Payroll software isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to accounting professionals. But the best payroll for accountants should make it easy to manage multiple clients and leverage time-saving automation, all while providing a positive client-side experience.
Luckily, we’ve put together a detailed guide comparing the best payroll software for accountants to help you make the right choice for your growing business.
Quick Links
Gusto – Best all-in-one payroll software for accountants
Overview
Gusto came out as the easy winner for the best payroll for accountants, offering a robust list of features, seamless integration and automation, along with plenty of perks designed especially for their accountant partners.
The Gusto Pro dashboard makes it easy to manage to-do lists for multiple clients while prioritizing time-sensitive tasks. They provide powerful custom reporting options to supercharge insight and advisory, and they boast one of the longest lists of accounting software integrations including QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Sage, Xendoo, and plenty more. They also offer perks and incentives for accounting partners including discounts on the platform, bonuses for tax credits, and free professional development and CPE credits through Gusto Academy.
Gusto offers a fully integrated solution to manage payroll, taxes, time tracking, and compliance—as well as hiring, onboarding, performance, and benefits—that reduces admin burden and streamlines workflows both for you and your clients. Their intuitive platform makes it easy for clients to utilize the HR and people tools they need, while all the data you need to run the numbers is seamlessly synced and housed in a single system.Gusto was also rated best accountant partner program by Techopedia, best for a modern payroll experience by People Managing People, and best overall payroll software for accountants by U.S. News and World Report, to name a few.
Automatic Tax Filing & Compliance
Every time you run your clients’ payroll with Gusto, all federal, state, and local taxes are automatically calculated, filed, and paid along with benefits deductions, workers’ comp, and PTO. Gusto handles 1099s and W-2s so you don’t have to, and they’ll keep clients compliant with meal times, breaks, and minimum wage.
Employee Self-Service
Employee self-service is a huge time saver both for you and your clients. New hires can upload documents, complete background checks, e-sign contracts, and access onboarding materials. Employees can view their paychecks, manage PTO, clock in and out, and access financial management tools right from the app. But most importantly, Gusto gives employees lifetime access to paystubs, W-2s, and more, meaning you’ll never spend time chasing down documents again.
Benefits Administration
Many clients see their accountants as financial planners, benefits experts, and all-around gurus. Gusto makes it easy to deliver the benefits your clients want without increasing your workload. Benefits administration is included with all of Gusto’s plans at no extra cost, and licensed benefits administrators are there to answer any questions your clients may have. Employees can self-enroll, saving time and simplifying the enrollment process.
Client Advisory
Gusto doesn’t just make it easy to run payroll. They also provide advisory opportunities to increase the value you deliver to clients. Robust custom reporting options help you advise clients on everything from job and workforce costing to improving cash flows. Plus, they offer free professional development through Gusto Academy to help upskill you and your team on the platform, while increasing the value you provide to clients.
Domestic and International Hiring
Gusto offers new-hire filing and compliance in all 50 states, and both FUTA and SUI payments are calculated and paid automatically. They also expanded international contractor support to 120+ countries, and their Employer of Record service, powered by Remote, is now live in Australia, Canada, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and the UK, with plenty more countries to follow.
Key Features
- Seamlessly integrated payroll, HR, time tracking, and benefits
- Gusto Pro dashboard
- Automated data import
- Payroll, taxes, and compliance in all 50 states
- Full-service benefits administration
- Next-day / 2-day direct deposit
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Support for international contractors in 120+ countries; global payroll rapidly rolling out
- Employee-self service with lifetime access
- AI-powered payroll and workforce reporting
- Hundreds of software integrations at no extra cost
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| All-in-one solution for payroll, time, benefits, and HR | Multi-state payroll only available on Plus and Premium plans |
| Intuitive Pro Dashboard for accounting pros | Time-tracking only included in Plus and Premium plans |
| Free advisory training + CPE credits | Benefits only available in 38 states + Washington, DC. |
| Product discounts for clients + revenue sharing | |
| Unlimited pay rates, schedules, and payroll runs at no extra cost | |
| Excellent customer support, with expanded hours for accounting pros | |
| Hundreds of software integrations included with all plans |
Pricing
Gusto offers three pricing plans, with the Simple plan starting at $49 per month plus $6 per person per month. The Simple plan includes Payroll on AutoPilot along with multiple pay rates and schedules and unlimited payroll runs. It also comes loaded with basic support for hiring and onboarding, PTO, and benefits administration, but it lacks support for multi-state payroll as well as time tracking and more complex PTO options.
Plus plans start at $80 per month plus 2 per person per month and include the full suite of time tracking, reporting, and team management tools along with the bulk of their advanced HR suite. Plus plans also come loaded with popular features like next-day direct deposit and multi-state payroll.
Gusto’s Premium plans are priced exclusively, and include everything Gusto has to offer with no hidden monthly fees. For more info on Premium pricing, contact their sales team today.
For accounting professionals, Gusto offers product discounts that can be passed onto your clients, or kept as a revenue share. These discounts increase as you build your client base. They offer free professional development worth valuable CPE credits, incentives for tax credits you find for your clients, and perks like getting listed in the Partners Directory. Plus they have a solid network of over 14,000 accountant pros and dedicated customer service and support for their accounting partners.
Free Trial? Yes, Gusto is free until you run your first payroll.
Free Version: No.
Transform your payroll processes with Gusto, a platform that’s already the choice of over 400,000 businesses.
QuickBooks – Best for accounting & payroll in a single platform
Overview
With more than 81% market share in the bookkeeping and accounting space, there’s a good chance you’re already using QuickBooks in your practice, which can make it seem like an easy choice for both your accounting and payroll software. QuickBooks payroll is a respectable tool with most of the functionality you and your clients may need.
Their platform is intuitive and easy to use, and for smaller firms it can be a dream to have everything all in one place. Benefits are included in every plan, and next-day direct deposit comes loaded on their most basic plan, which is a step above the industry. What really sets them apart is their error-free guarantee. If a user provides accurate information on time and something still goes wrong, QuickBooks will pay the payroll tax penalties.
For accountant partners in particular, QuickBooks offers one of the more robust programs, matched only by Gusto. They offer a client management dashboard along with an Accountant Toolbox to run batch processes and bulk reports. Their client Performance Center includes month-end review tools, and their Practice Management area helps to streamline projects and stay on top of client communication.
If you’re not already using QuickBooks at your accounting practice, however, you should probably look elsewhere. Their payroll software doesn’t integrate with any other accounting tools, and while federal and state taxes are included with all plans, local taxes are only built into higher tiers. While they may be the gold standard in the industry, their plans aren’t very competitively priced.
If you need any more complex functionality like multi-state payroll or off-cycle payroll runs, then there are plenty of more powerful competitors in the space that don’t cost an arm and a leg. And luckily, just about every payroll provider on the market already integrates with QuickBooks’ accounting software.
Key Features
- The gold standard for small business accounting software
- Payroll accuracy guarantee
- Next-day and same-day direct deposit
- Automated federal and state taxes (local taxes included with higher-tier plans)
- New hire compliance and payroll in all 50 states
- Automated payroll for salaried employees
- Employee self-service
- Health benefits and 401(k)s available with all plans
- Time tracking with Premium and Elite plans
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Ability to bundle payroll and accounting | Not the most affordable solution on the block |
| Centralized client dashboard | Local taxes only included with Premium and Elite plans |
| Free advisory training + marketing incentives for smaller firms | Multi-state payroll only available on Elite plan |
| Product discounts for clients + revenue sharing | Time tracking only available on Premium and Elite plans |
| Taxes include year-end filing and tax penalty guarantee | No integrations with other bookkeeping software |
| User-friendly interface | |
| 24/7 chat support with extended hours phone support Monday to Friday and limited support on Saturdays | |
| Benefits administration available with all pricing tiers |
Pricing
QuickBooks Online Accountant packages allow accounting professionals to offer QuickBooks’ accounting software to clients at discounted rates. The Simple Start plan is $15 per month (for the first three months, then $30 per month), the Plus Plan is $45 per month (for the first three months, then $90 per month), and the Advanced Plan is $100 per month (for the first three months, then $200 per month)
From within QuickBooks Online Accountant, you can add payroll packages for any of your clients, under the Core, Premium, and Elite packages. These are regularly priced at $45 per month, $80 per month, and $125 per month, respectively, but accountant partners can receive 30% off the base subscription + 15% off employee and contractor fees.
Free Trial? No.
Free Plan: No.
Learn more about QuickBooks
Remote – Best for global payroll & compliance
Overview
If you have clients with international payroll needs, Remote makes it easy to hire, pay, and manage workers in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Their impressive international people platform includes global payroll, contractors, time tracking, hiring, self-service onboarding, compliance, and benefits. They don’t contract with outside entities, which means better, faster support.
Remote also simplifies international hiring by providing invaluable insight into local markets, keeping your clients competitive with local employers. As an employer of record (EOR), they ensure compliant contracts in line with local labor laws, and they also offer a ‘contractor misclassification risk tool’ to make sure you’re not hiring contractors that should be considered employees. This can save your clients from facing devastating penalties down the line.
Remote’s time and attendance tools allow clients to track hours worked for both employees and contractors—which is a rarity for global payroll providers—and easily manage different holidays schedules and PTO. Their user-friendly platform makes it easy to see your entire global payroll in a glance, no matter how many countries your employees and freelancers call home. Unfortunately, while Remote does offer discounts for accountant partners to pass on to their clients, they don’t have a centralized client management dashboard like Gusto or OnPay. Considering Gusto and Remote have partnered to provide global payroll through Gusto’s more accountant-friendly platform, it makes sense for accounting professionals to use Gusto for their domestic clients, and leverage Remote’s powerful international platform through Gusto Global for any clients with cross-border needs.
Key Features
- Contractor payments in 200+ countries and territories
- Global payroll and EOR in 80+ countries
- Fully integrated payroll, benefits, and HR
- Time-tracking, PTO, and expense management for both employees and contractors
- Seamless onboarding and employee self-service portal
- 100+ currencies supported with no conversion fees
- Localized compliance, contracts, and benefits administration including stock options
- Contractor misclassification risk assessment included
- One-click or autopay contractor invoices
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Integration for domestic and international employees, contractors, full-time and part-time | No dedicated accountant partner platform |
| Easy onboarding process | Customer support via email only |
| Owned entities are not outsourced to third-party vendors | No support for common international payment methods like Payoneer and PayPal |
| Great, user-friendly interface | No workforce or project cost reporting |
| Country-specific compliance and benefits | |
| HR tools are completely free | |
| No extra charge for benefits administration |
Pricing
Remote prices their services based on which kind of global hiring you need. For their EOR service, it costs $599 per employee per month (on an annual plan), which is in line with industry standards. To go month-to-month it increases to $699. Their international contractor payments are reasonable at $29 per month, but if your clients only have international contractors and not full-time employees (or if you are operating 100% within the US), there are more affordable solutions out there.
For global payroll in countries where you operate your own entity, they charge $50 per employee per month.
For accountant partners, they offer discounts to clients that “could include” 20% off international contractor payments and full-time hires for the first year, as well as a free global growth assessment.
Free Trial? Remote offers their suite of HR tools including onboarding and offboarding, document management, and employee self-service totally free. You’ll only be charged when you pay global workers.
Free Plan: No.
Learn more about Remote
OnPay – Best value payroll software for accountants
Overview
OnPay is consistently rated as one of the best value payroll programs for accountants. They offer a simple, straightforward set of tools at one low price. There are no tiers or extras to figure out. Their single package comes with payroll, taxes, compliance, basic HR tools, and benefits administration in all 50 states. They support multi-state payroll as well as multiple pay rates and schedules. With OnPay, what you see is what you get.
For accountant partners, they offer a similar suite of perks as most other providers including free payroll for your firm, discounts on the software for your clients, dedicated customer support, and learning resources and marketing tools.
OnPay is a great choice for accounting firms that need payroll with a few HR extras and don’t serve clients who are quickly growing. Multi-state payroll costs extra with most providers, so OnPay is a great deal for your clients if they have team members spread across the country. But if you or your clients need a payroll solution that offers more advanced features like time tracking or workforce costing reports—or if you’re planning on growing in the near future—Onpay probably isn’t robust enough for your needs.
Key Features
- Automated federal, state, and local taxes
- New hire compliance and payroll in all 50 states
- Multiple pay rates and schedules
- Accountant Pro dashboard
- Discounts & perks for accountant partners
- Pay by direct deposit, paper check, or prepaid debit card
- 2-day or 4-day direct deposit
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Employee self-service with lifetime access
- Basic HR functionality including onboarding workflows and document storage
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Free client data migration | No room to grow as your clients’ businesses grow |
| A single price includes (almost) everything they offer | QuickBooks and Xero are only accounting integrations |
| Great for basic payroll needs | Charge extra to print and mail W-2s and 1099s |
| Includes PTO management | |
| No benefits administration fees |
Pricing
OnPay has a single pricing structure with no hidden fees: $40 per month plus $6 per employee per month. All of their payroll, HR, and benefits functionality is included, and you only pay each month for the employees you paid. OnPay will create 1099s and W-2s that you can download and send out, but if you want them to physically print and mail them, that will cost extra.
For accountant partners, OnPay offers free payroll for your firm, as well as discounts depending on how many clients you service and how many employees they pay. You can choose to pass these discounts on to clients, or keep them as a revenue share.
Free Trial? Yes. One month free.
Free Plan: No.
Learn more about OnPay
Paychex Flex – Best for firms serving larger clients
Overview
Paychex Flex doesn’t often make our “best of” lists as they offer a paltry list of features at a similar price point to providers like Gusto. But when it comes to payroll software for payroll service providers, Paychex Flex steps up their game with tools that make it easy to manage large client rosters with differing payroll needs while helping your firm stay agile.
Paychex is one of the most widely-used payroll platforms in the world. Paychex structures their payroll and HR solutions based on the size of your business, from Paychex Flex Essentials for businesses with 1–19 employees, all the way up to Paychex Flex Enterprise for companies with 50–1000+.
For accounting professionals who service mid-size and enterprise companies, Paychex Flex offers a full suite of integrated HR, hiring, compliance, and workforce management tools. They provide an Accountant HQ dashboard and powerful reporting, as well as robust compliance resources.
Accountant partners can join CPA.com and the Paychex Partner Program to pass discounts to clients and access additional HR services. However, Paychex doesn’t offer free payroll software for your firm or revenue sharing like most providers. In addition, Paychex charges fees to transfer payroll data to your general ledger, another feature that most competitors provide for free.
Unfortunately, Paychex tends to charge extra for almost anything but the basics. Benefits administration and time tracking are sold as add-ons to their core products, and almost all of their most powerful hiring, onboarding, workforce management tools are either reserved for the top-tier plan or will add even more to your clients’ monthly bill. For larger clients, however, Paychex Flex is a trustworthy solution ready to handle workforces in the hundreds and thousands.
Though Paychex isn’t the most affordable platform—or the best option on this list—for larger firms looking to serve larger businesses, they can provide a solid one-stop solution that’s ready to grow as your business grows. But if you’re a smaller business with a roster of SMBs for clients, there are better solutions out there.
Key Features
- Fully integrated HR, payroll, and benefits
- Automated federal, state, and local taxes
- Accountant HQ dashboard
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Employee self-service portal
- Time tracking and shift scheduling add-on available
- Powerful hiring, onboarding, and team management tools
- Native learning management system
- Workforce cost reporting & analytics
- Expense management
- Mobile app
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| User-friendly, trusted payroll tool | Expensive compared to other all-in-one providers |
| Highly scalable options for clients from start up to enterprise-level | Many “core” features only included in the highest-tier plan |
| Robust compliance resources | Live chat support is a bot |
| Education resources and tools for accountants, including CPE credits | Extra fees for payroll tax, W-2, and 1099 filing |
| Powerful reporting capabilities | Time tracking and benefits administration are add-on modules |
Pricing
Paychex Flex no longer offers fully transparent pricing on their site, but they have three pricing tiers: Essentials, Select, and Pro. The Essentials package costs $39 per month plus $5 per employee per month and includes basic payroll tools as well as new hire reporting, standard analytics, workers’ comp, a financial wellness program, and an Employee Assistance Program.
Both the Select and Pro plans are pricing upon request. It’s impossible to know what they include, and you can build a plan that meets your client’s needs, but you may end up paying more than many out-of-the-box payroll and benefits providers. Joining the Paychex Partner Program for advisors only gets your clients one month of free Paychex payroll, HR, and retirement services.
Free Trial: No.
Free Plan: No.
Learn more about Paychex Flex for accountants
ADP – Best for advanced reporting and analytics
Overview
ADP is another behemoth in the space with solid accountant-focused offerings that make it easy to service clients from small-biz to enterprise-sized.
ADP tailors their offerings based on headcount, with ADP Run designed for companies with under 50 employees, and ADP Workforce Now aimed at companies with 50 to 999 employees. ADP Run offers payroll services, employee onboarding, and reporting capabilities. ADP Workforce Now expands on this by incorporating retention strategies such as employee engagement and development tools. For clients looking for fully integrated solutions, ADP offers a tried and true platform that clients can trust with a scalable solution for both you and the clients you serve.
ADP Workforce Now provides a comprehensive suite for managing HR, payroll, benefits, and more, complemented by over 700 software integrations. The platform includes time tracking, paid time off (PTO) management, accruals, performance and compensation management, an extensive collection of learning resources, and sophisticated reporting and analytics tools.
For accountant partners especially, the reporting and analytics are designed specifically to empower you as an advisor. ADP offers a robust selection of custom reporting options including compensation benchmarking; payroll, tax, and retirement calculations; and customizable reports and recommendations. For those with large client rosters, benchmarking is a useful tool to compare data across clients, giving accountants the power to offer more valuable insights. You can also combine these with ADP’s own industry-specific research and resources.
ADP is far from the cheapest payroll for accountants, but their more advanced tools have the power to serve larger client rosters where other payroll services may fall flat.
Key Features
- Fully integrated HR, payroll, benefits, and time tracking
- Accountant Connect client management dashboard
- Over 700 software integrations available
- Tax & compliance resources
- Comprehensive analytics and reporting
- Mobile app
- Every HR, time, and people tool imaginable for your clients
- Highly rated payroll tool
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Dashboard designed specifically for managing large client bases | Pricing quickly adds up |
| Robust features for clients with 50–999 employees | Software feels clunky and dated |
| Highly scalable for you and your clients | Slow customer service |
| Powerful data, analytics, and reporting | More powerful workforce management tools are only available in Premium plan or as add-ons |
| Largest offering of learning & development courses | No employee retention tools or benefits administration available in small business packages |
| Software integration with hundreds of platforms |
Pricing
ADP’s pricing tiers are confusing at best. For businesses with fewer than 50 employees, they offer 4 pricing tiers: Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll that includes wage garnishment, unemployment, background checks and job postings, Complete Payroll and HR+ that adds on some HR tools like employee handbooks, proactive compliance alerts, a job description wizard, and access to the HR help desk, and HR Pro Payroll and HR, that includes an applicant tracking system, onboarding tools, and an LMS.
Where ADP stands out is their Workforce Now packages for medium-sized businesses from 50–999 employees. They offer three tiers: Select, Plus, and Premium. Select is a basic suite of HR and payroll tools. Plus includes benefits administration, and Premium adds on their suite of workforce management tools including time tracking, scheduling, and PTO management.
With any of the Workforce Now packages, you can add on modules for Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Compensation Management, HR Assist, Analytics and Enhanced Insights, and Learning Management.
According to Forbes, users reported pricing starts from $62 per month, but the average business should expect to spend a lot more than that. For example, the ADP support team quoted payroll only for 50 employees at $400 per month.
Free Trial? Yes, three months free on select products.
Free Plan: No.
Learn more about ADP Accountant Connect
7. Patriot Payroll – Best for DIY taxes
Overview
Patriot payroll is one of the most affordable platforms offering both payroll and accounting software. Their basic payroll product includes unlimited payroll runs, multiple pay rates & schedules, and two-day direct deposit for qualifying customers. Their website is mobile friendly, and they offer employee self-service for paystubs, documents, and more.
While Patriot Payroll lets you pay employees in multiple states, you’ll need to pay an extra $12 per month for each state you run payroll. If you have small clients who need multi-state payroll, OnPay may be a better choice. Patriot also doesn’t offer automated payroll for salaried employees, and they don’t offer any benefits outside of 401(k) and workers’ comp.
Where Patriot shines is their native accounting software and DIY tax option. While most platforms will integrate with QuickBooks and Xero, having a payroll platform that was specifically designed to have data flow directly from your GL is a nice perk. Having a single system to handle both payroll and accounting (and a single monthly bill) is even nicer. Their DIY tax option means you can offer your clients basic payroll service at an exceptionally low price—so long as you’re happy to handle their taxes. But as soon as you move up to their full-service plan that includes tax filing and payment, the value quickly diminishes.
Key Features
- DIY tax filing option
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Multiple pay rates & schedules
- Multi-state payroll available for a fee
- Advanced user permissions
- Client management dashboard
- Time tracking integration available
- Employee self-service
- Integrated 401(k) and workers’ comp
- Tax filing accuracy guarantee
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Exceptionally low price for basic package | Tax filing only available on full-service plan |
| Time-off accrual included | Fees can quickly add up |
| Single source for payroll and accounting software | Only integrates with QuickBooks |
| Phone, email, and chat support for accounting pros | No benefits administration available |
Pricing
Patriot’s payroll software starts at $17 per month, plus an additional $4 per employee or contractor per month, but this only includes their basic payroll product. You’ll still be responsible for handling your clients’ tax filings. Their full service payroll that includes tax filings jumps to a base fee of $37 per month, but this still doesn’t include their full suite of tools. Their bare bones HR software adds on $6 per month plus $2 per employee, and time tracking starts at $6 per month plus $2 per employee per month.
For their accounting software, the Basic package costs $20 per month, and the Premium jumps to $30 per month and includes estimates, recurring invoices, and user-based permissions.
For accountant partners, they offer volume-based discounts as your client-list grows, both for payroll and accounting software..
Free trial? Yes, the first 60 days are free.
Free plan? No.
Learn more about Patriot Payroll
FAQ
How can payroll software benefit my accounting practice?
Payroll for accountants can enhance your practice by reducing manual calculations, minimizing errors, ensuring compliance with tax regulations, saving time on administrative tasks, and providing detailed reports for better financial management. In addition, many platforms will offer professional development programs at no extra cost that help you earn CPE credits while upskilling the whole team.
What features should payroll software for accountants have?
While there are many great payroll solutions on the market, only a handful are designed specifically to support accounting firms. The most important thing is that the payroll platform you choose integrates with the accounting software your firm already knows and loves. After that, look for a platform that has a user-friendly client management dashboard making it easy to stay on top of time-sensitive tasks and communicate with your clients. Finally, the best accounting payroll services should include discounts on the software for your clients, as well as incentives for you and your firm.
How do I choose the best payroll processing software for accountants?
Choosing the best payroll for accountants will depend largely on what types of clients you serve. Some accounting firms may focus on compliance-heavy industries such as healthcare or finance and want that compliance support built in. Others may focus on retail and restaurants where features such as integrated scheduling and time tracking make it easier for both you and your clients to run accurate payroll.
Do smaller firms need accounting and payroll software?
No matter how small your firm is or how small the clients you serve, accounting software for payroll is a great way to save time and money while reducing manual errors. As an accounting professional, leveraging time-saving software can give you more time to better service your clients or to grow your firm with new business.
