Payroll Software
Best Payroll Software for Restaurants
Restaurants pay tipped and non-tipped staff with hours that change every week, often across more than one location. The right payroll software checks cash wages against the tip credit rules, pays service charges as wages, calculates overtime across two rates, and takes hours and tips from the point of sale.
- products that fit
- 8
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Top 6 by LeadChange Scoreof 8 that fit · 1 not scored yet · scored for restaurants (reweighted)
OnPay7.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
Paychex Flex7.3 out of 10, Medium confidence
Paycor6.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
Rippling6.2 out of 10, High confidence
Paylocity6.1 out of 10, Medium confidence
Netchex5.6 out of 10, Medium confidence
isolved People CloudNot scored yet
See all 8 rankedHighMedium confidence
Payroll software for restaurants, 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
Patriot Payroll
Patriot Payroll suits small US employers that want simple, inexpensive payroll with published prices and US-based support. Basic Payroll is $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, and Full Service, which files federal, state and local taxes, is $37 plus $5 per worker. Payroll runs, direct deposit and setup help are free.
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.
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 employee5
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.
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.
Show all 8 products
- Paylocity6.1/10 · Medium confidencePaylocity pricing
- Netchex5.6/10 · Medium confidenceNetchex pricing
- isolved People CloudNot scored yet (8 of 26 facts verified)isolved People Cloud plans and prices
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
What matters for restaurants
Tip credit checks
An employer that takes the federal tip credit must still pay a minimum cash wage, and tips plus cash wages must reach at least the minimum wage; where state law is more protective, it applies. Check that the software flags any week that falls short.
Overtime across two rates
A server who also works as a host in the same week is owed overtime on the weighted average of both rates. Check that the software calculates it.
Tips and service charges kept apart
Employees must report their cash tips to the employer each month unless they fall under the IRS's small monthly threshold, and service charges added to a bill are wages on the W-2, not tips.
Hours and tips from the point of sale
Tips and hours start outside payroll. An import from the point of sale and the time clock avoids re-keying for every shift.
Tip reports for larger restaurants
Large food or beverage establishments report receipts and tips to the IRS each year on Form 8027. Ask whether the software prepares the figures.
More tools for restaurants
- Applicant Tracking SystemsApplicant tracking systems for restaurants
- ASO ServicesASO services for restaurants
- Background Check ServicesBackground check services for restaurants
- Benefits AdministrationBenefits administration for restaurants
- COBRA AdministrationCOBRA administration for restaurants
- Compliance TrainingCompliance training for restaurants
- Earned Wage AccessEarned wage access for restaurants
- Employee Engagement SoftwareEmployee engagement software for restaurants
- Employee Recognition SoftwareEmployee recognition software for restaurants
- Employee Scheduling SoftwareEmployee scheduling software for restaurants
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Every product side by side: score, price and verified features.
- Payroll Software pricing guide
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- Payroll software for small business
The ranking reweighted for small business.
- Payroll software for mid-sized companies
The ranking reweighted for mid-sized companies.
- Payroll software for retail
The ranking reweighted for retail.
- Payroll software for healthcare
The ranking reweighted for healthcare.
Frequently asked questions
How does the tip credit work for restaurants?
Under the FLSA, an employer may count part of a tipped employee's tips toward the minimum wage as long as it pays a minimum cash wage and the tips plus cash wages reach at least the minimum wage in each workweek. When state law is more protective, for example a higher cash wage or no tip credit at all, the state rule applies. Payroll software should check each week and add the difference when tips fall short.
How do restaurants calculate overtime for staff who work two jobs?
When someone works two roles at different rates in the same week, such as server and host, the regular rate for that week is the weighted average of those rates, and overtime is paid on it. Payroll software for restaurants should take hours by role from the time clock and do this automatically.
Do restaurants have to report employee tips?
Employees report their cash tips to the employer each month unless they fall under the IRS's small monthly threshold, and the employer includes the reported tips in payroll. Large food or beverage establishments also report receipts and tips to the IRS each year on Form 8027. Restaurant payroll software should collect tip reports by shift and keep them with the pay run.
Which payroll platforms for restaurants have SOC 2 Type II?
OnPay, Patriot Payroll, Paycor, Paylocity, and Rippling state SOC 2 Type II compliance; Paylocity and Rippling also hold ISO 27001. That is 5 of the 8 products for restaurants.
Which payroll platforms for restaurants integrate with QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online, listed by 3 of the 8 payroll platforms for restaurants: Netchex, OnPay, and Patriot Payroll.
Which payroll platforms for restaurants have a mobile app?
isolved People Cloud, Netchex, Patriot Payroll, Paychex Flex, Paycor, Paylocity, and Rippling confirm a mobile app; 1 of the 8 products for restaurants does not document one.
Which payroll platforms for restaurants are built for enterprises?
isolved People Cloud, Netchex, Paycor, Paylocity, and Rippling list enterprises among the company sizes they serve.
Which payroll platforms for restaurants support single sign-on?
Paycor, Paylocity, and Rippling document single sign-on; 5 of the 8 products for restaurants do not.
How we research
This ranking of payroll software for restaurants reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 35%, pricing transparency & value 15%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 15%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.
How this page was made
What it is built from
37 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 22, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology
Independent review
Our independent review of Oct 28, 2026 asked for changes. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
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Sources
The 10 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“If you use Patriot’s payroll software, you will be charged $4 (Basic) or $5 (Full Service) per worker you pay during the month.” “Our payroll is a flat monthly fee + per worker paid fee. Run as many payrolls as you need. We'll bill you in arrears each month.”
- Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/about“As a SOC 2 Type II compliant organization, we follow rigorous data protection standards and adhere to all required federal privacy, anti-fraud, and security regulations.”
- OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “Get started at just $49 base + $6/worker per month. No hidden fees, ever.”
- OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
- Paychex paychex.com/payroll/paychex-flex-essentials“Our most affordable option: Only $39/mo. + $5 per employee”
- Paycor paycor.com/plans-pricing“Answer a few questions to get a custom price quote if you're a small business or view our mid-market product plans.”
- Paycor paycor.com/compliance-solutions/security“Paycor is accredited by and compliant with GDPR, FinCEN, US Privacy Shield, SOC 1 Type 2, and SOC 2 Type 2 security standards.”
- Rippling rippling.com/solutions/small-businesses“Rippling's small business plans start at $8 per user per month for payroll. The final cost depends on which other products you add, such as benefits administration, time and attendance, or IT device management.”
- Rippling rippling.com/pricing“While most Rippling products are billed on a simple per-employee, per-month basis, some may be charged at (or include) a monthly basis fee.”
- Rippling rippling.com/trust/security“Rippling's SOC 2 Type 2 report covers the trust services categories of Security, Confidentiality, and Availability, and is audited annually.”