9 Best Payroll Software for Mac Users

• Simple plan: $40 per month plus $6 per employee monthly:
  • Includes full-service payroll, tax filings, payroll tax filings, single-state pay processing, two-day and four-day direct deposits, employee benefits, new hire reporting, offer letter templates, onboarding, and basic support
• Plus plan: $80 per month plus $12 per employee monthly:
  • Simple, plus next-day direct deposits, time and paid time off (PTO) tracking, applicant tracking, basic job postings, project tracking, multistate payroll, and full support with extended support hours
• Premium plan: Custom-priced:
  • Plus, along with performance reviews, surveys, full-service payroll migration, access to HR experts, direct line to priority phone and email support, and a dedicated account manager
• Contractor-only payroll plan: $35 plus $6 per contractor monthly:
  • Full-service payroll, four-day direct deposits, and state new hire reporting

Add-ons

• State payroll tax registration: Pricing varies per state
• HR advisory services for Plus plan only: $8 per employee monthly, which is included for free in the Premium tier
• International contractor payroll: Custom-priced; contact Gusto for quote

*NOTE: Get one month free when you run your first payroll. Offer will be applied to your Gusto invoice(s) while all applicable terms and conditions are met or fulfilled.

• Multiple direct deposit and pay options: Apart from pay card and pay-on-demand, Gusto offers four- and two-day direct deposits (and a next-day option in higher tiers). Employees can even receive their salaries via the Gusto Wallet app, which lets them set up a spending account with a debit card that works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. However, 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, health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation options. Note, however, its health benefits, life and disability, FSA, and HSA, are unavailable in 13 states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming). Consider any other Apple payroll software on our list for benefits coverage that includes all states in the United States.
• 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 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 options, such as accounting, expense management, performance, collaboration, time tracking, and POS systems. However, if you want a robust integration network, Rippling is a good choice, as it connects with more than 500 apps.

• Core plan: $50 base fee plus $6 per employee monthly:
  • Includes full-service payroll, next-day direct deposit, federal and state tax filings and payments, and access to 401(k) plans and benefits
• Premium plan: $85 base fee plus $9 per employee monthly:
  • Core + same-day direct deposit, federal, state, and local tax payments and filings, workers’ compensation administration, and HR support center
• Elite plan: $130 base fee plus $11 per employee monthly:
  • Premium plus multiple state tax filing, project tracking, personal HR advisor, tax penalty protection up to $25,000 per year, and expert setup
• Contractor payments package: $15 per month for up to 20 workers; plus $2 for each additional contractor

• Payroll processing: You 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 Patriot Payroll and SurePayroll’s self-service plans, 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 advisors 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.

With Paychex Flex, you can choose from three plans:

• Paychex Flex Essentials: $39 base fee plus $5 per employee monthly:
  • Includes full-service payroll, payroll tax administration with year-end tax reporting, new hire reporting, direct deposit option, self-service portals, onboarding, and access to financial wellness tools that include cash flow assistance
• Paychex Flex Select: Custom priced:
  • Essentials + learning management and integration with job posting websites and accounting software
• Paychex Flex Pro: Custom priced:
  • Select + dedicated payroll specialist, garnishment payment services, pre-employment screenings, custom analytics, state unemployment insurance (SUI) services, an employee handbook builder, and access to the “Paychex Pre-check” feature

For solopreneurs and the self-employed:

• Paychex Solo: Custom priced:
  • Includes payroll, self-employed 401(k), and incorporation services

NOTE: Paychex is offering 6 months of free payroll for new clients who sign up before 11/30/2023 and run their first payroll by 12/7/2023.

• 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 paycheck logo and signing services, although it doesn’t stuff checks into envelopes and delivers them to your office as ADP does.
• 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.

• Pay employee and contractors plan: $35 base fee plus $6 per employee monthly:
  • Unlimited pay runs, full-service payroll, automatic tax payments and filings, year-end tax reporting, time tracking (via Square POS or Team App), pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation plans, and new hire reporting
• Pay contractors only plan: $6 per person monthly
  • Includes everything in the above plan, except workers’ compensation and new hire reporting

• 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: Similar to Square Payroll’s “pay employees and contractors” plan, this package comes with unlimited pay runs, full-service payroll, and multiple payment options. It’s also more affordable than Gusto’s contractor plan—costing only $5 per contractor monthly (Gusto’s is priced at $35 plus $6 per contractor monthly). However, if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, QuickBooks can help you pay up to 20 contractors for only $15 monthly (plus a $2 fee for each additional worker).
• 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. However, you can pay employees the next day or even instantly if you have a Square Payments account.
• 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, Gusto’s college savings plans, and Paychex’s financial wellness tools.

OnPay offers one plan that costs $40 per month plus $6 per employee monthly. This includes access to all of its features, such as unlimited pay runs, multiple payment options, payroll tax management, onboarding and new hire reporting, PTO management, employee benefits, reporting tools, third-party integrations, and a self-service portal.

• Unlimited payroll runs: Like most of the providers in this guide (except ADP Run), this payroll program for Mac 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 and Rippling’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 it to offer dental, vision, disability, and retirement plans to employees. Unlike Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll health insurance plans (which are unavailable in 13 and three states, respectively, as of this writing), OnPay’s health plans cover 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.

The Rippling pricing page shows that it charges a starter fee of $8 per employee, per month. However, it is unclear which solution or module this is for. We contacted the provider for pricing information, and in the quote we received, Rippling costs $35 plus $8 per employee monthly. This includes access to full-service payroll, time tracking, employee onboarding and offboarding, software integrations, and its core workforce management platform.

Other Per-Module Costs

• App, device, and computer inventory management: $8 per employee monthly
  • Includes IT tools to manage business apps and computer provisioning and deprovisioning processes
• Benefits administration: Pricing varies, depending on your insurance broker
• HR help desk: Custom-priced
  • One-on-one email/phone support from HR experts

• 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 (except Gusto, but it only has basic business app management).
• Full-service payroll: You can pay both employees and contractors via paychecks and two-day direct deposits, although it lacks ADP Run’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.
• International payroll: If you have business locations outside of the US and need to pay your workforce, Rippling can handle international payments in more than 100 countries.
• 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.

• Self-service plan with DIY tax filings plan: $20 base fee plus $4 per employee monthly:
  • Includes unlimited pay runs, auto-payroll, two-day direct deposits, new hire reporting, and access to HR forms
• Full-service package: $39 base fee plus $7 per employee monthly:
  • Self-service plus tax payment and filing services

Add-ons

• Multistate tax filings: $9.99 monthly
• Ohio and Pennsylvania local tax filings: $9.99 monthly
• Time clock integration: $9.99 monthly
• stratustime integrated time clock: $5 plus $3 per employee monthly
• Accounting integration: $4.99 monthly

• Payroll processing: Aside from automatic and unlimited pay runs, SurePayroll by Paychex 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 by Paychex 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 by Paychex’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.
• Preemployment screening services: Make better hiring decisions with SurePayroll by Paychex’s screening services, which include background checks, behavioral assessments, skills testing, and drug screening. For your current employees, SurePayroll by Paychex can help provide professional growth guidelines and identify their strengths/development opportunities through its “personal development inventories” solution.
• 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.

• Essential plan: $49 base fee + $2.50 per employee, per weekly pay run*
  • Includes payroll processing, direct deposit, tax payment and filings, customizable reports, employee self-service portal, and new hire onboarding
• Enhanced plan: Custom-priced
  • Essential + state unemployment insurance management, ZipRecruiter job postings, and background checks
• Complete plan: Custom-priced
  • Enhanced + expert assistance
• HR Pro plan: Custom-priced
  • Complete + Enhanced HR help desk, which includes scheduled check-ins and one-off questions with ADP’s HR business advisers

*Pricing is based on a quote we received

• 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. None of the other Mac payroll software we reviewed offer paycheck stuffing services.
• 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 has 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 Paychex 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 lacks hiring capabilities.

• Basic plan: $17 base fee plus $4 per employee monthly:
  • Includes unlimited pay runs, time-off accruals, electronic W-2s, direct deposit payments, an employee self-service portal, and accounting software integration with QuickBooks
• Full service plan: $37 base fee plus $4 per employee monthly:
  • Basic plus tax payment and filing services

Add-ons

• Time tracking: $6 base fee plus $2 per employee
• HR software: $6 base fee plus $2 per employee:
  • Basic employee data management and HR reports
• Multistate tax filings: $12 monthly for each additional state
• 1099 e-filings (for Basic Payroll subscribers only): $20 for up to five 1099 e-filings; an additional $2 per 1099 is required for six to 35 filings (no additional charge for 36 or more)

• Solid payroll tools: Patriot Payroll can handle pay runs for both employees and contract workers. It supports multiple pay rates and has a list of standard hours, deductions, and money types, but you can add your own for other company-paid contributions and deductions.
• Easy bonus calculations: Its “Net to Gross Payroll” tool allows you to input bonus amounts you want to give to your staff, and Patriot will automatically gross it up for taxes. None of the other software in this guide offers this feature.
• Optional 1099 filings for Basic plan subscribers: If you don’t want to prepare paper forms for 1099 filings, you can use Patriot Payroll to generate electronic forms. Unlike SurePayroll, Patriot offers this as an optional service to its basic plan subscribers. The provider will even send 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC forms to the appropriate government agencies for you.