Payroll Platforms for Small Businesses
Choosing a
Payroll Solution
We know that some small business owners enjoy crunching numbers and cutting checks.
If navigating the complexities of local, state, and federal labor law and tax code are up your alley, discount online payroll platforms may be a good option for you.
Doing your own payroll and monitoring labor law compliance is achievable for those with the right skillset and the time. Depending on the size of your business and the number of employees you have, it can be cheaper than a full-service payroll solution.
Our familiarity with these platforms stems from experience helping clients move from their discount online provider to our full-service solution, but we are not necessarily experts in the best online payroll options for your business.
Here are some of the top online payroll platforms used by small businesses in the U.S.
What’s Out There
Quickbooks Payroll
Quickbooks is better-known for their accounting software and bookkeeping capabilities, but they do offer payroll processing options online as well.
Payroll from Quickbooks is fairly straightforward for small businesses with only a handful of employees, but it does require weekly or more frequent monitoring.
Quickbooks does not sell workers comp insurance directly through their platform, so you will still need to acquire work comp elsewhere to begin processing payroll.
If you have more than a dozen employees, Quickbooks may not be a great option. Their simple system is best-suited to small businesses, especially those already familiar with Quickbooks for accounting purposes. Pricing is transparent and billed monthly, based on number of users and all of your needs (for instance, you’ll pay extra for time-tracking capabilities).
If you’re not already using it for accounting, we would not add Quickbooks just for Payroll.
PayChex
Paychex is a quality service for those who know how to navigate payroll already, like HR professionals, and those who need solutions for complex issues.
Paychex tends to focus on larger companies with more than a dozen employees and a dedicated human resources person. The customer service is high-quality, though maybe not for the average business-owner who wants easy answers to basic questions.
The user interface isn’t great for novice users or small business owners who just need to get checks out the door compliantly. Pricing is not as transparent as other discount online competitors like Quickbooks and Gusto.
ADP
ADP is the giant in the payroll industry, used by multi-billion dollar corporations to run payroll across thousands of employees. It’s incredibly robust, and it’s designed for the power-users of the HR world.
ADP can do just about anything, which can be its downfall for small and medium-sized users. Small business owners just trying to get their people paid may struggle with ADP’s onboarding, and it can feel overwhelming for new users.
You’ll need to call in to get a quote for payroll services from ADP.
Gusto
Gusto has become popular with dispersed or remote employees and tech companies because of some of their features. It’s user-friendly interface makes employee onboarding easy, even if they can’t come into the office, and it’s set up to handle employees in many states.
Customer service and support has been lacking at Gusto for a long time. Though the company has been working to rectify this issue, users consistently report that it takes multiple calls to resolve issues.
Marvel Payroll
If a discount online payroll service is a good fit for you—go for it! We know some people simply like to D-I-Y.
For others, payroll and tax compliance are the last thing they want to deal with.
At Marvel Payroll, we work hard to create fairly priced payroll services to fit the needs of small and medium-sized businesses –– removing the hassle and headache of payroll from business owners who are focused on running their own growing business.
Our goal is to make your life easier, with great customer service for payroll, and even cost-savings by avoiding common HR pitfalls. You’ll know your payroll expert personally, and it’s easy to make changes or additions as you need.
Get in touch to learn more and get started today.
What’s Right For Your Business
We’ve built our reputation on giving smaller businesses the same competitive edge and benefits as the bigger guys, with less expense and a more personal experience.
Our clients get the custom experience of a large company with the close personal attention of a boutique firm.
At Marvel Payroll, you’re a name, not a number.
We use the latest technologies to provide our clients with the same features and conveniences of national payroll companies at a lower cost and with better service. You know the people answering our phones, and they know you and your team.
Serving San Diego
You focus on the business you love, we’ll take care of the payroll and compliance headaches.
Get in touch today to find out how our end-to-end payroll services can make your life easier, plus a quote for pay-as-you-go work comp to streamline your books.