Which payroll software should a small business use?
In India, Zoho Payroll for a small team and RazorpayX Payroll if you want salaries paid and PF, ESI, PT and TDS filed for you; in the US, Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll. Zoho Payroll is free for up to 10 employees, then ₹1,000 an organisation a month billed annually for 25 employees, and suits anyone already on Zoho Books. RazorpayX Payroll costs ₹3,499 a month for up to 20 employees plus 18% GST and moves the money as well as the filings. greytHR, at ₹2,495 a month for 50 employees, fits once leave and attendance need to sit beside payroll. In the US, QuickBooks Payroll starts at $50 a month plus $7 an employee and Gusto includes tax filings and direct deposit on every plan; neither runs Indian payroll. A UK employer with fewer than 10 staff can use HMRC's free Basic PAYE Tools. Choose the one that files the statutory returns where your people work and connects to the books your accountant keeps.
Zoho's own walkthrough of setting up an Indian organisation, adding employees and salary structures, and running a pay run with statutory deductions. Watch it before signing up to see whether the free plan covers you.
A US accountant compares ADP, Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll from the point of view of a small business owner. Read it as a US answer; prices have moved since it was made, so check the makers' pages.
An independent, regularly updated review of payroll services for US and UK small businesses (Gusto, and its rivals), with what each is good at and where it falls short. Useful context for a reader outside India comparing the US options.
Indian payroll software that calculates salaries, payslips and statutory deductions. It is free forever for up to 10 employees, which covers most first hires.
Razorpay's payroll for Indian companies, which pays salaries and calculates, pays and files statutory compliance. Prime covers up to 20 employees at ₹3,499 a month plus 18% GST, with ₹150 a month for each additional employee.
India-built HR and payroll used by small and mid-sized firms. The page lists Essential at ₹2,495 a month including 50 employees (₹45 per employee above that) and Growth at ₹4,495 a month (₹85 above 50), which adds attendance, shifts, overtime and geo-fencing, plus add-ons such as expenses at ₹35 a user a month and Recruit at ₹2,500 a recruiter a month.
US payroll from Intuit, the natural pick for a US business already keeping its books in QuickBooks. The page lists Workforce Payroll at $50 a month plus $7 an employee, with full-service tax filing, direct deposit and 1099 e-filing; higher plans add time tracking and HR. It does not run Indian payroll.
The best-known payroll service for small US businesses: unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit, tax filings and payments on every plan, with benefits and HR on top. It serves US employers only, so an Indian company paying Indian staff should not use it.
The UK government's own free payroll software for employers with fewer than 10 employees, which reports PAYE to HMRC in real time. For a tiny UK employer it removes the need to buy payroll software at all.
