PayrollCompareLab

Payroll software research

Payroll Software Research for Small Business Buyers

Compare payroll, HR, contractor payment, and global payroll software before moving employee data into a new system.

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Affiliate disclosure: PayrollCompareLab may earn compensation when readers click provider links. Compensation never controls our research notes, comparison criteria, or warnings. Verify pricing, tax support, state coverage, and service terms directly with each provider before buying.

Start with the highest-intent guides

Best Payroll Software for Small BusinessesCompare payroll software by payroll tax support, HR tools, onboarding, benefits, integrations, global payroll, and total operating fit.Best Payroll for Small BusinessA practical payroll shortlist for owners who need dependable payroll runs, tax filings, employee self-service, and room to grow.Best Payroll Software for ContractorsCompare payroll and contractor payment tools for mixed teams with employees, freelancers, forms, approvals, and year-end reporting needs.Best Global Payroll SoftwareGlobal payroll options for companies hiring across countries, managing contractors, employer-of-record needs, and compliance-sensitive workflows.Best Payroll Software for StartupsPayroll software options for founder-led teams comparing first hires, contractors, benefits, onboarding, investor reporting, and compliance workflows.Best Payroll Software with HR ToolsCompare payroll platforms that include onboarding, employee records, benefits, time off, compliance workflows, and HR support options.Best Payroll for QuickBooks UsersPayroll choices for businesses that want accounting handoff, contractor payments, payroll tax support, and clean bookkeeping workflows.Payroll Software Pricing GuideUnderstand payroll pricing variables including base fees, per-worker costs, tax filing, contractor payments, HR add-ons, and global payroll complexity.

Featured payroll providers

4.7

Gusto

Best payroll platform for small business

Fit
Small businesses that want payroll, tax filings, onboarding, benefits, and basic HR tools in one guided system.
Watch out
Very large employers that need a deeply customized enterprise HRIS implementation.
  • Guided payroll runs
  • Payroll tax filing support
  • Benefits and onboarding options
Research Gusto
4.6

Deel

Best for global payroll and contractor management

Fit
Remote-first teams hiring contractors, EOR employees, or payroll workers across multiple countries.
Watch out
Local-only teams that only need simple domestic payroll for a few employees.
  • Global contractor and EOR coverage
  • Compliance-oriented workflows
  • Useful for distributed teams
Research Deel
4.4

QuickBooks Payroll

Best payroll option for QuickBooks users

Fit
Businesses already using QuickBooks Online that want payroll data connected to bookkeeping workflows.
Watch out
Teams that do not use QuickBooks and want broader HR tools first.
  • QuickBooks accounting connection
  • Familiar Intuit ecosystem
  • Good fit for bookkeeper-led workflows
Research QuickBooks Payroll
4.5

Rippling

Best for payroll plus IT and workforce operations

Fit
Growing teams that want payroll, HR, identity, devices, apps, and workforce data in one operational platform.
Watch out
Very small teams that want a basic standalone payroll tool.
  • Payroll plus HR and IT platform
  • Strong automation potential
  • Useful employee data model
Research Rippling
4.3

ADP

Best established payroll provider for broad employer needs

Fit
Employers that want a long-established payroll provider with many HR, tax, and service options.
Watch out
Founders that want transparent self-serve pricing before talking with sales.
  • Established payroll brand
  • Broad service range
  • Scales across employer types
Research ADP
4.2

OnPay

Best straightforward payroll for budget-conscious small teams

Fit
Small businesses that want a simpler payroll product with HR basics and less platform complexity.
Watch out
Companies that need global payroll, deep HRIS, or IT workflow automation.
  • Simple payroll positioning
  • Good small business fit
  • HR basics included in workflow
Research OnPay
Payroll analytics dashboard on a desk

Built for buyer due diligence

PayrollCompareLab focuses on practical buying questions: worker type, tax filing scope, onboarding, support, software integrations, global operations, and migration timing. We avoid false certainty and push readers to verify anything that affects payroll compliance.

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