Gusto makes payroll feel approachable for people who've never run payroll before. I found the dashboard both clean and logical, with clear to-do items and reminders that guide you through each step. It even automatically manages tax payments to federal and local agencies -- a task that causes major headaches for payroll managers.

Also, Gusto handles the full employee life cycle with refreshing efficiency. Employees get their own login credentials to view pay and benefits information, which they can access even after leaving your company. The system supports both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, with multistate payroll features that adjust to different tax requirements.

For payroll, Gusto's pricing structure starts at $49 per month plus $6 per employee for the Simple plan, jumping to $80 per month plus $12 per employee for the Plus plan that includes multistate support. Though this makes Gusto pricey, you're also getting automated tax filings; W-2 and 1099 preparation; and wage garnishment handling, without more costs. This platform also offers solid integrations with popular accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.

Gusto features: Full-service payroll | Automated tax calculations | Employee self-service portal | Benefits administration | Multistate support | CSV uploads | Mobile app access

Rippling takes a very different approach from Gusto. It builds payroll on top of a unified employee data system that connects HR, IT, and finance functions. This eliminates the typical data silos that cause payroll errors in big organizations. For example, when someone updates their address in HR, it automatically syncs across payroll, benefits, and IT systems. The platform offers a unique 100% error-free guarantee, which reflects the company's confidence in its systems.

Rippling is very configurable, too. Based on your specific business needs, you can customize pay types, approval workflows, and reporting. During my testing, I found the pay run comparison feature particularly useful. It lets you review changes in gross pay, taxes, and deductions before approving payroll. The platform handles complex scenarios like retroactive pay calculations, multiple pay rates per employee, and unlimited off-cycle payroll runs at no extra cost.

Rippling's global payroll support sets it apart from traditional providers, letting you pay employees and contractors in multiple countries with local compliance handling. The platform integrates with more than 500 business applications, including major accounting systems like QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite. However, the massive feature set comes with lots of complexity. New users often need time to fully understand the system setup. What makes it worse is that the modular pricing structure isn't disclosed up front, which can lead to bad initial decisions about which features to get.

Rippling features: Unified employee data | Global payroll capabilities | IT management integration | Workflow automation | Benefits administration | Over 500 integrations | Mobile employee access

Remote is dedicated to solving the many problems of paying international employees and contractors across different countries and currencies. It's great for companies that are expanding globally, especially if they don't have a physical office in every single country. It handles all the legal compliance, tax calculations, and local employment requirements through partnerships with regional third parties. The Remote service's roster covers more than 100 countries, where it acts as an employer of record, meaning it becomes the legal employer for your international workers on your behalf.

Despite the underlying complexity of international payroll, the Remote platfom's overall UX is very simple. A dashboard gives you a consolidated view of all upcoming pay runs across countries, with reminders for required actions and approvals. I like how employees can access their payslips through both web and mobile apps, with features like expense reimbursement that uses image recognition to automatically complete expense requests from receipt photos.

Remote's pricing model is very transparent compared with some competitors. The cost is $29 per employee per month for payroll services and $699 per month for full employer-of-record services. The platform integrates well with existing business tools and provides local payroll expertise through built-in live chat support. But since the service excels for international operations, US companies with no global presence might find it redundant.

Remote features: Coverage for over 100 countries | Employer-of-record services | Multicurrency payments | Local compliance automation | Expense management | Mobile app | Live chat support