payment and filing services. Rippling and Paychex also offer time tracking, paid time off (PTO) management, hiring, employee benefits, learning tools, and employee self-service solutions. Below are some of the standout features. *Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes payroll, time tracking, and access to Rippling’s core workforce management platform. **Some benefits plans cost extra or have participation fees. When to Use Rippling With workforce management as Rippling’s core platform, you can easily organize your employee information to ensure data accuracy across its wide range of solutions. It also comes with customizable workflows, enabling you to automate tasks and maintain efficient processes. Rippling also offers hiring, time tracking, employee benefits, learning management, and payroll modules, which are all available separately but fully integrate with its workflow management platform. You can get the platform and its payroll module first and then add other solutions as needed. It has basic IT tools to help you manage business apps and laptops that you assign to employees. Rippling will even assist you in ordering laptops for your new employees and installing business software, security profiles, and more before they get started. When to Use Paychex Paychex’s base product is Paychex Flex, which includes full-service payroll in all of its plans and integrates seamlessly with other Paychex products, such as time tracking. It has several entry points, so whether you’re a solopreneur or a 50- or 200-employee business, you have options that will fit your needs. Its diverse packages and 24/7 support also make it great for companies planning to grow over time. If you choose a premium plan or add features, you can get access to HR consulting, hiring and onboarding services, benefits, reporting, and compliance experts. When to Use an Alternative *Includes payroll add-on ($6 per employee monthly); requires at least five employees. Best in Pricing: Rippling *Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes payroll, time tracking, and access to Rippling’s core workforce management platform. Rippling is one of the few HR services that allow you to create a custom plan with the solutions you need—provided you get its core workforce management platform. This is great for businesses that want a mix of HR, IT, and payroll tools to streamline day-to-day processes. If you have business offices outside of the United States, Rippling can help you hire and pay international staff with its EOR and global payroll services. You only get international payroll with Paychex but through its partner, FMP Global. Plus, Rippling doesn’t charge setup fees as Paychex does. However, as with most HR software, the cost will increase as you add more features and advanced support options. You also have to pay extra to get support from HR experts, a service that Paychex offers in the higher tiers of its Paychex Flex plans, along with access to a dedicated payroll specialist. In our evaluation of Rippling vs Paychex for pricing, Paychex received a low score in this criterion (2.88 out of 5) because it charges setup fees and doesn’t offer unlimited pay runs. With Rippling, you don’t have to pay extra to set its system up and run multiple payrolls, including off-cycle payments, in a month. However, the Paychex Flex Essentials plan is still a good payroll system for small business owners, especially those with a handful of employees to pay on a monthly basis that only need basic HR payroll tools. To run payroll for nine workers, Paychex will only charge you $84 monthly (computed as nine employees X $5 plus $39), whereas Rippling costs $107 monthly (computed as nine employees X $8 plus $35). Although note that Rippling’s plan includes time tracking tools (based on the quote we received), which is a paid add-on with Paychex. Paychex is also optimal for solopreneurs given its Paychex Solo plan (Rippling doesn’t have this). This package comes with incorporation services, pay processing tools, expert payroll support, and a 401(k) plan for self-employed individuals who want secure retirement savings. What’s also great about Paychex is its flexible payroll plans, which is ideal for businesses with plans to scale. You can start from either its Paychex Solo or Paychex Flex Essential plan and then upgrade to higher packages or get additional Paychex products (like hiring, time tracking, and PEO services) as your HR needs grow. Rippling vs Paychex Pricing Calculator If you want to compare how much you would pay if you are considering Rippling vs Paychex, use our online calculator. Best for Payroll: Rippling While both providers offer full-service payroll and can handle payments for contractors, hourly workers, and salaried employees, Rippling’s payroll tax administration services are more budget-friendly. It doesn’t charge additional fees for year-end tax reporting (this costs extra with Paychex). It’s also great for businesses with employees working in different countries because its solid global payroll tools can help you pay them accurately and in their local currencies. It’s even one of our recommended international payroll services. With Paychex, you get similar tools but through its partner, FMP Global. If you want multiple payment options, Paychex can help you pay employees via same-day ACH, two-day direct deposits, manual checks, and pay cards. For employers who prefer to pay via manual checks, Paychex provides check logo and signing services if you need them. Rippling only offers checks that you print yourself and direct deposit payments. Best for HR Features: Paychex In our evaluation of Rippling vs Paychex for HR features and benefits, Paychex outscored Rippling, earning perfect marks in this criterion. Its advanced HR tools are slightly more robust, providing both learning and performance management solutions. Rippling doesn’t have online tools to track employee performance at work. Paychex’s financial wellness program is also one of the things that set it apart from Rippling. It grants you and your employees access to financial management tools and educational resources as well as short-term loans. Plus, you only need to upgrade to Paychex Flex’s higher tiers to get dedicated HR and payroll support, which is a paid add-on for Rippling. Rippling makes HR management easier with its automated features, such as applicant and document tracking, onboarding and training, and employee information management tools. Data flows seamlessly across its various HR and payroll solutions, even extending to IT provisioning and deprovisioning, allowing you to manage business apps and laptops assigned to employees with ease (Paychex doesn’t have IT tools). This is ideal for businesses with remote workers because Rippling can help you retrieve company laptops from resigning staff at the end of their last working day and remotely lock computer access for security. If you’re looking to outsource your day-to-day HR and payroll tasks, Rippling offers a PEO service that is more flexible than Paychex’s. For example, if you decide that you no longer need a PEO, Rippling allows you to directly turn this service off from your account and then start using its HR platform again. This flexible option is one of the reasons Rippling is included in our top PEO companies guide. With Paychex, you have to go through a service cancellation process before you can use its online solutions again. In terms of employee benefits, Rippling can help you compare and enroll in more than 4,000 benefits plans. It also offers Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) compliance, but this is a paid add-on. Best for Reporting: Tie In the battle between Rippling and Paychex for reporting, both earned perfect marks. The two providers offer standard payroll and HR reports, including customization options. However, if you want a more robust reporting tool, we recommend Rippling. It has filters and Excel-like formulas that you can add to reports. Getting employee-related information from Rippling and its network of partner apps is also possible, allowing you to extract the data you need without having to open third-party systems separately to run reports. Paychex may not have Rippling’s Excel-like formulas and robust reporting that even includes employee-related data from third-party partner apps, but it has the capability to compare your HR data against industry benchmarks. This enables you to use data-driven insights for building business cases to help improve HR services and processes. Best for Ease of Use & Customer Support: Paychex In comparing Rippling vs Paychex for ease of use and customer support, Paychex scored 3.5 out of 5 while Rippling only received 2.75 out of 5. Both providers have platforms that are intuitive, relatively easy to use, and come with setup wizards. However, Paychex’s 24/7 chat, phone, and email support and guided system setup (if you subscribe to its Paychex Flex Pro plan) boost its scores up a bit. These features also make it a better choice for small business users who need expert assistance in setting up Paychex Flex and navigating through its features. It didn’t get a higher rating in this criterion because its integration options aren’t as robust as Rippling’s 500-plus partner systems. It also lost points since its dedicated payroll support isn’t available across all plans. As of this writing, you have to subscribe to its higher tiers to enjoy this service. Rippling lacks the phone support and setup help that Paychex offers to its clients, which is why it scores lower. It does, however, provide you with a more extensive network of third-party software integrations (more than 500 versus Paychex’s 50-plus options). This makes Rippling an ideal HR software for tech-heavy companies, as it’s highly likely that the business systems they typically use are included in the provider’s robust partner network. Best for Popularity Among Users: Tie To evaluate Rippling vs Paychex user popularity, we looked at each provider’s average number of user reviews and the average overall ratings on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. Both received perfect marks in this category but, in terms of ratings from actual users, Rippling outscored Paychex (4.85 vs 4.15 out of 5). What Users Think: Rippling vs Paychex How We Evaluated Rippling vs Paychex We compared Rippling vs Paychex by using a five-star scale designed to assess HR payroll solutions and services for small businesses. We compared both providers’ features—from pay processing and tax filings to HR tools and employee benefits options. We also looked into other key criteria, such as ease of use, pricing, and customer support, including whether users have access to expert professionals who can provide HR and payroll advice. Click through the tabs below for a detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria: Bottom Line When selecting between Paychex vs Rippling, you’ll want to consider how much support you need and in which areas you require extra help. provides integrated HR and payroll solutions, app and device management tools, US-based PEO services, and global EOR support. These make it suitable for businesses needing robust employee management, pay processing, and IT features. Meanwhile, is optimal for growing businesses needing HR and payroll support, mainly because of its scalable plans and products that cater to different business sizes.

Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are affordable software options for small business owners. Both offer full-service payroll with unlimited pay runs and direct deposit payments, including payroll tax processing and filing. However, Gusto has contractor-only pricing, a wider selection of benefits options, and more human resources (HR) tools. QuickBooks Payroll, on the other hand, provides faster direct deposits, connects seamlessly with other Intuit QuickBooks products, and slightly better health insurance coverage (available in 48 states vs Gusto’s 39 states). Here’s where we particularly recommended Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll: : Best for small businesses needing to run payroll―for employees and/or contractors―plus access to some complementary HR tools and services : Best for small businesses already using other Intuit Quickbooks software and looking for fast direct deposits There are times when neither Gusto nor QuickBooks Payroll is best. We found a good alternative if you need a payroll solution with a wide range of HR tools. : Best for tech-heavy companies looking for an all-in-one HR platform with robust integrations, global payroll, and IT tools to manage apps and company-assigned computers Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll Compared Both providers offer full-service payroll in 50 states, unlimited pay runs, and automated taxes and forms, employee onboarding, time tracking, reporting, and self-service tools. Here are some key features and pricing information. When to Use Gusto & QuickBooks Payroll Best in Pricing: QuickBooks Payroll Both Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll offer affordably priced product plans that come with unlimited pay runs. At first look, Gusto’s lower base fees for its Simple plan may seem more affordable than QuickBooks Payroll’s Core plan. However, QuickBooks Payroll’s lower per-employee pricing makes it more cost-efficient than Gusto once you have more than five employees. Here’s a comparison of the two providers’ pricing for 10 employees for their starter plans: Gusto: $100 per month, calculated as ($6 per employee x 10 employees) + $40 QuickBooks Payroll: $95 per month, calculated as ($5 per employee x 10 employees) + $45 For $45 plus $5 per employee monthly with QuickBooks Payroll’s Core plan, you get full-service payroll, next-day direct deposit, federal and state tax payments and filings, and access to 401(k) plans and health benefits. You get similar features with Gusto’s Core plan for $40 plus $6 per employee. However, if you only employ contractors, Gusto offers a contractor-only plan costing $6 per month, per person. QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t have a special pricing scheme for contractors, so you have to pay the same rates as indicated in its three plans. Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll Pricing Calculator If you want to quickly compare costs, use our online calculator to compute the estimated monthly and annual fees for these two providers. Best for Payroll Features: Gusto When it comes to payroll processing, Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll have similar feature sets. Both offer automated payroll and tax processing, including year-end tax report preparation and online delivery of Form W-2s and 1099s. However, QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t have Gusto’s pay-on-demand option, which allows your employees early access to their earned wages whenever they want. Plus, it lacks the global contractor payroll services that Gusto offers (although this is a paid add-on). Also, with QuickBooks Payroll’s Core plan, you get payroll tax payments and filings only for state and federal taxes. For local taxes, you have to print the forms and file them with or upload them to the applicable local sites yourself. QuickBooks will only handle local tax payments and filings for you if you subscribe to either its Premium or Elite plans. When to Consider QuickBooks Payroll for Payroll If you require same-day direct deposits, then you may want to consider QuickBooks Payroll. Gusto provides two-day direct deposits for its Simple package and next-day processing for its higher tiers. Also, if your business is located in more than one state, Gusto offers its multistate payroll functionalities only for Plus and Premium plans—this is available in QuickBooks Payroll’s starter tier. Best for HR Features & Employee Benefits: Gusto With Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll, you get a self-service portal that employees can use to view their pay slips and employee benefits online. Both providers also offer access to expert professionals who you can contact to get HR, payroll, and compliance advice. However, we’ve found Gusto to have better HR functionality. Some of Gusto’s essential HR features include new hire state reporting, hiring, performance review management, and a wide range of employee benefits options, such as health insurance, commuter benefits, and flexible spending accounts. It even has workers’ compensation administration, a functionality that QuickBooks Payroll only offers in its higher tiers. Additionally, you get access to job postings, online offer letters, customizable onboarding tools, and employee surveys. QuickBooks Payroll, on the other hand, can only generate new hire state reports, and you have to file the actual reports yourself. Its benefits options are also limited to health insurance plans, and while it does offer workers’ compensation administration, it is available only for Premium and Elite subscribers. When to Consider QuickBooks Payroll for HR & Employee Benefits While Gusto’s benefits options are robust, you may end up not having access to health plans if your business is located in one of the 11 states that it doesn’t cover (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). This is unlike QuickBooks Payroll’s health plans, which are unavailable only in two states—Vermont and Hawaii—and the District of Columbia. Best for Ease of Use, Customer Support & Integrations: Gusto When it comes to ease of use, Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll have user-friendly and intuitive platforms. Both offer phone support, including access to HR advisers and how-to guides. However, for third-party software integrations, Gusto has a more robust selection. Meanwhile, QuickBooks Payroll primarily offers integration with Intuit products. If you use your existing accounting software, you’ll have to manually input data from your accounting software into QuickBooks Payroll. With Gusto, you can integrate with accounting, POS, business operations, and time tracking solutions. When to Consider QuickBooks Payroll QuickBooks Payroll is a great option if you’re a QuickBooks user or are considering using other Intuit products. The integration with QuickBooks solutions are seamless, making it easy for you to manage data across multiple Intuit products—from employee attendance (via QuickBooks Time) to pay processing (through QuickBooks Payroll) and general ledger updates (with QuickBooks Accounting). Best for Popularity Among Users: Gusto To compare Gusto vs Intuit QuickBooks Payroll 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, Gusto outscored QuickBooks Payroll with its average rating of 4.45 out of 5 versus the latter’s 4 out of 5 score. Gusto’s number of user reviews online is also higher—it has more than 2,100 average reviews versus QuickBooks Payroll’s nearly 400 reviews. What Users Think: Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll How We Evaluated Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll To compare Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll, we looked at both providers’ payroll solutions and HR services for small businesses. Apart from looking at employee pay and payroll tax processing functionalities, we checked whether HR tools and employee benefits are part of their offerings. Ease of use, pricing, and customer support are also key criteria, including whether users have access to expert professionals who can provide HR and payroll advice. Based on our evaluation, QuickBooks Payroll and Gusto are both easy to use and have similar customer support tools. However, Gusto offered more robust payroll, HR, and benefits features. Gusto also integrates with more third-party software while QuickBooks Payroll is more affordable for small businesses. Bottom Line To help you choose a payroll solution that’s best for your business—be it Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll—start by assessing how many employees you have and plan to have in the future, along with your need for HR support and software integrations. You should also determine if you want to offer benefits and, if so, consider if any are negotiable. If you’re already using QuickBooks’ accounting software, then QuickBooks Payroll may be a better option. The learning curve will be much lower than you’d get with other small business software, and you can provide your employees with health insurance benefits in any state. However, if you need more than just health insurance benefits to build a quality team or your business and employees are in an eligible state, consider Gusto. You'll get more onboarding and HR support plus more affordable plan options. You May Also Like… How to Set Up & Run Payroll With Gusto How to Do Payroll in QuickBooks Online in 7 Steps

Like any other organization, churches and ministries need to process their payroll and comply with IRS tax rules. Aside from managing pay processing and tax withholdings and filings at an affordable rate, the best church payroll services offer features such as church-specific tax law expertise that makes running payroll easier. We evaluated 14 providers to find the best church payroll services and narrowed it down to our top six. : Best overall church payroll service with solid hiring and HR tools : Best for QuickBooks users and churches wanting fast direct deposit options : Best for church administrators needing robust system permissions to delegate payroll and HR tasks : Best for small churches wanting budget-friendly payroll plans with full-service and do-it-yourself (DIY) tax filings options : Best for tech-savvy churches looking for customizable workflows to automate payroll, HR, and IT tasks : Best for ministries requiring a dedicated payroll specialist who only works with churches Top Church Payroll Services Compared All the church payroll software on our list offer full-service payroll, tax filing services, W-2 and 1099 tax forms at year-end, and unlimited pay runs (except MinistryWorks). Apart from pricing, here are some of each provider’s standout features. See fullscreen table × *Monthly fees are for SurePayroll’s full-service payroll plan with tax filing services **Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes payroll, time tracking, and access to Rippling’s core workforce management platform. Best Church Payroll Services Quiz Unsure which church payroll service to get? This quiz will help you decide. Gusto: Best Overall Church Payroll Service scored better than the other providers because it offers full-service payroll, tax compliance, and basic HR tools at a reasonable price. It also provides unlimited pay runs, automated taxes and forms, and state new hire reporting. Church employees are even granted access to a self-service portal to access and view pay information online. The provider supports church payroll needs by allowing you to set up tax exemptions for the church and its ministers. In addition, it integrates well with Aplos, a nonprofit fund accounting software that automatically tracks payroll and tax payments for nonprofits and churches. Overall, Gusto earned a score of 4.26 out of 5. It would have gotten higher scores had it not been for the limited coverage of its employee health benefits. Compared to providers like OnPay and SurePayroll, which have benefits available in all US states, Gusto’s health insurance options are limited to only 39 states as of this writing. It also doesn’t have a dedicated payroll specialist who can help double-check your pay runs, something MinistryWorks offers. However, many users still raved about its ease of use, intuitive interface, and efficient payroll tools. On the other hand, some said that while it generally provides good customer service, contacting its support team can be a bit difficult at times. Gusto Key Features Read Our Gusto Review QuickBooks Payroll: Best for QuickBooks Users & Churches Wanting Fast Direct Deposit Options is best for churches that handle their own bookkeeping using QuickBooks Online to seamlessly integrate their payroll information. Its church-specific features, like multiple pay types for housing allowances, also make it a good option. It offers unlimited payroll runs, and you can send direct deposits to your employees’ bank accounts within 24 hours. With its Premium and Elite plans, you can even send payroll funds on the same day. While QuickBooks Payroll earned an overall score of 4.03 out of 5 in our evaluation, its rating was pulled down by a lack of in-house church payroll and tax experts (which MinistryWorks has) and the need to upgrade to its higher tiers for local payroll tax filing services. And unlike Gusto and Rippling, it doesn’t integrate with a lot of third-party software—you need QuickBooks Accounting to access its integration options. Many users said it has a user-friendly platform that helps make pay processing easy. However, some users commented that while its customer representatives are helpful, the time it takes before they can chat or speak with someone is a bit long at times. QuickBooks Payroll Key Features Read Our QuickBooks Payroll Review OnPay: Best for Church Administrators Needing Robust System Permissions to Delegate Payroll & HR Tasks has six levels of system permissions, allowing you to run payroll however you want and delegate payroll and HR tasks. You can even select which solutions (such as online forms and PTO filings) your clergy and non-clergy employees have access to. Apart from full-service payroll, you get unlimited pay runs and access to health benefits across all US states (Gusto’s is limited to 39 states). It also helps ministries calculate correct payments for clergy staff by excluding federal unemployment taxes from church payroll computations. In our evaluation, OnPay earned an overall score of 3.75 out of 5, with high points (4 and up) in HR features, reporting capabilities, payroll functionalities, and pricing. It would have ranked higher on our list if its church-specific tools included integrations with third-party church accounting and church management software. While it offers access to HR advisers through its partner, Mineral HR, you have to pay extra for it ($20 monthly for contacting an HR expert). In terms of user feedback, those who left online reviews on third-party sites like G2 and Capterra highlighted its ease of use and responsive support team as its best features. Some, however, complained about its limited PTO customization and software integration options. OnPay Key Features Read Our OnPay Review SurePayroll: Best for Small Churches Wanting Budget-friendly Payroll Plans With DIY Tax Filings & Full-service Options What makes a good option for small ministries is its budget-friendly and flexible payroll options. This includes a full-service payroll package (costing $29.99 plus $5 per employee monthly) with access to employee benefits plans and automatic tax payments and filings. It also has a payroll plan that doesn’t include tax filing services (priced at $19.99 plus $4 per employee monthly)—ideal for those who prefer to save money remitting tax payments and submitting tax forms themselves. In our evaluation, SurePayroll earned an overall score of 3.73 out of 5. While it posted ratings of 4 and up in reporting capabilities, payroll tools, and pricing, it scored poorly in church-specific functionalities primarily because it doesn’t assign church payroll advisers who can offer expert advice (MinistryWorks provides this service). And although many users posted positive reviews online about its user-friendly system and efficient payroll tools, it posted low scores in our popularity criterion, given that its number of average reviews on G2 and Capterra is fewer than 500.   SurePayroll Key Features Read Our SurePayroll Review Rippling: Best for Tech-savvy Churches Wanting to Automate Payroll, HR & IT Tasks What makes a good option for churches is its all-in-one solution that not only streamlines HR and payroll processes but also automates basic IT tasks—from monitoring computer inventory to managing business software and assigning laptops to personnel. This allows you to focus more on running your ministry and less on handling day-to-day HR administrative processes. Rippling scored 3.64 out of 5 in our evaluation, with ratings of four and up in nearly all of our criteria. Users also appreciate its intuitive and feature-rich platform. However, it posted low scores in ease of use and church-specific features mainly because its live phone support from HR advisers is a paid add-on, and it lacks built-in special church payroll codes (although it can handle tax exemptions for clergy employee payments). It also doesn’t assign dedicated church payroll specialists to its clients like MinistryWorks does. Rippling Key Features Read Our Rippling Review MinistryWorks: Best for Ministries Needing a Dedicated Payroll Specialist Who Only Works With Churches is a church payroll software specializing in clergy and ministry tax law. It runs payroll, pays your employees via checks and direct deposits, and handles all federal, state, and local tax filings. In addition to Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting, it manages tax withholdings and deductions and even provides you with a dedicated payroll specialist. Overall, it earned a score of 3.54 out of 5 in our evaluation. MinistryWorks didn’t score as highly as Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll because it doesn’t offer unlimited pay runs, quick direct deposits, or a report builder for creating custom reports—all important features for churches running payroll. It also has limited integration options with third-party software, and the number of up-to-date user reviews available online is slim. However, users appreciate that its software is easy to use and its dedicated payroll specialists are responsive and helpful. MinistryWorks Key Features Read Our MinistryWorks Review How We Evaluated the Top Church Payroll Services We compared 14 payroll providers that offer church payroll software, looking for functionalities we believe are most important for churches and ministries. These features include payroll and tax management tools specific to church payroll, plus attributes that make the service easy to use. We also considered providers that offer flexible pricing options affordable for small businesses. Click through the tabs in the box below to view our full evaluation criteria. Bottom Line Churches and ministries have more complicated requirements than general small businesses and need access to clergy tax law and church payroll practice expertise. Depending on your budget, there are different church payroll services to choose from. Apart from affordability, the best church payroll software should have features that help ministries pay clergy and non-clergy employees efficiently and, at the same time, be tax compliant. We found that Gusto offers all of the features churches would need to facilitate their payroll and tax compliance needs. It’s easy to use and handles tax filings for you, and the price is reasonable when compared to other church payroll services. Sign up for a free trial today.

We evaluated some of the leading TriNet Zenefits competitors and selected the top five based on pricing, HR and payroll features, ease of use, popularity, and other criteria. Explore our guide to find the best TriNet Zenefits competitor for your business.