Recommended Payroll Services

Last updated: May 2022

You can take your business to the next level by simplifying employee payments, tax filing and more with the right payroll service. We’ve done the research on the top payroll services, so check out our reviews and comparison tool to make the best decision for your business.

9.8

Outstanding

4.9/5

9.4

Excellent

4.4/5

8.8

Great

4.4/5

8.6

Great

4.4/5

8.3

Very Good

4.1/5

8.0

Good

4/5

7.9

Good

3.5/5

7.8

Good

3/5

9.8

Outstanding

4.8/5

9.4

Excellent

4.4/5

9.0

Great

4/5

Our Score

4.1/5

9.0

Our Score

2.8/5

7.8

Paying your employees is an essential part of doing business. Do it wrong — or late — and you can run into plenty of legal issues and unhappy employees.

With that said, many business owners struggle with payroll. It takes a substantial amount of time, and navigating the nuances of payroll and tax compliance isn’t easy. Yet, these activities don’t directly generate revenue for your business. Because of this, many business owners invest in payroll services.

The right payroll companies can free up a lot of time for business owners to focus on business growth — without sacrificing compliance and payroll accuracy. Small business payroll can certainly assist business owners with more productivity and efficiency.

Thanks to advances in cloud technology and a move towards remote work, payroll software and outsourced services have both flourished. Here are some of the top options on the market:

Payroll services are outsourced or software solutions that help business owners pay their employees accurately and on time while complying with all tax laws. Some also include HR functions to assist in compliance with HR issues. Nowadays, there are many payroll companies for small businesses that offer business owners cloud access to run and analyze their payroll from anywhere.

There are three main types of payroll services. Most payroll companies and software can perform operations in most or all of these areas.

First, you have to record employee time and attendance correctly. This entails tracking worked hours, tardiness, absences, sick days, vacation, and so on. This information is used to calculate the proper payment for each employee.

Time tracking through Paychex uses multiple biometric safeguards to make sure the right person is punching in and getting paid for the work. It calculates over time and keeps you compliant with the applicable regulations in your region with no extra work on your part.

Companies have to pay payroll taxes on the wages and salaries paid to employees. You also withhold taxes from employee paychecks based on certain factors. These calculations can get complicated if you aren’t sure of the rules. Payroll tax services help you calculate and withhold the correct amounts. With ADP

Finally, you have to pay out wages to employees. This is where paycheck services come in. The payroll service will pay the employee properly via their preferred payment method (check, direct deposit, etc.). Checks are usually given out on payday, whereas direct deposits can happen on or the day after payday. With ADP as an example you get access to the right methodologies and information for each region where you operate.