Compare ratings, reviews, features, and pricing to see which service will do the most
for your small business.
Every day, small businesses share all the dirt about their payroll service on review sites like G2 Crowd. Here’s how the premium companies compare:
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
— Brittany, B Michael Consulting, LLC
Once you have a sense of which payroll solutions you want to consider, take a closer look to make a more informed choice. The mix of payroll, HR and benefits that different providers offer can vary dramatically — as can the cost.
Payroll isn’t the only thing most payroll companies do. From paying employees to keeping your HR compliant, here’s a quick overview of what most businesses look for. Or, see our complete guide to choosing a provider for a detailed checklist.
Payroll entry, taxes, & deductions
Any provider should allow you to enter hours or wage information, calculate state, federal, and local payroll taxes, and keep track of deductions and withholdings. When comparing providers, make sure completing a pay run is easy and intuitive.
Automatic tax payments
Among the premium providers, automated state and federal taxes are par for the course. No matter who you choose, having all your tax forms and payments filed for you will save a lot of time. Additionally, make sure your provider has an accuracy guarantee so you’re covered in case errors occur.
Here’s how the top payroll services are rated for entering payroll data and the accuracy of tax calculations, and handling payroll taxes:
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
HR & organization management
All of the top providers offer HR features ranging from org charts and time off management to customizable templates and key document storage. Be wary of additional fees from some providers for these essential HR features.
Offering benefits
If you offer benefits, or are looking to in the future, ensure your potential provider includes integrated employees benefits, like 401(k) plans and workers’ comp coverage. Integrations will help the payroll process stay seamless without additional calculations required.
Staying compliant
With different state regulations, it’s important your business stays compliant to avoid unwanted fees and fines. From workers’ comp to 401(k) plans and health benefits, you’ll want a provider that offers what your business needs and keeps you updated on the latest regulations.
In customer ratings, the more modern providers lead the way when it comes to HR, benefits, and helping small businesses stay compliant:
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
*Based on 2023 client survey
97% say OnPay
saves them time
93% say OnPay is
easy to set up
94% say OnPay
gives them flexibility
Reports & dashboards
Having all your data in one place makes it easy to view the information you need. Some providers allow you too look at your data from a bird’s eye view, but don’t allow you to customize and view key details. Make sure you choose a provider that does both.
Scalability
When choosing payroll and HR software, look for a provider that will seamlessly scale with your business as it grows. You’ll want to know your provider can handle all the complexities your business faces as it goes to new heights.
Integrations
From accounting software to your 401(k) provider, integrating your business’s tech stack is key so all the right data is synced and up-to-date. When you’re looking for a provider, make sure they have reliable integrations with apps like QuickBooks so you can have confidence in your data.
In customer ratings, the more modern providers lead the way when it comes to employee experience:
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
Customer support access
Good payroll software simplifies a lot of the work, but tax laws change, humans make mistakes, and even the best payroll providers experience a hiccup every now and then. From setting up your employees to answering questions to dealing with issues if they ever come up, it’s critical to choose a service with outstanding support. You’ll want to make sure you can easily access support via phone, email, or chat when you need it, which some providers charge extra for.
In the ratings and reviews, one provider really stands out:
Customer review data on this page is all from G2.com. Links and additional resources.
Try OnPay out yourself to see how easy payroll and HR can be. To get started, just share a few basic details about your business. Our team of pros will set everything up and import your employees’ information for you.
For full-service payroll, pricing should start at around $40 a month. When you evaluate different providers, make sure you understand how they calculate pricing. A number of payroll companies charge per pay run, and since most businesses run payroll two or more times per month, the actual cost can be a lot more than it looks when you first get an estimate.
Also, beware of setup fees, integration fees, and annual fees for things like W-2 filings. In a perfect world, all payroll costs should be transparent and look something like this.
These days, all the best services are based in the cloud. While some of the core functionality of desktop payroll software can be good, online services offer a number of distinct advantages:
– They’re more secure
– They require no updates
– They enable collaboration
– They make it easy to update your hardware
– They can go anywhere with you — and most are even available on mobile phones
– They integrate more effectively with your other software
We put together detailed head-to-head comparisons of both the feature sets and the review data for most of the premium payroll solutions. Compare any two providers here:
The ratings on this page are all based on customer ratings from Gartner’s G2.com — one of the most reputable sites. If you’re looking for additional resources to help make your decision, we also recommend the following sites:
Really understanding pricing is probably the most important thing you can do. Even if you’re not price-sensitive, there can be a lot of sticker shock after the fact if you end up spending two-to-three times the price you were quoted.
One other thing to think about is any special tax treatment or reports you might need. For example, farms and ag businesses often need to file Form 943 for certain employees. Nonprofits are exempt from federal unemployment taxes, and churches have additional exemptions their payroll provider may need to help with. When you’re looking for the best payroll service for your business, make sure to get into the little details so all your bases will be covered.
Here’s how OnPay serves different industries:
Serving Clients for Over 30 Years
Insurance offered through OnPay Insurance Agency, LLC (CA License #0L29422)
