Gusto

Comments: This system wins on cost and that is about it. It is a very low priced alternative to the full-service shops, which are extremely overpriced for what has become a very automated technology focused service. It comes relatively highly recommended simply because of this.

Pros: This is a very low-cost solution for self-service payroll. It allows you to pay your Employees and Contractors and handles virtually all of the taxes and processing of payments to the taxing authorities. The interface is extremely intuitive. Employees are emailed all end of year documents automatically. The company also offers access to two-day payroll processing.

Cons: The customer services has gone downhill. The firm is trying to be a higher margin HR platform and benefits provider. Additionally, it has begun to focus more on marketing (commercials) than on the system itself. There was a turning point when the firm produced a commercial with a popular actress and the hold times went up exponentially and the "chat available" times decreased. There was a Intuit integration issue that seems to have finally been solved. Additionally, the firm has the same problem with missed payments and 941 misfilings that other full-service platforms have, however the customer service is lacking and resolutions take forever. The platform also can not handle an employee working in two states (more common in the North East). The cost for paying contractors is too high which limits the usefulness of the system overall - forcing a company to keep Employee Payroll, Contractor Payments, and expense reimbursements on separate systems.

Comments: I would highly recommend them. Their site is so easy to use compared to other payroll companies (especially ADP). The people are nice and the price is great for all the things you get. They're more than just a payroll company.

Pros: Easy to use. Clear, concise interface. Pricing is reasonable. They make it really easy to open a 401k account for your team even if you're a super small company. Support has usually answered within 24-48 hours. Phone support is available. Integrates relatively easily with accounting software by mapping accounts and exporting as special files.

Cons: Really, only three minor complaints: I miss their old name, ZenPayroll. Gusto just doesn't explain them like ZenPayroll did. Payroll truly is easy with them. Gusto is literally defined as "the enjoyment or vigor in doing something; zest"—the direct opposite of Zen. That's a total reversal that doesn't make sense. Also, deposits into employee accounts show up as Gusto rather than our company. Finally, accounting integration is dependent on downloading files and then importing. I would really like to see direct integration with the major accounting platforms like Quickbooks and Xero. I know, I'm nitpicking in both cases, but I had to think of something...

Comments: 1- Saves the headache of having no idea where to start with many accounting and HR functions of your business: No business owner actually enjoys worrying about all of those things. Gusto takes many of the functions that are most confusing/frustrating as a business owner and does them for you so you feel confidence that you aren't missing anything and it's done right.
2- Saves time: It automates many of the functions that shouldn't ever be done manually. And because of that I don't have to do as much or I don't have to pay as much for routine services that don't add value to my business.
3- Saves money: As a startup, you feel like you need to figure out a lot of things a normal business would normally just pay for because you can't afford it. Gusto is affordable enough that it's doable for a young company all while doing enough work that it's easy to justify the cost, which many services fail to do.

Pros: It's SIMPLE!!! One of few products/software I unequivocally love! Most every business owner hates doing tedious accounting, payroll and HR work that takes away valuable time from their being able to work on what's most important, their business. Gusto takes care of Federal tax payments, calculations, payroll setup, and a number of other things that are a black hole to me and makes it all feel manageable. If I want to add a new employee, I just click to set up a new employee and Gusto walks you and the employee step by step through everything that needs to be done. And for far cheaper than paying an accounting firm!
I also love their playfulness and marketing. They make using their service truly a pleasure to use at every touchpoint.

Cons: I can't say this about many software that I use, but I have loved absolutely everything about Gusto. I can't say enough about it. Maybe my only complaint is that they don't take care of legal and other stuff I really dislike doing.

Pros: I am a bookkeeper, but I hate payroll. Hate it! It's confusing, and there are a lot of regulations, and a lot of paperwork. Gusto's online system makes it more clear than any other system I've seen, and in fact, sometimes I use it to clean up messes that other payroll services have made. I haven't seen any errors yet for my clients, and when I call about something, I've always gotten a good and useful answer. Also handy to include contractor payments for small consulting firms. Employees and contractors like the online access to pay stubs and so on.

Cons: Some things are a little inflexible, due to it being a piece of software rather than a service. So, for example, you can't tell it to add $100 to someone's paycheck once a month for a transportation allowance. Rather, you have to do $50 each paycheck. This works fine if you do payroll monthly or bi-monthly, but if you're on a 2-week system, you end up adding it manually each time. Anyway, just a few issues like that. I think their contractor system is limited and a bit expensive - I would love to add a way to be clearer about invoice numbers and other memo/description issues.

Comments: This is my go-to solution for any client whose payroll we are involved with. We use it ourselves and highly recommend to small businesses. If you go through your accountant there is a discount on the subscription price. The subscription can be paid by the client or the accountant.

Pros: This is a cloud based solution with a subscription price that is less than the big payroll companies. I like that you can have employees "onboard" themselves by filling in their personal information and bank information for direct deposit. This increases accuracy and preserves the employee security. I also like that the business HAS to have the payroll tax payments withdrawn with the payroll submission thus enforcing compliance. Gusto does all the Payroll Tax Return fillings, you can log in and get them. There is no need to print or deliver paychecks, which saves money and time - employees can get their stubs and W-2 by download. It integrates with your accounting software for automated recording, another time saver that increases accuracy. Support is excellent, and they deal with any notices resulting from transactions on their watch. If payroll is the same each time you can set to autopay!

Cons: Some of my clients would like Gusto to submit garnishments or retirement payments, but that is not something they do.