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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 51 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.

51
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 41-51 out of 51

8.3

SpotScore

Greenshades - Payroll Software

Greenshades

Efficiently manage payroll and taxes with Greenshades.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Greenshades?

Greenshades delivers purpose-built payroll, HR, and tax compliance software for organizations where workforce complexity is the norm — not the exception. Built for mid-market and enterprise businesses across staffing, healthcare, construction, and transportation, the Greenshades platform brings ...

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Greenshades offers custom pricing plan

7.6

SpotScore

ADP Payroll Services - Payroll Software

ADP Payroll Services

Efficient HR solutions at your fingertips.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

Add to compare

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What is ADP Payroll Services?

ADP Payroll Services offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help businesses of all sizes comply with payroll, taxes, and other HR regulations. The latest tools from ADP provide access to a live HR support team, a job description wizard, employee handbook guidelines, proactive ...

Read more about ADP Payroll Services
Free TrialTry Free →·

ADP Payroll Services offers custom pricing plan

Sage HR

Sage HR

Streamlining HR Management for Small and Medium Businesses

Best for: Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is Sage HR?

Sage HR is an all-in-one human resource management solution designed to help small and medium-sized businesses streamline their HR operations. From simple leave tracking to comprehensive workforce management, it automates key HR processes, reducing administrative workload and enhancing ...

Read more about Sage HR
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $6/user/month when monthly

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8.6

SpotScore

CAVU HCM logo

CAVU HCM

Mid-market HCM with HR, payroll, time & attendance, and benefits

Best for: Mid-market

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4.3

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What is CAVU HCM?

CAVU HCM is a human capital management platform targeting US mid-market employers with modules for HR, payroll, time & attendance, benefits administration, and talent management. It positions itself as a modern alternative to legacy HCM systems with strong customer support.

Read more about CAVU HCM

8.1

SpotScore

PayrollPanda - Payroll Software

PayrollPanda

Streamline your payroll process for a stress-free business.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is PayrollPanda?

PayrollPanda is payroll software that runs on the web. It streamlines your payroll process and makes it easy to do payroll anywhere and anytime. PayrollPanda automates a lot of the messy, mundane tasks of payroll processing, giving you more time to focus on other important tasks that only you ...

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7.8

SpotScore

Excelforce - Payroll Software

Excelforce

Effortless HR management for growing companies.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Excelforce?

Excelforce is an innovative, award-winning workforce solution designed to make managing payroll and tracking time & attendance easy. It is a mobile-friendly platform that adapts to the needs of growing companies, streamlining HR processes to make your job less demanding. Excelforce is your ...

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Excelforce 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

8.2

SpotScore

CheckMark Payroll - Payroll Software

CheckMark Payroll

Streamline payroll processing with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

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What is CheckMark Payroll?

CheckMark Payroll is a desktop payroll application for small business owners who want to run payroll in-house without outsourcing. It handles check printing, W-2 generation, and federal tax reports directly from the user's printer, removing the need for a payroll service bureau. The software ...

Read more about CheckMark Payroll
Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $449

8.2

SpotScore

Ciphr logo

Ciphr

Connected HR, payroll, recruitment, and LMS for UK mid-market

Best for: Mid-market

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4.1

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What is Ciphr?

Ciphr is a UK-based HR software suite covering HRIS, payroll, recruitment, and learning management. Designed for mid-sized UK organisations, it offers a connected people management platform with strong integrations and a focus on employee self-service and data-driven HR.

Read more about Ciphr

8.7

SpotScore

WavePayroll - Payroll Software

WavePayroll

Effortless payroll and invoicing at your fingertips.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

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What is WavePayroll?

WavePayroll is a payroll and invoicing platform that lets businesses send professional invoices, collect credit card payments, and set up automatic billing for recurring clients. It syncs invoicing, payment records, and accounting data in one dashboard with client history tracking.

Read more about WavePayroll

8.1

SpotScore

CloudPay - Payroll Software

CloudPay

Streamline your payroll with ease.

Best for: Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is CloudPay?

CloudPay is the most user-friendly payroll software on the market. It helps you manage your staff's payroll from anywhere, anytime. This cloud-based software offers seamless interface and easy to use navigation for smooth running of your payroll. With this, you can ensure that you're paying ...

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CloudPay offers custom pricing plan

8.0

SpotScore

Cascade HR logo

Cascade HR

UK HR and payroll software for mid-market organisations

Best for: Mid-market

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4.0

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What is Cascade HR?

Cascade HR is a UK-developed HR and payroll software platform serving mid-market businesses. It offers an integrated suite covering core HR, payroll, recruitment, training, and reporting, with a focus on configurability and on-premise or cloud deployment flexibility for UK organisations.

Read more about Cascade HR

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