Every pay cycle, HR leaders manage a long list of responsibilities. They tracking hours, calculate gross wages, manage deductions, and make sure every team member gets paid on time. If done incorrectly, non-compliance with payroll regulations can cost organizations millions in penalties and affect employee retention and sentiment. On top of that, 85 percent of finance leaders say payroll compliance has only grown more complex in the last three years
That’s why more HR and finance leaders are turning to payroll automation software. These tools handle repetitive tasks like paycheck calculations, tax filings, and direct deposits in the background. The result is more accuracy, less manual work, and more time to focus on strategy and your people. In fact, research shows companies that use payroll automation are 33 percent more efficient.
This guide highlights the best payroll automation software options on the market. You’ll see how each one can save time, improve accuracy, and make payroll cycles easier from start to finish.
Top payroll automation software: at a glance
There are countless payroll platforms on the market, but not all of them meet the needs of HR and finance teams looking for automation. Each platform below has a proven track record in payroll automation with unique strengths depending on company size, complexity, and industry.
- HiBob: Best for centralized, end-to-end payroll management with Payroll Hub that connects HR, time, benefits, and payroll in one platform
- ADP: A long-standing HCM provider that offers payroll and compliance tools for businesses of all sizes
- Gusto: An all-in-one payroll and HR platform for small and mid-sized businesses, with simple automation and benefits integration
- Paylocity: A unified HR and payroll system with built-in audits, reporting, and dashboards for payroll submission
- QuickBooks: A payroll solution directly connected to QuickBooks accounting software for small to mid-sized businesses
- Rippling: A workforce management platform that unifies HR, IT, and payroll in one system, with automation and data syncing across modules
- Workday: An enterprise-focused HCM and financial platform with global payroll capabilities and advanced reporting
How to choose an automated payroll software
Automated payroll software systems take the manual work out of running payroll. Instead of calculating hours, deductions, and tax withholdings by hand, the software does it for you. Most platforms also handle direct deposits, generate pay slips, and file taxes automatically, so payroll teams spend less time on data entry and more time supporting team members.
Many HR leaders use automations as part of their payroll management because it:
- Saves time every payroll cycle by running calculations, tax filings, and payments automatically in the background
- Boosts accuracy by reducing human error in gross wages, deductions, and compliance reporting
- Supports compliance by keeping up with changing tax rules and filing requirements
- Improves overall experience by paying people on time, every time, and giving them easy access to pay stubs and records
- Simplifies workflows by integrating with human resource information systems (HRIS), time-tracking, and accounting systems, so payroll data flows seamlessly
- Scales with your company by handling payroll for hundreds to thousands of team members without adding more manual admin work
Top payroll automation software of this year
We reviewed leading platforms that make running payroll faster, more accurate, and less hands-on for HR and finance teams. Here are the best options that keep everything running smoothly.
HiBob
HR leaders use HiBob’s Payroll Hub to bring all their payroll data into one easy-to-manage dashboard. HR, time, benefits, and payroll all live on the same platform, meaning updates like job changes, addresses, and benefits selections flow directly into payroll without manual entry.
HiBob offers visual tracking and notifications that help admins quickly verify changes, run multiple pay cycles without disruption, and deliver pay on time. HiBob’s automation may reduce errors, supports compliance efforts, and may save time. You get a people-first payroll that gives admins and team members confidence in every pay run.
Features:
- All-in-one platform: Access HR, time, benefits, and payroll on the same system so updates flow automatically without manual entry
- Automated calculations: Streamline payroll processing and reduce reconciliation errors with real-time gross-to-net calculations
- Flexible payroll cycles: Process payroll on your schedule with flexible windows and support for multiple pay cycles at once
- Compliance support: Receive built-in tax compliance powered by Gusto’s payroll engine that automatically applies federal and state updates
- Audit-ready reporting: Reduce reconciliation time with reports that simplify audits and ensure accuracy
- Self-service: Let team members answer their own payroll questions and access pay details anytime with our AI Feature
- Error notifications: Get smart alerts that flag changes or missing data so issues can be corrected before payroll is submitted
- Benefits sync: Connect benefits data directly to payroll so deductions and updates are always accurate
Pros:
- “It integrates well with our payroll system and has been implemented smoothly into the other systems that we have.” – user review
- “Integrates easily, using marketplace, with lots of finance, recruitment, timesheet and payroll solutions” – user review
Cons:
- “Some integrations (especially payroll systems outside of common regions) can be limited or require manual workarounds.” – user review
- “The integration with UK Payroll is still in early stages” – user review
Pricing: Contact HiBob for a custom plan
Automate your payroll with HiBob
ADP
ADP is a human capital management (HCM) platform that delivers payroll, HR, talent, time, tax, and benefits tools in one suite. It can automate calculations, tax withholdings, pay runs, and reporting through an always-accessible interface. ADP also handles federal, state, and local compliance, automatically managing forms like W‑2s and filing duties.
Features:
- Automated calculations: Handles gross-to-net calculations, deductions, and withholdings
- Tax filings and compliance: Prepares and submits regulatory forms and updates automatically, across local and federal level
- Self service: Lets teams view pay stubs, update banking details, or access payroll info through mobile apps or browsers
- Various payment options: Supports direct deposit, pay cards, and traditional checks
Pros:
- “It has a mobile application that you can download/review your pay slip,” – user review
- “I like that they have a dashboard where you can get an overview of the actions that you need to take.” – user review
Cons:
- “What I dislike most about ADP Payroll Services is their extremely poor technical support.” – user review
- “Faulty Timecard software, always getting wrong pay periods.” – user review
Pricing: Custom pricing
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the ADP website as of the publication date.)
Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one payroll, HR, and benefits platform for small and mid-sized businesses. It streamlines payroll with features like automated deductions, direct deposit, tax filing, and compliance. Gusto also supports full-service payroll with built-in tools for time tracking, benefits integration, and state tax registration across all 50 states.
Features:
- Payroll and tax filing: Calculates, files, and pays federal, state, and local taxes automatically during each payroll run
- Syncing: Syncs hours, PTO, benefits deductions, and workers’ comp to payroll
- Payroll on AutoPilot: Payroll runs automatically before deadlines, with a 24-hour window to review or cancel if needed
- Unlimited payroll: Supports unlimited payroll runs, pay schedules, multi-state payroll, pay rates, and bonus/off-cycle payments
Pros:
- “I can complete tasks like running payroll or updating employee info in just a few clicks.” – user review
- “They take care of the filing and local tax payments.” – user review
Cons:
- “For startups like ours working with public grants and youth intern programs like MBSYEP, it could offer more tailored features.” – user review
- “The customer service is less than stellar- it often feels like you’re shouting into the wind.” – user review
Pricing:
- Simple: Starts at $49/mo
- Plus: Starts at $80/mo
- Premium: Starts at $180/mo
- Contractor Only: Starts at $35/mo
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the Gusto website as of the publication date.)
Paylocity
Paylocity is a unified platform for HR, payroll, finance, and IT. Its payroll software aims to simplify pay runs and help teams stay tax compliant in one place. Users can access built-in review tools, audits, and integrations to surface issues before you submit payroll.
Features:
- Payroll Dashboard: Highlights critical tasks before processing
- Audits: Flags potential errors prior to submission
- Automation: Directs hours, dollars, and labor allocations from the Time and Labor module
- Tax compliance: Tax geolocation checks team member tax setup for proper execution
Pros:
- “They have great reporting capabilities and I appreciate their data insights to quickly see trends in headcount, spending, turnover, and more.” – user review
- “They updated their payroll processing and moved the Time & Labor to the HR payroll processing screen so there is no need to export or import any hours to HR anymore.” – user review
Cons:
- “The product implementations felt rushed to the point that my team felt that important information was missed.” – user review
- “Paylocity regularly updates the modules, which can be a good thing, but does require frequent users to navigate the updates.” – user review
Pricing: Custom pricing
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the Paylocity website as of the publication date.)
Quickbooks
QuickBooks offers a full-service payroll solution that automates calculations, filings, and payments. It features Auto Payroll to run on schedule, automated taxes and forms, and individual self-service. QuickBooks also provides options for same-day direct deposit and unlimited 1099 e-file.
Features:
- Auto Payroll: Set payroll to run automatically on schedule with a review window
- Automated tax payments and filings: Calculates, files, and pays federal and state payroll taxes
- Same-day direct deposit: Enables you to pay teams the same business day on eligible plans
- Unlimited 1099 e-file: Allows for unlimited E-file 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms straight from QuickBooks
Pros:
- “Integration with payroll softwares and also e-commerce softwares is the best.” – user review
- “We like that it is easy to start accounting journal entries for any new entities which are considered to have separate balance sheets.” – user review
Cons:
- “The learning curve can be steep for new users, especially those unfamiliar with accounting software.” – user review
- “No notice on tax payment withdrawal.” – user review
Pricing:
- Payroll Core: Starts at $50/mo
- Payroll Premium: Starts at $88/mo
- Payroll Elite: Starts at $134/mo
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the QuickBooks website as of the publication date.)
Rippling
Rippling is a workforce management platform that includes payroll features. Rippling Payroll runs pay in minutes, automates tax calculations and filings, and syncs in real time with benefits, time and attendance, expenses, and time off. It’s fully configurable with unlimited off-cycle runs and built-in visibility across pay runs.
Features:
- Payroll automation: Automatically calculates and files federal, state, and local payroll taxes
- Unlimited runs: Offers unlimited off-cycle payroll at no extra charge
- Automatic data sync: Syncs live with benefits, approved hours, reimbursements, and time off
- Paperless tax forms: Provides digital W-2, W-4, and 1099 filings accessible to admins and team members
Pros:
- “From onboarding and payroll to benefits administration and device management, everything is integrated seamlessly.” – user review
- “Having worked with many payroll systems, I find Rippling to be one that is user-friendly.” – user review
Cons:
- “We ran into frequent sync issues with payroll.” – user review
- “It isn’t as straightforward when it comes to making changes or requests as some other payroll trackers I have used.” – user review
Pricing: Custom pricing
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the Rippling website as of the publication date.)
<<Compare HiBob vs. Rippling – See which fits your business best>>
Workday
Workday is a cloud-based HCM and financial-management platform with payroll workflows. Its payroll solution automates pay calculations with a continuous calculation engine and supports real-time recalculations. The system also offers global payroll management, real-time reporting, and integrated self-service to streamline operations.
Features:
- Continuous payroll calculation: Recalculates pay results instantly when changes occur
- Global payroll integration: Connects to payroll systems worldwide across 180+ countries
- Payroll reporting and analytics: Offers built-in dashboards with insights into workforce costs
- Self-service: Enables people to view pay, benefits, and HR data on any device
Pros:
- “It is easy to use with a simple interface to track your basic needs when it comes to payroll, performance, etc.” – user review
- “Career opportunities, W-2 updates, selecting time off, disability status and payroll details all accessible from one site” – user review
Cons:
- “The payroll section is a little convoluted.” – user review
- “Finding past pay slips or editing certain personal information can feel unnecessarily complicated.” – user review
Pricing: Custom pricing
(This article includes platform features and pricing that reflect the information available on the Workday website as of the publication date.)
<<Compare HiBob vs. Workday – See which fits your business best>>
Features to look for in automated payroll systems
Some automated payroll systems can do more than others. Let’s look at the features that make the biggest impact.
Tax filing
Automated tax filing keeps your company in alignment with local regulation without extra effort. Payroll software can help calculate withholdings, file forms, and apply updates automatically as tax laws change. The best solutions are backed by decades of compliance expertise and adhere to industry standards like ISO and SOC 2.
Direct deposit and payments
Everyone expects reliable, on-time pay. Automated payroll systems process direct deposits on schedule, every cycle, without manual uploads or delays. Many also support multiple payment methods, like pay cards or split deposits, so people can choose how they get paid.
Compliance management
If you’re running teams across different states or countries, each location comes with its own payroll rules. Modern payroll platforms apply the correct tax rates, deductions, and labor laws automatically without custom coding or manual updates. A platform with built-in compliance infrastructure helps companies stay aligned with federal and state regulations while maintaining strict data privacy and security standards.
Employee self-service portals
The best payroll systems are designed with the user in mind, not just payments. Self-service portals let team members view pay stubs, update banking details, and download tax forms on their own. AI-powered chat and knowledge tools can even answer payroll questions instantly, reducing support tickets for payroll admins and giving people peace of mind in their pay.
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Integration with other finance tools
Enabling connections to accounting, time-tracking, or human resource information systems (HRIS) in integration lets data flow seamlessly across the business. This allows hours worked, benefits deductions, and expense reimbursements to all sync in one place without extra data entry.
Find the best payroll automation software to streamline pay cycles
The right payroll system takes the pressure off HR by automating calculations, handling tax filings, and ensuring every team member is paid accurately and on time. It also minimizes errors, supports compliance across jurisdictions, and creates a smoother, more transparent experience for everyone.
For a truly streamlined approach, meet HiBob’s Payroll Hub. Payroll, HR, time, and benefits all live in one place—no middleware, no manual data entry. Real-time gross-to-net calculations, flexible processing windows, and automatic tax updates to help you run payroll with confidence every time.
AI-powered self-service Features mean people get the answers they need instantly, while admins save hours each cycle. It’s a smarter, more connected way to run payroll—built for modern teams.
