Best overall
Gusto
Best for: Small teams wanting simple payroll
9.3/10★★★★★★★★★★
- Automatic tax filings
- Fast self-serve setup
- Published pricing
On Gusto's site
Quick list
Editorial scores · methodology
Best for scaling
Rippling
Best for: Growing teams with IT needs
9.2/10★★★★★★★★★★
- Payroll + HR + IT in one
- Global options
On Rippling's site
Best PEO
Justworks
Best for: Teams competing on benefits
8.7/10★★★★★★★★★★
- Pooled large-group benefits
On Justworks's site
Best for hourly billing
eBillity
Best for: Service firms
8.0/10★★★★★★★★★★
- Time tracking + payroll
On eBillity's site
| Provider | Our score | Best for | Highlight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GustoBest overall | 9.3/10 | Small teams wanting simple payroll | Automatic tax filings | Visit site |
RipplingBest for scaling | 9.2/10 | Growing teams with IT needs | Payroll + HR + IT in one | Visit site |
JustworksBest PEO | 8.7/10 | Teams competing on benefits | Pooled large-group benefits | Visit site |
eBillityBest for hourly billing | 8.0/10 | Service firms | Time tracking + payroll | Visit site |
| Provider | Model | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Payroll plus HR software | Small businesses that want simple, full-service payroll |
| Rippling | HR, IT and payroll platform | Growing teams that also manage devices, apps and global staff |
| Justworks | PEO (co-employment) and payroll | Small teams that want access to larger-group benefits |
| eBillity | Time tracking and payroll | Service businesses that bill by the hour |
Gusto
Full-service payroll with automatic tax filing, contractor payments, benefits administration and onboarding. Known for an easy setup.
Rippling
A modular platform where payroll is one piece. You can add HR, devices, app management and global payroll. Pricing is quote-based and modular.
Justworks
A PEO: Justworks becomes co-employer for HR and tax purposes, which can give small teams access to larger-group health benefits. It also offers a payroll-only plan.
eBillity
Time tracking with payroll and billing, suited to firms whose hours drive both invoices and paychecks.
Quick picks
- Simple payroll for a small team: Gusto.
- Growing fast and managing laptops and apps too: Rippling.
- Want better benefits through a PEO: Justworks.
- Hourly billing business: eBillity.
Not tax or legal advice.
How this page was made: from each provider's official product and pricing pages and its public documentation. We haven't run a formal hands-on test for this page. When we add hands-on notes, we'll label them.
How we score
Our scores are editorial scores out of 10. They're our judgment, weighted across the criteria below, based on each provider's official product pages, pricing and documentation, plus public feedback. They aren't user ratings or lab test results, and commissions don't change them.
- Payroll and tax filing coverage
- Pricing transparency
- HR/benefits breadth
- Setup and ease of use
- Scalability
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