Meta Description: Compare the top payroll outsourcing companies for 2027: full-service US payroll, managed payroll and multi-country providers, with pricing and coverage checked.
Payroll outsourcing companies calculate pay, withhold and file payroll taxes, issue year-end forms, and, in managed models, take responsibility for running each pay cycle on your behalf. This list covers two kinds of provider: full-service payroll platforms for US small and midsize businesses, and managed payroll firms that run multi-country payroll for employers with staff in several jurisdictions.
The payroll market has consolidated quickly. Paychex completed its acquisition of Paycor in April 2025, Alight sold its payroll and professional services business (now operating as Strada), and the large HR platforms keep adding global payroll and employer of record services. For buyers going into 2027, that means fewer independent options at the top, more bundling of payroll with HR, benefits and time tracking, and more pressure to confirm exactly who is accountable for tax filings and penalty notices.
Each provider below was checked on its own website for the payroll services it offers, the countries it covers, where it is headquartered, and current ownership. Published pricing is noted where it exists. Buyers comparing payroll outsourcing services should also weigh support quality and the tax filing guarantee, since a cheap plan that leaves you to answer agency notices can cost more in staff time than it saves. The list mixes well-known US platforms with managed and global payroll specialists, because the right choice for a 20-person US company and a 2,000-person employer in 30 countries is rarely the same.
Payroll is one of the oldest outsourced back-office functions, and our guide to what BPO is explains how it fits alongside HR, finance and customer operations. Companies that also want an outside firm to act as the legal employer abroad should compare this list with our EOR and PEO providers.
Payroll Outsourcing Companies At A Glance
Company
Headquarters
Best For
Core Services
ADP
Roseland, New Jersey
Employers of any size that want one provider from 1 to 1,000+ employees
Payroll, tax filing, HR outsourcing, PEO, global payroll
Paychex
Rochester, New York
Small and midsize US employers that want payroll plus HR and managed payroll
Multinationals that need payroll in many countries plus SAP or Workday support
Global payroll, payments, advisory and deployment
CloudPay
United Kingdom and New York
Global enterprises that want one contract for managed payroll and payments
Managed global payroll, salary payments, pay-on-demand
activpayroll
Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Midsize multinationals that want a managed service in 150+ countries
Managed global payroll, global mobility, HR services
Papaya Global
New York, New York
Companies mixing entity payroll, EOR and contractors
Global payroll, EOR, contractor management, payments
TMF Group
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Groups expanding into new countries that need payroll plus entity administration
Global payroll, EOR, accounting, corporate secretarial
Best Payroll Outsourcing Companies In 2027
1. ADP — Payroll For 1.1 Million Clients In 140 Countries
ADP has been in the payroll business for more than 75 years, starting with its first account in Paterson, New Jersey, and now serves more than 1.1 million clients with payroll, HR and outsourcing services in 140 countries. Its main address is in Roseland, New Jersey.
Its US packages are split by size. Small businesses with 1 to 49 employees choose from Essential, Enhanced, Complete Payroll and HR+, and HR Pro, all of which calculate and pay payroll taxes on the employer’s behalf. Midsize and enterprise employers (50 to 1,000+ employees) choose Select, Plus or Premium, which add integrated HR, benefits and talent tools and offer scalable levels of service and outsourcing. ADP also runs a PEO and HR outsourcing business and a global payroll service for multinationals.
ADP suits employers that want to stay with one provider as they grow, including into managed payroll and other countries. Pricing is quoted rather than published, so get the full fee schedule, including year-end and off-cycle charges, in writing. ADP is also one of the few US providers that can take a company from a handful of employees through PEO co-employment and on to multi-country payroll without a change of vendor, which reduces the risk and cost of migrations later. Large employers can choose how much of each payroll cycle ADP runs, from software with support to a fully outsourced service.
2. Paychex — Pays 1 In 11 US Private Sector Workers, Now Including Paycor
Paychex, based in Rochester, New York, serves about 840,000 customers in the US and Europe and says it pays one in every 11 American private sector workers. It completed its acquisition of Paycor on April 14, 2025, adding a provider with a strong midsize and enterprise customer base and a managed payroll service in which Paycor’s specialists run payroll end to end.
Paychex payroll packages are Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete, and all of them calculate, file and pay federal, state and local payroll taxes. Higher tiers add HR, onboarding, time and benefits administration. Pricing is quoted after a call, and Paychex often runs promotions for new clients, so compare first-year and ongoing costs.
Paychex fits small and midsize US employers that want payroll bundled with HR support and the option to step up to a managed or PEO model. Through Paycor, it also serves employers with more than 1,000 staff in healthcare, manufacturing, nonprofits, restaurants, education and retail.
3. Gusto — Full-Service Payroll From $49 Per Month Plus $6 Per Person
Gusto is built for small US businesses that want to set up payroll themselves without a sales call. It files federal, state and local payroll tax forms for the company, and its published plans start with Simple at $49 per month plus $6 per person. Plus costs $80 per month plus $12 per person and Premium costs $180 per month plus $22 per person, adding more HR, time tracking and support. A Contractor Only plan covers 1099 workers for $35 per month plus $6 per person.
Beyond payroll, Gusto includes employee self-onboarding, applicant tracking and onboarding checklists, and it administers health insurance at no extra cost when it acts as the broker. Phone support is available on weekdays.
Gusto suits startups and small businesses with under 100 employees that want predictable published pricing and an easy employee experience. Companies with complex union rules, many locations or a need for a dedicated payroll specialist may outgrow it. Gusto also integrates with common accounting tools, so payroll journal entries can flow into your books without manual posting, which is useful when an outside bookkeeper closes your month.
4. Patriot Software — Full-Service Payroll At $37 Plus $5 Per Worker
Patriot Software, based in Canton, Ohio, traces its start to 1986 and now serves more than 80,000 customers with payroll and accounting software. Its Full Service Payroll plan costs $37 per month plus $5 per worker paid, and you are billed only for workers paid that month. That includes federal, state and local tax filings and deposits, plus year-end Forms 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 at no extra charge, and there are no setup fees.
Patriot backs its filings with a guarantee: if an error on its side causes penalties or interest, it covers them. Additional state filings cost $12 per month per state, and time and attendance or HR software can be added for $6 per month plus $2 per employee. US-based support is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.
For a 10-person company in one state, that works out to about $87 a month at list price, before any add-ons. Patriot is one of the lowest-cost full-service options for very small businesses with simple payroll in one state. Employers that want benefits administration or a dedicated payroll manager should look at the larger providers.
5. OnPay — Unlimited Pay Runs And Multi-State Filing From $49 Plus $6 Per Worker
OnPay grew out of a family payroll business that has served clients for more than 30 years; CEO Jesse Burgess moved its process online after joining in 2007. Its Payroll Essentials plan costs $49 per month plus $6 per worker and includes federal, state and local tax filings, W-2s and 1099s, unlimited pay runs and schedules, and payroll in as many states as you need. There are no implementation or integration fees.
OnPay adds HR tools for $15 per month plus $2 per worker and time tracking for $15 plus $4, with bundle discounts. Benefits integration is free, so you pay only plan premiums. Support is available by phone, chat and email on weekdays.
OnPay’s industry pages show where it fits: nonprofits, restaurants, farms and agriculture, retail, dental offices, religious organizations, healthcare, law firms and hospitality. It suits small and midsize employers with remote or multi-state staff that want all-in published pricing.
6. Strada — Payroll For 11 Million Employees In 180+ Countries
Strada is the former payroll and HR services business of Alight, which divested it in 2024. Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, it has offices in 22 countries and territories across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, including delivery locations in India, Poland, Hungary, the Philippines and Mexico. Strada says it serves more than 1,400 customers in over 180 countries, paying more than 11 million employees and processing about $1.4 trillion in payroll a year.
Services cover global payroll processing on the Strada platform, global payroll payments and currency settlement, and advisory, deployment and optimization services, including partner work for Workday, SAP and Oracle payroll. Strada has also announced a strategic alliance with EY for integrated global payroll.
Strada suits large multinationals running payroll in many countries, especially those on SAP SuccessFactors or Workday that want a single provider for implementation and ongoing processing. It is designed for enterprise scale rather than small employers, and buyers should expect a formal implementation project with a defined parallel-run period before go-live.
7. CloudPay — Managed Global Payroll And Salary Payments Under One Contract
CloudPay provides managed global payroll, salary payments and pay-on-demand services on one cloud platform, with more than 25 years of payroll experience. It has offices in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Costa Rica, Singapore, China, the Philippines, Brazil and New York.
The service model is built for control. Customers hold one contract with CloudPay, which manages any in-country providers it uses. Each payroll goes through automated validation and checks by in-house specialists, with up to two levels of customer approval, daily data transfers and monthly service reviews. Because CloudPay also handles salary payments, it can reconcile payroll results with money actually paid.
Named clients include Visa, LSEG, Expedia, Medtronic, Dropbox, Wayfair, Avis Budget Group and Delivery Hero. CloudPay suits global enterprises that want to consolidate many local payroll vendors into one managed service with consistent reporting.
8. activpayroll — 2 Million Payslips A Year For 500+ Customers
activpayroll has run payroll for about 25 years from its head office in Aberdeen, Scotland, and now delivers compliant payroll in more than 150 countries. It processes more than 2 million payslips a year for over 500 active customers. Regional service hubs cover EMEA, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, with offices in Edinburgh, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Cape Town, Dubai, Kochi, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Perth and Venice, Florida.
Its global payroll service includes end-to-end processing, local compliance and statutory reporting, and a single global governance model. activpayroll also offers global mobility services for internationally mobile employees and HR services, which matters for companies with staff on assignment abroad.
activpayroll is a good fit for midsize multinationals, particularly those with internationally mobile staff, that want a managed provider large enough to cover most countries but small enough to give senior attention.
9. Papaya Global — Payroll, EOR And Contractors In 180+ Countries With SOC 1 And SOC 2
Papaya Global runs payroll in more than 180 countries and covers several workforce models on one platform: payroll for employees of your own entities, employer of record for hires where you have no entity, contractor of record, and contingent and gig workers. It lists offices in New York and Hong Kong.
The company emphasizes controls and payments. It holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II reports, ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certification and CSA STAR, and it operates as a licensed financial institution with segregated funds, using J.P. Morgan and Citi payment rails. Its compliance tool, Papaya One, tracks rules in more than 95 jurisdictions. Shadow payroll, global benefits, time and attendance and an employee app are included in the platform.
Papaya suits companies with a mix of entities and EOR hires that want one system and one payment flow. If you are mainly evaluating employer of record services, compare it with the dedicated EOR providers on our separate list mentioned above, since pricing and country coverage for EOR differ from those for payroll alone.
10. TMF Group — Global Payroll In 150 Jurisdictions With 13,000 Staff
TMF Group is a global corporate services firm with 13,000 staff in more than 125 offices across 87 jurisdictions, and its payroll service covers 150 jurisdictions with local payroll experts. Payroll runs on the TMF Optix platform in four stages (data collection, processing, review and finalization), with local experts validating inputs before processing and multi-level client approval.
TMF complies with ISAE 3402 and ISO 27001 and is rated a Leader by Everest Group and NelsonHall. Beyond payroll processing and reporting, it offers employer of record services through Globalization Partners, absence management, and the accounting, tax and corporate secretarial services needed to set up and run a local entity.
TMF Group suits companies entering new countries that want one firm to handle entity administration, statutory accounting and payroll together. Businesses that only need payroll in a few established countries may find specialist payroll providers more cost-effective.
How To Choose A Payroll Outsourcing Company
Do You Need Software, Managed Payroll Or A PEO?
Full-service payroll software calculates pay and files taxes, but your team still enters hours, approves runs and fixes errors. Managed payroll adds a provider team that runs each cycle, reconciles results and handles agency notices for you. A PEO goes further and becomes the co-employer, which can unlock larger-company benefits pricing in exchange for less control. Decide which model you want before comparing quotes. Our comparisons of ADP vs Paychex and Gusto vs ADP show how the large US providers package these options.
Who Is Liable For Tax Filing Errors?
Ask whether the provider guarantees the accuracy and timeliness of the federal, state and local filings it makes, and whether that guarantee covers penalties and interest. Read the fine print: most guarantees exclude errors caused by inaccurate data you submit. Confirm who receives and answers agency notices, and how quickly. For multi-state employers, check that the provider registers you in new states and handles local taxes such as city and school district withholding.
How Many Countries Do You Really Need Covered?
If you have entities in a few countries, an aggregator or managed global payroll provider can run in-country payroll through one contract and consolidate reporting. If you are hiring individuals in countries where you have no entity, you need an employer of record instead, or a provider that offers both. Our comparison of Rippling vs Deel covers two platforms that sell both models. Ask whether in-country payroll is run by the provider’s own staff or by local partners, and who you call when a payslip is wrong in a country with a different language and filing calendar.
When Should You Switch Providers?
The cleanest time to move payroll is at the start of a calendar year, because the new provider then owns every quarterly filing and the year-end W-2s. A mid-year switch is possible, but the new provider must load year-to-date wages, taxes and deductions for every employee, and errors in that data show up as wrong W-2s months later. If you must switch mid-year, do it at the start of a quarter, reconcile year-to-date totals line by line, and keep access to the old system until the following year’s forms are filed. Payroll outsourcing services from managed providers usually include this conversion work; software platforms often leave it to you.
What Will It Cost Once Everything Is Included?
US payroll platforms usually charge a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee, and many publish both. Managed and global payroll providers usually quote per employee per month by country, after a discovery call. Confirm extras such as year-end W-2 and 1099 processing, off-cycle runs, garnishments, new-state registrations, implementation fees and integrations with your HR, time and accounting systems. For a wider view of how outsourced pricing is structured, see our guide to BPO pricing.
How Will Payroll Connect To HR And Accounting?
Payroll errors often start upstream, in hiring, time tracking and benefits changes. Check how the provider syncs with your HR system, time clocks and general ledger, and whether journal entries post automatically to QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite or your ERP. Companies that want payroll handled alongside broader HR work can also compare HR outsourcing companies.
Conclusion
The best payroll outsourcing company is the one whose model matches your headcount, footprint and appetite for hands-on work. Small US employers can usually get accurate payroll, tax filing and a guarantee from a full-service platform at a published price. Midsize companies with several states, unions or complex pay rules often benefit from a managed service. Multinationals should look at global payroll specialists that run in-country payroll and consolidate reporting.
Whatever you choose, get the tax filing guarantee in writing, confirm who answers agency notices, and run at least one parallel payroll before you switch. If payroll is part of a wider finance outsourcing project, pair this list with our list of finance and accounting outsourcing companies.
