Best Payroll Software for Mac Users in 2022
Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.
Robie has more than five years of content writing experience and specializes in writing about payroll and human resources software for small businesses.
This article is part of a larger series on Payroll Services.
For Mac users, finding software that’s fully compatible with their operating system (OS) can sometimes be challenging. When it comes to payroll software, some solutions may even be off-limits. In this guide, we looked at about a dozen payroll software that work with Mac and then narrowed our list down to the eight best options.
- Gusto: Best overall payroll software for Mac
- QuickBooks Payroll: Best for small business QuickBooks users
- ADP Run: Best for growing companies needing flexible plans that scale with their business
- Square Payroll: Best for small restaurants and retailers already using or planning to use Square POS
- Rippling: Best for companies that rely heavily on technology and require global pay processing tools
- SurePayroll: Best for microbusinesses needing a simple payroll solution
- Paycor: Best for companies with complex pay processing requirements
- Aatrix: Best for budget-conscious employers who don’t need cloud-based software
Best Mac Payroll Software Compared
Company | Monthly Starter Pricing | Cloud-based Payroll Software | Unlimited Pay Runs | Standard Direct Deposit | Payroll Tax Filing Services | Employee Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $39 plus $6/ employee | ✔ | ✔ | 2- and 4-day | ✔ | Health insurance limited to 39 states |
 | $45 plus $4/ employee | ✔ | ✔ | Next-day | Local tax filings available in highest tier | ✔ |
 | Custom-priced | ✔ | ✕ | 2-day | Year-end reporting costs extra | ✔ |
 | $35 plus $5/ employee | ✔ | ✔ | 4-day; instantly with Square Payments | ✔ | ✔ |
 | $18/ employee (includes payroll add-on)* | ✔ | ✔ | 2-day | ✔ | Benefits modules cost extra |
 | $29.99 plus $5/ employee (full service payroll)* | ✔ | ✔ | 2-day (full service payroll) | ✔ | ✔ |
 | $99 plus $5/ employee | ✔ | ✕ | 2-day | ✔ | ✔ |
 | Free if you subscribe to its tax table service ($259.95 per year) | ✕ | ✔ | Based on your bank’s processing timelines | Costs extra | ✕ |
*Pricing is based on a quote we received
Gusto: Best Overall Payroll Software for Mac Users
Gusto
Overall Score: 4.54
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Affordable plans with an inexpensive contractor-only payroll tier
- Multiple payment options, including payroll card and on-demand pay
- Unlimited pay runs with payroll tax filings and year-end reporting
What's Missing
- Not ideal for businesses planning to scale to enterprise level
- Health insurance coverage limited to 39 states
- Next-day direct deposits, employee onboarding, and time tracking available only in higher tiers
Gusto Pricing
- Core: $39 per month + $6 per employee monthly
- Complete: $39 per month + $12 per employee monthly
- Concierge: $149 per month + $12 per employee monthly
- Contractor-only plan: $6 per contractor monthly
Gusto is a cloud-based payroll software that works well for both Mac and Windows computers. Given its affordability 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 4.54 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 in 39 states as of this writing).
Gusto’s affordability and solid payroll tools are just some of the reasons it ranks well in our buyer’s guides. It’s our top choice for small business payroll software. We also recommend it to those looking for the best HR payroll software and contractor payroll services.
Gusto Pricing
- Software fees: Gusto offers a Core plan ($39 plus $6 per employee monthly) that comes with unlimited pay runs, wage garnishments, benefits administration, automated payroll taxes, paid time off (PTO) tracking, and new hire reporting. It also has a Complete tier ($39 plus $12 per employee monthly) and a Concierge option ($149 plus $12 per employee monthly) that include additional features like time tracking, next-day direct deposits, and access to certified HR experts.
- Contractor-only plan: If you have only contractors in your workforce, Gusto lets you process payroll for them for $6 per person, per month.
- Add-on costs: Gusto doesn’t charge administration fees for its health insurance and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation plans, but you have to pay the applicable premium costs. You also have to pay participation fees for the following:
- Retirement plans: Starts at $49 monthly, plus $8 per participating employee
- Commuter benefits: $4 per participant, per month (with a $20 monthly minimum)
- 529 college savings: $6 per participant, per month (with an $18 monthly minimum)
- Health savings account (HSA): $2.50 per participant, per month
- Flexible spending account (FSA): $4 per participant, per month (with a $20 monthly minimum)
Gusto 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 not available 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 providers in this list, except Aatrix (it doesn’t offer employee benefits).
- 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. Aatrix doesn’t have this capability, while ADP Run, Paycor, and Rippling offer this as a paid add-on. With Square Payroll, you need to use its Square Team App (for iOS/Android devices) to capture employee clock-ins/outs and import it 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 400 apps.
QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Small Business QuickBooks Users
QuickBooks Payroll
Overall Score: 4.19
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Fast direct deposits; comes with next- and same-day options
- Unlimited pay runs with payroll tax filings (federal and state)
- Seamless integration with QuickBooks accounting
- Has a tax penalty protection program that covers both the provider and its clients’ tax errors
What's Missing
- Local tax filings available only in the highest tier
- Workers’ compensation and time tracking aren’t included in the basic plan; requires upgrading to at least its Premium plan
QuickBooks Payroll Pricing
- Core: $45 per month + $4 per employee monthly
- Premium: $75 per month + $8 per employee monthly
- Elite: $125 per month + $10 per employee monthly
QuickBooks Payroll 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 4.19 out of 5 stars, 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.
Not only is QuickBooks Payroll one of our best payroll software for Mac users, it’s our top-recommended payroll solution for accountants and payroll app for small businesses.
QuickBooks Payroll Pricing
- Software fees: QuickBooks has three plans that all include full-service payroll with next-day direct deposits, automated taxes and forms, and access to health benefits and retirement plans. Its Core option costs $45 plus $4 per employee monthly, while its Premium and Elite packages are priced at $75 plus $8 per employee and $125 plus $10 per employee monthly, respectively. Note that its higher tiers come with additional features like same-day direct deposits, workers’ compensation administration, time tracking, and more.
- Add-on costs: Payroll tax filing in more than one state costs $12 per month for each additional state (for Core and Premium subscribers only since the Elite plan covers multistate tax filing). If you haven’t signed up for a QuickBooks Accounting plan, adding this solution to your payroll subscription costs anywhere from $25 to $80 per month.
QuickBooks Payroll 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 Aatrix, which charges extra) 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.
Read Full QuickBooks Payroll Review
ADP Run: Best for Companies Needing Flexible Plans That Scale With Their Business
ADP Run
Overall Score: 3.66
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Feature-rich platform with a wide range of HR tools
- Offers direct deposits and secure paychecks with advanced fraud protection
- Advanced HR support available
What's Missing
- Pricing isn’t transparent
- Benefits, time tracking, and workers' compensation are add-on products
- Year-end reporting costs extra
- Lacks unlimited pay runs
ADP Run Pricing
- Essential: Custom-priced
- Enhanced: Custom-priced
- Complete: Custom-priced
- HR Pro: Custom-priced
ADP Run 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 3.66 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 Pricing
- Software fees: ADP offers four small business payroll plans (for companies with up to 49 employees) and four midsize to enterprise payroll tiers (for businesses with 50 and more employees). However, pricing details aren’t available on its website—you have to call ADP to request a quote.
- Add-on costs: The preparation, delivery, and filing of W-2s/1099s cost extra. Other paid add-ons include time and attendance monitoring, workers’ compensation, retirement plans, and health insurance options.
ADP Run 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. None of the providers we reviewed offer this type of 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.
- 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 the other providers on our list don’t have 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 Success Factors, 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 400 systems.
Square Payroll: Best for Small Retailers & Restaurants Using Square POS
Square Payroll
Overall Score: 3.59
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Flat pricing with an affordable contractor plan
- Seamless integration with Square POS
- Offers fast direct deposits, including an instant payment option
- Unlimited pay runs
What's Missing
- Next-day direct deposits and instant payments require a Square Payments account
- Standard direct deposit has a four-day turnaround time
- Phone support requires a customer code
Square Payroll Pricing
- Pay employee and contractors: $35 per month + $5 per employee monthly
- Pay contractors only: $5 per person monthly
Square Payroll 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 3.59 out of 5, Square Payroll earned 4 and above ratings in reporting, payroll features, and pricing. 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 Pricing
- Software fees: Unlike many of the providers in this guide that offer multiple pricing tiers, Square Payroll only offers two options. One is a package for paying both employees and contractors that costs $35 plus $5 per employee monthly. The other is a contractor-only option that’s priced at $5 per contractor.
Square Payroll 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 both 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 and 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 and Aatrix).
- 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.
Read Full Square Payroll Review
Rippling: Best for Businesses That Rely Heavily on Technology & Require Global Payroll Tools
Rippling
Overall Score: 3.44
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Handles both local and international payroll; comes with unlimited pay runs
- Offers integrated modular solutions; you can choose modules that you need and want
- Offers IT management of employee apps and devices
- More than 400 integrations options
What's Missing
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Its employee management platform is a must-purchase; you can’t buy its other solutions as a standalone product
- HR help desk option with phone and email support costs extra
Rippling Pricing*
- Employee management platform: $10 per employee monthly
- Full-service payroll: $8 per employee monthly
- Employee benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- Flex HSA/FSA and commuter benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- HR help desk: $100 per month
- App management: $8 per employee monthly
- Device management: $8 per employee monthly
*Pricing is based on a quote we received
Rippling’s base program is an employee 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 400 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 3.44 out of 5 in our evaluation. Rippling scored the highest (4 and above) in reporting, 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. And while a majority of online Rippling reviews are positive in which many users raved about its intuitive interface, payroll analytics, and ease of managing benefits, it didn’t get a high rating in popularity since its average number of user reviews on G2 and Capterra is below 500.
Rippling Pricing
- Software fees: Rippling’s pricing page only shows that its monthly fees start at $8 per employee. We contacted the provider to ask for clarification about its solutions and prices. Based on the quote we received, here are Rippling’s pricing for some of its HR, payroll, and IT modules:
- Core employee management platform (required module): $10 per employee monthly
- Full-service payroll: $8 per employee monthly
- Employee benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- Flex HSA/FSA and commuter benefits: $6 per employee monthly
- HR help desk: $100 per month
- App management: $8 per employee monthly
- Device management: $8 per employee monthly
Rippling 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. It also 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’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. Rippling 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 Rippling 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 400 integration options that include TSheets, Homebase, When I Work, GoodHire, Checkr, SurveyMonkey, Greenhouse, Guru, QuickBooks Online, Xero, Slack, Asana, DocuSign, and Adobe Sign.
SurePayroll: Best for Small & Microbusinesses Needing a Simple Solution
SurePayroll
Overall Score: 3.38
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Unlimited and automatic pay runs
- Affordably priced
- Offers a full-service plan and a basic option with do-it-yourself (DIY) tax filings
What's Missing
- Charges add-on fees for multiple state and Ohio/Pennsylvania local tax filings
- Software integrations cost extra; with limited options
- Lacks online onboarding
- Pricing isn’t transparent (you have to provide your email address to get the quote)
SurePayroll Pricing*
- Self-service plan with DIY tax filings: $19.99 monthly + $4 per employee
- Full-service package: $29.99 monthly + $5 per employee
*Pricing is based on a quote we received
SurePayroll 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 like small and microbusinesses, including household employers that want 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 3.38 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 Pricing
- Self-service plan: This option, which costs $19.99 monthly plus $4 per employee, includes unlimited payroll runs, payroll tax calculations, four-day direct deposits, and online pay stubs. However, you have to handle tax filings yourself.
- Full-service package: Priced at $29.99 monthly plus $5 per employee, this package has all the features of SurePayroll’s self-service option but with two-day direct deposits and automatic payroll tax payments and filings.
- Add-on costs: SurePayroll services that require additional fees include multistate filing ($9.99 per month), accounting software integration ($4.00 per payroll), timeclock software integration ($9.99 per month), Ohio and/or Pennsylvania local service tax filing ($9.99 per month), and upgrade to two-day direct deposits ($7.99 per month) for self-service subscribers.
SurePayroll 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.
Paycor: Best for Businesses With Complex Pay Processing Needs
Paycor
Overall Score: 3.18
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Offers a suite of integrated HR solutions (such as recruiting, onboarding, benefits, and performance reviews)
- Fully customizable pay grid and pay slip
- Robust pay processing tools
What's Missing
- Expensive
- Recruiting, benefits, time tracking, and scheduling solutions are paid add-ons
- Lacks unlimited pay runs
- Setup fees required for higher plans
Paycor Pricing
Small Business plans (those with up to 49 employees)
- Basic: $99 per month + $5 per employee monthly
- Essential: $149 per month + $6 per employee monthly + $59 one-time setup fee
- Complete: $199 per month + $7 per employee monthly + $99 one-time setup fee
- HCM: $199 per month + $12 per employee monthly + $199 one-time setup fee
Mid-market plans (businesses with 50 and more employees): Custom-priced
Paycor 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 3.18 out of 5. It scored the highest in payroll features, HR tools, ease of use, and reporting. It lost points in pricing because it doesn’t offer unlimited pay runs and you have to shell out at least $99 plus $5 per employee monthly with Paycor. 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 popularity among users, its average number of reviews (on G2 and Capterra) is lower than Gusto and ADP (less than 500 reviews). However, many users still gave Paycor positive ratings on third-party sites, wherein they commented that its wide range of payroll and HR tools are efficient and generally easy to use.
Paycor Pricing
- Software fees: Paycor has four Small Business payroll packages (for up to 49 employees) with monthly fees that start at $99 plus $5 per employee. It also offers a custom-priced mid-market option (50 up to more than 1,000 employees) that includes advanced HR tools like employee scheduling, career management, and analytics with benchmarking.
- Small Business payroll package add-ons: You have to pay extra if you want recruitment, time and attendance, scheduling, benefits administration, and other HR tools.
Paycor 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 in 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 400 apps.
Aatrix: Best for Budget-Conscious Employers That Don’t Need a Cloud-based Payroll Solution
Aatrix
Overall Score: 3.13
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Integrates with QuickBooks
- Its payroll tool comes at no cost if you get an annual tax table subscription
- Access to a free time tracking program
What's Missing
- Not cloud-based
- Electronic tax filings cost extra
- Lacks employee benefits options, online onboarding, and HR tools
Aatrix Pricing
- Top Pay and Ultimate Payroll solutions for Mac: Free to download, provided you subscribe to its tax table service ($259.95 per year)
- Electronic tax filings for W-2 employees: 99 cents to $1.99 per employee (requires a $24.95 minimum for all W-2 filings)
- Electronic tax filings for 1099 staff: 49 cents to $1.99 per contractor (requires a $24.95 minimum for all 1099 filings)
Unlike Gusto and most of the software mentioned in this guide, Aatrix doesn’t offer a cloud-based solution. Instead, it provides downloadable software with a paid subscription to its tax-table service ($259.95 per year). This makes it a good choice for those looking for a budget-friendly payroll solution because you don’t have to pay monthly software fees. Although, you have to pay for electronic tax filings and payroll reports.
Aatrix earned an overall score of 3.13 out of 5 in our evaluation. It was rated favorably for pricing, ease of use, and reporting capabilities. The lack of HR features (like onboarding and self-service tools), limited payment and integration options, and its paid payroll tax filing services prevented it from ranking higher on our list. Aatrix also doesn’t have a lot of user reviews, but those who left online feedback said that it is easy to set up and use.
Aatrix Pricing
Aatrix offers two programs, Top Pay and Ultimate Payroll. Each comes with direct deposit and check options, PTO tracking, payroll runs for unlimited number of employees, and free access to Aatrix’s “TimeCard” software for capturing employee time-ins/outs. The Ultimate Payroll option also comes with additional features like small business forms (employee- and payroll-related) and a sample employee handbook. Both programs are free to use if you get Aatrix’s tax table service, which costs $259.95 per year.
- Subscription fees: For $259.95 per year, you get Aatrix’s tax table service and the option to download for free either its Top Pay and Ultimate Payroll solution for Mac.
- Add-on costs: Aatrix’s eFiling services for W-2s, 1099s, and ACA 1095s cost anywhere from 49 cents to $1.99 per employee, per filing (each requires a minimum spend of $24.95). Meanwhile, access to Aatrix’s “Print and Mail Payroll Reports” tool is priced at $79.95 per year. This includes over 300 state, federal unemployment, withholding, and new hire reports.
Aatrix Features
- Payroll processing: It can handle pay runs for unlimited employees and departments, including contractors. Aatrix also automatically calculates all deductions and liability payments. You can pay employees via direct deposits but the turnaround time depends on your bank’s processing timelines.
- Time tracking: Aside from PTO tracking, you are granted free access to its “TimeCard” solution that allows your employees to clock-in/out from a Mac computer. The system captures all employee time data and automatically totals the actual hours worked for pay processing. Note that ADP Run, Paycor, SurePayroll, and Rippling charges extra for this, while Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll only offer time tracking tools in higher tiers.
- Automatic tax table updater: Having an up-to-date tax table is critical for payroll processing as it helps reduce the risk of incorrect tax deductions and costly penalties. With Aatrix, you don’t need to manually keep track of changes to the payroll tax rates changes and forms—the system provides you with the latest information. You only have to pay annually for its tax table service, plus the fee isn’t as high as similar payroll solutions.
- Small business forms: If you get Aatrix’s Ultimate Payroll, you are granted access to a comprehensive library of online payroll and employee management-related documents. You also get a free sample employee handbook that you can use as a reference to create your own.
- “Print and Mail Payroll Reports” solution: This tool is designed to eliminate the need for manually creating state and federal payroll reports. It automatically completes more than 300 state, federal unemployment, withholding, and new hire reports using payroll data from Aatrix’s Top Pay and Ultimate Payroll solutions. These reports can be printed and mailed to the applicable agencies or electronically filed through Aatrix’s eFile Center.
- QuickBooks integration: After you have completed your pay run and paid employees either through direct deposits or manual checks, you can post your payroll to QuickBooks accounting with just one click. Note, however, that this feature is available only with Aatrix Top Pay.
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.
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Automatic payroll runs, payroll tax processing (federal, state, and local), year-end tax report preparation and filing, and direct deposit processing time of two days or less are just some of the essential functionalities that we looked at. We also checked whether or not the provider offered a penalty-free guarantee—in case they make a mistake when processing the client’s payroll. Gusto scored the highest in this criterion given its full-service payroll capabilities that include payroll tax filings (federal, state, and local taxes) and multiple pay options—from manual checks and direct deposits to a pay on-demand feature.
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We checked reviews that actual users left on third-party sites like G2 and Capterra. The software providers that have more than 1,000 online reviews with average user ratings of four and up are Gusto and ADP Run.
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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. Several software companies even offer stand-alone programs. All of these options have the basic 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 $39 plus $6 per employee monthly, plus a contractor-only option that costs $6 per person monthly. This makes Gusto an ideal option for small businesses that want quality services at affordable rates.
Sign up for a Gusto plan today and see how its online tools can help streamline your payroll processes.
