Human Resources

Every business relies on good written communication, from the marketing copy that attracts a customer to the instructions for putting together a product. For many small businesses, hiring a freelance writer makes the most sense. It can save you time and money while ensuring a higher-quality product. This article will discuss not only how to hire a freelance writer—finding and selecting the right one for your business—but also what freelance writers do, how much to pay them, and the benefits of hiring freelance writers. Finding Freelance Writer Candidates Finding a freelance writer is not that different from finding any freelance worker. Here are the most common ways. Selecting the Right Freelance Writer When you have your candidates, you’re ready for the contracting process. It’s not unlike hiring a regular employee, but remember that the emphasis is on their skill and ability to meet a deadline as well as professionalism when contacting others in the process of completing the work. Take the following actions to help you select the best freelance writer for your needs. Contact References Unless you are hiring for regular work, references may come in the form of published articles rather than contacts. However, with contacts, give priority to editors or those who hired the candidate for similar work. What a Freelance Writer Can Do Freelance writers are usually excellent communicators with strong interests in specific fields or styles of writing. Some have practical experience in a technical field. Others are generalists who are good at research and adapting to the style needed by the format and the company. Here are a few of the most common types of content freelancers write, but if it involves words, you can find a writer to do it. How Much to Pay a Freelance Writer Many factors go into determining rates for freelance writers, with a variety of sources pegging the average hourly pay at about $25–$35. For example, skilled freelancers, which would include freelance writers, earn an average of $28 an hour, according to the career site Zippa, while Indeed puts the average at around $21 per hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2021 median pay is $33.42 for full-time writers at a company. If you need a writer with specialized experience, unique knowledge, or many years of freelance writing experience, expect to pay well above these averages. Freelance writers, however, do not always work by the hour. More often, you may pay by the project, article, or word. There is no set price per word, although a fair rate is generally considered to be 20 cents per word. The more technical or involved the project, the higher the per-word price. A dollar a word is considered fair wages for very experienced writers. New writers are often willing to work for as little as 3 cents a word, but these are amateur wages, and will often result in content that needs extensive editing. Other items that go into consideration when negotiating price include: Experience Research Regular work vs one-time assignment Rights (covered below) Topic Types of Rights Rights are important to writers, particularly to freelancers, who may want to use the same material more than once. You can use rights as a negotiation tool. Regardless, your contracts should clearly state the rights the author grants in return for their pay. There are other rights, like the rights to purchase reprints, publish in anthologies, and more. But these two are the most important. Why Hire Freelance Writers Freelance writers can work by project, for the long term, or be held in reserve for specific needs. They offer many advantages over a full-time writing employee or handing writing assignments to existing employees. Infrequent needs: Hiring a freelance writer for occasional projects can be cheaper than hiring a part-time employee and may result in a higher-quality product than simply assigning it to someone in the office. You may pay more per hour or piece, but you’re only paying them when you need content created, not all the time like with a regular employee. Don’t worry about having to provide full-time work for a writer—freelance writers generally work with multiple clients, and many believe having a diverse portfolio of clients results in better job security (and more interesting work). Save on taxes: Freelancers are contract workers, meaning you don’t need to worry about taxes, benefits, or Social Security. Not enough work for an employee; too much time to DIY: When you hire a freelancer, you set the assignment, standards, and deadlines, and let them do the work. However, you should provide time for questions and provide in-house materials if needed. You don’t have the skills to do it yourself: Freelance writers have skills and experience with the written word as well as a natural disposition for grammar and storytelling. Easy to hire remote workers: Freelance writing is a no-brainer for remote work. Usually, all they need is a computer and the internet. Bottom Line Partnering with a freelance writer, whether by project or for regular assignments, is a cost-effective way to make sure you get high-quality content. Freelance writers are a different kind of worker, and your contracting process should take that into consideration. Think about experience over education, look at samples over references, and be sure you have a contract that specifies rights and deadlines as well as projects and pay rates. There are many ways to seek out freelance writers. For job boards, we recommend . It’s suited for gig-based recruiting, but is also a good place to find a great freelancer to be a regular part of your team. Go to Upwork and load your request today. You May Also Like… How To Hire Employees Types of Employees: A Guide to Worker Classification

QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Run both offer easy-to-use payroll services and include tax filing and workers’ compensation management. When comparing QuickBooks Payroll vs ADP Run, the primary difference is in human resources (HR) features. QuickBooks Payroll concentrates on payroll processing with unlimited pay runs but has limited HR functionality and integrates only with Intuit products. Meanwhile, ADP Run is more expensive but has more flexible plans, pay cards, expanded HR functions, and more than 50 software integrations. To help you choose the best one for you, we recommend the following: : Best for QuickBooks users and small businesses on a budget : Best for growing businesses needing a robust variety of payroll and HR options QuickBooks Payroll vs ADP Run Quick Comparison *Pricing from a third-party source; you need to contact the provider for a quote. **Additional fees may apply. Takeaway: QuickBooks and ADP Run are both popular and well-regarded payroll systems. ADP is pricier but more flexible, offering HR and more personalized assistance, making it a good choice for businesses needing more than payroll software. QuickBooks, on the other hand, is easy-to-use but has limited integrations and HR features, making it ideal if you need just payroll. Are you unsure what provider is right for you? Answer this three-question quiz and find one that best fits your business’ needs. QuickBooks Payroll: Better for Businesses on a Budget & QuickBooks Users QuickBooks Payroll is a better choice if you: Do several pay runs per month or have multiple pay runs per pay period Want to eliminate the time between inputting pay runs and employees getting paid Need QuickBooks integration Need only basic payroll software without the extras Businesses that do more frequent pay runs, different pay runs for different types of employees, and sporadic payroll processing will find QuickBooks more cost-effective because, unlike ADP, it doesn’t charge extra for more payroll runs. Also, payroll is limited to the US and Canada. ADP Run: Better for Growing Businesses That Need HR & Payroll ADP Run is a better choice than QuickBooks Payroll if you: Prefer to use a Mac Have complex HR needs or want easy access to an HR adviser Need to run payroll in other countries Want a customizable plan Require an employee app ADP Run can help businesses with more complex employee situations and regulatory requirements. Because it can scale easily, it’s also good for growing businesses. If you have an international business, ADP Run is the better choice. Finally, the mobile app and employee portal make it the better choice for businesses where employees are on the move―QuickBooks Payroll has a great payroll app but not an employee self-service app. Best for Inexpensive & Fast Pay Runs: QuickBooks Payroll QuickBooks beats ADP Run in pricing and speed for pay runs. With a monthly plan that allows unlimited pay runs, you can handle hourly and salaried employees separately, do out-of-cycle reimbursements, and pay several departments or stores on different schedules. Payments can also be deposited into your employees’ accounts the same day with some plans. In contrast, ADP Run has a two-day lead time. Best for Employee Access: ADP Run ADP Run is the winner hands-down when it comes to employee access. It offers the following features: An employee portal: Employees can access pay information and W-2 statements, view and request paid time off (PTO), track time and attendance, punch in/out, view pay card accounts, see benefits information, do performance evaluations, and even contact co-workers. Features may vary according to the plan you have. Note that QuickBooks Payroll also offers a workforce portal, but it only allows employees to access paycheck information, W-2s, withholdings, and PTO balances. A mobile app: The ADP Run app works for managers and employees. It has 4.5 out of 5 stars for Android and 4.7 out of 5 stars in the App Store—excellent ratings for this kind of application. What’s more, it offers nearly all the functions in the employee portal. Best for Flexibility: ADP Run QuickBooks Payroll integrates only with other Intuit products, such as QuickBooks for accounting and QuickBooks Time. ADP Run integrates with these and dozens of other popular software, including the following: Accounting: Wave and Xero POS: Clover, Revel, and Toast Productivity: Slack, Duufree, and Microsoft Teams Benefits: LifeMart, PayActive, and SmartDollar Benefits Administration: BerniePortal, Employee Navigator, Flock, and PlanSource Learning: Cornerstone, Grovo, Litmos, and Mastery Training Services Recruiting and onboarding: ZipRecruiter, TempWorks, and Avointe Time and attendance: Deputy and Homebase ERP: FinancialForce, SAP SuccessFactors, and Oracle Additionally, ADP Run can pay workers using pay cards, something QuickBooks Payroll does not offer. ADP Run’s plans also contain more HR features, including legal support, work-life employee assistance programs, and recruiting. It also offers different programs according to business size, from one to 49 employees to more than 1,000—as well as a self-serve option for one to 10 employees. It has more flexibility in pricing as well. Best for Basic Payroll Functions: ADP Run Both ADP Run and QuickBooks Payroll provide easy-to-use interfaces and the most important payroll functions. Here, we compare their most popular plans. ADP Run has an edge due to its additional features, such as new hire reporting and paycheck delivery. ADP Run vs QuickBooks Payroll: What Users Think QuickBooks Payroll: It has 3.6 out of 5 stars on G2 and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Capterra. Users praised its ease of use, and many compared it to ADP Run, saying that for payroll, it was as good but far less expensive. Complaints included the need for a better mobile app and some customer service issues. ADP Run: G2 has this platform at 4 out of 5 stars, while Capterra has it at 4.5 out of 5 stars. Managers said the interface made running payroll easy, while employees said the interface was great for accessing their information. Nonetheless, the most common complaint was difficulty finding particular information, which varied by user, but implies that the system can be complex when you dig in. Bottom Line Both and can help you get your employees paid correctly and on time. They offer direct deposit and checks, file your payroll taxes, and can process salary, hourly, tip, and contractor payments. With either, you can stay compliant with payroll regulations. When it comes to the power of software and service, ADP Run is the clear winner in this comparison. However, with greater power comes higher pricing and more complexity. For businesses needing HR, it could be less expensive than purchasing two separate programs and making them work together. So, if you are a growing business or need HR functionality in addition to payroll, ADP Run may be the best choice. Sign up today to get three months free.

The best free applicant tracking systems (ATS) simplify job postings, filter incoming resumes and applications, and improve candidate-employer communication. A good ATS can store resumes for future reference, screens applicants, and organize and manage referral programs to boost recruitment efforts. In this guide, we evaluated 11 free applicant tracking systems and narrowed it down to our top six recommendations: : Best overall for companies with 50 or fewer employees : Best for small businesses in industries vulnerable to discriminatory hiring processes : Best for restaurants and retailers requiring applicant tracking, scheduling, and attendance management solutions : Best for companies that want unlimited job postings over advanced ATS tools to support hiring increase : Best for recruiters and companies that need multichannel job posting and referral programs : Best for fast-growing firms with professional recruiters planning to upgrade talent acquisition features Free Applicant Tracking Systems Compared *Freshteam’s paid plans include a monthly platform fee of $71 to $203, depending on the plan. In addition to the features highlighted above, all our best applicant tracking systems offer: Job posting Customizable career page branding Applicant tracking and screening Applicant assessment Interview scheduling Mobile access Freshteam: Best Overall Free ATS for Small Businesses is a cloud-based HR software best for businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Its feature-rich free tier lets you publish up to three job postings per month and manage a basic career site. It also allows you to establish a strong candidate pool, collaborate with your hiring team, receive job applications via email and referrals, and track successful candidates using Kanban boards anywhere through Freshteam’s mobile app—all for free. In our evaluation, Freshteam got an overall rating of 4.56 out of 5 because it has robust applicant tracking and reporting features and is popular among users. It got a low score on pricing since its paid tiers are quite expensive compared with other providers on our list. Online reviews are mostly positive, though some users said that the initial implementation should not have been overwhelming. More than 7,000 customers worldwide use Freshteam. MightyRecruiter: Best for Small Businesses in Industries Vulnerable to Discriminatory Hiring Practices is a free end-to-end ATS that can post to 29 job boards and social networks with just one click. It enables you to manage candidates and keep you compliant with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) via its reporting features. You can create screening questions for candidates, review and rank them, and communicate with them using customizable email templates—all in a single platform. The platform earned an overall score of 4.43 out of 5 in our evaluation for its strong applicant tracking features, transparent pricing, and ease of use. Access to a dedicated account manager also contributed to its high score. However, it got a hit in popularity because of its limited online reviews. It also scored lowest on reporting as it doesn’t allow customization. MightyRecruiter has around 9,200 global candidates. Homebase: Best for Restaurants & Retailers That Need Applicant Tracking, Scheduling & Attendance Management Solutions is an applicant tracking, employee scheduling, and time tracking solution perfect for restaurants and retail shops that have one or more locations and mostly hire hourly workers. Aside from sending resumes via your career page, applicants can make use of Homebase’s QR codes and Text-to-Apply to reach you faster. After you accept applications, Homebase allows you to contact, screen, and interview applicants using the same platform almost automatically. These recruiting tools are optimal since restaurants and retailers have the highest rate of employee turnover. In our evaluation, Homebase received an overall score of 4.43 out of 5, taking a hit because of its inability to create custom reports. Most online users find its interface straightforward. Some, however, say that it has a lot of features but is not well-integrated. There were even times when the software lagged. Homebase is used by more than 100,000 businesses. Indeed: Best for Companies That Need Unlimited Job Postings to Support High Turnover or Hiring Increase is a free job board site with more than 3 million job seekers each month. It’s great for any business that wants to maximize its reach with free unlimited job postings and basic applicant tracking. Its management tools allow you to message candidates throughout each stage of the hiring process, schedule interviews, and send assessments—and it updates the candidate’s status automatically. Meanwhile, its salary tools provide employers information about current pay rates based on the job title. The provider received an overall score of 4.11 out of 5 in our evaluation because it is easy to use and navigate. Even though it earned mixed reviews, it is popular with online reviewers. However, its reporting features and workflow options aren’t nearly as robust as those offered by Freshteam. Indeed also scored low on pricing as it lacks multiple tiers, and its paid option for contacting potential candidates in its Indeed Resume plan is costly at $120 per month (for 30 contact credits). JobScore: Ideal for Recruiters & Companies That Want to Develop Referral Programs is an all-in-one recruitment platform great for recruiters and companies that need a multichannel job posting site with a strong referral program. Its free plan allows you to post an unlimited number of job ads—both paid and unpaid—to access an unlimited number of candidates. It also lets you get more applicants with its employee referral programs—as an employee, you can get a reward once a successful referral gets hired. The platform earned an overall score of 4.06 out of 5 in our evaluation and received high marks for its robust ATS. However, it did not do well in popularity since it has a limited number of online reviews on third-party sites. In addition, you have to upgrade to its pricey enterprise version if you want premium features, such as custom data exports, account analysis and insights, and a dedicated account manager. JobScore has more than 1,000 active employers, holds 15 million-plus job applications, and serves more than 150 countries. SmartRecruiters: Ideal for Fast-growing Firms With Professional Recruiters Planning to Upgrade Talent Acquisition Features is a scalable end-to-end talent acquisition software with seamless integration and collaboration, making it ideal for fast-growing firms. It helps recruiters and hiring managers by augmenting their HR functions and has a free version that supports multiboard job postings, pre-integrated assessments, candidate management, applicant screening, interview scheduling, offer management, and onboarding. Its SmartGlobal tool, which comes with multilanguage customer support, enables you to recruit globally and hire locally. The solution earned an overall score of 4.06 out of 5 because it has efficient applicant tracking and reporting features. Also, it has more than 400 online reviews with a lot of positive feedback; users commented that it is user-friendly and that its free version supports an unlimited number of users and candidates. However, it lost points on pricing because it lacks transparency; you need to contact its sales team for a quote to upgrade from the free plan. Many popular brands, including Visa, Etsy, Verisk, Marc Jacobs, Skechers, and Gameloft, use SmartRecruiters. How We Evaluated the Best Free Applicant Tracking Systems We compared each ATS on price and ease of use. Also, we looked for essential features like free job board postings, candidate management and tracking, team collaboration, referral programs, integration options, and a careers page. We excluded those that only offered a free trial and demo. Based on our evaluation is the best free applicant tracking system for small businesses with up to 50 employees. It earned an overall score of 4.56 out of 5, with high marks on popularity, applicant tracking, and reporting features. It is also scalable, making it a great ATS with which your business can grow. To see our full evaluation criteria for the top applicant tracking software, click through the tabs in the box below: Who Should Use Free ATS Free applicant tracking systems aren’t suitable for everyone because they have feature limitations. For other organizations, paying for upgraded features is more cost-efficient. If the following situations fit you, then using a free ATS is recommended: You have a simple hiring process. If your recruiting process is simple and works for you, then a free ATS should be all you need to iron things out and save time. You have a limited recruiting budget or you only hire occasionally. If you’re not hiring year-round, getting a paid ATS may not be worth it, especially if a free ATS can already get the job done. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line An ATS not only streamlines your recruitment process but also saves you time. All the solutions on our list offer free options, simplify job postings, filter resumes and applications, screen applicants, and improve candidate-employer communication. Among the providers in this guide, is the best option. If you need a job-specific hiring team that you can collaborate with to screen, track, and communicate with applicants using both a web and mobile app at no cost, then it is the perfect solution. Sign up for its free plan today.

The best payroll services—such as online payroll software, professional employer organizations (PEOs), and human resources (HR) systems—help businesses pay employees correctly, manage tax withholdings, and ensure deductions are withheld (for benefit premiums, retirement savings, and more). In this guide, we compiled a list of the nine best payroll services for small business owners. : Best (overall) payroll service for small businesses : Best for growing businesses that want flexible payroll services : Best for tech-heavy companies needing HR, payroll, information technology (IT), and PEO solutions : Best for accountants and firms needing same-day direct deposits : Best for solopreneurs and startups wanting payroll and incorporation services : Best for businesses paying only contractors and seasonal employees : Best for paying international employees : Best free payroll service for companies willing to file taxes on their own : Best low-cost PEO to outsource HR and payroll administration Top Online Payroll Services Compared See fullscreen table × *Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes time tracking and payroll add-ons. In numerous buyer’s guides across our site, we evaluated these payroll companies using a 5-star scale with criteria specific to the type of payroll services they provide and businesses they cater to. We prioritized affordability and ease of use in our rankings. You can reference any of the featured products below in specific buyer’s guides that apply to your business. You can also check out our video below for essential features you need to consider when looking for a payroll service and some of our recommended software. Gusto: Best Overall Payroll Service ranks well among our payroll buyer’s guides, earning the best overall in seven guides (first seven as shown below) and ranking high in many others. It’s a great payroll service for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees because it’s affordable and its features are very well-rounded—you can run payroll an unlimited number of times, automate tax payments and filings (federal, state, and local taxes), and receive HR support. While Gusto offers health insurance, the coverage includes 39 states only (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). For health benefits options that are available in all states in the United States, consider other payroll providers like QuickBooks Payroll and Square Payroll. Gusto Is Featured In Best Payroll for Small Businesses Best Restaurant Payroll Software Best HR Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Mac Best Church Payroll Services Best Payroll for Trucking Companies Best Payroll Software for Nonprofits Best HRIS/HRMS Software Best Construction Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Accountants Best Payroll Software for Paying Contractors Gusto Key Features Gusto User Reviews Gusto’s average online rating on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra is 4.35 out of 5 (as of this writing). Many reviewers like its user-friendly interface and efficient payroll tools that make paying employees easy for them. However, there are mixed responses about its customer service. Several users said that its customer representatives are helpful while others commented that its support team’s response time isn’t as fast as before. ADP Run: Best for Growing Businesses That Need Flexible Payroll Tools has subscription options that include features ranging from payroll to a combination of payroll, time tracking (with GPS functionalities), and HR (recruiting, background checks, and even consulting are available). It also has numerous products beyond the payroll solution, including a professional employer organization (PEO) that makes it easy for businesses with plans to grow over the years to transition easily. Its suite streamlines HR processes, from hiring to retiring. Payroll services for small businesses like Gusto don’t offer all the tools you’ll need to manage the entire employee lifecycle, especially as your company grows. Paychex has features similar to ADP’s, but they aren’t as robust, such as job postings (ADP can post to more than 25,000 job boards, while Paychex only has a dozen). While ADP Run ranked in several of our best payroll lists, ADP’s other products also made it to some of our payroll and HR buyer’s guides. Roll by ADP and ADP TotalSource are on our list of the best payroll apps and best PEO companies, respectively. ADP Is Featured In Best Construction Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses Best Restaurant Payroll Software Best HR Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Mac Best Payroll for Trucking Companies Best Payroll Apps Best PEO Companies Best HRIS/HRMS Software Best Payroll Software for Nonprofits ADP Run Key Features ADP Run User Reviews Scoring an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 on G2 and Capterra (as of this writing), ADP Run received many positive reviews in which users praised its user-friendly solutions that make payroll easy to run. Several others also appreciate its reporting tools, while some noted that it can be a bit expensive for small businesses. Rippling: Best for Tech-heavy Companies Looking for HR, Payroll, IT, and PEO Services appears in a lot of our HR and payroll buyer’s guides, primarily due to its efficient and modular HR, payroll, and IT products that you can integrate—provided you get its core workforce management platform. It’s great for tech-heavy companies given the IT solutions that allow you to manage the devices and work-related apps that are usually provided to employees. The platform also integrates with 500-plus third-party software, such as accounting, HR, sales, expense management, and productivity tools, and offers EoR services for hiring global employees, international payroll solutions, a PEO option you can switch on/off, and workflow tools you can easily customize. It can handle payroll, manage employee information, administer benefits, automate time and attendance, and track applicants. Rippling Is Featured In Best HRIS/HRMS Software Best HR Payroll Software Best Payroll for Small Businesses Best Payroll Software for Mac Best Construction Payroll Software Best PEO Companies Best International Payroll Services Best Payroll Software for Accountants Best Payroll Software for Paying Contractors Best Church Payroll Services Rippling Key Features Rippling User Reviews Overall, Rippling earned an average online rating of 4.85 out of 5 on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra (as of this writing). The features that many reviewers are happy about include its ease of use, intuitive interface, integration options, and extensive solution suite. However, some said that its mobile app has limited features and is glitchy with occasional login errors. QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Accountants & Companies That Need Same-day Direct Deposits provides same-day direct deposits—a feature that none of the other providers in this list offer, except for Square Payroll. In addition to three full-service payroll plans that help users manage their payroll entirely online, it has payroll products for specific niches like accounting firms. It’s also reasonably priced and has a free trial. It ranks well in our payroll buyer’s guides—currently holding the No. 1 spot in our Best Payroll Software for Accountants roundup. What we and many users like about the platform is the variety of products it offers. Its online payroll solutions are part of a larger set of Intuit products that integrate seamlessly. Since many small businesses start out using QuickBooks for accounting, adding payroll is usually the logical next step. One of the things that makes QuickBooks Payroll a great payroll service for small businesses is its mobile responsive platform, allowing you to access its system via mobile web browsers. Apart from letting you process payroll on tablets and smartphones, you can pay and file payroll taxes electronically while on the go. QuickBooks Payroll Is Featured In Best Payroll Software for Accountants Best Payroll for Trucking Companies Best Payroll for Small Businesses Best Restaurant Payroll Software Best HR Payroll Software Best Church Payroll Services Best Payroll Software for Paying Contractors Best Construction Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Mac Best Payroll Software for Nonprofits QuickBooks Payroll Key Features QuickBooks Payroll User Reviews Users who left QuickBooks Payroll reviews on G2 and Capterra gave it an average rating of 4.15 out of 5 (as of this writing). Reviewers like its user-friendly tools that streamline payroll processes. However, some users said its customer service quality is less than ideal, adding that its support team can be difficult to reach at times. Paychex: Best for Solopreneurs & Startups That Need Payroll & Small Business Incorporation Services offers a suite of HR and payroll solutions, including PEO services, that make it a great option for businesses of all sizes. Solopreneurs can start with its Paychex Solo tier, which includes access to payroll, a self-employed 401(k) plan, and incorporation services to help establish and protect their business. Once their companies start to expand, they can transition to Paychex Flex, which is great for fast-growing businesses that need payroll and HR tools. Paychex even assigns a dedicated payroll specialist to its Paychex Flex Select and Pro customers—you won’t get the same service with the other providers in this list, except for ADP. The provider appears in several of our buyer’s guides, even ranking high on our best nanny payroll list and best small business payroll software guide. Having access to a dedicated payroll specialist is one of its best features, in addition to flexible pay options and its employment and income verification services. However, you have to pay extra or sign up for a premium plan for tax payment and filing services, as well as year-end reporting. Paychex Is Featured In Best Nanny Payroll Service Best Payroll for Small Businesses Best HR Payroll Software Best PEO Companies Best Payroll Apps Best Payroll Software for Accountants Best HRIS/HRMS Software Best Restaurant Payroll Software Paychex Key Features Paychex User Reviews Users who left Paychex Flex reviews online said that it is generally easy to use and offers a wide range of HR and payroll tools. However, some complained about having received poor support. A few reviewers also said that it can be glitchy at times. Overall, its average user rating on G2 and Capterra is 4.15 out of 5 (as of this writing). Square Payroll: Best for Businesses Hiring Only Contractors & Seasonal Employees comes with several essential solutions that make managing employee payments easy for administrators. In addition to full-service payroll, it has basic time tracking, tip management, employee benefits, and team management tools. If you only employ and pay contractors, Square Payroll has a low-cost contractor-only plan ($5 per worker monthly), which is cheaper than Gusto’s contractor payroll tier. It ranks well in our payroll buyer’s guides, appearing in many of our lists given its affordability and efficient pay processing tools. Square Payroll is even our top-recommended payroll app for small businesses. It’s also a great option for retailers and restaurateurs using Square POS since its payroll solution connects seamlessly with Square’s POS and payments products. Square Payroll Is Featured In Best Payroll Apps Best Payroll for Small Businesses Best Restaurant Payroll Software Best HR Payroll Software Best Payroll Software for Mac Best Payroll Software for Paying Contractors Square Payroll Key Features Square Payroll User Reviews Most of the Square Payroll reviews online are positive, with users highlighting its ease of use, affordability, and the seamless integration between Square products as its best features. However, others dislike its limited timecard editing options and the support team’s slow response times. Overall, Square Payroll earned an average rating of 4.45 out of 5 on G2 and Capterra (as of this writing). Papaya Global: Best International Payroll Service offers solid payroll services for global businesses. It handles both employee and contractor payments, plus it automates global payroll in more than 160 countries—making it our top choice for international payroll services. It also provides PEO services, offering a suite of solutions that includes full benefits management, legal and compliance support, and hiring services. In addition to its efficient payroll and HR tools, we like that it has transparent pricing. Similar international payroll providers and PEO services, such as ADP and Rippling, typically require you to request a quote. Further, Papaya Global integrates with HRIS, time tracking, expense management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. However, its partner systems aren’t as robust as Rippling’s 500-plus options. Papaya Global Is Featured In Best International Payroll Services Best PEO Companies Papaya Global Key Features Papaya Global User Reviews Papaya Global earned an average online review rating of 3.93 out of 5 (as of this writing). It doesn’t have a lot of reviews on G2 and Capterra, but those who left positive feedback said it has a user-friendly platform and helpful and responsive support team. It received very few negative reviews; however, one user said that some areas of the platform can be unintuitive as it requires him to scroll really far to the right just to see data that’s at the end of the screen. TimeTrex: Best Free Payroll Service for Companies Willing to File Payroll Taxes on Their Own is great for businesses looking for a payroll service that’s feature-rich and free to use. With its platform’s Community Edition, you get all the basic tools you need to manage payroll, staff attendance, PTO, schedules, and employee information—although its interface is outdated. However, you have to download its open-source workforce management solution, plus its payroll tax functionalities don’t include automated tax filings. Aside from payroll and HR tools, it offers online time clock apps that work on web browsers and mobile iOS/Android devices—although signing up for TimeTrex’s free product only grants you access to its web browser-based time clock. If you need job costing, geofencing, invoicing, expense tracking, and recruiting tools, you have to get the higher tiers of its paid version. TimeTrex Is Featured In Best Free Payroll Software Best Time and Attendance Software TimeTrex Key Features TimeTrex User Reviews Users gave TimeTrex average ratings of 4.2 out of 5 on third-party sites like Capterra and G2 (as of this writing). What they like most about it is its user-friendly tools and how it helps minimize the time needed to track employee attendance and process payroll. Others said it is difficult to set up and some of its features aren’t intuitive. Justworks: Best for Companies That Need a Low-cost, High-functioning PEO didn’t show up in a lot of our buyer’s guides mainly because of its price and the type of service it provides. It’s a PEO that acts as a co-employer that handles your day-to-day HR, payroll, and benefits administration tasks. It isn’t ideal for those looking for a no-frills payroll solution, as its PEO service comes at a much higher cost than other straight payroll providers. Although, what’s great about Justworks is its transparent pricing. Most PEO providers, such as ADP TotalSource, Rippling PEO, and Paychex PEO, will require you to contact their sales team to request a quote. Its PEO plans are affordable and include a wide range of features—from automated direct deposits and off-cycle payments to online employee onboarding and HR consulting. Justworks even has fitness memberships and wellness perks that you can offer as benefits to your employees. Justworks Is Featured In Best PEO Companies Justworks Key Features Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Choosing the best payroll service for small business can be a bit challenging and overwhelming given the range of payroll solutions available in the market. If you are looking for the best option or are switching payroll providers, consider your company’s immediate HR and payroll needs, including your growth plans. You can also check our buyer’s guides where we compare many of these providers side by side. You could even choose to hire a local bookkeeping or accounting service to do your payroll; it’ll likely be more expensive than some of the options we reviewed, but if you value face-to-face service, it could be worth it.

OnPay and Gusto are both great choices and highly regarded software by users as they offer excellent payroll and human resources (HR) features with good customer service. However, there are some differences in function that may make one the better choice for your business. OnPay may have the more affordable plan, but Gusto provides multiple payroll plans that can cater to various needs, including a low-cost contractor-only option. Unlike OnPay, Gusto has a wider suite of HR solutions that include hiring, time tracking, and performance review tools. Here are our recommendations to help you determine whether OnPay or Gusto is right for you: : Best for paying hourly workers and delegating payroll tasks : Best for small businesses that need HR payroll software OnPay vs Gusto Compared *Some benefits plans cost extra or have participation fees. When to Use OnPay & When to Use Gusto Alternatives to OnPay and Gusto See fullscreen table × Best for Value: Gusto *While OnPay can print and mail the tax forms to your workers, W-2/1099s are also available through its self-service portal where employees can print the online forms for free. When comparing Gusto vs OnPay on pricing, both have similar starter monthly fees ($40 plus $6 per employee). However, Gusto wins overall because it provides better value for money given the wealth of HR features it offers. You get time tracking and performance reviews, including HR advisory services in its higher tiers—all functionalities that OnPay lacks. Gusto also beats OnPay with its contractor-only payroll plan (OnPay doesn’t have this). Plus, you can add on other services to help you pay international contractors and manage the software access of your new hires. Best for Payroll: Gusto When it comes to straight payroll features, OnPay and Gusto are very close. However, Gusto’s Simple plan, the closest price-wise to OnPay, allows pay runs on autopilot. (OnPay doesn’t have this, which may make it more appropriate for hourly workers.) Gusto, which is our top-recommended payroll service for small businesses, also processes direct deposits more quickly, even offering a next-day option if you subscribe to its higher tiers. In addition, it doesn’t conduct risk assessments to determine standard direct deposit timelines as OnPay does. With Gusto, you are granted access to two- and four-day direct deposits automatically. Apart from its low-cost payroll plan for contractors, Gusto can pay international contract workers. It can help you complete compliance documents and process cross-border payments in 80 countries (OnPay doesn’t have global contractor payroll services). Best for HR & Employee Benefits: Gusto If you want to track applicants, capture employee attendance, and monitor staff performance, then Gusto is your best bet. Its platform is more feature-rich than OnPay, providing you with an HR solution suite that can handle hiring to retiring processes (OnPay only offers basic HR tools). Its new hire onboarding solution also comes with basic and advanced features like customizable onboarding checklists and a software provisioning tool for creating and removing employees’ access to systems that your business uses. Unlike OnPay, it lets you track applicants and post open jobs—provided you get one of Gusto’s higher plans. Managing employee benefits may be challenging for new business owners, but Gusto makes this task easier to handle with its online benefits administration solution and access to a wide variety of benefits plans. It even provides nonstandard benefits like a college savings plan and an option for employees to access a part of their earned wages between paydays. While its health insurance doesn’t cover all 50 US states like OnPay, we recommend Gusto if your business isn’t located in one of the 11 states that it has yet to expand to, which are Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Alaska, and Hawaii. Best for Reporting: Tie In our evaluation of OnPay vs Gusto on reporting features, we found that both offer similar tools. Apart from letting you customize and download reports, you can build new ones directly in their systems. While both may have similar reporting capabilities, creating custom reports is easier with OnPay because you simply drag and drop the columns that you need. With Gusto, you have to click “select columns” and choose the fields that you want to appear in your report. Best for Ease of Use & Customer Support: Gusto Gusto and OnPay have platforms that are easy to learn and use. You can get their software up and running easily with setup wizards. While both have intuitive interfaces, Gusto’s dashboard isn’t as customizable as OnPay, which lets you select how sections, such as tasks and alerts, will appear on screen. Although, it does allow you to choose either to disable or enable specific functions, such as expense reporting and two-step verifications for system administrators. Online how-to guides and helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs)—including unlimited phone, email, and chat support—are also available, although Gusto offers HR advisory services, provided you get its Premium plan (OnPay charges $20 per month for this). This allows you to contact HR professionals if you need expert advice in handling payroll, tax, compliance, and employee issues. In addition, Gusto’s Premium plan includes access to a direct phone line for contacting a dedicated support team, something OnPay lacks. If you need to integrate with other software, then Gusto is the clear choice as it has more options in a variety of categories, such as accounting, learning management, legal, collaboration, and point-of-sale systems. Best in Our Expert Review: Gusto In our expert assessment of Gusto vs OnPay, we found Gusto to be a better payroll software for small business owners given its solid pay processing tools and reasonably priced plans. Its platform is more feature-rich than OnPay as it comes with a wider suite of HR features to help you manage day-to-day HR tasks and the entire employee lifecycle—from hiring to retiring—efficiently. However, if you only want to pay employees and handle payroll taxes, OnPay has all the essential tools you need, such as unlimited pay runs, tax support, and robust system permissions for delegating payroll and HR tasks. It even offers payroll services for businesses in niche industries, such as farms and agriculture companies, enabling you to handle payments and taxes for agricultural workers and those on H-2A visas with ease. Gusto doesn’t support payroll and tax filings for farm employees. Best for Popularity Among Users: Gusto *Data from third-party review sites, such as G2 and Capterra. To compare Gusto vs OnPay on user popularity, we looked at each provider’s average overall ratings and the number of reviews on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. For user ratings, OnPay’s average score is slightly higher than Gusto’s (4.8 out of 5 vs 4.35 out of 5 as of this writing). However, Gusto’s average number of reviews online is higher—it has more than 2,000 compared to OnPay’s 300-plus reviews. In terms of user feedback, many users commented that both have user-friendly platforms with features that are easy to navigate. They also said they appreciate the affordably priced and efficient payroll tools that the providers offer. Although, many seem to prefer Gusto’s feature-rich HR system. On the flipside, some reviewers wished that Gusto and OnPay offered more customization options. A few others said that OnPay’s integration options are limited, while others noted that Gusto’s support team is slow to respond at times. How We Evaluated OnPay vs Gusto We compared OnPay vs Gusto by using a five-star scale designed to assess payroll solutions and services for small businesses. Aside from pricing, we looked at both providers’ features—from pay processing and tax filing services to HR tools and employee benefits options. We also checked other key criteria like ease of use 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. Bottom Line When comparing OnPay vs Gusto, list your must-have features and those you are willing to pay a little more for, and then weigh them against your budget. Also, consider how you will grow and which payroll software will grow best with you. OnPay is best for businesses looking for an affordably priced solution to pay hourly workers. Its payroll plan, which is slightly cheaper than Gusto’s, includes efficient payroll tax filing services and basic HR tools. Meanwhile, Gusto is great for small businesses that want full-service payroll and advanced HR solutions. It even offers dedicated HR support and a wider selection of software integrations, but its plans are more expensive.

A personnel file is a paper or electronic folder that contains HR and payroll documents related to new, existing, or past employees. The documents within an employee personnel file should cover the entire employment lifecycle, from offer letters and W-4 forms to performance reviews and termination paperwork. It should also include basic employee documents and compensation information in compliance with federal and state labor laws. Download our free checklists to help you keep track of what employee personnel file records to store; they can be edited to add documents specific to your company. Then, continue reading for more specific information on what to include and not include in a secure personnel file. What to Keep in a Personnel File An employee personnel file includes legal documents, company documents, and employee documents. These should all be kept in an individual employee file in a secure location. To safeguard personnel files and other employee documents, companies can use an employee management platform like . With it, all people operations are done in one place—from onboarding to offboarding, including document management. You can manage and automate employee data and operations easily to ensure compliance. What Not to Keep in Personnel Files There are also documents that you should not include in the employee’s personnel folder, primarily because of confidentiality. These include the following: Pre-employment records, except for the application Monthly attendance records Anything related to worker eligibility, such as I-9 forms, copies of driver’s licenses, and social security cards. Consider putting these forms and related documents that verify an employee’s right to work in the US into a separate folder. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) records. We suggest that you keep this documentation separate from the employee’s personnel folder; managers should not have access to view this data for the risk of discriminating against an employee in a protected class. Private documents protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), also referred to as health information privacy. Any other medical information; if you have staff who have given you doctor’s notes or other documentation such as for medical leave, for example, keep these documents separate. Private employee data—such as bank account details, Social Security numbers, or immigration documents—are best stored separately from the personnel folder. How to Set Up Employee Personnel Files Business owners don’t always realize the importance of setting up personnel files until they’re audited or served with a lawsuit. If you are operating in hindsight and nervous about getting everything set up for employees that already exist, don’t stress. Use the two checklists we’ve provided above, along with the steps for you to get your employee file folders set up and in order. You should complete the following for organizing and storing personnel records to ensure compliance and security: Federal & State Laws About Personnel Files Being compliant with federal and state law is an important aspect of being an employer because you’re required to maintain employee data and personnel files. Here are the best practices, as well as what is required, at the federal and state levels. Personnel File Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Maintaining personnel files is an important part of being an employer and protecting yourself from liability. It’s a great way to organize employee data and provides support for human resource decisions. You can choose to manage the employee personnel files electronically or use a paper-based system; either way, it’s important to include basic employee reports and adhere to the appropriate federal and state laws.

As a freelance worker, tracking how you spend your work hours helps you bill clients accurately. However, the best time tracking software for freelancers also lets you visualize time spent, so you can make better bids or see if you’re spending too much effort on unimportant tasks. In addition to timers that you can start and stop easily, the better tools include invoicing, online payments, reports, and integrations. Most will do it all for a reasonable price—or even for free. To find the best software that can handle time tracking for freelancers, we evaluated 24 solutions and narrowed it down to our top six recommendations. : Best (overall) time tracking software for freelancers : Best for freelancers who need strong reporting tools : Best for freelancers looking for free tools to track time, bill clients, and accept payments : Best for freelancers who require robust integration options : Best for freelancers who need robust productivity tools : Best for those who want a secure way to pay freelancer teams Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers Compared See fullscreen table × Do you need help determining which time tracking software is best for your freelancing work? This four-question quiz will help you decide. Clockify: Best Overall Time Tracking Software for Freelancers is one of two providers (TimeCamp is the other) in this guide that lets you track time for unlimited projects for an unlimited number of users at no cost. It ranked higher than TimeCamp because it monitors billable and nonbillable hours for free (a paid option for TimeCamp), has live phone support in addition to email and chat (TimeCamp offers only email and chat), and is more popular among users. Overall, Clockify scored 4.49 out of 5 in our evaluation with perfect marks in pricing and time tracking and high ratings in nearly all of our evaluation criteria except for reporting. While it has prebuilt reports that you can generate and export into comma-separated values (CSV), PDF, and Excel files, its customization options are limited—you can’t create and add your own data fields. However, users said they find its reports helpful, adding that it’s very efficient yet simple to use. Clockify Standout Features Flexible time tracking: With Clockify, you’re not limited to tracking time on specific devices. You can access its online timer on iOS and Android mobile devices and web browsers—Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. It even has desktop apps that work on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. The other providers in this list offer mostly desktop and mobile apps like Harvest and TimeCamp—not all three options. Leave management: If you upgrade to at least its Standard plan, you are granted access to a leave management module where you can track accruals and balances and manage PTO requests and approvals. Other providers (except for TimeCamp and Hubstaff) don’t have this feature, although they can also track leave hours by creating specific “leave tasks” to record vacation, sick, and holiday hours. Computer screenshots: Aside from idle time detection, website and apps tracking, and a Pomodoro timer, Clockify has a screenshot recording tool that takes snapshots of your computer screen every five minutes while your timer is running, although you have to upgrade to either its Pro or Enterprise to get this feature. However, if your clients don’t require detailed proof of work or if you find it invasive, then consider Harvest since it doesn’t have this tool and provides more features in its free plan. Third-party software integrations: Clockify integrates with more than 50 web apps, allowing you to track time easily from inside other solutions like Asana, Trello, Salesforce, Basecamp, and Zendesk. However, it doesn’t connect with scheduling software, payment gateways, and accounting solutions (except QuickBooks). If you require robust integration options, Toggl Track is a good option since it connects with more than 100 apps. TimeCamp: Best for Freelancers Looking for Excellent Reporting Tools is another time tracking software for freelancers that, like Clockify, offers a free tier with unlimited projects and user seats. It’s best for freelancers looking to gain insights into their business. Users can create reports related to tracked time, team members, or budget. Apart from generating standard reports from TimeCamp’s dashboard, one can also create custom reports and add their own fields. This is the only provider that scored perfectly for reporting. Scoring 4.46 out of 5, TimeCamp also earned perfect marks in pricing and time tracking. It didn’t top our list since it lacks phone support—Clockify provides phone, email, and chat assistance—and because you have to get a paid plan if you want to tag hours as billable or nonbillable, which is free with Clockify. It also has a lower number of average user reviews on G2 and Capterra as of this writing—Clockify has 800 online user reviews, whereas TimeCamp only has 350. TimeCamp Standout Features Attendance and leave management: Not only does its time tracker help you log hours for projects, but it can also be used to monitor clock-ins/outs and overtime. Similar to Clockify and Hubstaff, it has leave management capabilities to help you track vacation, sick, and holiday leaves. Productivity tools: TimeCamp has a wide range of online tools to help monitor work productivity, similar to Hubstaff and Time Doctor. It tracks idle time and monitors the hours spent on websites, apps, and documents. With its productivity assistant feature, you can set goals and measure your productive and idle hours. You also have the option to activate its computer screenshots function in case you want full transparency and proof of work for clients. Similar to Harvest and Hubstaff, it doesn’t have a Pomodoro timer, which is basically 25 minutes on (work time), five minutes off (break time), but TimeCamp has a private time mode that you can turn on if you want to take breaks or do personal computer activities. Invoicing and client payments: TimeCamp has smart invoices that you can generate and send to clients easily via email or as a private link or PDF file. Clients can even pay you directly from the invoice through PayPal. However, you have to upgrade to at least its Pro plan to get these features. For a more budget-friendly option, consider Harvest since it offers its invoicing and online payment tools for free—provided you need only one user seat and two active projects. Harvest: Best for Freelancers Looking for Free Tools to Track Time, Bill Clients & Accept Payments is a great time tracking software for freelancers who work on only a handful of projects but want all of the essential tools like invoicing, expensing, and online payments. While it offers all these features for free, you only get one user seat and two active projects. If you require unlimited projects and user seats, you have to upgrade to its paid tier. If you want unlimited time tracking, projects, and users for free, then consider either Clockify or TimeCamp. Scoring 4.33 out of 5 in our evaluation, Harvest received high marks in almost all of our evaluation criteria—with a perfect score in billable hours and job labor costing features. However, it earned a low rating in reporting capabilities primarily because of its limited customization options. Harvest Standout Features Feature-rich free tier: Despite having only one user seat and two active projects, Harvest’s feature-rich free plan has time tracking, expensing, invoicing, and online payment tools. While some of the providers in this list have invoicing, payments, and expensing capabilities, you have to upgrade to a paid plan to get these features. Expense reporting and client payments: With Harvest, you can mark expenses that you incurred while working on client projects as billable. You can even include it in invoices for client billing. Sending its web invoices even provides your customers with an option to pay you online either through PayPal or Stripe. Third-party software integrations: Harvest integrates with more than 50 solutions, and the systems that it partners with are more robust than Clockify, which offers mostly productivity and project management tools. Harvest, meanwhile, also integrates with communication, customer relationship management (CRM), analytics, and issue-tracking software. However, if you want a time tracking solution that connects to more than 100 apps, then consider Toggl Track. Toggl Track: Best for Freelancers Who Need Robust Integration Options , one of Toggl’s online solutions, is an easy-to-use time tracking tool that can integrate with more than 100 apps, enabling you to log time from a wide range of software. It also has a free plan that can track unlimited projects like Clockify does, but it has a slightly higher user seat allocation than Harvest (five vs one). Unlike Hubstaff, you can use many of its productivity tools like idle time detection and URL/apps tracking at no cost. Overall, Toggl Track earned 4.03 out of 5 in our evaluation with perfect marks in pricing and time tracking. It posted low scores (2.5 out of 5) in reporting and managing billable hours because of its limited reporting customizability, plus it doesn’t have the online payment capabilities that Harvest does or the invoicing tools that other providers in this list offer. However, users still consider Toggl Track a good time tracking solution, especially for freelancers and solopreneurs. They also appreciate its free version that makes managing time, projects, and clients easy. Toggl Track Standout Features Free-to-use productivity tools: Unlike with Hubstaff, you don’t have to pay to access Toggl Track’s idle time detection and URL/apps tracking tools. It even has a Pomodoro timer that reminds you automatically to take breaks after every 25 minutes of work or any length of time you choose. Robust integrations: Toggl Track makes tracking employee and freelancer hours seamless given its wide selection of integration options. You can log time from inside 100-plus solutions, such as Asana, Basecamp, Jira, Evernote, Trello, Wrike, Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, and Zoho. However, it doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks and payment gateways like most of the providers in this list do. Flexible time tracking: You can log hours through Toggl Track’s apps for web browsers, computers, and mobile iOS and Android devices. While its desktop app works on Windows and Mac computers, it doesn’t support Linux computers like Clockify does. Time Doctor: Best for Freelancers Who Need Robust Productivity Tools is geared toward employee management, making it an excellent option for freelancers to track their productivity and analyze how they spend their time. Freelancers can also organize work by tracking billable hours per client as they create projects. You can then monitor the total time spent on these projects, time spent for each task, and productivity levels. Although Hubstaff also offers productivity tracking, it focuses more on detecting activity levels based on keyboard and mouse movements, which isn’t always indicative of an employee’s productivity. Time Doctor, however, lets managers set time limits on how long employees can go without keyboard or mouse movements before automatically placing the timer on “break.” In our evaluation, Time Doctor earned an overall score of 3.88 out of 5. It has a perfect score for time tracking functions and good marks for other criteria. It didn’t score higher because it doesn’t offer a free plan (the only one on our list without one), custom reports, or live phone support. It also only has a few user reviews. Time Doctor Features Time tracking: Time Doctor uses a separate desktop app to track time. You can also download its Chrome extension to track time from other management software including Trello, Asana, Zoho Projects, and Jira. You can start and stop time tracking by pressing the timer button. If you forget to pause time tracking while you’re on break, it detects this idle time automatically and deducts it from the tracked hours. Time Doctor can even track time offline and sync data automatically as soon as connectivity is restored. Project management: You can create projects and assign tasks to other freelancers if you need extra hands. Projects are accessible by specific users depending on your settings. Time is then tracked per task and project, so it’s easy to analyze how much time is spent for each client. Productivity reports: Time Doctor provides daily and weekly reports that include hours, projects, and tasks as well as website and app usage per team or user. These reports can be downloaded as XSL or CSV files. You can analyze productivity levels per task, project, and even per team member, if necessary. The app records users’ website activities and detects unproductive websites automatically while working. Hubstaff and TimeCamp also offer this functionality. Client access: To help provide proof of work, you can show your work progress to clients by providing them login access if you have a Premium Time Doctor subscription. You can determine what your clients can view, including reports, screenshots, and tracked hours. Invoicing: You can convert tracked hours into invoices to send to clients. You can assign hourly rates per client and determine the date range. You can customize invoices depending on the currency and pay rate. Time Doctor supports all currencies and common payment methods, such as PayPal and Payoneer. Hubstaff: Best for Those Looking for a Secure Way to Pay Freelancer Teams is great for freelancers who manage teams because, aside from offering time and productivity tracking tools, it integrates with several payment gateways where you can easily send payments. While the other providers in this list―except for Toggl Track and Clockify―also partner with online payment solutions, this is mainly to accept client payments and not process worker pay. Scoring 3.82 out of 5 in our evaluation of the best time tracking software for freelancers, Hubstaff earned 4 and higher scores in pricing, billable hours, and user popularity. The only criteria that it posted low scores (2.5 out of 5) on is reporting because users can’t add their own data fields to reports. Hubstaff Standout Features Multiple time tracking products: With Hubstaff, you can choose from any of its three time tracking products in which each cater to the slightly different needs of users. Hubstaff Time is great for those who want simple time tracking and reporting, Hubstaff Desk is best for users who also need solid productivity tools, and Hubstaff Field is optimal for those who require geolocation tracking in addition to time monitoring. Productivity tools: Idle time detection, computer screenshots, and URL/apps tracking are just some of the tools that Hubstaff offers. With its productivity rates, you can spot dips and improvements based on keyboard and mouse usage. If you set hours or productivity goals for your freelancer team, you can celebrate wins and recognize employees by giving them virtual high-fives through Hubstaff. None of the providers in our list has this feature. Employee payments: While Harvest and TimeCamp integrate with payment gateways to accept client payments, Hubstaff connects with PayPal, Wise (formerly TransferWise), Payoneer, and Bitwage so that you can pay your team members online. You can also export your tracked time data to payroll providers like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Gusto. How We Evaluated the Best Time Tracking Software for Freelancers We started our search with two dozen time tracking solutions, comparing each software’s pricing, ease of use, and online user reviews. We also looked for features that are essential to freelancers, such as versatile time trackers that work across devices, online timers with easy start/stop buttons, reporting tools, and the capability to allocate hours to jobs. Software that can track idle time, generate invoices, accept client payments, and integrate with accounting, scheduling, and project management solutions were also given extra points. Based on our evaluation, is the best time tracking software for freelancers. It topped our list because of its ease of use and free to use time tracking tools that come with unlimited projects and user seats. While you have to pay extra for invoicing and productivity solutions, such as idle time detection and a Pomodoro timer, its monthly fees are reasonable, which starts at $4.99 per user. Click through the tabs below to see our full evaluation criteria. Bottom Line The best time tracking software for freelancers depends on their needs. Some track and record time while others offer expense recording and billing. Nearly all will handle teams and integrate with other programs, especially project management tools. Before choosing, think about what you need, look at popular options―some are even free-to-use―and whether you are willing to pay extra for advanced features. For most freelancers needing time tracking tools for work projects, we found to be the best. It offers PTO management, invoicing, and a wide range of productivity tools. Pricing is also reasonable—you get a free version with unlimited projects and user seats and paid tiers with monthly fees that start at $4.99 per user. 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ADP is one of the best payroll service providers for businesses planning to expand and hire more employees in the near future. It has advanced HR features, like new hire onboarding and background checks, on top of its full-service payroll and tax services. However, this provider is not ideal for small businesses with a tight monthly budget because it charges for extra payroll runs and year-end reporting. If you don’t need robust HR features or just need to save money, a top ADP competitor may work better for your business. In this guide, we evaluated multiple ADP competitors and narrowed the list down to the top eight. : Best overall ADP competitor for small businesses : Best for small business QuickBooks accounting users : Best for companies in heavily regulated industries : Best fully configurable payroll tool for complex salary calculations : Best for solopreneurs and growing businesses looking for dedicated support : Best for restaurants, retail shops, and Square POS users : Best for businesses that need a reasonably priced PEO : Best for tech-reliant companies needing integrated HR, payroll, and IT tools Top ADP Competitors Compared Pricing Best ADP Competitor Quiz Gusto: Best Overall ADP Competitor for Small Businesses For small business owners needing help running payroll at a good value, is the best choice. The software is easy to use—no excess features you don’t need—and you can run unlimited pay runs at no extra cost. It files and pays federal, state, and local taxes, and automatically generates and sends W-2s and 1099s to employees and contractors at no extra cost, unlike ADP. Multiple pricing options are also available, with a starter tier that’s reasonably priced. Setup and migration are free for new users—you have to pay a setup fee with both ADP and Paychex. Gusto also offers a wide range of employee benefits—from health insurance and 401(k) plans to commuter benefits and tax-advantaged college savings accounts. However, its health insurance coverage is limited to only 39 states (unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming). If you want health plans that are available across the US, any of the ADP competitors in this guide (except TriNet Zenefits, whose health plans don’t cover Hawaii) are great options, as all provide extensive health insurance coverage. Gusto Key Features Ease of use: Gusto is easy to set up and use—plus, it has an intuitive interface that allows you to process payroll in just a few clicks. Compared to Paychex and ADP, Gusto is more user-friendly, and you can start using its online tools without any training required—provided you have a good background on how payroll works. If you need assistance, it provides how-to guides and unlimited phone, email, and chat support. Multiple pay options: Gusto lets you pay employees and contractors through direct deposits, checks, pay cards, and pay on-demand (QuickBooks Payroll, TriNet Zenefits, Justworks, and Rippling don’t have this feature). You get four-, two- and next-day processing timelines for direct deposits, depending on your chosen plan. For check payments, Gusto’s software gives you the capability to cut paychecks using your printer, but the service won’t process checks for you or give you the option to have them delivered to employees. If this is something you need, then go with Paychex (or ADP itself). Full range of payroll and basic HR features: Aside from payroll, Gusto has solutions for hiring, onboarding, health benefits administration, PTO management, and simple time tracking. It also offers a robust selection of benefits such as medical, dental, vision, retirement, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), college savings plans, and pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation. Expert HR support: If you subscribe to its highest tier, you are granted access to HR professionals who can give expert advice on how to handle payroll and HR issues. And while Gusto doesn’t assign a dedicated specialist to its clients like Paychex does, it offers unlimited chat, phone, and email support to all its users. QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Small Business QuickBooks Accounting Users can handle most employee pay processing functions, from payroll onboarding to tax preparation, although it doesn’t report new hires to the state—a feature that other solutions in this guide (as well as ADP) offer. Aside from paying contractors and employees, you can run auto payroll with either next- or same-day direct deposits (provided you sign up for at least its Premium plan). It also automatically calculates, files, and pays federal and state taxes (local tax filings available in premium tiers), including submission of year-end W-2s/1099s. And unlike ADP, QuickBooks Payroll has an internal accounting program specifically for small businesses—QuickBooks—that integrates seamlessly with its payroll system. QuickBooks Payroll Key Features Intuitive interface: The software has intuitive controls that allow you to set up and run payroll in a few easy steps. It doesn’t have a complicated-looking interface, and if you have questions about its functionalities, QuickBooks Payroll has how-to articles that can guide you through its features. Plus, compared to Paychex and ADP, this software doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Tax accuracy guarantee and tax penalty protection: All plans are covered by a tax accuracy guarantee, where QuickBooks will file and pay payroll taxes correctly and on time. In case there are penalties due to late submissions, QuickBooks will pay for all fees—provided that you forwarded the correct tax details well beyond the submission deadlines and have sufficient funds in your account to pay taxes. In addition, signing up for its Elite plan entitles you to its tax penalty protection (wherein QuickBooks will pay all tax penalties, max of $25,000 per year) that covers tax errors that you make. Neither ADP nor the other providers in this guide offer a similar program that includes client tax filing mistakes. Fast direct deposits: QuickBooks Payroll is the only software in this article that provides next-day direct deposits in its basic plan. Aside from a next-day option, it offers same-day direct deposits—provided you subscribe to either its Premium or Elite tier. Seamless integration with QuickBooks: While QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t integrate with a lot of third-party software, its native integration with QuickBooks Accounting allows for seamless data transfers between Intuit QuickBooks products. This means that your payroll information can flow directly to the general journal, plus you can use wage-related information for analytics and other reports using QuickBooks. TriNet Zenefits: Best for Businesses in Highly Regulated Industries (formerly Zenefits) offers an end-to-end employee management solution that streamlines and automates HR, payroll, and benefits administration. It’s best for businesses in highly regulated industries because it has robust compliance tools to help keep them up to date with the latest regulations. Aside from built-in overtime safeguards and pay stubs that conform with most state requirements, its online “Compliance Assistant” monitors your HR, payroll, and benefits compliance status and the unique form submission deadlines that are critical to your business. Unlike ADP and the other software in this guide (except Rippling), which provide payroll as a base product and have no minimum user requirements, TriNet Zenefits offers its employee pay processing solution as an add-on tool and requires a five-employee minimum. However, if you need time tracking tools, all its plans come with a time and attendance solution at no extra cost; under ADP, this is a separate product. TriNet Zenefits Key Features Feature-inclusive: While ADP and most of the providers in this list (except Justworks and QuickBooks Payroll) have a wide range of HR solutions, TriNet Zenefits’ platform is more robust, helping you manage the entire employee lifecycle—from hiring to retirement. In addition to payroll, it offers hiring, onboarding, time tracking, benefits, compensation planning, performance reviews, employee information management, engagement surveys, compliance support, and even communication tools through its “TriNet Zenefits People Hub.” Efficient pay processing: From employee and contractor payments to tip reporting and wage garnishments, TriNet Zenefits has all the essential tools you need to accurately process payroll and payroll taxes. Tax payments and filings are also automatic, with TriNet Zenefits handling all federal, state, and local tax submissions on your behalf. It even has dynamic pay stubs (accessible through its mobile apps) where you can add messages in case there are salary changes and special payouts (none of the providers in this guide, or ADP, offer this feature). Robust integrations: TriNet Zenefits connects to 40+ popular applicant tracking, time and attendance, accounting, productivity, legal, and learning software. Some of its integration partners include Greenhouse, JazzHR, Deputy, QuickBooks, Xero, Lessonly, Slack, and Asana. However, if you want a wider integration network, consider Rippling as it can connect to 500+ business apps. Paycor: Best for Businesses Needing a Fully Configurable Payroll Tool , like ADP, has a robust suite of HR and payroll tools that can cater to all business sizes. It’s great for those with complex payroll needs because you can configure its pay grid to fit your requirements. It even lets you create customized pay slips, although TriNet Zenefits allows the inclusion of pay messages to its online pay stubs. And, like many of the providers in this guide, it offers automatic tax calculations, payments, and filings, including W-2 and 1099 processing. However, Paycor isn’t great for those with very limited budgets. With a starter plan for small businesses (up to 49 employees) priced at $99 plus $5 per employee monthly, Paycor is one of the most expensive ADP alternatives on our list (Justworks is the other, mainly because it offers PEO services and not just payroll software). Paycor Key Features All-in-one HR platform: Paycor’s all-in-one platform combines several HR tools together, from hiring and time tracking to payroll and performance management. ADP competitors like Justworks and QuickBooks Payroll don’t have a robust HR solution suite. Flexible payroll: Run payroll the way you want it with Paycor’s customizable pay grids. You can add and remove earning/deduction columns that you need, including selecting whether or not you want its system to display the applicable amount or hours per earning/deduction type. It even offers multiple payment options—from pay-on-demand to direct deposits and even check stuffing services. Payroll tax compliance: Aside from year-end reporting and payroll tax filings (federal, state, and local taxes), Paycor has a team of tax experts to keep you compliant and up-to-date with the latest tax regulations. Paychex: Best for Solopreneurs & Growing Businesses Looking for Dedicated Payroll Support Like ADP, is a full-featured payroll system that provides different packages for small to enterprise-level businesses, including solopreneurs and the self-employed—an option none of the other solutions in this list offer. If you want a single point of contact for your employee pay processing and payroll tax requirements, sign up for one of Paychex’s premium plans to get a dedicated payroll specialist. Aside from payroll and payroll tax filing services, it has several HR solutions for managing new hire onboarding, background screening, and employee training. While both ADP and Paychex offer workers’ compensation and employee benefits plans, only Paychex provides access to a financial wellness program with access to short-term loans, educational resources, and other tools to assist employees in achieving their financial goals. Paychex Key Features Flexible system: Paychex allows you to review, edit, and submit payroll from desktop computers and mobile devices (for iOS and Android). You can start running payroll on your smartphones/tablets and then resume it on your computer, and vice versa. Unlike Gusto, Square Payroll, and QuickBooks Payroll, Paychex and ADP can grow with your business, providing you with efficient pay processing tools and robust HR solutions, regardless of whether you have 10 employees or more than 500. Multiple pay options: You can pay employees through pay cards, direct deposits, and paper checks. Like ADP, Paychex also offers check signing and stuffing services. If your staff requests early access to earned wages before a payroll date, you can use its pay-on-demand feature to help employees with their financial needs. Robust reporting: The reporting options of other providers in this guide aren’t as robust as Paychex’s. Aside from offering customizable reports, it has over 60 options that you can use for payroll and analyzing HR data. Full range of HR and payroll features: In addition to payroll, it has a full-featured HR solution suite that includes new hire onboarding, time and attendance, employee benefits, garnishment payment services, workers’ compensation, learning management, and hiring tools. QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and Justworks don’t offer a wide variety of HR solutions. Dedicated support: Paychex has a team of compliance experts, HR professionals, and payroll experts who can provide knowledgeable advice on labor regulations and HR-related issues. Similar to Justworks, you also get 24/7 phone and chat support. And, if you get one of its higher tiers, Paychex will assign you a dedicated specialist to help you handle HR and payroll issues. Square Payroll: Best for Small Restaurant & Retail Businesses What makes an ideal option for restaurant and retail business owners is its seamless integration with Square POS, making it easy for you to capture, track, and process tip and commission payments. If you use Square POS to capture employee clock-ins/outs, then you can import time data into Square Payroll with just one click. ADP may integrate with several POS systems, but it doesn’t connect with Square (as of this writing). Plus, you have to pay extra to access ADP’s time tracking solution. Apart from restaurants and retail shops, Square Payroll is great for small businesses that mostly hire contract workers, mainly because of its low-cost contractor-only plan. Gusto may have a similar payroll package, but Square’s is slightly cheaper, costing only $5 per contractor monthly (Gusto’s is priced at $35 plus $6 per contractor monthly). ADP and the other providers in this guide don’t have a separate contractor payroll plan. Square Payroll Key Features Multiple payment options: With Square Payroll, you can pay employees either through paychecks, direct deposits, or pay on-demand. While its standard direct deposit processing timeline is four days, Square’s “Instant Payment” feature enables you to offer next-day and even instant payments through its “Cash App”—provided you have a Square Payments account. However, if you’re not a Square user and need fast direct deposits, consider QuickBooks Payroll, as it provides next- and same-day options. Payroll tax filing and reporting: Apart from automatic payroll tax calculations, Square Payroll will handle all tax payments and filings for you. It also generates W-2/1099 forms at year-end and will even file annual 1099-NEC forms on your behalf. All these are available at no extra cost, unlike ADP and Paychex. Built-in time tracking: Square Payroll comes with free online timecards that you can use to track employee attendance either through Square POS or the Square Team app. With ADP and the other ADP competitors on our list (except TriNet Zenefits), you have to either purchase time tracking as an add-on or upgrade to the higher tiers to unlock the said functionality. Employee benefits: Square Payroll’s partnership with insurance carriers enable it to offer employee benefits like health insurance (via SimplyInsured), retirement plans (through Guideline), and pay-as-you-go workers’ comp (via Next Insurance). However, it doesn’t have non-standard benefits options, like ADP’s employee discounts, Paychex’s financial wellness tools, Gusto’s college savings plans, and Justworks’ fitness membership and health advocacy services. Justworks: Best for Businesses Looking for Affordable PEO Services For business owners with limited HR and payroll experience, is a co-employer providing PEO services to help you efficiently manage day-to-day HR administrative tasks. Similar to ADP’s PEO solution, ADP TotalSource, it offers full-service payroll, tax payments and filings, essential HR tools, and access to HR experts. Its employee benefits even include fitness and wellness perks in addition to the usual health and retirement plans. What’s also great about this provider is its reasonably priced plans and flexible pricing matrix, wherein monthly fees go down as you add more employees to your business. However, it lacks the hiring solutions that Gusto, Rippling, and Paychex offer. Further, its platform isn’t as full-featured as TriNet Zenefits, which even has compensation management tools and robust employee engagement tools. Justworks Key Features Solid payroll tools: Justworks’ simplified payroll process makes paying employees easy for payroll administrators. It can handle payments for hourly and salaried employees, including contractors and vendors. And, like the other ADP competitors in this guide (except Paychex), Justworks lets you run off-cycle payroll at no extra cost. However, if you prefer biweekly and weekly pay runs, note that Justworks only pays employees on Fridays; for semimonthly payroll, it pays on the 15th and last day of the month (or the closest business day before each date). Plus, it only supports payments via paper checks and direct deposits. If you want multiple pay schedule options, consider Gusto, Paychex, and Paycor. Robust employee benefits options: Apart from workers’ compensation, health, and retirement plans, Justworks has a wide range of non-standard benefits options like health advocacy services, wellness perks, and fitness memberships. Although it doesn't have Gusto’s college savings plans and ADP’s employee discount program. Customer and HR support: Justworks may not have Paychex’s dedicated payroll specialists, but it has a team of HR professionals that can provide expert advice. Plus, you don’t need to pay for HR advisory services (as you would with Rippling and TriNet Zenefits) because this feature is included in all of Justworks’ plans. It even offers 24/7 support, with customer reps you can contact either through email, phone, chat, SMS, and Slack. Rippling: Best for Tech-reliant Companies Managing HR, Payroll & IT is the only provider in this guide with IT solutions for managing company-issued computers and apps. It even integrates with more than 500 apps. This makes it ideal for companies that want to automate their computer provisioning and deprovisioning processes while streamlining essential HR and payroll tasks. However, you have to pay for each HR, payroll, and IT module in addition to its core employee management platform, which is a required solution. Further, it doesn’t have free live phone support like there is with ADP. If you want one-on-one HR support, then subscribe to Rippling’s HR Help Desk module, which comes with phone and email support. Like TriNet Zenefits, Rippling’s payroll product comes as an add-on to its HR platform. Aside from IT and HR management tools, it offers an extensive payroll feature set with automatic tax calculations and filings and direct deposit payment options. You can also print manual checks, but there are no payroll cards and on-demand pay options that you would get with ADP, Paychex, or Gusto. It does automatically sync your HR data with payroll, though, which can be a time saver. Rippling Key Features Full range of HR and IT features: You get a full HR suite with robust employee management, benefits administration, time and attendance, and applicant tracking. It also has onboarding/offboarding automation and IT management tools. Note that none of the software in this list, including ADP, have IT functionalities. Efficient pay processing: Rippling offers full-service payroll that lets you pay employees and contractors in just a few clicks. It also provides your staff easy access to online pay stubs and tax forms through its mobile apps (for iOS and Android devices). You don’t have to worry about payroll taxes because it automatically calculates and files federal, state, and local taxes for you. And, compared to competitors like Gusto and Zenefits, Rippling’s pay processing capabilities are a bit more robust since, like ADP, it can handle international payroll. Robust integrations: In addition to application programming interface (API) access, you can connect Rippling to more than 500 third-party systems that include accounting, expense management, recruiting, training and onboarding, and office management software, among others. ADP and the other providers in this article don’t integrate with as many third-party solutions. Flexible PEO: For businesses that need expert assistance in managing day-to-day HR and payroll tasks, Rippling offers PEO services. You can even turn it on and off directly from your account and easily transition to using Rippling’s platform again. While ADP, Justworks, and Paychex provide PEO services, neither have a flexible program like Rippling. How We Evaluated the Top ADP Competitors To determine the ADP alternatives you should consider, we compared several options and focused on software that offers a robust set of payroll and HR tools vs just low-budget solutions. Note that ADP isn’t the cheapest payroll service on the market, and neither are many of its top competitors. We also looked at several low-cost payroll software just in case you don’t need all of the features ADP offers or anticipate needing a huge upgrade soon. Then, we chose the top eight software most similar to ADP, yet better in some aspects to help you decide which payroll solution is best for your company. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line ADP is an excellent payroll service, but there are also several other great options to choose from depending on your requirements. All the ADP competitors in this list offer full-service payroll with tax filing services, direct deposits, onboarding and employee self-service, and tax and benefits calculations. Some primarily cater to small businesses, while others are more suited to a range of business sizes. HR support is included with most options but is limited under the most affordable plans. Overall, we found Gusto to be the best ADP competitor for payroll services. It has the essential features that small businesses need, such as full-service payroll, multiple pay options, and expert HR support. It even has a variety of employee benefits you may want to offer, plus a reasonably priced plan for paying contractors—an option that ADP doesn’t offer. Sign up for a Gusto plan today.