Top 4 Online Payroll Services [Updated for 2022]

Paying your employees promptly is a crucial aspect of running a business. A quality payroll service is an invaluable tool— and one that should be on every company’s chest. Whether you’re a small business owner or an HR manager looking for an efficient bookkeeping method, choosing the right service is foundational. 

For companies that manage their payroll manually, the task carries an enormous operating cost, making it one of the heaviest administrative burdens. Outsourcing this duty to an online payroll processor can save your business precious time and mitigate potential issues. 

The latter of which is paramount for a business dedicated to securing their top talent. 49% of workers begin a new job search after just two paycheck errors, and with 65% of workers living paycheck to paycheck, it’s more important than ever to ensure an efficient, effective payroll process.

When researching payroll services, your concerns should include features, ease of use, cost, reputation, integrations, and customer support. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you, ensuring you can find the best possible service for your business’s needs in no time. 

Top 5 Online Payroll Services

Gusto

 

Gusto is a great option for both new and experienced payroll administrators, boasting an incredibly clean user interface and a first-rate payroll setup. Gusto lets you manage your employee’s time off (vacation and sick pay), company health insurance, and worker’s comp. Gusto offers excellent mobile access, too. This allows employees to manage aspects of their Gusto profiles, view payday insights, and access Gusto Wallet financial tools. 

Gusto offers four tiers of membership, the most affordable of which is the Contractor’s Only plan, which offers unlimited U.S.-based and global contractor payments, supporting more than 100 countries, plus 1099 creation and filing at a rate of $6 per person per month with no base price.

The other three are Simple, Plus, and Premium. Here’s a deeper look into each plan:

Simple 

Price: 

$40/mo + $6/mo per person

Plan details:

• Full-service single-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s
• Employee profiles and self-service
• Basic hiring and onboarding tools
• Gusto-brokered health insurance administration
• Employee financial benefits
• Payroll and time-off reports
• Custom admin permissions
• Integrations for accounting, time tracking, expense management, and more

Plus

Price:

$80/mo + $12/mo per person

Plan details:

(All Simple plan features +)

• Full-service multi-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s
• Next-day direct deposit
• Advanced hiring and onboarding tools
• PTO management and policies
• Time tracking and project tracking
• Workforce costing and custom reports
• Team management tools
• Full support

Premium

Price:

Bespoke pricing, reach out for a personalized quote

Plan details:

(All Plus plan features +)

• HR Resource Center
• Compliance alerts
• Access to certified HR experts
• Full-service payroll migration and account setup
• Health insurance broker integration
• R&D tax credit discount
• Waived fees and exclusive pricing
• Performance reviews
• Employee surveys and insights
• Dedicated support

QuickBooks Online Payroll

Founded in 1983, Intuit is a California-based financial software company. Since its inception, Intuit has developed into one of the best-known providers of accounting software. Their online payroll service, Quickbooks, includes the essential features you need to run payroll.

Quickbooks offers three tiers of membership. The least expensive membership covers basic accounting features, such as invoices. For more features, check out the Plus and Premium memberships. Each plan’s features are as follows:

Payroll Core + QuickBooks Simple Start

Price:

$37.50/mo + $5/mo per person

Plan details: 

• Full-service payroll
• Includes automated taxes and forms
• Auto Payroll
• 1099 E-File & Pay
• Expert product support
• Next-day direct deposit

Payroll Core + QuickBooks Plus

Price:

$65/mo + $5/mo per employee

Plan details:

(All base plan features +)

• Track income and expenses
• Accept invoices and payments
• Maximize tax deductions
• Run general reports
• Capture and organize receipts
• Track miles
• Manage cash flow
• Track sales and sales tax
• Send estimates
• Manage 1099 contractors
• 1-5 users
• Manage and pay bills
• Track time
• Track inventory
• Track project profitability

Payroll Premium + QuickBooks Plus

Price: 

$80 /mo +$8/mo per employee

Plan details:

(All plus features +)

• Track income and expenses
• Accept invoices and payments
• Maximize tax deductions
• Run general reports
• Capture and organize receipts
• Track miles
• Manage cash flow
• Track sales and sales tax
• Send estimates
• Manage 1099 contractors
• 1-5 users
• Manage and pay bills
• Track time
• Track inventory
• Track project profitability
• HR support center
• Workers’ comp administration

OnPay 

OnPay is a cloud-based full-service payroll processing system capable of running payroll according to a preset schedule, automatically disbursing wages, and calculating and withholding taxes. 

OnPay can sync up with several other software your team is already using, making it easy to integrate the service into your team’s system. Another benefit of OnPays model is the simple, transparent pricing structure. No tiers; just one base rate.

Pricing: 

$40/mo + $6/mo per employee

SurePayroll

SurePayroll’s award-winning service supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Additionally, it handles 401(k) deductions and manages flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA).

SurePayroll also offers a mobile app— available on both Apple and Android devices. 

SurePayroll offers live support through its United States-based support team through chat, email, or phone.

Self Service: 

Pricing: 

$19.99/month + $4/mo per employee

Plan details:

• Payroll Entry
• Direct Deposit
• Pre-tax Deductions
• Approvals
• Check/W-2 Printing
• Check/W-2 Delivery
• Taxes
• Tax Calculation
• Tax Filing

Full Service:

$29.99/month + $5/mo per employee

Plan details:

• Payroll Entry
• Direct Deposit
• Pre-tax Deductions
• Approvals
• Check/W-2 Printing
• Check/W-2 Delivery
• Taxes
• Tax Calculation
• Tax Filing
• 401(k) Tracking
• Access Controls/Permissions
• Applicant Tracking
• Benefits Management
• Check Printing
• Compensation Management
• Direct Deposit
• Document Storage
• Employee Benefits Administration
• Employee Database

Be sure to choose a payroll service that works for your business, and provides you with the peace of mind that comes with a reliable bookkeeping system. Your employees will thank you.