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Top 15 Payroll Software in 2019

Written by
RD Symms
RD Symms
Updated on
  6 min read

Top 15 Payroll Software in 2019

How much time does your human resources (HR) team spend on tedious administrative tasks?

If they’re like most, the answer is too much … but it doesn’t have to be that way.

By investing in payroll software, you can automate the process of tracking employee attendance, distributing paychecks, and managing tax filings — freeing HR to focus on more strategic work that improves business outcomes.

But finding the right solution isn’t exactly easy.

There are tons of options to choose from, and if you’re not an expert in HR and technology, it’s difficult to make the best selection.

(Learn how RFP360 can help you objectively determine which payroll software is right for your organization.)

Fortunately, you don’t have to start your evaluation from scratch.

Below, we’ve ranked the best payroll software available and broken down each solution’s unique strengths.

The 15 best payroll software available in 2019

1. OnPay

Overview

Developers had one thing in mind when creating OnPay: Building “the most flexible and complete payroll service in the cloud.”

Considering the key features and user ratings you’ll see below, we think they hit the mark.

Key features

  • Unlimited payroll runs.
  • Tax filings
  • Direct deposit.
  • Debit card payments.
  • Free setup.

Rating

Composite score: 4.92/5 stars.

2. Justworks

(Full disclosure: This is the payroll software we use.)

Overview

Justworks provides a solution that helps you manage “payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance — all in one place” and “simplifies your business’s back office complexities, so you can work fearlessly.”

When it comes to their payroll module, they claim: “Whatever shape and size your team takes, paying your people is simple with Justworks.”

Key features

  • Automated deposits.
  • One-off payments.
  • Payroll tax filings.
  • Auto notifications.

Rating

Composite score: 4.6/5 stars.

3. Gusto

Overview

Gusto seeks to make “the most complicated business tasks simple and personal,” and they’re accomplishing this goal by “reimagining payroll, benefits, and HR for modern companies.”

When it comes to payroll, they claim their solution “is about as easy as payroll’s ever going to be.”

Key features

  • Manual filing.
  • Writing checks.
  • Updating employee info.
  • Mobile accessibility.
  • Automatic payroll.

Rating

Composite score: 4.5/5 stars.

4. Run Powered by ADP

Overview

Run is ADP’s HR solution for smaller businesses. It “handles the nitty-gritty details of running a small business, so you can focus on what you do best.”

Key features

  • Payroll.
  • Mobile app.
  • Tax and compliance.
  • Hiring and HR.
  • Benefits options.

Rating

Composite score: 4.47/5 stars.

5. Square Payroll

Overview

Square is focused on creating a solution “that works for every business.”

Their payroll software, Square Payroll, is an all-in-one, full-service solution.

Key features

  • Multiple payroll runs per month.
  • Hour tracking.
  • Mobile accessibility.
  • Employee access.
  • Tax filing.

Rating

Composite score: 4.34/5 stars.

6. Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian describes Dayforce as “a global human capital management platform that transforms the employee experience. It unifies data from across the entire employee lifecycle to enable better decision-making at every level.”

They go on to explain that the payroll module provides “more time for reviews and audits, which helps to ensure a more complete and accurate payroll submission.”

Key features

  • Tax management.
  • Quick data entry.
  • Mobile accessibility.
  • Employee self-service.
  • Verification services.
  • Simple reporting.
  • Executive dashboards.

Rating

Composite score: 4.3/5 stars.

7. ADP Workforce Now

Overview

ADP Workforce Now is an “all-in-one platform for payroll, HR, time, talent, and benefits.”

The payroll module, ADP Workforce Now Payroll, “quickly and accurately processes payroll and equips your employees with anytime, anywhere self-service access to their information.”

Key features

  • Reporting and analytics.
  • Built-in alerts.
  • Regulatory and compliance support.
  • Mobile accessibility.

Rating

Composite score: 4.29/5 stars.

8. Workday HCM

Overview

Workday HCM “provides complete visibility into your global workforce and a better user experience, so you can keep people engaged and help them grow.”

The payroll module helps users “gain control, flexibility, and insight to manage payroll.”

Key features

  • Global labor cost and trends reports.
  • Tax and financial reporting.
  • Compliance dashboard.
  • Payroll calculations.

Rating

Composite score: 4.28/5 stars.

9. Paylocity

Overview

Paylocity is designed to help you “simplify how you perform everyday payroll and human resources tasks with a smart online system.”

The payroll portion of this software empowers users to “go beyond everyday payroll functions” by offering everything from “custom reports to proactive features like the pre-process register.”

Key features

  • New hire and quick-edit templates.
  • Custom checklists.
  • Configurable frameworks.
  • Employee action forms.
  • Pre-process register.
  • Data integrations.

Rating

Composite score: 4.12/5 stars.

10. Namely

Overview

Namely describes their software as “the HR, payroll, and benefits platform that makes it possible” to “build a better world.”

Their payroll module offers “full-service payroll, in sync with all your HR, time, and benefits data.”

Key features

  • Automatic deductions.
  • Simple tax filings.
  • Year-end reporting.
  • Time integration.
  • Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting.
  • Employee access.

Rating

Composite score: 4.08/5 stars.

11. Zenefits Payroll

Overview

Zenefits is an HR, benefits, compliance, and time and attendance solution that’s “powering people to make work move and business thrive.”

Their payroll module, Zenefits Payroll, empowers users to “stay up to date on earnings, deductions, and taxes without lifting a finger” by pushing “any changes to HR, benefits, hours, and time-off straight into payroll — zero clicks, zero spreadsheets.”

Key features

  • Automatic upkeep.
  • Automatic new hire onboarding.
  • Automatic tax filing.
  • Three-click payroll runs.
  • Trackable data.

Rating

Composite score: 4.04/5 stars.

12. QuickBooks Payroll

Overview

According to Intuit, “QuickBooks Payroll is the #1 payroll provider for small businesses.”

Key features

  • Automatic payroll tax calculations.
  • Integrated time tracking.
  • Free same-day direct deposit.
  • Mobile app.

Rating

Composite score: 3.99/5 stars.

13. Kronos

Overview

Kronos created their software to deliver an “employee experience built for the future of work.”

Their payroll solutions “simplify your payroll processes, empower employees with self-service features, and improve paycheck accuracy.”

Key features

  • In-depth reporting.
  • Automated tax filing.
  • Check distribution.
  • Garnishment processing.
  • Payroll documentation.

Rating

Composite score: 3.99/5 stars.

14. PeopleSoft

Designed by Oracle, PeopleSoft aims to deliver “continuous innovation with new features, functionality, and enhancements across the applications suite.”

The payroll module, PeopleSoft Global Payroll, “delivers efficiencies, improves control over all aspects of your worldwide payroll operations, allows best practices to be replicated across the enterprise, and increases visibility into individual country activities.”

Key features

  • Single database.
  • Country-specific regulations.
  • The ability to manage pay in multiple currencies.
  • Absence management engine.
  • Retroactive processing.
  • Off-cycle payroll runs.
  • Payroll expense reporting.

Rating

Composite score: 3.77/5 stars.

15. Sage Payroll Services

Overview

Sage offers “simple, time-saving tools” that “help you take control of your finances and reduce time spent on admin so you can focus on what you love — running your business.”

Their payroll software is designed to help you “retain top talent by paying employees accurately and on time, reducing risk and allowing organizations to access payroll data anytime, anywhere.”

Key features

  • Direct deposit.
  • Dedicated service representative.
  • Tax filing.
  • Vacation and sick balances tracking.

Rating

Composite score: 3.37/5 stars.

How RFP360 can help

RFP360 — the only full-circle request for proposal (RFP) management solution on the market today — empowers strategic RFP management that can help you identify the perfect payroll software for your organization.

“If you already know who you’re going to select, RFP360 probably isn’t the tool for you. But if you actually want to make an informed and objective decision, you need something to help you analyze vendors from a quantitative perspective,” said Kelly Ellis, director of administration and operational excellence at Piper Jordan. “RFP360 is the right choice.”

Learn more about how RFP360 can help your organization select the right payroll solution.

 

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