Payroll4Free review 2024: Cost, plans, features and more
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 4:54 p.m. UTC Jan. 3, 2024
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Pros
- Free plan available.
- Detailed payroll and reporting functionality.
- Active customer service.
Cons
- Free plan includes display ads.
- Many add-on fees.
- Free plan is limited to 25 users.
Why trust our small business experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 25 companies reviewed.
- 40 hours of product testing.
- 1,025 data points analyzed.
Featured payroll software offers
OnPay
Monthly fee
$40 per month plus $6 per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
SurePayroll
Monthly fee
$29.99 per month plus $5 per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
Gusto
Monthly fee
Starting at $40 plus $6 per month per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
Rippling
Monthly fee
$35 per month + $8 per user
Direct deposit
Yes
Payroll4Free payroll software review
Pricing and plans
As its name suggests, Payroll4Free is completely free if you only need basic payroll features. Most of the payroll services we reviewed have a fee even for their most slimmed-down services, making Payroll4Free among the most affordable options for small businesses.
However, Payroll4Free may not be completely free, depending on your needs. Instead of having tiered pricing, it charges monthly, annual or one-time fees for various add-ons. Here are some examples of its fees:
- Payroll tax services: $25 per month or $250 per year.
- Direct deposit services: $25 per month or $250 per year.
- Payroll processing: $35 per month for each additional increment past the 25 free employees.
- Same-day deposit transaction: $5 (per deposit transaction batch).
- Employee data setup: $50 per hour.
- Major use of system training (such as for new users): $50 for the first hour, then prorated by 15-minute increments.
In addition, Payroll4Free can deposit and file your payroll taxes for you. It also lets you use its bank to transfer direct deposit funds to your employees. These bundled services cost $30 per month.
These fees can quickly add up, says Casey Jones, founder, head of marketing and finance at CJ & CO. “As my business grew and I hired more staff, I had to pay some fees for some optional features or services that I needed from Payroll4Free, such as direct deposit, electronic tax filing, customer support, etc. These fees added up to a significant amount over time and reduced the value of Payroll4Free for me.”
Despite the fees for add-on services, Payroll4Free is still affordable. Other payroll services we reviewed have monthly fees of up to $160 per month. However, many features that competitors often offer are not included in Payroll4Free’s feature list, even as add-ons. For example, Patriot payroll software starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per employee per month. It includes onboarding and setup, two-day direct deposit, unlimited payrolls per month, federal and one-state’s tax deposits and filings and a tax filing accuracy guarantee.
Given its shortcomings and the fact that it is only free for businesses with 25 employees or fewer, Payroll4Free is likely best for small businesses with no payroll processing budget. Businesses with more than 25 employees, those with larger budgets or those less willing to sacrifice features like automatic tax filings and free customer support may prefer a different but affordable payroll service, such as Patriot.
Features and add-ons
For the most part, Payroll4Free stacks up well against competitors on our best payroll software list by offering many free features. For instance, its free plan offers the following features:
- Phone support.
- Employee self-service portal.
- Third-party integrations (such as QuickBooks).
- Direct deposit capabilities.
- Time tracking tools.
- Vacation and leave tracking.
- Contractor payment processing.
- Reporting (including earnings, taxes, accrued time and payroll journal reports).
However, it doesn’t have a mobile app, 401(k) tracking, multi-currency capabilities, benefits administration or employee onboarding features. It’s also lacking in customer support, not offering 24/7 support, live chat or even a knowledge base to address issues on your own.
Meanwhile, some free and low-cost alternatives have features that Payroll4Free lacks. For example, HR.my, another free payroll service, has a mobile app, unlimited payroll processing and HR tools. In addition, it is supported through crowdfunding, eliminating the need for ads within the software.
Similarly, with plans starting at $17 per month plus $4 per employee or contractor, Patriot provides live chat support with human representatives at no additional cost, 401(k) tracking, wage garnishment, unlimited payroll runs and automated state and federal payroll deposits and filing.
Customer support and experience
If you have problems or questions while using Payroll4Free, you can contact the company by phone, email or postal mail. Unfortunately, support isn’t available 24/7, and no live chat or knowledge base are offered. In addition, if new users have excessive product training needs, you must pay $50 an hour for such training.
Payroll4Free has a 3.2 out of five-star rating on Capterra with nine reviews. While some users say the software offers a lot for the price, users often say the software is confusing, outdated and not intuitive. Overall, the consensus seems that the software is not especially user-friendly but is capable of basic functionality for users needing free payroll software.
Regarding problem resolution, some customers say they had no problems calling and getting help with user issues. However, other users mention waiting days or weeks for a response from Payroll4Free’s email support.
It’s important to keep in mind that Payroll4Free doesn’t offer a mobile app, so you are limited to using Payroll4Free’s desktop software. Another important note is that while you can technically use it on a Mac, that is only true if the Mac is running Windows. If it’s running iOS, you cannot use Payroll4Free’s software on that device.
Payroll4Free vs. the competition
Only a handful of companies offer free payroll services, and Payroll4Free fares well when going toe-to-toe with them. It includes many of the same features as the other free payroll services and is one of the only free services with phone support. For a small business of 25 or fewer employees, Payroll4Free offers free simplistic software to save your budget. The software is good for basic payroll and includes some features normally offered by paid services, such as an employee self-service portal, third-party integrations and tax compliance tools. However, you’ll likely need to upgrade eventually.
While it may start out as free, as businesses grow, it doesn’t remain so. Payroll4Free’s additional fees add up quickly. Its free version is limited to running payroll for 25 employees; for more, you must pay $35 per 25-employee increment. In addition, tax filing services and some direct deposit services cost extra.
As companies outgrow their free software, they’ll want to consider what payroll features they’d find useful. Some companies may choose to stick with Payroll4Free, resorting to add-ons to meet their software needs, while others will want to look to top-rated competitors.
Starting at $8 per employee per month (plus a custom monthly fee), Rippling, the best payroll software on our list, includes a mobile app, live chat support, automatic tax filings, benefits administration, expense and bill pay management and advanced reporting. Another option for budget-conscious business owners, Patriot, starts at $17 per month and includes unlimited payroll runs for no additional cost and always-free customer support.
Is Payroll4Free right for your business?
Based on our ratings, Payroll4Free is among our top choices for payroll services due to its free price tag, basic payroll services and integrations with software like Quickbook. However, its weaknesses include a 25-employee limit for free plans, lack of mobile apps and the fact that several key services are only available for a fee (including some levels of customer support).
If you have a small business and only need basic payroll services, Payroll4Free could be right for you. But large businesses or those that have the budget to pay for premium services might prefer alternatives. Some of our top choices for payroll software include features that Payroll4Free lacks that can be helpful to growing businesses. For example:
- Patriot: With plans starting at $17 per month, Patriot’s standout feature is unlimited payroll processing at no additional cost.
- Homebase: This software deposits and files your taxes and offers setup services, customer service and unlimited payroll runs starting at $39 per month, plus $6 per employee.
- Rippling: With plans starting at $8 per employee per user (plus a custom monthly base fee), Rippling offers HR tools (such as organization charts and workforce analytics), access to over 500 integrations, automated tax filings, expense management tools, global payroll and compliance management tools, benefits administration solutions and a mobile app.
Methodology
We extensively research the key competitors within an industry to determine the best products and services for your business. Our experts identify the factors that matter most to business owners, including pricing, features and customer support, to ensure that our recommendations offer well-rounded products that will meet the needs of various small businesses.
We collect extensive data to narrow our best list to reputable, easy-to-use products with stand-out features at a reasonable price point. And we look at user reviews to ensure that business owners like you are satisfied with our top picks’ services. We use the same rubric to assess companies within a particular space so you can confidently follow our blueprint to the best payroll software.
Featured payroll software offers
OnPay
Monthly fee
$40 per month plus $6 per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
SurePayroll
Monthly fee
$29.99 per month plus $5 per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
Gusto
Monthly fee
Starting at $40 plus $6 per month per employee
Direct deposit
Yes
Rippling
Monthly fee
$35 per month + $8 per user
Direct deposit
Yes
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Payroll4Free does not offer a free trial because its only plan is free. However, it charges add-on fees for several services not included in its base plan. For example, you must pay $35 per month for every 25-person increment needed beyond the first 25 employees (which are free). You must also pay $30 per month if you need Payroll4Free to deposit and file federal and state taxes.
Payroll4Free offers two options for direct deposit. You can use your own bank for direct deposit, which is free. Or you can use Payroll4Free’s bank for direct deposits; however, to do so, Payroll4Free charges a $25 monthly fee ($250 annually).
Same-day direct deposit is also available for an additional $25-per-batch fee.
Payroll4Free calculates your state, federal and local taxes for you and provides free fill-out tax forms. However, you must pay $30 per month ($250 annually) for Payroll4Free’s tax service if you want it to deposit and file your payroll taxes for you.
Yes, time tracking is included in Payroll4Free’s free offering. It lets you keep track of employee vacation, sick time and paid time off (PTO). The system also accrues the correct number of hours for each employee based on the time the employee has been with the company and the number of hours worked.
Payroll4Free does not currently have a mobile app available for iOS or Android.
Yes, Payroll4Free offers integrations with QuickBooks as well as other popular accounting software. You can also import and export data to other third-party software companies, such banks and benefits companies.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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