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Payroll & HR in 2026: 6 Best Picks, Compared

Payroll, contractors, employer of record and benefits for small teams. Below are the 6 payroll & hr we cover in 2026, ranked by our editor score, reader upvotes and how often readers click through.

Last updated October 2026 · 6 listings reviewed

The ranking

1

Gusto Paid

US payroll, benefits and HR in one place, with unlimited payroll runs and automatic tax filing.

#11k web rank · ▼ 13 this week

8.5/10

What you get Gusto runs payroll for US companies and files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxes for you. Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs (bonus and off-cycle runs too), direct deposit, payments to US contractors, digital I-9s and W-4s, new hire reporting, employee self-onboarding and health insurance administration with licensed benefits advisers. The pricing page lists three… Read more →

Pros

  • Unlimited payroll runs and automatic tax filing on every plan
  • Clear published pricing, no contract
  • Benefits, onboarding and contractor payments in one tool

Cons

  • Per-person fee adds up as you grow
  • Multi-state payroll and time tracking need Plus or add-ons

Pricing: Paid from $49/mo  ·  payroll us benefits hr contractors

2

Deel Paid

Hire and pay contractors and employees in 150+ countries through EOR, contractor management and a US PEO.

#31k web rank · ▼ 28 this week

8.5/10

What you get Deel lets you hire, pay and manage people in other countries without opening a company there. Its home page says you can hire, pay and manage teams in 150+ countries. The pricing page lists: - Hire contractors: $49 per contractor per month. - Contractor of Record: $325 per contractor per month, where Deel takes on the contracting… Read more →

Pros

  • Covers 150+ countries
  • Month-to-month pricing, published per product
  • Contractors, EOR and US PEO in one account

Cons

  • EOR at $599 per employee a month is a big line item for an early team
  • Global payroll and HRIS prices are not published

Pricing: Paid from $49/mo  ·  eor contractors global-payroll remote-hiring peo

3

Remote Paid

Employer of record, contractor management, payroll and a US PEO with published per-person prices.

#36k web rank · ▲ 42 this week

8.0/10

What you get Remote helps you employ and pay people in other countries. The pricing page lists: - Contractor Management: $29 per contractor per month, and you pay only for contractors you actively work with. - Contractor Management Plus: $99 per contractor per month, including indemnity cover of up to $100,000 per contractor for misclassification penalties. - Contractor of Record:… Read more →

Pros

  • Published prices, no setup or minimum headcount
  • Contractor plan with up to $100,000 misclassification cover
  • Billing in 12 currencies

Cons

  • EOR list price of $699 per employee a month
  • Payroll fees beyond the per-employee price are not shown

Pricing: Paid from $29/mo  ·  eor contractors global-payroll peo remote-hiring

4

Rippling Paid

Payroll, HR, IT and spend on one employee platform, sold per employee per month on a custom quote.

#14k web rank · ▲ 21 this week

7.5/10

What you get Rippling is a workforce platform: payroll and HR sit on the same employee record as device management, app access and spend, so one change (a new hire, a promotion, a leaver) flows through every system. You buy the products you need alongside the core Rippling Platform, which is required. Who qualifies Companies of any size. The quote… Read more →

Pros

  • Payroll, HR, IT and spend share one employee record
  • No extra charge for off-cycle runs or multi-state payroll
  • First payroll run done with an implementation manager

Cons

  • No published prices; you must request a quote
  • Required platform fee can make it costly for tiny teams

Pricing: Paid  ·  payroll hris it-management onboarding spend

5

Justworks Paid

US payroll or a full PEO with access to group health insurance, plus EOR for hires abroad.

#16k web rank · ▲ 245 this week

7.5/10

What you get Justworks offers US payroll software on its own or as a PEO (professional employer organisation), where Justworks becomes co-employer so your small team can access benefits usually reserved for larger companies. The pricing page lists: - Payroll: $8 per employee per month plus a $50 monthly base fee, with HR tools and access to time tracking. -… Read more →

Pros

  • PEO gives small teams access to group health insurance
  • Simple per-employee pricing with no PEO base fee
  • 24/7 support on PEO plans

Cons

  • PEO Plus at $124 per employee a month is costly for a tiny team
  • Medical insurance access only on PEO plans

Pricing: Paid from $50/mo  ·  peo payroll benefits us health-insurance

6

Oyster Paid

Global EOR and contractor payments with a startup discount of up to $1,200 per team member.

🎁 $1.2k · #159k web rank · ▼ 126 this week

7.5/10

What you get Oyster lets you hire and pay people worldwide without your own entity in their country. The pricing page lists: - Global Contractors: free for 30 days, then $29 per contractor per month. - Employer of Record: $699 per employee per month at monthly list price. The page says annual discounts are available but does not give the… Read more →

Pros

  • Startup discount of up to $1,200 per team member on EOR
  • Contractor payments free for the first 30 days
  • Free account until you engage someone

Cons

  • EOR list price of $699 per employee a month
  • Annual EOR price is not published

Pricing: Paid from $29/mo  ·  eor contractors global-payroll startup-discount remote-hiring

🔥 Deal: Oyster for Startups: up to $1,200 off EOR subscription fees per team member for the first 12 months (pre-seed to Series A, or bootstrapped under 50 staff).

Payroll & HR compared at a glance

#NameWhat you getAccessScore
1GustoPaid from $49/moDirect8.5
2DeelPaid from $49/moDirect8.5
3RemotePaid from $29/moDirect8.0
4RipplingPaidDirect7.5
5JustworksPaid from $50/moDirect7.5
6OysterPaid from $29/moDirect7.5

How we rank payroll & hr

Every listing gets an editor score from 0 to 10 for what it is worth to a typical early-stage startup, how open it is (direct application or partner code), how clear its terms are and its reputation. Terms are checked against the provider's own page and dated. Reader upvotes and click-throughs nudge the order over time, and we remove listings that shut down or change terms dramatically. Read our full methodology.

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