Best Payroll Processing Software for Growing Companies (September 2026)

1

SurePayroll

Top pick

surepayroll.com

Best for Small businesses needing simple payroll and tax filing·Free trial

SurePayroll is a payroll service aimed at small businesses, offering automated payroll processing, tax filing, and direct deposit. It handles federal, state, and local payroll tax calculations and filings, and supports employee and contractor payments. The platform includes a self-service employee portal, new-hire reporting, and integrations with accounting software. A mobile app allows owners to run payroll and review reports remotely. SurePayroll also offers add-on services such as workers' compensation and health insurance administration, making it suited to small business owners who want payroll handled without an in-house HR or accounting department.

• Automated tax filing
• Employee self-service portal
• Mobile payroll management

2

Justworks

justworks.com

Best for Small and medium-sized businesses·Paid only

Justworks is a professional employer organization (PEO) that combines payroll processing with HR administration, employee benefits, and compliance support. It handles tax filings, benefits enrollment, and onboarding through a single platform, while also providing access to health insurance and other perks typically available to larger companies. The service is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses that want to outsource payroll and HR functions rather than manage them with in-house staff or multiple separate vendors.

• Payroll processing
• Benefits administration
• Compliance support

3

Deel

deel.com

Best for Companies hiring international remote teams·Free trial

Deel is a global payroll and HR platform that helps companies hire, pay, and manage employees and contractors across multiple countries. It provides tools for international payroll processing, contractor payments, compliance with local labor laws, and employer-of-record services in various jurisdictions. The platform also includes features for benefits administration, equipment management, and visa or immigration support in select regions. Deel is generally suited for businesses with distributed or international workforces that need to manage cross-border employment and payroll without establishing local legal entities in every country where they hire staff.

• Global payroll processing
• Employer-of-record services
• Contractor payment management

4

Rippling

rippling.com

Best for Growing companies unifying HR, IT, and payroll·Paid only

Rippling is a workforce management platform that combines payroll, HR, benefits administration, and IT device management in a single system. It automates payroll calculations, tax filings, and compliance across multiple states, and syncs employee data with HR and IT workflows to reduce manual entry. The platform also supports global payroll and contractor payments for distributed teams. Rippling is designed for growing companies that want to unify HR, IT, and finance operations rather than manage separate point solutions for each function.

• Automated payroll and tax filing
• Global and contractor payments
• Integrated HR and IT management

5

Remote

remote.com

Best for Companies hiring and paying international remote teams·Free trial

Remote is a global HR platform that helps companies hire, pay, and manage employees and contractors across different countries without setting up local legal entities. It offers services such as international payroll, benefits administration, tax compliance, and contractor payments, acting as an employer of record in many regions. The platform is aimed at businesses expanding into new markets or managing distributed teams that need to stay compliant with local labor and tax regulations while consolidating payroll processes into a single system.

• Employer of record services
• Global payroll processing
• Contractor payment management

6

OnPay

onpay.com

Best for Small and medium-sized businesses·Free trial

OnPay is a payroll and HR platform aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. It handles payroll processing, tax filing and payments at federal, state and local levels, and supports employee self-service for pay stubs and personal information updates. The platform also offers integrations with benefits administration, workers' compensation, and time-tracking or accounting software. OnPay is designed to work across various industries, including those with specific payroll needs such as farms, restaurants, and nonprofits. It suits businesses looking for a single system to manage payroll alongside basic HR and benefits tasks without needing separate specialized software.

• Automated tax filing
• Employee self-service portal
• Benefits and HR integrations