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List of the Best Payroll Software in 2026

Rajat Gupta
Researched and Edited by Rajat Gupta
Rajat Gupta

Researched and Edited by Rajat Gupta

Last updated: August 27, 2026 · How we review

Payroll Software overview

Spotsaas tracks 120 products in Payroll Software, ranked by SpotScore — a blend of feature coverage, verified review ratings, and value. 27 let you start on a free trial, and 14 keep a free plan you can stay on. Most buyers here are HR managers at mid-sized technology or SaaS companies managing integrated payroll and benefits.

120
products listed
27
offer a free trial
14
have a free plan
48
priced per subscription
65
quote on request

Editor's Summary · Payroll Software

Paycom holds a 9.8/10 SpotScore and earns 4.51/5 from 1,295 reviews, putting it at the top on both dimensions. OnPay achieves the highest user rating in the category at 4.95/5 from 447 reviews — a strong signal for small business owners who want accuracy without complexity. Gusto lands at 4.36/5 from 947 users and includes a free trial, which makes it the go-to starting point for companies migrating off manual payroll.

Payroll software automates wage calculations, tax filings, and direct deposit runs for employee and contractor payments. HR managers and finance leads at companies with 10 to 500 employees are the typical buyers, especially during periods of rapid headcount growth.

Quick picks for Payroll Software

  • Best overallPaycom
  • Best for small businessesOnPay
  • Best for growing startupsGusto
  • Best free optiongreytHR

Who gets the most from Payroll Software

  • 1HR managers at mid-sized technology or SaaS companies managing integrated payroll and benefits
  • 2Payroll specialists in healthcare or manufacturing firms handling complex tax compliance and real-time payroll data
  • 3Small business owners or payroll administrators in retail or restaurants seeking simple, intuitive payroll processing with tax filing
How to choose Payroll Software

If you need comprehensive payroll plus benefits and compliance in one platform, filter by Enterprise deployment and sort by rating; for small businesses prioritizing ease and quick setup, filter by Free Trial or Freemium options and sort by user sentiment.

Showing 1-20 out of 120

9.8

SpotScore

Paycom - Payroll Software

Paycom

Automate decisions so you can focus on the extraordinary

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

HIPAA
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What is Paycom?

Paycom helps organizations manage HR and payroll through built-in decisioning logic and full-solution automation. By automating routine decisions and workflows, Paycom helps reduce manual work, streamline processes and improve consistency across HR and payroll. Its single database consolidates ...

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Paycom offers custom pricing plan

9.8

SpotScore

BambooHR - HR Software

BambooHR

Streamline your HR processes for better business results.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is BambooHR?

BambooHR is an HR platform built for small and mid-sized businesses — typically 10 to 500 employees — covering employee records, onboarding, time-off tracking, and performance management in one system. It replaces fragmented spreadsheets and disconnected tools by centralizing all employee data ...

Read more about BambooHR
Free TrialTry Free →·

BambooHR offers custom pricing plan

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See the companies researching Payroll software right now — while they're still comparing options.

In-market Payroll buyersCompany-level namesNo pixel to install

9.7

SpotScore

Gusto - Payroll Software

Gusto

Modern HR for Growing Businesses

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

HIPAA
Start Free Trial

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What is Gusto?

Gusto is a comprehensive HR platform designed to help businesses of all sizes thrive. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling rapidly, Gusto provides the tools and guidance you need to grow and nurture your team. Trusted by over 300,000 businesses across the U.S., Gusto combines payroll, ...

Read more about Gusto
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $49/user/month when monthly

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9.7

SpotScore

Homebase - Employee Scheduling Software

Homebase

Streamline team collaboration with Homebase.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Homebase?

Homebase is a comprehensive time-tracking software developed by experienced people managers to enhance team collaboration and efficiency. It simplifies employee time tracking, scheduling, and payroll management, reducing administrative workload. The platform allows users to generate insightful ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $0/ location / month when monthly, also offers free forever plan

9.6

SpotScore

Paycor - HR Software

Paycor

Transform your workforce with Paycor.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Paycor?

Paycor is a human capital management platform for mid-size businesses and nonprofits that need payroll processing, time tracking, benefits administration, and employee onboarding managed in a single system. It eliminates the need for separate payroll and HR tools by centralizing people ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Paycor offers custom pricing plan

9.5

SpotScore

Zenefits - Payroll Software

Zenefits

Streamline payroll and stay compliant with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

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What is Zenefits?

Zenefits is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits administration platform for growing companies that want to consolidate onboarding, time-off tracking, payroll processing, and compliance management in a single system. It eliminates the common pattern of using separate tools for HR records, ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Zenefits offers custom pricing plan

What buyers evaluate in Payroll Software
Scope of payroll automation including tax filings and compliance with federal/state regulations
Integration capabilities with accounting and HR software for seamless data flow
Support for industry-specific payroll complexities such as global employment compliance or sector-specific tax rules

9.4

SpotScore

Remote.com - Payroll Software

Remote.com

Effortlessly manage your remote workforce.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Remote.com?

Remote.com is a remote work management platform that simplifies global payroll, compliance, and workforce administration for businesses of all sizes. It seamlessly integrates with HR systems, centralizing payroll data for security and accuracy. The platform enables effortless onboarding with ...

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Starts from $29/employee/month when monthly

9.4

SpotScore

OnPay - Payroll Software

OnPay

Streamline your payroll process and save time and money.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is OnPay?

OnPay is an intuitive online payroll software designed to meet the needs of supervisors, managers, payroll specialists and people who manage pay for hourly or salaried staff. OnPay helps companies of all sizes reduce costs for processing payroll checks, making tax reports, tracking down pay ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $40/Month

9.4

SpotScore

Rippling - HR Software

Rippling

Streamline your workforce with Rippling's all-in-one solution.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

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What is Rippling?

Rippling is an all-in-one global workforce management platform that seamlessly integrates HR, IT, and finance into a unified system. Designed to streamline business operations, Rippling offers comprehensive tools for managing the entire employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding to ...

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Starts from $8custom

9.3

SpotScore

factoHR - HR Software

factoHR

Streamline HR management and focus on growth.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is factoHR?

FactoHR is a mobile-first, fully integrated HCM platform designed to empower businesses in building a high-performing workforce while streamlining HR operations. The solution offers a feature-rich mobile app, enabling employees to access their data and perform HR tasks anytime, anywhere, ...

Read more about factoHR
Free TrialTry Free →·

factoHR offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

QuickBooks Payroll - Payroll Software

QuickBooks Payroll

Streamline your payroll process with ease.

Best for: SMB teams

Start Free Trial

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What is QuickBooks Payroll?

QuickBooks Payroll makes it easy to stay on top of your HR needs. It’s payroll software that gives you the power to handle all the payroll processing you need, from modeling an employee’s paycheck to tracking deductions and taxes. Whether you need a few employees or thousands, QuickBooks ...

Read more about QuickBooks Payroll
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $49/Month

9.2

SpotScore

Justworks - Payroll Software

Justworks

Efficient payroll management on the go.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Justworks?

Justworks is payroll software that offers international payroll, payroll tax filing and realtime benefits administration. The Justworks app is a simple way for teams to bill their hours directly from their iPhone or Android devices. This mobile solution provides employees with a transparent ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $8/user/month when monthly

9.2

SpotScore

SurePayroll - Payroll Software

SurePayroll

Efficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is SurePayroll?

SurePayroll is a cloud-based, Payroll Software with Time Tracking Service. The software can be accessed from any device and is hosted by SurePayroll in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center for fast processing and performance.It automates most employee related tasks including accurate and ...

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Free Trial·

SurePayroll offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

Paychex Flex - Payroll Software

Paychex Flex

Streamline your payroll with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Paychex Flex?

Paychex Flex is a cloud-based payroll software for mid- to large-sized employers, delivering the tools you need to run your business and support your people. This payroll system provides everything you need in just one simple package. It includes: W-2 and 1099 printing, Payroll processing, ...

Read more about Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex offers custom pricing plan

9.1

SpotScore

Hibob HRIS - HR Software

Hibob HRIS

Unleash your team's potential with Hibob HRIS.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Hibob HRIS?

Hibob HRIS is a modern human resource information system designed to enhance employee engagement and streamline HR operations. It empowers HR teams to go beyond administrative tasks by making data-driven, personalized decisions that foster workforce growth and satisfaction. The platform ...

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Hibob HRIS offers custom pricing plan

9.1

SpotScore

greytHR - Payroll Software

greytHR

Streamline payroll management, anytime, anywhere.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is greytHR?

GreytHR is a cloud-based HR and payroll platform used primarily by small and mid-sized companies in India that need to manage statutory compliance, attendance, and salary processing without a large HR department. It handles PF, ESI, TDS, and other Indian regulatory requirements alongside leave ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $3495/month, also offers free forever plan

8.9

SpotScore

ThePayStubs - Payroll Software

ThePayStubs

Effortlessly manage your payroll with ThePayStubs.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is ThePayStubs?

ThePayStubs is the best way to quickly generate online pay stubs. Instantly print or access pay stubs to help keep track of salary, taxes, and overtime pay. Get all the info you need about your earnings and deductions with this simple, fast and secure check stub creator. Enjoy stress-free ...

Read more about ThePayStubs

ThePayStubs offers custom pricing plan

8.8

SpotScore

Collective logo

Collective

All-in-one back-office platform for self-employed professionals and solopreneurs

Best for: SMB teams

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4.4

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What is Collective?

Collective is an all-in-one back-office platform for self-employed professionals and solopreneurs, combining S-corp formation, bookkeeping, payroll, tax preparation, and financial planning into a single annual subscription. It automates the administrative complexity of running a business as a ...

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Starts from $299paid when /month (billed annually)

8.8

SpotScore

Patriot Payroll - Payroll Software

Patriot Payroll

Efficiently streamline your payroll process.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Patriot Payroll?

The Patriot's secure payroll solution is designed to lower the total cost of payroll administration, while helping you reduce your staffs' workload. With its fully integrated interface with Patriot's fund accounting and other core compliance solutions, Patriot Payroll Software automates the ...

Read more about Patriot Payroll
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $14/Month

8.8

SpotScore

Square Payroll - Payroll Software

Square Payroll

Streamline your payroll with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is Square Payroll?

Square Payroll is payroll software for small businesses and sole proprietors, particularly those already running payments or point-of-sale through Square's ecosystem. It automates pay runs, tax filings, and direct deposit, and pulls time tracking data directly from Square tools to eliminate ...

Read more about Square Payroll
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $34/User/Month

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Frequently Asked Questions About Payroll Software

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The most important Payroll Software features to evaluate are Expense Tracking, Multi-Currency, Tax Management, Attendance Tracking, Check Printing, Direct Deposit. Most buyers prioritize ease of use, reporting, and integration capabilities when choosing a solution. Look for tools that cover your core workflow before comparing advanced features.

Payroll Software pricing varies widely — from free plans to enterprise contracts. 15 products on Spotsaas offer a free plan or trial, including Gusto, Zenefits, OnPay. Paid plans typically start around $10–$50/month per user. Check individual product pages for current pricing.

The top rated Payroll Software based on verified user reviews and SpotScore are Square Payroll, Deel, Paybooks. These tools consistently score highest on ease of use, feature depth, and customer support quality. Ratings are updated monthly based on real buyer feedback.

To choose the right Payroll Software, start by listing your must-have features — commonly Expense Tracking, Multi-Currency, Tax Management, Attendance Tracking, Check Printing, Direct Deposit. Then filter by team size, budget, and integrations you already use. Compare at least 3 options and use free trials to test before committing. Spotsaas lets you compare side-by-side in minutes.

Yes — 15 Payroll Software on Spotsaas offer a free plan or free trial. Popular free options include Gusto, Zenefits, OnPay. Free plans typically cover core features for small teams; paid upgrades unlock advanced reporting, integrations, and support.

The best Payroll Software for small businesses are affordable, quick to set up, and scale without complexity. Top picks for small teams are Paycom, Gusto, Zenefits. Look for tools with per-user pricing, no long-term contracts, and strong onboarding support to minimize ramp-up time.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].