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The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content and guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
We reviewed 16 payroll services using a comprehensive methodology to help you find the 10 best payroll software for accountants. Our ratings looked at factors that included the starting price of the software, general features useful for accountants, customer reviews and ratings on third-party websites and a final review by our experts. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
The Best Payroll Software For Accountants of 2025
Forbes Advisor Ratings
Methodology
To compile our list of the best payroll software for accountants, we looked at a variety of factors related to the 16 different payroll services that we included in our initial review. We then scored these contenders across six categories of features with 15 different metrics that were weighted to favor features that small accounting firms and individual accountants find useful in a provider. We assigned weighted scores to each software based on these factors, and then we calculated an average score. The software with the highest average score is our top pick.
Pricing – 20%
Forbes Advisor considered the price of the payroll software. We looked for software that offered a variety of pricing options as well as discounts for accounting professionals. This included the starting price for the software, the range of pricing for all of a provider’s plans and whether the provider offers a free trial of its product. Pricing accounted for 20% of our weighted scoring.
Features – 30%
We considered the features offered by each software. We looked for software that included tax modules, third-party integrations and analytics as these are the features that are most important to accountants. Other features that we consider important included compliance features, new hire reporting and the availability of a ledger report. Features accounted for 30% of our total score.
Third-party Reviews – 15%
We also gave consideration to real-user experiences. Do accountants like the software? What pain points does it fail to address? We got this information by looking at third-party review sites, including Capterra and G2, focusing specifically on reviews left for payroll software for accountants that had ratings of 3.5 or higher out of 5 on those sites. Third-party reviews accounted for 15% of the total score.
Expert Analysis – 35%
Based on our market research and the categories listed above, we also ranked additional criteria from customer reviews that included stand-out features, popularity, value for the price and ease of use. Altogether, these criteria make up 35% of the total score.
Learn how we evaluate payroll software.
Featured Partners
1
Gusto
Yes
Yes
$49 per month plus $6 per user
2
Rippling
Yes
Yes
$35 per month + $8 per user
3
Justworks
Yes
Yes
$59 per month per employee ($49 per month after 50+ employees)
4
Paychex
Yes
Yes
Custom
How To Choose Payroll Software for Accountants
When choosing payroll software for your accounting practice, there are a few factors you’ll want to consider. First, think about the features that are most important to you. Do you need tax modules? Do you need integrations? How about analytics? Not all payroll software is created equal, so it’s important to find software that offers the features you need.
Next, consider the price. Payroll software can be expensive, so you’ll want to find software that fits within your budget. Many payroll software providers offer discounts for accounting professionals, so be sure to ask about any available discounts.
Finally, think about user experience. What do other accountants think of the software? Does it address all of their needs? Is it easy to use? You’ll want to find software that is well-liked by accounting professionals and that is easy to use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need payroll software?
If you have employees, then you need to be able to process payroll. As opposed to doing this manually, payroll software makes it easier by calculating paychecks, withholding taxes and tracking employee time off.
How much does payroll software cost?
Payroll software can be expensive. The cost depends on the features you need and the size of your business. Typically, costs operate on a per-employee basis plus a flat monthly fee. Just the basics will run about $40 per employee, per month, and more comprehensive software can be hundreds of dollars per employee, per month.
Does accounting software do payroll?
Accounting software and payroll software are two different things. Accounting software is used to track finances while payroll software is used to calculate paychecks and withhold taxes. However, many accounting software programs have add-ons with payroll.
What are the benefits of payroll software?
Payroll software can save you time and money by automating tax filing, direct deposit and employee self-service. It can also help you manage your payroll, HR, benefits and talent from a single platform.
What are the different payroll cycles?
Most employers choose either a weekly, biweekly or monthly cycle to make payments based on preference and compliance with state laws. While hourly employees typically are paid weekly or biweekly, monthly payment generally is more common for salaried employees.
