Xero Payroll

When choosing payroll software, there is no single "best" option for every business. The right choice depends on your business's size, your growth plans, whether you have international workers, and what other software (like accounting or IT tools) you are already using.

The top payroll platforms that business owners, accountants, and HR professionals actually use are grouped by their strengths:

1. Best Overall for Small-to-Medium Businesses: Gusto

If you are a startup, small business, or sole proprietor looking for something that is easy to set up and runs on "autopilot," Gusto is the industry favorite.

• Why people use it: It has an incredibly clean, modern user interface, making it easy to use even if you have zero payroll experience. It automatically calculates and files federal, state, and local taxes, handles direct deposits, and makes it simple to offer employee benefits (like health insurance and 401ks).
• Best for: Businesses with 1 to 100 employees that want a stress-free, user-friendly system.
• Pricing: Starts around $40/month base fee + $6/month per employee.

2. Best for Scaling Companies (HR + Payroll + IT): Rippling

Rippling is widely considered the most powerful modern platform for growing companies because it doesn't just manage payroll—it connects HR and IT into a single system.

• Why people use it: When you hire an employee, Rippling can automatically set up their payroll, health insurance, invite them to Slack and Gmail, and even ship them a pre-configured company laptop. It also easily handles multi-state compliance and has native global payroll features.
• Best for: Fast-growing startups and tech-forward mid-sized businesses (20 to 500+ employees).
• Pricing: Quote-based (starts at a base fee + roughly $8/month per user for payroll).

3. Best for Existing QuickBooks Users: QuickBooks Payroll

If your business already uses QuickBooks Online for its accounting, the most seamless option is often to turn on QuickBooks Payroll.

• Why people use it: Because it is built by Intuit, it integrates directly with your general ledger. This means your bookkeeping is updated instantly every time you run a payroll cycle, eliminating the need to manually reconcile payroll journals at the end of the month.
• Best for: Small businesses already locked into the QuickBooks ecosystem who want all their financial data in one place.
• Pricing: Starts around $45/month base fee + $6/month per employee (often discounted for the first few months).

4. Best Budget-Friendly Option: Patriot Software

If you want a no-frills, highly reliable payroll software that gets the job done without eating into your margins, Patriot Payroll is highly rated by actual users.

• Why people use it: It is incredibly cost-effective while still offering stellar, free, US-based customer support (which is rare for budget software). Their "Full Service" plan handles all tax filings on your behalf, so you don't have to worry about IRS mistakes.
• Best for: Micro-businesses, solopreneurs, and budget-conscious small teams looking for value.
• Pricing: Basic payroll starts at $17/month + $4/worker; Full Service starts at $37/month + $4/worker.

5. Best for Large, Complex, or Established Businesses: ADP RUN

ADP is the biggest player in the payroll space, paying roughly 1 in 6 workers in the United States. For smaller businesses, they offer ADP RUN.

• Why people use it: ADP is an enterprise-grade powerhouse. If you have complex union requirements, highly variable hourly shifts, multi-state footprints, or strict HR compliance needs, ADP’s backend infrastructure is virtually unmatched. They also offer highly customized, dedicated HR support.
• Best for: Mid-to-large sized businesses, companies looking to scale to thousands of employees, or industries with complex labor compliance.
• Pricing: Custom quote-based (typically more expensive than Gusto or Patriot).

6. Best for Global Teams & Contractors: Deel

If you are hiring remote workers, contractors, or full-time employees in other countries, traditional payroll software will not work due to local tax laws. Deel has emerged as the market leader in this space.

• Why people use it: Deel operates as an Employer of Record (EOR). This means they legally employ the person in their home country (handling local taxes, benefits, and labor laws) while they work for you. It also makes paying international contractors in their local currencies incredibly easy.
• Best for: Distributed teams, remote startups, and companies hiring internationally.
• Pricing: Contractors plan starts around $49/month per contractor; EOR services start around $599/month per employee.

A Note for Australian Businesses

If you are operating in Australia, the landscape is slightly different due to strict Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regulations (like Single Touch Payroll/STP Phase 2 and the transition to "Payday Super" starting July 2026).

• Xero Payroll: The gold standard for simple, salaried small businesses already using Xero accounting.
• Employment Hero: The best all-in-one HR and payroll platform for managing complex Australian "Modern Awards" (which dictate overtime, penalty rates, and casual loadings).
• Rippling AU: Highly popular for fast-growing Australian businesses wanting unified global payroll, award interpretation, and device management.

Summary Recommendation:

• Go with Gusto if you want the easiest, most modern, set-and-forget experience.
• Go with Rippling if you are a fast-growing company that wants to automate HR, IT onboarding, and payroll all at once.
• Go with Patriot if you are on a tight budget but still want great customer support.
• Go with Deel if you have a team spread across multiple countries.

The "best" payroll software depends heavily on your company size, budget, and whether you need full HR tools, benefits administration, or global payroll. Here are the top payroll platforms people actually use, broken down by category.

Best for Small Businesses (under 50 employees)

• Gusto – The most popular choice for small businesses. It’s intuitive, affordable, and handles payroll, benefits, and new-hire onboarding well. Great for startups and companies with 1099 contractors.
• QuickBooks Payroll – Ideal if you already use QuickBooks for accounting. Plans include full-service payroll, automatic tax filing, and direct deposit. Very common among freelancers and small teams.
• Wave Payroll – Low-cost option for micro-businesses. It’s simple but only available in the U.S. (and some Canadian provinces). No hidden fees, but fewer HR features.

Best for Growing / Mid-Size Businesses (50–500 employees)

• Rippling – Extremely modern and flexible. Beyond payroll, it handles IT, benefits, time tracking, and global workforce management. Great if you want an all-in-one platform with customization.
• Justworks – Popular for startups and small-to-mid-size companies. It offers professional employer organization (PEO) services, meaning they manage payroll, benefits, compliance, and even HR issues. Excellent customer support.
• Paycor – Good for mid-sized businesses. It offers robust HR, payroll, time tracking, and talent management in one platform. Strong in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and restaurants.

Best for Large Enterprises (500+ employees)

• ADP Workforce Now – The industry giant. ADP powers payroll for millions of companies, from small businesses to Fortune 500s. It’s reliable, scalable, and offers deep HR analytics, compliance support, and global payroll capabilities.
• Workday Payroll – A top pick for large enterprises, especially those that already use Workday for finance and HR. It’s pricey and complex but extremely powerful for global payroll and workforce planning.
• Paycom – A single-software solution that handles payroll, HR, talent acquisition, and time tracking. Popular with large organizations and sports teams/universities. Nice part: employees often manage their own data, reducing HR workload.

Best for Global / International Payroll

• Deel – The fastest-growing option for remote teams and global employers. It handles contractors and full-time employees in 150+ countries with localized compliance. Very popular among startups hiring internationally.
• Remote.com – Similar to Deel. It makes hiring, paying, and managing global employees easy. Good for companies that don’t want to open foreign entities.
• Papaya Global – More enterprise-focused. Handles payroll for workers in 160+ countries, including EOR (employer of record) services and global benefits.

Other Brands People Actually Use

• Paychex Flex – A very established competitor to ADP. Reliable for small-to-mid-size businesses and offers 401(k), insurance, and HR services. Often praised for customer service.
• Netchex – A lesser-known but highly rated option for mid-sized companies that want payroll + HR + benefits analytics.
• Xero Payroll – For businesses outside the U.S. (especially the UK, Australia, New Zealand). Integrates seamlessly with Xero accounting.

Quick recommendation:

• Need simple payroll for a small U.S. team? → Gusto
• Use QuickBooks already? → QuickBooks Payroll
• Need a global payroll solution for remote workers? → Deel
• Have 500+ employees and complex HR needs? → ADP Workforce Now or Workday
• Want payroll + IT + HR in one? → Rippling

I’d suggest trying a free trial or demo of 2–3 tools that fit your size. Payroll errors are painful, so choose one with strong tax compliance and reliable support.