The Best Payroll Apps Of 2025

The Best Payroll Apps Of 2025

Managing payroll takes a lot of time and effort. No matter your company's pay period, you need to calculate wages, payroll taxes, and deductions accurately. Even a small mistake can cause payment delays, result in penalties, and leave employees unhappy. Thankfully, a payroll app can help you avoid these problems.

Payroll software simplifies everything. It calculates wages, generates pay stubs, and helps with tax form filing. For small business owners, a payroll app lowers the chances of errors and saves hours of manual work. This guide reviews the best payroll apps of 2025. It covers their main features and costs, along with their pros and cons, so you can choose the right app for your business.

What You'll Find Below...

• What Is A Payroll App, And How Does It Work?
• The 15 Best Payroll Apps Of 2025
  • Gusto
  • ADP Run
  • Patriot Payroll
  • Paylocity
  • Remote
  • OnPay
  • Rippling
  • Velocity Global
  • Paychex
  • Zoho Payroll
  • Multiplier
  • Deel
  • Papaya Global
  • TriNet
  • QuickBooks Payroll
• How Much Do Payroll Apps Cost?
• How To Choose A Payroll App
• The Bottom Line

What Is A Payroll App, And How Does It Work?

A payroll app is software that businesses use to simplify employee payments. It automates the calculation of salaries, tax withholdings, and employee time tracking. Many payroll apps also generate pay stubs, manage employee benefits, and assist HR personnel in filing tax forms electronically. These apps can also connect to accounting software, reducing the need for manual entry of employee data and providing mobile access. This functionality allows businesses to process payroll from anywhere, which is especially valuable for small businesses with limited resources that require automated tools for more than just basic payroll calculations.

Here's how payroll apps work:

• First, employers input employee details, such as salaries and hours worked.
• Then, the system calculates total wages, deductions, Social Security contributions, unemployment insurance, and local and federal taxes.
• Later, employees receive their net wages via direct deposit or check.
• Lastly, the app generates pay stubs and reports for both employee and business records.

The 15 Best Payroll Apps Of 2025

Here is a list of this year's top payroll apps, with core features, pricing, and pros and cons.

1. Gusto

Gusto is a popular payroll app, especially for small businesses. It is easy to use, even for beginners, thanks to its clear and simple dashboard. The app helps you to quickly find important information, such as upcoming pay runs and time-off requests.

Features

• Automatic calculations for wages and taxes.
• Employee time tracking.
• Administration of health, dental, vision, and commuter benefits.
• Compliance tracking with alerts.
• Payments for global contractors.

Pricing

Gusto offers tiered pricing with three main plans: Simple ($49 per month, plus $6 per user), Plus ($80 per month, plus $12 per user), and Premium ($180 per month, plus $22 per user). There is also a "Solo" plan for individuals at $49 monthly.

Pros

• Offers employee self-onboarding and a management portal.
• Balances features with ease of use.

Cons

• It can be expensive for larger teams.
• Higher plans are needed for advanced features.

2. ADP Run

The ADP Mobile Solutions app is known for its strong security features and is a popular choice for business owners looking for payroll solutions. Whether you operate a small business or a fast-growing company, this app simplifies payroll management.

Features

• Automated payroll processing and tax calculation.
• Tools to prevent fraud.
• HR management tools.
• Tracking for employee time and attendance.
• A secure place for payroll documents.

Pricing

ADP Run offers four plans: Essential, Enhanced, Complete, and HR Pro. Pricing varies based on your organization's size and needs, so it's best to contact their team for personalized pricing.

Pros

• Supports multi-state tax compliance.
• Scales easily as your business grows.

Cons

• Benefits administration is available only in higher plans.
• Not the best choice for small businesses.

3. Patriot Payroll

Patriot Payroll is primarily for small businesses that require essential, easy-to-use payroll tools. It covers core payroll needs with standard payroll reports and has basic HR features.

Features

• Net-to-gross payroll tool.
• Flexible DIY payroll option.
• Built-in employee time tracking.
• Multi-state tax compliance.
• Full-service platform with unlimited payroll.

Pricing

The Patriot Payroll package consists of two offerings: Basic Payroll costs $17 per month, plus $4 per worker, while Full-Service Payroll is available for $37 per month, plus $5 per worker.

Pros

• Offers free setup.
• US-based customer support.

Cons

• No international payroll capabilities
• Limited third-party app integrations.

4. Paylocity

Paylocity is a payroll app designed for modern businesses. It offers powerful payroll processing features to boost operational efficiency and streamline administrative processes.

Features

• Automated payroll reporting.
• Self-service online portal.
• Expense management tools.
• Employee time tracking.
• Payroll integrations.

Pricing

This platform offers custom pricing. Contact Paylocity's team for a quote.

Pros

• Provides on-demand payment solutions.
• Used in 100+ countries.

Cons

• Administration benefits come at an added cost.
• Does not support contractor payment.

5. Remote

The Remote payroll app simplifies global payroll and manages legal compliance across borders. Businesses with international teams can benefit from this app without worrying about payroll complexities.

Features

• Multi-currency payments.
• Automated tax calculations and reporting.
• Benefits administration.
• Built-in tools for time-off requests.
• Real-time access to payroll data.

Pricing

Remote provides separate plans for different HR functions, but Payroll, its payroll-focused plan, is available at $29 per employee per month.

Pros

• Automates recurring payments.
• Supports contractor payments.

Cons

• A free trial is available only for the Contractor plan.
• Employer of Record (EOR) services are available in fewer countries.

6. OnPay

With the OnPay payroll app, HR professionals can implement an end-to-end payroll system that handles multiple payroll schedules and pay methods, making day-to-day payroll tasks easier and more efficient.

Features

• Full-service payroll solution.
• Unlimited pay runs.
• Federal and local tax filings.
• Custom payroll reporting.
• Administration benefits.

Pricing

OnPay charges a base fee of $49 per month, plus $6 for each user. This pricing makes it an affordable solution for organizations.

Pros

• Ideal for niche industries like agriculture and healthcare.
• Flat-rate pricing for all features.

Cons

• Limited customization available.
• It may not be suitable for large enterprises.

7. Rippling

Rippling is a payroll app that helps organizations manage employee information, such as names, salaries, and payment methods. It gathers data from different systems to provide one clear source of truth. This makes it easier to create custom workflows.

Features

• Automated payroll processing and direct deposits.
• Tax filings and payments.
• Workflow Studio for building custom workflows.
• Benefits administration (health insurance, retirement, etc.).
• Built-in payroll compliance.

Pricing

Rippling offers custom pricing that starts at $8 per user per month. Contact the provider for a quote based on your organization's payroll needs.

Pros

• Offers more than 600 integrations.
• A range of services for EOR.

Cons

• There are extra costs that increase the final price.
• Businesses with basic payroll requirements may find it complicated.

8. Velocity Global

Velocity Global is a leading payroll app that provides businesses with payroll solutions for managing global workforces. It simplifies expanding into the international market by handling cross-border payroll, regulatory compliance, and legal obligations.

Features

• Multi-country payroll processing and tax filings.
• Compliance and risk management.
• Contractor payments.
• Administration benefits.

Pricing

Velocity Global's EOR services start at about $599 per employee per month. Depending on the country and service, pricing is customized, set between 5% and 10% of the annual payroll.

Pros

• Available in more than 180 countries.
• Supports payments in cryptocurrencies.

Cons

• Design-related challenges.
• It may not be suitable for niche industries.

9. Paychex

Known for flexibility, Paychex is a payroll solution that serves small businesses and larger organizations. It delivers a wide range of services while adapting to companies at different stages of growth.

Features

• Payroll processing with direct deposit.
• Automated tax filing and payments.
• Time and attendance tracking.
• Employee benefits administration.
• Mobile app access.

Pricing

The platform offers custom pricing based on business size and chosen features.

Pros

• Scales for different company sizes.
• Comprehensive service offerings.

Cons

• Pricing lacks transparency.
• The interface may feel outdated to some users.

10. Zoho Payroll

Zoho Payroll is part of the Zoho ecosystem, making it an appealing option for businesses already using Zoho tools. It simplifies payroll processing through automation and is considered a cost-effective, no-frills solution for smaller teams seeking reliable payroll software.

Features

• End-to-end payroll automation.
• Direct deposit and pay stub generation.
• Tax compliance and filings.
• Employee self-service portal.
• Integration with other Zoho apps.

Pricing

The pricing starts at $19 per month, plus $2 per employee.

Pros

• Affordable pricing.
• Integration with the Zoho suite.

Cons

• Smaller feature set compared to global providers.
• Available in only a few countries.

11. Multiplier

The Multiplier app offers a simple solution for payroll and compliance for businesses worldwide. You can use one central system to hire employees in over 150 countries.

Features

• International payroll processing in more than 120 currencies.
• Automated tax calculations.
• Full suite of EOR services.
• Benefits administration.
• Real-time analytics.

Pricing

The app offers various pricing options, including two options for payroll: the Global Payroll plan with custom pricing and the Contractors plan, starting at $40 per month.

Pros

• In-house tax experts.
• Strong built-in cross-border compliance.

Cons

• Not cost-efficient for small businesses.
• Limited HR features.

12. Deel

Deel is yet another payroll platform built for international companies. It enables businesses to pay employees and contractors in over 100 countries while upholding compliance with local employment laws.

Features

• Global payroll processing.
• Automated contracts and tax forms.
• Multiple payment methods.
• Benefits management.
• Contractor management tools.

Pricing

Two payroll-specific pricing plans are available: Deel Global starts at $29 per employee per month, while Deel Contractor begins at $49 per contractor per month.

Pros

• Vast international reach.
• In-house payroll and legal support.

Cons

• Higher cost compared to local solutions.
• Add-ons raise pricing.

13. Papaya Global

Papaya Global provides companies with payroll services for global employees. With strong automation and support for local benefits, the app is for organizations managing a distributed workforce.

Features

• Payments for employees and contractors.
• Statutory payments.
• Built-in compliance alerts.
• In-house regional legal and payroll experts.
• Benefits management.

Pricing

This platform offers various pricing editions tailored to custom requirements.

Pros

• No setup fees.
• Free for the first six months.

Cons

• It may not be suitable for small businesses.
• Complex pricing.

14. TriNet

This payroll app is designed for mid-sized businesses. It combines HR, payroll, and compliance features into one solution. With TriNet, companies can utilize a comprehensive system without needing to switch between separate programs.

Features

• Payroll processing and tax compliance.
• Employee benefits management.
• Risk and compliance support.
• Fully cloud-based platform.
• Suite of HR services.

Pricing

This platform starts at $33 per employee per month for HR and payroll.

Pros

• Full-service HR and payroll.
• Scales well for mid-sized firms.

Cons

• Too complex for small businesses.
• Pricing details are not transparent.

15. QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll works well with QuickBooks accounting software, making it a great choice for small businesses that already use Intuit products. It automates payroll runs, files taxes, and offers direct deposit. This helps business owners manage accounting and payroll in one system.

Features

• Automatic payroll and tax filing.
• Direct deposit.
• Integration with QuickBooks accounting.
• Employee self-service.
• Payroll reports.

Pricing

The pricing starts at $88 per month, plus $6.50 per employee.

Pros

• Seamless integration with QuickBooks.
• Easy for small business owners.

Cons

• Limited features outside the Intuit ecosystem.
• Customer support can vary.

How Much Do Payroll Apps Cost?

Payroll apps have different costs based on their features. You can find basic apps for as low as $15 a month. As your needs grow, you may need more advanced software, which can range from $50 to $80 per month. If you need features like international payments, such as managing payments for global contractors and ensuring legal compliance, the cost may be higher or require custom pricing.

How To Choose A Payroll App

There are many payroll apps available, but you can choose the right one by considering a few key points:

• First, the payroll app should be easy to use. A confusing interface can hinder your progress. Look for simple dashboards and an easy setup.
• Second, employee self-service is essential. Your employees should be able to access pay stubs, tax forms, and personal details without needing help from HR.
• Next, think about growth. The payroll app should grow with your team and offer automation for payroll processing and tax filing.
• Finally, check for third-party app integrations. A good payroll app should connect with your accounting, time tracking, and benefits systems, and it should be secure to ensure reliable payroll management.

You can always visit our directory of payroll software with mobile apps, where you can filter vendors based on your needs, compare them, and make an informed decision.

The Bottom Line

Payroll is often an undesirable task for HR professionals, but it doesn't have to be difficult. Apps designed for payroll will reduce busywork, help manage taxes, and make payday easier for everyone. Whether you run a large company or a small team, there's an option that will meet your needs. Just choose the right app, and payroll can become a simple part of your monthly tasks.

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