Free Payroll Software and Payroll Trials
Which payroll software a startup can run payroll with for free or try before paying, how many employees and months the free offer covers, where it runs payroll, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each provider's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Payroll services change their free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the provider's page before you rely on it.
Payroll software a startup can start with for free today includes Payroll4Free (Free for up to 9 employees), Patriot Software (30 days free, then 50% off 3 months), OnPay (First month free), ADP RUN (Up to 6 months free payroll), and Gusto (3 months free (VC partner link)). Each of the 8 free plans below links to the provider's page that states it, with its main limit, where it runs payroll, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
Paying a first employee means withholding taxes, filing them and paying on time, which is what payroll software does. Free payroll is rare: most services charge a monthly base fee plus a fee per person, and offer a free trial or free months to start.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. Free months may require a long contract or a start date, some offers come only through a partner's link, and contractor payments or other countries can be separate products. Each service below shows what is free, its main limit, where it runs payroll, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the provider's own page with the date we read it.
Which services we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the providers'. Some of these providers pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which services are listed or where.
Payroll software with a free plan
Run payroll or pay contractors with no monthly fee to start.
- 1
Payroll4Free
Micro teams of 9 or fewer people paid monthly
All basic payroll services are free for up to 9 employees paid once a month, and the software calculates federal, state and local taxes.
Start free at Payroll4FreeTerms read on payroll4free.com on Payroll4Free: the free allowance and how to start
Payroll software with a free trial
Full-service payroll you can try free before the first bill.
- 1
Patriot Software
Owners who want 30 days of payroll before paying
Patriot's payroll software gets 30 days free plus 50% off for 3 months. Its first paid plan, Basic Payroll, is $17/month plus $4 per worker paid.
Start free at Patriot SoftwareTerms read on patriotsoftware.com on Patriot Software: the free allowance and how to start - 2
OnPay
Teams that want one free month of payroll
OnPay's first month is free. Pricing starts at $55 per month, and it pays workers in as many states as you need.
- What's free
- First month free (source: onpay.com)
- Where it runs
- As many states as you need (source: onpay.com)
- First paid plan
- From $55 per month (source: onpay.com)
- 3
ADP RUN
1-49 employee teams that want a large provider
ADP RUN offers up to 6 months of free payroll for new clients with 1-49 employees in the Continental U.S.
- Where it runs
- Continental U.S. only (source: adp.com)
- 4
Gusto
Startups that come through a VC partner's link
Gusto gives 3 months free to startups that sign up through a venture capital partner's sign-up link. Pricing starts at $49/mo plus $6/mo per person.
- First paid plan
- Simple: $49/mo + $6/mo per person (source: gusto.com)
- 5
Rippling
VC-backed startups that want HR, payroll and IT together
Rippling's startup offer gives up to 6 months free on its products. The order form minimum is 18 months, and the page says it can hire and pay people in 185+ countries.
- What's free
- Up to 6 months free (source: rippling.com)
- 6
Homebase Payroll
Hourly teams that schedule and pay staff in one app
Homebase's payroll page offers 6 months free; after that, full-service payroll is $49 a month plus $6 per active employee, with unlimited payroll runs.
- What's free
- 6 months free (source: joinhomebase.com)
Start free at HomebaseTerms read on joinhomebase.com on Homebase Payroll: the free allowance and how to start - 7
Oyster
Paying contractors in other countries
Oyster's Global Contractors product is free for 30 days, then USD 29 per contractor a month. It covers contractors, with contracts in 180+ countries.
- Where it runs
- Contracts in 180+ countries (source: oysterhr.com)
- First paid plan
- USD 29 per contractor a month (source: oysterhr.com)
Start free at OysterTerms read on oysterhr.com on Oyster: the free allowance and how to start Oyster for Startups: what startups get
HR startup programs
Programs from HR and payroll companies that give startups discounts on paid plans.
Also useful for bookkeeping, tax and finance
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers payroll software and payroll services a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each service's terms. Every term comes from the service's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A free trial instead of a free plan, a monthly base fee plus a fee per employee, tax filing or contractor payments kept for paid plans, one country only can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the provider states them. Some of these services pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a service appears, and no service pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
Is there free payroll software?
Few services run payroll free. By its own page, Payroll4Free is free for up to 9 employees paid once a month and handles federal, state and local taxes; most others offer free months, such as OnPay's first month free.
Is Gusto free?
No. Gusto offers 3 months free only through a venture capital partner's sign-up link; its Simple plan is $49 a month plus $6 a month per person.
Does Rippling have a free trial?
Rippling offers up to 6 months free, with an 18-month minimum contract.
What does Patriot Software cost?
Patriot Software gives 30 days free, then 50% off for 3 months; its Basic payroll plan is $17 a month plus $4 per worker.
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