Easy online payroll software

Its interface is up to date, especially when compared to those of other free payroll companies. It also saves your employee information to make repeat calculations easier. While all payroll software requires a learning curve, Payroll4Free's is about as flat a curve as you could ask for. On the other hand, when it comes to paid payroll services, we think Gusto, Zenefits , and Patriot Software are three of many incredibly easy-to-use choices.

Each option boasts an abundance of educational resources that make payroll and personnel administration a breeze, regardless of your technical background. Plus, each one serves up elaborate, US-based customer service, full-service payroll by default, and personalized initial setup, among other user-friendly benefits. If you have ten or fewer employees, you can download a payroll template to use with spreadsheet software. Excel and Google Sheets are the most popular choices, though only Google Sheets is truly free—Excel costs a monthly fee.

Most of our recommended payroll templates also double as free pay stub creators. You can also use one of our payroll calculators to make sure you're withholding the right amount in payroll taxes. To choose the best free payroll software providers, we looked at a few key categories, weighted equally:.

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Best overall. Starting from. Free for up to 25 payees. Year-end tax form access. Direct deposit or paper checks. See Plans. Read Our Review. Best time tracking. Unlimited payees. Best for international businesses. No year-end tax forms. No direct deposit or check printing. Best calculator-only.

Unlimited calculations. Paper check printing. Best for Excel users. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. By Kylie McQuarrie. Business Accounting Staff Writer. Published on December 14, Share Article. Updated: 4 months ago.

View all updates. Keep reading for more info on the year's best free payroll software for small-business owners. Best free small business payroll software. Paycheck Manager. Compare the best free payroll software features.

Payroll provider. Is free payroll software right for your business? Payroll4Free: Best overall. Best overall free payroll software. How it's free: In-software ads, paid plan options. Employee self-service portal and payslip access. Pre-filled end-of-year tax forms. Direct deposit and paycheck printing. PTO and vacation time tracking.

See Payroll4Free's Plans. TimeTrex: Best time tracking. Best time tracking software. How it's free: Open-source software. See TimeTrex's Free Plans. Best for international businesses: HR. Best for global ventures. How it's free: Crowdfunding, in-app ads. Paycheck printing no direct deposit. No pre-filled end-of-year tax forms. Some noteworthy perks include: PTO management Attendance management and time clock integration Automatically generated payslips Multiple pay schedules, including weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly Leave approval Unlimited users, including employees and managers Unlimited employee web accounts for pay stub access and PTO requests Mobile payroll app Android and iOS for employers and employees There are some downsides, though.

See HR. Best calculator-only: eSmart Paycheck. Best calculator-only software. How it's free: Paid payroll plan options. Payslip printing no employee self-service access. No PTO or vacation time tracking. Try eSmart Paycheck's Calculator. Best for Office users: ExcelPayroll. Best for Microsoft Office users. How it's free: Integrates with paid Excel software. Limited PTO or vacation time tracking. Download ExcelPayroll Templates. More spreadsheet-based payroll options.

Delivering Business Advice Directly to You. Sign Up. Honorable mention. Comparing other top free payroll software and services. Brand name. Best calculator-only runner-up. How it's free: Paid options. Try Paycheck Manager's Calculator. Additional payroll calculator options. Low-cost alternatives. Patriot Software: Most affordable self-service payroll. Most affordable self-service payroll. See Patriot's Plans. Read Our Patriot Review.

Square Payroll: Best for paying contractors only. Best for contractor-only payroll. End-of-year forms. Direct deposit, paycheck printing, and Cash App payments.

No additional fee for multistate payroll full-service plan only. See Square Payroll's Plans. Read Our Square Payroll Review. Tired of payroll? Gusto handles payroll taxes and more. Get automatic payroll tax filing, including end-of-year tax forms Manage workers compensation insurance Track paid time off, sick leave, and holiday pay.

Get Started. The takeaway. Related reading. Includes a solid features offering that makes it easy for small business owners to manage and automate payroll processes and offers affordable pricing plans following the trial. This user-friendly software includes a long trial and offers a reasonably priced lifetime license. However, it only runs on Windows, lacks a range of features, including flexible payment schedules, off-cycle payrolls, and integrated pre-tax benefits, and is designed for Canadian payroll users only.

SurePayroll offers a range of convenient features, including auto-payroll, same-day payroll, and a mobile app. Paid plans are slightly more affordable than the likes of QuickBooks Payroll, although it doesn't have as rich a feature profile. Offers competitive pricing but lacks several key features, such as automatic payments, net-to-gross calculations, and workers' compensation. Offers a solid feature profile but lacks a few advanced functions, such as expense integration and digital signatures.

It's also competitively priced and has excellent user reviews. Very affordable after the free trial but lacks many advanced features, including expense integration, year-round record keeping, and digital signatures. Offers a decent range of features but lacks advanced functionalities such as easy payroll cancellations, FICA Tip Credit for restaurants, and lifetime accounts. The free trial is quite short. Aruti's payroll offering has a very limited feature profile compared to the likes of Zenefits, Fingercheck, and QuickBooks Payroll.

Aruti does not make pricing information readily available on its website. While affordably priced, this software is primarily designed for small business accounting purposes and lacks several common payroll software features. Has a reasonable feature profile, including compliance management and general ledger integration, and low pricing after the free trial.

However, it is intended for use in Australia only. While reasonably priced with a good feature profile, this software is intended for the Canadian payroll market only. Offers common functionalities but lacks built-in timesheets and expense integration.

However, packages available after the free trial are very affordable. While user-friendly and comparatively inexpensive following the free trial, this software lacks a few key features, including vacation tracking, phone support, and multiple pay rates.

Offers a decent range of features for the price. The software is designed for businesses in the U. This solution is cost-effective and offers the essentials for managing payroll. However, the software is designed to be used by businesses in Canada only. PenSoft offers a range of packages with attractive features but isn't as comprehensive as Zenefits.

However, the software is competitively priced and easy to use. While simple and user-friendly, Salaroo offers a comparatively low number of features for the price and is not suitable for businesses in the U. Compare the top payroll service providers. Includes pricing and ratings for the top 19 payroll companies, along with answers to common questions.

Yes, you can use free payroll software to process your payroll. While some payroll software providers offer a free plan, many only include a free trial. Most of the companies we found offer free trials of their software. One offered it for free up to 25 employees, so they're likely hoping that by using their payroll for small business free of charge in the beginning, your company will grow, and you'll be able to pay as you grow.

Most payroll software we looked at offer free trials. The typical small business payroll software free trial lasts 30 days.