How we rate payroll software
Every product on this site gets a PR Score from 0 to 10. It is a weighted average of six criteria, each scored from evidence we can point to — official pricing pages, published terms, review-platform data, and verbatim reports from real users. The final number is computed by the site's build system from the criterion scores. Nobody types in a final rating, and commissions cannot move a score.
The six criteria
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing value | 20% | Real monthly cost for a 1-person S-corp and at 5 employees; fee transparency; hidden fees (year-end forms, setup, per-state); price-increase history. |
| Ease of use | 20% | Setup time and assistance; UI quality; automation (auto-payroll); review-site ease subscores; recurring friction complaints. |
| Tax & compliance | 20% | Scope of automatic filings (federal/state/local); guarantee terms as written, not as marketed; multi-state handling; documented filing-error history. |
| Features | 15% | Direct deposit speed; benefits (health/401k); HR tools; integrations; contractor payments; mobile. |
| Support | 15% | Channels and hours; US-based or not; review-site support subscores; independent user reports (Reddit, Trustpilot, BBB). |
| Solo & S-corp fit | 10% | Owner-only payroll ergonomics; 2% shareholder health insurance W-2 handling; reasonable-salary tooling; zero-filing quarters; whether the product is right-sized. |
Rules we hold ourselves to
- Evidence or it doesn't count. Each criterion score carries citations. When we can't verify a claim (for example, a guarantee whose legal text isn't public), we say so in the review rather than assuming.
- Guarantees are read as written. Marketing says "accuracy guaranteed"; the terms usually cover only the provider's own errors. We score the terms.
- Real prices, current prices. Costs are quoted for a one-person S-corp on the cheapest full-service tier, list price, with promos noted separately. We track price changes — several 2026 reviews correct figures that most comparison sites still have wrong.
- Negative evidence is evidence. Verbatim user reports (Reddit threads, BBB complaints) are quoted and linked, both directions. A product with glowing software-review scores and a pattern of billing complaints gets both in its review.
- Audience-specific. Scores are calibrated for solo S-corp owners and businesses with 1-10 employees. A platform that is excellent for a 200-person company can score poorly here — that's by design.
The editors' pick
Separately from the PR Score, we designate one editors' pick for our core reader — currently Gusto for solo S-corp owners. The pick is pinned to the top of the ratings table and clearly starred; it is an editorial judgment, not a score. It reflects audience fit (Gusto's reasonable-salary estimator and 2%-shareholder handling have no competitor match) and first-hand experience: we run our own company's payroll on the pick, so we're recommending the tool we chose with our own money. The PR Scores themselves are never adjusted to justify a pick — which is why you'll see our pick sitting below OnPay's number. If honesty about that gap ever disappears from this page, stop trusting the site.
Where the money comes from
Some links on this site are partner links: if you sign up, the provider pays us a commission. That funds the site. It does not touch the scores — the ranking is computed from the criterion scores above, and our top-rated products include ones that pay us nothing. Every page carries a disclosure near the top.
Freshness
Pricing and features were verified in August 2026. We re-check each product's pricing page and reputation data on a recurring schedule, update the underlying scores when facts change, and log every change at the bottom of each review. If you spot something outdated, tell us — corrections ship fast.