Payroll Software
Best Payroll Software for Mid-Sized Companies
Mid-sized employers run payroll with more people, places and rules than a small business. Several states, departments and approvers touch each run, and finance wants labor cost by team. Pick a system that keeps pay changes under control, posts costs to the ledger cleanly and handles the federal reporting that comes with growth, such as ACA forms for applicable large employers.
- products that fit
- 14
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Our top picks
- Best overall
QuickBooks Payroll
by Intuit
Highest LeadChange Score here (9.0/10), with 9 of 12 core payroll capabilities verified.
From $50/mo + $7/employee/mo
- Best value
Paychex Flex
by Paychex
Lowest published list cost at 25 employees ($164/mo) among products scoring at or above the median.
From $39/mo + $5/employee/mo
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Payroll software for mid-sized companies, ranked
Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.
Filter by verified facts
QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll suits small and midsize businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online and want payroll and tax filing in the same place.
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- SOC 2 Type II
- Yes
OnPay
OnPay suits US small businesses that want full-service payroll at one published price: $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with federal, state and local tax filings, W-2s, 1099s, multi-state payroll and unlimited pay runs included. Setup and data migration are free, and support is by phone, chat and email.
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- SOC 2 Type II
- Yes
Paychex Flex
Paychex Flex suits US small and mid-sized employers that want unlimited payroll runs, automated multi-state tax filing and room to add HR, time tracking and benefits from one vendor. Paychex was founded in 1971 and is a public company.
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
Rippling
Primarily HRIS software; payroll module is secondary
Rippling suits companies that want HR, payroll, IT and finance on one employee database and are ready to buy each product separately. Payroll for small businesses starts at $8 per user per month plus a $40 base fee.
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- SOC 2 Type II
- Yes
Paycor
Paycor suits US employers from small businesses to companies with 1,000+ employees that want payroll, HR, time, recruiting and talent tools on one platform with open APIs. Plans run from Basic payroll to Complete + ASO, all priced by quote. It holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type 2 attestations and supports single sign-on.
- Pricing model
- Quote only
- SOC 2 Type II
- Yes
Paylocity
Paylocity fits US employers that want payroll, HR, time, benefits and finance tools from one vendor, with tax filing in all 50 states. It publishes no prices, so cost depends on headcount, products and a non-refundable implementation fee set in a quote. Most contracts can be canceled on 60 days' notice.
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- SOC 2 Type II
- Yes
Paycom
Paycom suits US employers that want payroll, HR, time, hiring, benefits and learning in one system with one login, and a single support contact instead of a ticket queue. Its Beti payroll asks employees to check and approve their own pay before each run.
- Pricing model
- Quote only
ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now fits midsize and large US employers that want ADP payroll together with HR, benefits, time and talent tools, plus a marketplace and APIs to connect other systems. It comes in three packages, Select, Plus and Premium, and every price is by quote.
- Pricing model
- Quote only
Show all 14 products
- Netchex4.3/10 · Medium confidenceNetchex plans and prices
- Workday HCMNot scored yet (13 of 26 facts verified)Workday HCM pricing
- NamelyNot scored yet (12 of 26 facts verified)What Namely costs
- DayforceNot scored yet (10 of 26 facts verified)Dayforce pricing
- isolved People CloudNot scored yet (8 of 26 facts verified)Isolved People Cloud pricing
- UKG ReadyNot scored yet (7 of 26 facts verified)UKG Ready plans and prices
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
What matters for mid-sized companies
Role-based approvals
When several people enter hours, raises and bonuses, each change needs one person to enter it and another to approve it. Look for approval steps and a log of who changed what.
Multi-state and local tax filing
Hiring in a new state means a new withholding account, new forms and sometimes local taxes. Check that the system files in every state where you have staff, not only your home state.
ACA reporting for applicable large employers
Applicable large employers file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C with the IRS each year and give a statement to each full-time employee. Payroll that tracks hours and coverage offers can prepare them.
Labor cost by department
Finance needs pay costs split by team, location or project, not only a payroll register. Check that each pay run posts to the general ledger with those codes.
Native time and benefits connections
At this size, manual imports of hours and deductions become the main source of pay errors. A documented sync with your time clock and benefits system removes the second entry.
More tools for mid-sized companies
- 401(k) Providers401(k) providers for mid-sized companies
- ACA ComplianceACA compliance for mid-sized companies
- Applicant Tracking SystemsApplicant tracking systems for mid-sized companies
- ASO ServicesASO services for mid-sized companies
- Background Check ServicesBackground check services for mid-sized companies
- Benefits AdministrationBenefits administration for mid-sized companies
- Call Center Workforce ManagementCall center workforce management for mid-sized companies
- Candidate Sourcing ToolsCandidate sourcing tools for mid-sized companies
- Certified PayrollCertified payroll for mid-sized companies
- COBRA AdministrationCOBRA administration for mid-sized companies
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Popular comparisons
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best payroll software for mid-sized companies?
On the LeadChange Score weighted for mid-sized companies, the highest-scoring of the 9 products with a published score are QuickBooks Payroll (9.0/10), OnPay (8.1), and Paychex Flex (7.9).
How much does payroll software cost for mid-sized companies?
At 100 employees, the lowest published list prices among the products ranked here are Paychex Flex ($539/mo), OnPay ($649/mo), and QuickBooks Payroll ($750/mo); the median of 4 products is $699.50/mo. List prices, before discounts and add-ons.
Which payroll platforms for mid-sized companies offer a free trial?
OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll, and Rippling list a free trial, according to their vendors: 3 of the 14 products for mid-sized companies.
Which payroll platforms for mid-sized companies have SOC 2 Type II?
Dayforce, OnPay, Paycor, Paylocity, QuickBooks Payroll, and 3 more state a current SOC 2 Type II report; Paylocity, QuickBooks Payroll, Rippling, and 2 more also hold ISO 27001. That is 8 of the 14 products for mid-sized companies.
Which payroll platforms for mid-sized companies integrate with Employee Navigator?
Employee Navigator, listed by 2 of the 14 payroll platforms for mid-sized companies: Netchex and Paychex Flex.
Which payroll platforms for mid-sized companies have a mobile app?
ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, isolved People Cloud, Namely, Netchex, and 8 more confirm a mobile app; 1 of the 14 products for mid-sized companies does not document one.
Which payroll platforms for mid-sized companies support single sign-on?
Dayforce, Paycom, Paycor, Paylocity, Rippling, and 1 more document single sign-on; 8 of the 14 products for mid-sized companies do not.
How we research
This ranking of payroll software for mid-sized companies reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 25%, pricing transparency & value 30%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 10%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.
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