Best payroll software

Gusto is the default payroll platform for US small businesses, combining payroll processing, benefits administration, HR management, and compliance in a single cloud platform. Its clean interface and automated tax filing make payroll accessible to non-specialists.

Dayforce, formerly known as Ceridian Dayforce, is a single-platform HCM solution that covers HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management. Its unique architecture performs continuous payroll calculations throughout the pay period rather than just at payroll run time, enabling real-time visibility into labor costs and compliance. Dayforce serves mid-market and enterprise companies globally.

Rippling unifies payroll, HR, IT, and spend management in a single platform with a compound product strategy. The employee record connects payroll to device management, app provisioning, and corporate card controls.

Paylocity provides payroll and HCM for mid-market companies with modern social collaboration, on-demand pay, and community features that differentiate it from traditional payroll platforms.

ADP Workforce Now is the mid-market workhorse for payroll, HR, benefits, and compliance, serving 70,000+ companies. Its payroll engine handles the most complex US payroll scenarios including multi-state, union, and certified payroll.

Paycor is a cloud HCM platform designed for leaders at small and mid-size businesses. It covers payroll, HR, benefits administration, talent management (recruiting, onboarding, learning, performance), and workforce management (time, scheduling, analytics). Paycor differentiates through leader-focused analytics and dashboards that help managers make better people decisions.

Paychex Flex provides payroll, HR, and benefits administration for small to mid-market businesses, with a dedicated payroll specialist model where each client has an assigned representative for support.

Paycom provides a single-database HCM platform with payroll, emphasizing employee self-service through its Beti technology that lets employees verify and approve their own payroll before submission.

UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) was formed from the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos. It offers UKG Pro (full HCM for mid-market and enterprise), UKG Ready (mid-market HR and payroll), and UKG Dimensions (enterprise workforce management). UKG combines strong payroll and HCM from Ultimate with Kronos's industry-leading workforce management, time, and scheduling capabilities.

Deel provides global payroll and contractor payments across 150+ countries, enabling companies to hire and pay international employees and contractors without establishing local entities through its employer of record (EOR) service.

Papaya Global is a global payroll and payments platform that processes payroll in over 160 countries. It provides a unified dashboard for managing payroll across countries, with real-time analytics, compliance monitoring, and automated payment execution. Papaya differentiates through its payments infrastructure that moves money directly rather than relying entirely on in-country payroll providers.

Remote provides global payroll, EOR, and contractor management with a focus on owning the legal infrastructure in each country rather than relying on local partners, giving more control over compliance and employee experience.

TriNet is a professional employer organization (PEO) that provides small businesses with payroll, benefits, HR, compliance, and risk management through a co-employment model. Under this arrangement, TriNet becomes the employer of record for tax and benefits purposes while the client company retains operational control. This model gives small businesses access to enterprise-grade benefits and HR expertise they could not afford independently.

Justworks provides payroll and benefits as a PEO (Professional Employer Organization), bundling payroll processing, health insurance, workers comp, and HR compliance into a single co-employment relationship.

OnPay provides straightforward payroll for small businesses with transparent pricing, automated tax filing, and integrated benefits administration. It targets the simplicity-first segment of small business payroll.

BambooHR provides payroll as an integrated module within its HR platform, offering automated payroll processing, tax filing, and benefits deductions for small to mid-market companies already using BambooHR for HR management.