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7 Best Hive Payroll Alternatives in 2026 — Free Options Included

Explore 7 alternatives to Hive Payroll — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

Hive Payroll alternatives compared: the 7 top picks

Quick answer

The standout free payroll software alternatives to Hive Payroll are OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll and SurePayroll. OnPay comes first with a SpotScore of 9.4 and 4.96★ from reviewers. Compare all 7 on score, rating, and pricing below.

Looking past Hive Payroll? These 7 payroll software free alternatives hold up the best on the things that matter: cost, capability, and how easy they are to live with. We sort them by SpotScore, which weighs verified satisfaction against market presence, then by ratings and pricing. Compare them in the table below, then get the full picture for each.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
OnPayStreamline your payroll process and save time and money.9.4★★★★★ 4.96(447)Freefrom $40/moteams of all sizes
QuickBooks PayrollStreamline your payroll process with ease.9.2★★★★☆ 4.4(56)Freefrom $49/mosmall businesses
SurePayrollEfficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.9.2★★★★★ 4.86(1436)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Patriot PayrollEfficiently streamline your payroll process.8.8★★★★★ 4.87(3151)Freefrom $14/moteams of all sizes
Square PayrollStreamline your payroll with ease.8.8★★★★★ 5(15)Freefrom $34 /User/Monthteams of all sizes
PaybooksEffortlessly manage payroll with Paybooks.8.5★★★★★ 5(3)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
CheckMark PayrollStreamline payroll processing with ease.8.2★★★★☆ 4.17(6)Freefrom $449teams of all sizes

9.4

SpotScore

OnPay - Payroll Software

OnPay

Streamline your payroll process and save time and money.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

5.0

447 verified reviews

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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 ...

Read more about OnPay
Free TrialTry Free →

9.2

SpotScore

QuickBooks Payroll - Payroll Software

QuickBooks Payroll

Streamline your payroll process with ease.

Best for: SMB teams

Start Free Trial

4.4

56 verified reviews

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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 →

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9.2

SpotScore

SurePayroll - Payroll Software

SurePayroll

Efficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.9

1436 verified reviews

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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

8.8

SpotScore

Patriot Payroll - Payroll Software

Patriot Payroll

Efficiently streamline your payroll process.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.9

3151 verified reviews

Add to compare

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Watch Demo

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 →

8.8

SpotScore

Square Payroll - Payroll Software

Square Payroll

Streamline your payroll with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

5.0

15 verified reviews

Add to compare

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 →

8.5

SpotScore

Paybooks - Payroll Software

Paybooks

Effortlessly manage payroll with Paybooks.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

5.0

3 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Paybooks?

Paybooks is payroll software for HR teams in mid-sized to large companies managing payroll across multiple business units or tax jurisdictions. It handles salary calculation, statutory compliance, and supports both cloud and on-premise deployment depending on IT policy. Setup requires ...

Read more about Paybooks
Free TrialTry Free →·

Paybooks offers custom pricing plan

8.2

SpotScore

CheckMark Payroll - Payroll Software

CheckMark Payroll

Streamline payroll processing with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.2

6 verified reviews

Add to compare

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 →

Who competes with Hive Payroll?

Hive Payroll competes with 7 other payroll software tools tracked on Spotsaas. The closest by feature overlap are OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll and SurePayroll. Each is compared against Hive Payroll on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

What else works like Hive Payroll?

Searches for "sites like Hive Payroll" and "apps like Hive Payroll" land on the same set of options as "Hive Payroll alternatives" — the 7 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

Why these options stand out

OnPay9.4Best for teams of all sizes

OnPay stands out for its intuitive design, making it easy for supervisors, managers, and payroll specialists to navigate and execute payroll tasks efficiently

Watch for: While great for SMBs, larger companies might find customization options less robust for complex payroll needs.

QuickBooks Payroll9.2Best for small businesses

Automates tax filing, paycheck generation, and sends real-time notifications to reduce manual effort.

Watch for: Steeper pricing compared to alternative payroll systems, especially for smaller businesses or limited payroll needs.

SurePayroll9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Payroll setup is quick, easy to use, and simplifies previously cumbersome tasks like tax deductions and filings.

Watch for: Occasional issues with missing payments or discrepancies that require follow-up.

Patriot Payroll8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Very user-friendly software, making tasks straightforward and efficient for startups and small businesses.

Watch for: Occasional learning curve during setup or for newcomers, though consistently offset by good support.

Square Payroll8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Square Payroll integrates effortlessly with existing payroll providers, making it an ideal plug-and-play solution without the need for major system overhauls.

Watch for: While great for small businesses, it may lack some of the advanced reporting, analytics, or customization features needed by larger enterprises.

Paybooks8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Paybooks offers a robust suite of payroll functionalities that can handle end-to-end payroll processing, making it suitable for a wide range of organizational needs.

Watch for: Due to its high level of customization, setting up Paybooks to suit specific business structures and jurisdictions can be time-consuming without expert assistance.

CheckMark Payroll8.2Best for teams of all sizes

Offers multiple check printing formats so businesses can customize how employee paychecks are printed.

Watch for: The product focuses primarily on check printing and payroll processing, and may not include broader HR functionalities like onboarding, time tracking, or benefits administration.

Why teams look for a Hive Payroll alternative

There are a few common reasons buyers start shopping for a Hive Payroll alternative:

  • The visual layout could use modernization to enhance the overall user experience.
  • May not fully accommodate complex pay scales or non-standard compensation models.
  • No dedicated mobile app or optimized mobile interface limits flexibility for on-the-go payroll tasks.

What separates a strong Hive Payroll alternative

Side by side, the 7 free alternatives break down like this: 7 offer a free tier; paid plans run $14–$449, with Patriot Payroll the cheapest entry point; and Square Payroll is the highest rated at 5★ across 15 reviews.

The method behind the list.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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

The top-rated alternatives to Hive Payroll are Square Payroll (5.0★), Paybooks (5.0★), OnPay (5.0★). Compare all 7 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to Hive Payroll, prioritize: Tax Management, Attendance Tracking, Check Printing, Deductions Management, Self Service Portal, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

Hive Payroll starts from $17 /month. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Hive Payroll is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Picking a Hive Payroll alternative: where to start

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll and SurePayroll let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: Square Payroll has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: OnPay has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.4) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Migrating from Hive Payroll, step by step

The smart way to leave Hive Payroll is step by step. Export your data, make sure it imports, and confirm your core workflows survive the move. Trial the new tool before committing, and keep Hive Payroll live until you're fully migrated. Most options above offer free testing.

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