Top 5 Payroll Services Of 2023

Making mistakes with your employees’ time cards can cause serious problems and may even lead to a visit from the IRS. Though you can handle paychecks yourself, it’s better to get help from a payroll service. Not only can that service keep track of payments, but it can generate paychecks based on the total amount of hours that a person worked. You’ll find other benefits of using one of these services too. At Top 5 Payroll Services, we did the research necessary to rank the five best providers.

1

 4.8/5

1

Rating

Top Choice 2023

ADP is far and above our top choice for payroll software. ADP offers comprehensive payroll solutions with a three month free trial. ADP has a solution for small business and large enterprise clients, it also offers migration from other payroll services.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

$11

Per Month / Employee

2

 5/5

1

Rating

Paychex is one of the most affordable payroll softwares for small businesses. As you cusotmize your plan, the total price will change. Paychex can handle W-2 forms and send them out at the end of the year.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

Per Month with
Extra Fee / Employee

3

 4.5/5

1

Rating

One of the more affordable options for small business owners includes the plans offered by Deluxe. As a new member, you get full access to all services for free for one month. You can then decide whether to stick with the payroll service.

Compare

Price Starts at

$3.64

Per Month / Employee

4

 4/5

1

Rating

Intuit Quickbooks is a name that you might hear often in the business world because of all the services it offers. One of those is a payroll service. With Quickbooks, you get live customer support for free when you need it and a one-month free trial. It does not include onboarding options or HR support, which is why it ranks lower on the list of the best services.

Compare

Price Starts at

$10

Per Month / Employee

Customize Plan Subject
to Change

5

 3.5/5

5

Rating

Gusto is trying to disrupt the payroll software industry. New members get a free trial with unlimited features. Gusto also automatically creates W-2 forms and sends them to your employees at the end of the year.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

Per Month

Customize Plan Subject
to Change

5

 4.25/5

1

Rating

Paycor ranks at the bottom of our list because its website does not list information about its pricing structure. Strong support is available for both you and your workers. Paycor also offers help to make sure that you are tax compliant.

Compare

Price Starts at

$11

Per Month / Employee

1

 4.8/5

1

Rating

Top Choice 2021

ADP is far and above our top choice for payroll software. ADP offers comprehensive payroll solutions with a three month free trial. ADP has a solution for small business and large enterprise clients, it also offers migration from other payroll services.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

$11

Per Month / Employee

2

 5/5

1

Rating

Paychex is one of the most affordable payroll softwares for small businesses. As you cusotmize your plan, the total price will change. Paychex can handle W-2 forms and send them out at the end of the year.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

Per Month with
Extra Fee / Employee

3

 4.5/5

1

Rating

One of the more affordable options for small business owners includes the plans offered by Deluxe. As a new member, you get full access to all services for free for one month. You can then decide whether to stick with the payroll service.

Compare

Price Starts at

$3.64

Per Month / Employee

4

 4/5

1

Rating

Intuit Quickbooks is a name that you might hear often in the business world because of all the services it offers. One of those is a payroll service. With Quickbooks, you get live customer support for free when you need it and a one-month free trial. It does not include onboarding options or HR support, which is why it ranks lower on the list of the best services.

Compare

Price Starts at

$10

Per Month / Employee

Customize Plan Subject
to Change

5

 3.5/5

5

Rating

Gusto is trying to disrupt the payroll software industry. New members get a free trial with unlimited features. Gusto also automatically creates W-2 forms and sends them to your employees at the end of the year.

Compare

Price Starts at

FREE

Per Month

Customize Plan Subject
to Change

5

 4.25/5

1

Rating

Paycor ranks at the bottom of our list because its website does not list information about its pricing structure. Strong support is available for both you and your workers. Paycor also offers help to make sure that you are tax compliant.

Compare

Price Starts at

$11

Per Month / Employee

Comparison Table

What Are Payroll Services?

Payroll services are services designed for business owners to make taking and processing payroll easier. The company that offers these services can help with a variety of things, including cutting checks and sending paychecks via direct deposit. You’ll also receive assistance with deductions and withholdings. Some of your employees may need money taken from their checks because they have child support orders or owe back child support. You may need to withhold some of their checks because they owe money to the federal government or a lender. Payroll services can also withhold taxes from each check based on how much employees need to pay to the state, local and federal governments.

Main Reasons for Using Payroll Services

A common reason to use payroll services as a business owner is that it helps you save time. You no longer need a dedicated department to handle the payments that you send out. As long as you enter the right information, the service provider can issue checks and send payments to everyone who works for you. One of the main reasons to use these services is for the tax compliance that you get. The business you work with has a deep understanding of tax laws and can ensure that you remain compliant with the taxes you take out. You’ll also receive help on the local level.

Benefits of Payroll Services

Whether you want to get added security or save money, working with a payroll service provider can help. The enhanced security that they offer keeps your private information safe and secure, which prevents hackers from stealing social security numbers and other confidential data. You have the chance to save money because you won’t find that you made mistakes with taxes that come with steep penalties. Many business owners appreciate the convenience that providers offer too. You only need to spend a few minutes a week going over your payroll rather than the hours that it would otherwise take.

How Does Payroll Service Work?

Most payroll services ask you to first go over the packages or plans that are available and pick one that is right for your business. Some of the leading companies offer free trial and custom packages too. The free trial may require that you enter a credit card or your bank account information and agree to pay the full price for a plan once the trial expires. Those that offer custom quotes have a form that you can fill out. You’ll then speak with a representative about your needs and sign up for a custom plan. All payroll services ask you to enter information about your employees, including their names, social security numbers, how much they make and how they want to get paid. They’ll receive their correct checks at the end of each pay period based on the hours that they worked.

How to Choose the Best Payroll Services

Choosing the best payroll service requires looking at factors that include the cost and the employees that they cover. While you might predominately hire full-time workers, you may have part-time employees and 1099 contractors on your payroll. Also known as independent contractors, 1099 workers get a 1099 form at the end of a job or project and pay taxes rather than you paying taxes on their work. The cost that you pay depends on the services that you choose and your employees. If you have more than 100 workers, you can expect to pay more than a business with less than 10 employees will pay. We also recommend choosing services that allow employees to view their payroll information and those that can handle sending paychecks to pay cards as some people today do not have bank accounts.

How We Evaluated the Best Payroll Services

When we ranked the best payroll services, we looked at what packages were available as well as what options came with those plans. You can view our ranking to see the pros and cons of those services and find links to where you can sign up for a payroll service. We took into account the expert support that was available and what the hours of operation were. Among the best payroll services are those that offer 24/7 support. Some of the companies that ranked the highest were those that had apps you could use along with the website and provided access for employees.

What is HR Payroll Services?

Payroll services refer to products and tools that payroll companies offer for business owners and human resources officers. These services help you follow a payout schedule and ensure that workers get paid for every minute that they stay on the clock. Some products include tools that allow employees to request time off and get paid if they have any paid time off. You’ll also find services that include mobile apps that both you and workers can use.

Main Reasons for Using Payroll Services

A common reason to use payroll services is for tax compliance. No matter how large your business is, you must pay taxes every year, which requires looking at how much profit you made in comparison to your losses. Every full-time and part-time employee must have taxes taken from their checks too, most of which they get back in the form of a refund when they file the following year. Payroll services can help you stay on track and ensure that you deduct the proper amount of taxes. The services can also help you manage any 1099 contractors or freelancers who work for you too.

Benefits of HR Payroll Services

Saving time is one of the biggest benefits of HR payroll services. Instead of taking hours out of your busy schedule every week to go over payroll or hiring workers to handle those jobs for you, you can use software that does everything automatically. It can help you reduce costs as you pay a rate based on the number of people who work for you rather than a dedicated salary for a payroll specialist. Payroll services can help you avoid IRS fees too for any mistakes that you make. The IRS charges as much as 5% when you owe taxes and can increase that rate up to a maximum of 25%. As you have the chance to go over the paychecks each pay period, you can avoid the mistakes that lead to high fines and fees. You’ll also find that you have a team of experts working for the company that can help you with any payroll questions or problems you have.

How Does Payroll Service Work?

Most payroll service companies require that you answer questions about your company such as the location of the head office and the number of employees you have. You’ll then create an account and enter information about each worker. Some companies allow you to link your time system, which will automatically update the system each week based on how many hours an individual works. Others ask you or another registered user to go into the system every week and update the number of hours that employees worked. When the end of the pay period arrives, the service will send paychecks to workers. You have the option of having those funds sent to their bank accounts or the payment cards that they use. The services also provide you with information necessary for filing your quarterly or annual taxes.

How to Choose the Best Payroll Services

Choosing the best payroll service isn’t as difficult as you might think, especially when you look at our in-depth reviews. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the service must meet the needs of your business in terms of size and wants. You may want a service that lets you send in the paper timesheets that your employees submit each shift or at the end of the week. Many companies now offer automatic services that work with your time clock and automatically update the hours that employees work based on what the clock shows. The best payroll services will include expert help through a dedicated department as well as tax support too.

How We Evaluated the Best Payroll Services

To find the best payroll services, we thought about what business owners need, including both small and large business owners. We made a list of those features and ranked services based on what they provide. Our team of experts also took into account the reviews that others wrote about their payroll experiences and the costs of the services. As we looked at the top companies, we found that some were upfront about their costs and how much clients paid. Others didn’t include that information online and required that prospective clients complete a form to get a custom quote. Tax support and customer service were other features that we included when evaluating these companies.

Conclusion

At Top5PayrollServices.com, you’ll find expert reviews and in-depth information on the best payroll services available today. Not only did we rank the top services, but we include both the pros and cons of each one along with the bottom line on those services. No matter what size business you own or manage, you can find the best payroll service for that company here.