Top 8 Payroll Software for Accountants

Payroll software can make or break a company’s efficiency drive. The better the automation and integration, the easier it is to manage payroll and pay employees. But, which products offer the best value, and are all of them a good fit for your business?

Find out as we share our research into the best payroll software solutions for accountants available today.

Table of Contents

FreshBooks

QuickBooks Payroll

Gusto

Rippling

OnPay

Patriot Payroll

Paychex

SurePayroll

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

FreshBooks

FreshBooks offers the tools you need to support your kind of business. You’ll save time and become more efficient. Freshbooks is accounting software designed for owners. It allows you to send invoices, track time, manage receipts, and expenses, and accept credit cards.

It integrates with Gusto, the simple-to-use payroll solution made for small businesses. It offers automatic tax filings, unlimited payrolls, and payments, direct deposit, plus a whole lot more.

Used by over 30 million business owners, Freshbooks has built a solid reputation as a quality payroll solution. A market leader, it uses its vast experience to understand and meet the payroll needs of its substantial client base.

Pros

• FreshBooks integrates with multiple payroll providers
• Freshbooks is one of the world’s most popular payroll software solutions
• Ideal for filing payroll taxes, managing compliance issues, and paying employees
• Excellent customer support
• Offers a 30-day free trial

Cons

• Limited to major currencies

QuickBooks Payroll

Best known for its bookkeeping software, QuickBooks offers a range of accounting and finance solutions. A range of apps integrates seamlessly with one other and QuickBooks accounting software.

QuickBooks is a good choice for accountants looking for full-service payroll services. It will also help small businesses already using QuickBooks for accounting.

QuickBooks payroll software offers features including automatic payroll and mileage tracking. There’s also 1099 contractor management as well as receipt capture and organization on offer.

Pros

• Next-day direct deposit
• Unlimited payroll runs
• Easy to use
• 30-day free trial

Cons

• It’s far more expensive than a lot of the competition
• You’ll need QuickBooks Payroll Elite for QuickBooks to transfer data
• Poor customer support

Gusto

Gusto offers next-day direct deposit for its clients. This can be a useful perk for accountants who have to get their workers paid fast.

Gusto offers plenty of clever features. These include international contractor payments, unlimited payroll runs, and tip credits. It tracks paid time off (PTO), holiday pay, unemployment insurance, and lifetime digital paystub access.

Its Gusto Pro product makes it easy for accountants and accounting firms to run payroll. Gusto Pro offers full-service payroll, as well as further benefits and HR support. It provides real-time alerts, plentiful software integrations, and excellent customer support. These make Gusto Pro a top choice among accountants.

More than 200,000 small businesses have chosen Gusto’s popular accounting software. It boasts full-service payroll and an easy-to-use platform. It has solid features, integrations, and great customer support. 

For accountants, free software, revenue sharing, and client features are just a few of the extras that add to Gusto’s value. 

Pros

• Free payroll subscription
• Client discounts
• Intuitive UI
• No long-term contracts
• Setup is free
• International contractor payments

Cons

• Limited free trial offers

Rippling

Best suited for bigger businesses, Rippling offers payroll, HR, and IT management services. Rippling makes life easier for accountants. It simplifies payroll data, improving transparency, and automating the payroll process.

Designed to automate payroll processes, it enhances accuracy. It offers an all-in-one payroll, HR, benefits, time, and attendance system.

It comes with built-in integrations and a whole host of features. Rippling is sufficiently robust for accountants who deal with multiple clients. It may be overkill for smaller firms that service customers with basic payroll needs.

Pros

• Great for big accounting firms
• Comes with IT and HR management features
• Lots of integrations
• Good customer support

Cons

• Non-transparent pricing
• Potentially unsuitable for smaller companies

OnPay

The OnPay Partner Program can help streamline your accounting business and manage your clients. OnPay is one of only a handful of payroll providers that provides free data migration for new clients.

It has an intuitive dashboard where you can manage multiple clients in the same place. It also offers multiple user permissions and free payroll software.

There are discounts available that accountants can pass on to customers or use as revenue sharing. OnPay offers access to resources and tools for marketing your business.

Pros

• Free payroll subscription
• Revenue sharing and discounts, ideal for small business owners
• Marketing resources available
• Simple to use

Cons

• Limited integrations

Patriot Payroll

Patriot software lacks certain benefits like HR management and a customizable dashboard. However, as an accounting solution, it makes up for this in its usability and affordability for businesses and their clients.

It’s ideal for accountants who manage a few small businesses with basic payroll. Patriot provides just enough features and integrations to fulfill that need. Patriot’s Partner Program offers a free program available to bookkeepers, accountants, and CPAs.

Pros

• Free payroll processing and accounting system subscription
• Discounts for clients
• Very good customer support

Cons

• Limited benefits and HR
• Limited customizability for accounting professionals

Paychex

Those who work with companies that have large-scale payroll needs should consider Paychex. Its unique payroll solution lets employees see their scheduled wages. Users say they find the payroll software for accountants easy to use.

It boosts workforce management by informing HR ahead of time if there are any discrepancies. This helps reduce mistakes and enhance employee relations.

Pros

• Paychex Pre-Check feature lets employees check for discrepancies before payday
• Online payroll learning management system
• 24-hour complete payroll support, 7 days a week

Cons

• Extra charges for payroll tax, W-2, and 1099 filing
• Pricing is not transparent

SurePayroll

SurePayroll makes it easy for accountants to scale their businesses. This is thanks to a white-label option with a payroll solution that needs no upfront investment. If an accountant brings on 10 clients, the payroll system is free.

Accountants can bill through a direct invoice or revenue sharing. Setup of the accounting software takes just a few minutes. There’s an easy-to-use dashboard with single sign-on access to manage all clients. A mobile app makes it simple to handle basic payroll on the go.

Pros

• Has the ability to white-label the accounting software
• Accountants can access wholesale pricing
• A support team just for accountants

Cons

• Pricing is not completely transparent
• Limited support cover

Key Takeaways

There are plenty of dependencies at play when choosing payroll software for accountants. These include the size of the business and the required functionality. Cost, integration, and automation are key drivers to consider.

Some software solutions offer HR tools in the total payroll cost. Others may provide opportunities for revenue sharing. Most will offer a little bit extra in one aspect of their payroll system. You need to work out which, if any, will be of benefit to your business.

Payroll software for accountants should make a business more efficient. It needs to be easy to use and still be a good choice when and if your business grows. It’s also vital to consider payroll software that offers round-the-clock support.

Reputation counts. A good place to start is with a payroll software solution that a lot of companies and businesses have already tried and tested.

FAQs on Payroll Software

How Much Does a Payroll Software Cost?

Prices vary, but many payroll providers will charge a monthly fee of around 40 USD per month and then 6 USD for each user. Some offer basic payroll services and will then charge more depending on which extra options you decide to purchase. Some providers do not provide transparent costing and will make a bespoke price for individual businesses.

How Do I Choose a Payroll System?

Start by working out what services you really need, such as tax filing or payroll reports. Key considerations will be the size of your business and the number of employees to pay. Some of the best payroll software solutions offer extra services. These could include an HR tool, for example, that benefits administration for hourly and salaried employees.

How Can I Do Payroll for My Small Business?

Choose a reputable payroll software solution. It should be easy to use and offer automation to make payroll tax calculations and complete payroll services. Work out which payroll functions you need to perform and choose a software solution that’s a good fit.

What Makes a Good Payroll System?

A good payroll system is one that helps your business become more efficient. It should save you valuable time better spent on growing your business. It should also ensure that your employees get paid accurately and on time.

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