Side-by-Side Comparisons of Some Payroll Providers
There are probably 100 other things you would rather do with your day than compare payroll providers. Most providers also do an amazing job hiding their pricing models so that you are force to talk to a pushy salesperson that will undoubtedly call non-stop until you are forced to tell them to stop. We don’t believe this is the way to do business with your neighbors. So we went ahead and tried to give a side-by-side comparison of some of the payroll providers you may be considering. We will update this information from time to time so feel free to check back!
Quickbooks
ADP
Rippling
Paychex
Gusto
Payroll Core
The Basics
Quickbooks is often the “Go-To” amongst businesses that are just getting started and looking for simplicity. Quickboos Payroll Essentials is just that, very simple. However that simplicity comes at quite the cost. This program really does put you on an island all by yourself. You, the business owner is responsible for almost everything and if you need help, it’s to the 1-800 number you go. While Quickbooks integrates with a lot of third-party providers, the companies that use Quickbooks for payroll will have limited options in 401(k) and Work Comp options.
Both Quickbooks and The Ragnar Group offer flexibly payroll run options. These include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.
Both Quickbooks and The Ragnar Group offer automated tax payments to maintain tax compliance.
The Ragnar Group Inc. has built out integrations with dozens of carriers to find you the right coverage your business needs in a pay as you go option. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for Work Comp insurance will also earn you a 5% discount on your payroll services.
Quickbooks has purchased a company called AP Intego which in turn owns Next Insurance. While they have the ability to shop out multiple carriers there is an element of favoritism that may be present. There is no discount for using Quickbooks to find you your work comp insurance.
Similar to Work Comp, The Ragnar Group Inc. works with dozens of carriers from an indepenedent standpoint to find you the best policy for your business and your wallet. Your business will earn another 5% discount on payroll services by using The Ragnar Group Inc. to find your general liability insurance policy.
Quickbooks uses AP Intego for general liability insurance and offers no discount for using them to find your general liability insurance policy.
Through our in-house Registered Investment Advisor firm we have the ability to work with dozens of 401(k) carriers. We also have the ability to compare multiple types of retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Payroll Deducted IRAs and 403(b). Using The Ragnar Group Inc. to manage your retirement plan will earn you an additional 5% discount on your payroll service along with reduced fees on your retirement plan. The Ragnar Group Inc. also has local advisors to help your employees manage their journey to retirement with no cost financial planning.
Quickbooks uses only one carrier and one option for retirement plans. They can only offer 401(k) plans and only through Guideline. There is no discount on your payroll services for using Quickbooks to manage your 401(k). Guideline has no local advisors and your employees will be stuck using generic 1-800 numbers when they have questions.
The Ragnar Group Inc. understands small business. We offer not only traditional group policies but also more flexible ICHRA plans to help small businesses find predictable and affordable coverage. Our agents are local and will work with you to understand your business and find they type of plan that works best for you and your employees. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for health benefits will also earn you another 5% discount on payroll services PLUS for businesses with over 50 employees we offer steep discounts on broker fees when combined with payroll services.
Quickbooks uses a third-party agency out of California to shop plans for your business. They do not offer flexible ICHRA plans and do not have local agents. There is no discount on payroll services for using Quickbooks to find your health benefits.
The Ragnar Group Inc. believes that keep clients is just as important as finding new one. On your third anniversary of using us for your payroll services you will earn another 5% discount on your payroll services. Most providers only lock in your rate for 3 years and then INCREASE your rate.
Quickbooks at heart is an accounting software. There is no discount for your continued use of their payroll service. In fact they often sell their payroll service with a 3 month teaser rate only to drastically increase that rate after those first 3 months.
The Ragnar Group Inc. only uses local advisors and agents that all work in-house for The Ragnar Group Inc. This creates an environment where we are all working for the common good of you and your business. No 1-800 numbers, no guessing who to contact.
Quickbooks only uses third parties to administer its services. You will never meet your advisors or agents and will only have access to chat features online and call centers.
For businesses with under 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. has a base fee of $72/month plus $8 PEPM. However after discounts discussed above that fee could go down to $54/month plus $6 PEPM. After year three that drops again to $50/month and $5.60 PEPM.
For Businesses with over 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. base fee drops to $65/month plus $7 PEPM. After all possible discounts this rate drops to $48.75/month plus $5.25 PEPM
Custom pricing available for businesses with over 100 employees
Quickbooks offers pricing at $45/month plus $6 PEPM with no discounts.
Run by ADP
The Basics
ADP is undoubtedly one of the two 800lb gorillas in the payroll room. Their size is really only rivaled by Paychex. But that size comes at a cost in the form of service. They do offer a great suite of add-ons and services but for a small business the cost is not all that special and the service can be down right horrible. Lots of salespeople turnover and lots of call centers. However, in the large market space (think over 1,000 employees) they are tough to beat.
Both ADP and The Ragnar Group offer flexibly payroll run options. These include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.
Both ADP and The Ragnar Group offer automated tax payments to maintain tax compliance.
The Ragnar Group Inc. has built out integrations with dozens of carriers to find you the right coverage your business needs in a pay as you go option. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for Work Comp insurance will also earn you a 5% discount on your payroll services.
ADP is one of the larger players in the Work Comp space. Their size is really the issue here again with no local agents and the use of call centers. There are no discounts for using ADP as your Work Comp insurance agent. Like The Ragnar Group Inc. ADP offers dozens of carriers independent from ADP itself.
Similar to Work Comp, The Ragnar Group Inc. works with dozens of carriers from an indepenedent standpoint to find you the best policy for your business and your wallet. Your business will earn another 5% discount on payroll services by using The Ragnar Group Inc. to find your general liability insurance policy.
ADP does not offer any general liability insurance. They only offer solutions for Work Comp which means you will need to find your liability insurance elsewhere.
Through our in-house Registered Investment Advisor firm we have the ability to work with dozens of 401(k) carriers. We also have the ability to compare multiple types of retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Payroll Deducted IRAs and 403(b). Using The Ragnar Group Inc. to manage your retirement plan will earn you an additional 5% discount on your payroll service along with reduced fees on your retirement plan. The Ragnar Group Inc. also has local advisors to help your employees manage their journey to retirement with no cost financial planning.
ADP is one of the larger 401(k) recordkeepers in the country. Much like other payroll services in this list, they are really limited in what they can offer in terms of plan types. No SIMPLE IRAs or SEP IRAs. They offer online tech tools to help employees self-guide their way to retirement. There aren’t any local advisors that can work with employees on a one-on-one basis.
The Ragnar Group Inc. understands small business. We offer not only traditional group policies but also more flexible ICHRA plans to help small businesses find predictable and affordable coverage. Our agents are local and will work with you to understand your business and find they type of plan that works best for you and your employees. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for health benefits will also earn you another 5% discount on payroll services PLUS for businesses with over 50 employees we offer steep discounts on broker fees when combined with payroll services.
Through ADPs agency ADPIA, ADP can offer group health benefits. This again is done via a call center with no local agents to help guide you to the best plan types for your business. ADP does not offer a discount on payroll services for them to find your health insurance plans.
The Ragnar Group Inc. believes that keep clients is just as important as finding new one. On your third anniversary of using us for your payroll services you will earn another 5% discount on your payroll services. Most providers only lock in your rate for 3 years and then INCREASE your rate.
ADP is similar to others on this list in that their pricing is only guaranteed for a short period of time and is typically followed with an increase in pricing. Wondering why the person that initially signed you up for your service doesn’t come around anymore? Pretty simple, their salespeople are trained and compensated to find new businesses NOT to keep their current clients happy. ADP is a publicly traded company and legally has loyalty to their shareholders, not necessarily their customers.
The Ragnar Group Inc. only uses local advisors and agents that all work in-house for The Ragnar Group Inc. This creates an environment where we are all working for the common good of you and your business. No 1-800 numbers, no guessing who to contact.
After you sign your business up for ADP payroll you will typically be passed onto a call center for ongoing service. If you’re lucky you may have a salesperson that keeps in touch but the turnover is pretty high. This leaves you will being one of hundreds that your call center agent is servicing.
For businesses with under 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. has a base fee of $72/month plus $8 PEPM. However after discounts discussed above that fee could go down to $54/month plus $6 PEPM. After year three that drops again to $50/month and $5.60 PEPM.
For Businesses with over 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. base fee drops to $65/month plus $7 PEPM. After all possible discounts this rate drops to $48.75/month plus $5.25 PEPM
Custom pricing available for businesses with over 100 employees
ADP is pretty tight lipped with their pricing and only disclose their very basic payroll service, Payroll Essentials. This pricing is $79/month plus $4 PEPM. If you want ADP to handle your State Unemployment Payments it will cost you more. If you need to have garnishments that will cost you more. Want to have ADP link your Work Comp? That may cost you more as well. Want a legit quote? Bad news, you have to call a salesperson that will hound you non-stop into submission.
Utility
The Basics
While Rippling offers payroll as a service what Rippling is really a HCM (Human Capital Management) company in a tech wrapper. They really only play well in their own app environment which limits some its offerings.
Both Rippling and The Ragnar Group offer flexibly payroll run options. These include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.
Both Rippling and The Ragnar Group offer automated tax payments to maintain tax compliance.
The Ragnar Group Inc. has built out integrations with dozens of carriers to find you the right coverage your business needs in a pay as you go option. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for Work Comp insurance will also earn you a 5% discount on your payroll services.
Rippling utilizes an app to work with AP Intego, which is own by Next Insurance. You will not have a local agent that understands your business and will have access to call centers but thats it. No discounts offered for using this connection, in fact using multiple apps with Rippling will actually increase your costs.
Similar to Work Comp, The Ragnar Group Inc. works with dozens of carriers from an indepenedent standpoint to find you the best policy for your business and your wallet. Your business will earn another 5% discount on payroll services by using The Ragnar Group Inc. to find your general liability insurance policy.
Similar to Work Comp, Rippling outsources this insurance surface to AP Intego. This app may also come at an additional cost.
Through our in-house Registered Investment Advisor firm we have the ability to work with dozens of 401(k) carriers. We also have the ability to compare multiple types of retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Payroll Deducted IRAs and 403(b). Using The Ragnar Group Inc. to manage your retirement plan will earn you an additional 5% discount on your payroll service along with reduced fees on your retirement plan. The Ragnar Group Inc. also has local advisors to help your employees manage their journey to retirement with no cost financial planning.
Limited to their own app environment, which does have a number of carriers, you will be on your own in determining the best 401(k) provider for your company. Similar to others on this list, Rippling is really limited to just 401(k) plans and do not help with any other options. Similar to other offerings with Rippling, adding access to apps may increase your price.
The Ragnar Group Inc. understands small business. We offer not only traditional group policies but also more flexible ICHRA plans to help small businesses find predictable and affordable coverage. Our agents are local and will work with you to understand your business and find they type of plan that works best for you and your employees. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for health benefits will also earn you another 5% discount on payroll services PLUS for businesses with over 50 employees we offer steep discounts on broker fees when combined with payroll services.
Rippling uses a network of brokers to offer health benefits. We actually looked into becoming a broker for them in the past. You can keep your current broker, if they accept to being a Rippling broker, but if not you will be stuck shopping out plans like you have in the past. Rippling will integrate with carriers via their dedicated app but even this is fairly common with many other payroll providers (including The Ragnar Group).
The Ragnar Group Inc. believes that keep clients is just as important as finding new one. On your third anniversary of using us for your payroll services you will earn another 5% discount on your payroll services. Most providers only lock in your rate for 3 years and then INCREASE your rate.
Rippling almost has forced loyalty from their customers to Rippling. What we mean by that is their main goal is to get your business dependent on using their apps. Trying to make moves later on to other carriers or brokers may be quite difficult. This will limit your control over your company in the future.
The Ragnar Group Inc. only uses local advisors and agents that all work in-house for The Ragnar Group Inc. This creates an environment where we are all working for the common good of you and your business. No 1-800 numbers, no guessing who to contact.
Rippling does not use any local advisors or salesmen for their product. Everything is very “tech” focused which means call centers and chat boxes.
For businesses with under 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. has a base fee of $72/month plus $8 PEPM. However after discounts discussed above that fee could go down to $54/month plus $6 PEPM. After year three that drops again to $50/month and $5.60 PEPM.
For Businesses with over 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. base fee drops to $65/month plus $7 PEPM. After all possible discounts this rate drops to $48.75/month plus $5.25 PEPM
Custom pricing available for businesses with over 100 employees
Rippling only discloses their Unity pricing which they self-admit is really only for a very small business with only a handful of employees. This tier does not offer many of the features and apps that are plastered all over their website. Unity pricing is $35/month plus $8 PEPM. Any other models require your inquiry and custom buildouts.
The Basics
Along with ADP, Paychex is the other 800lbs gorilla in the payroll service space. Much like ADP they have similar problems around their size. Tough to compete with in that over 1,000 employee space, you will be just a number to them in the service area. This leaves a lot of customers frustrated and looking elsewhere.
Both Paychex and The Ragnar Group offer flexibly payroll run options. These include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.
Both Paychex and The Ragnar Group offer automated tax payments to maintain tax compliance. However, Paychex will require you to go the next level up from their basic package for State Unemployment tax reporting and Work Comp.
The Ragnar Group Inc. has built out integrations with dozens of carriers to find you the right coverage your business needs in a pay as you go option. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for Work Comp insurance will also earn you a 5% discount on your payroll services.
Paychex uses a call center with licensed agents to sell you a work comp insurance policy. This will be a 1-800 number to find the right policy and again if you have any questions or need assistance. There are no discounts for them to find you work comp insurance.
Similar to Work Comp, The Ragnar Group Inc. works with dozens of carriers from an indepenedent standpoint to find you the best policy for your business and your wallet. Your business will earn another 5% discount on payroll services by using The Ragnar Group Inc. to find your general liability insurance policy.
Just like Work Comp, Paychex uses a call center with agents to help you shop for a policy. Once you are sold your policy, you will be on your own or have to call that 1-800 number again and you may or may not get the same agent. There are no discounts for using Paychex to sell you this type of insurance policy.
Through our in-house Registered Investment Advisor firm we have the ability to work with dozens of 401(k) carriers. We also have the ability to compare multiple types of retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Payroll Deducted IRAs and 403(b). Using The Ragnar Group Inc. to manage your retirement plan will earn you an additional 5% discount on your payroll service along with reduced fees on your retirement plan. The Ragnar Group Inc. also has local advisors to help your employees manage their journey to retirement with no cost financial planning.
Paychex, by some measures, is the largest 401(k) recordkeeper in the country. Unlike some of the other options on this list Paychex does also offer SIMPLE IRAs. From our experience these plans tend to be on the more expensive side with somewhat limited investments options. You will not have an actual advisor and instead will be forced to use call centers when you have questions.
The Ragnar Group Inc. understands small business. We offer not only traditional group policies but also more flexible ICHRA plans to help small businesses find predictable and affordable coverage. Our agents are local and will work with you to understand your business and find they type of plan that works best for you and your employees. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for health benefits will also earn you another 5% discount on payroll services PLUS for businesses with over 50 employees we offer steep discounts on broker fees when combined with payroll services.
Paychex uses their own insurance agency to sell group health benefits. Unlike the others on this list they do have a solution for individual health policies. This again will be done through either an online portal that you have to navigate or through a 1-800 number. If you have questions or need updates, you have to call the call center. They offer no discounts when bundling these services.
The Ragnar Group Inc. believes that keep clients is just as important as finding new one. On your third anniversary of using us for your payroll services you will earn another 5% discount on your payroll services. Most providers only lock in your rate for 3 years and then INCREASE your rate.
Similar to ADP, Paychex is a publicly traded company which means decisions are made for the benefit of shareholders not necessarily their customers. Just like the others on this list they will typically get you to sign up with a teaser rate only to increase this rate later on.
The Ragnar Group Inc. only uses local advisors and agents that all work in-house for The Ragnar Group Inc. This creates an environment where we are all working for the common good of you and your business. No 1-800 numbers, no guessing who to contact.
Keep that phone handy because you will need to be on that 1-800 number whenever you have a question or need help. That nice salesperson that sold you the service? Most likely they will have moved on fairly quickly after selling you the service because like the others on this list the salespeople are compensated more for new business and almost not at all for keeping business. You may even find some that started at Paychex and moved to ADP or ADP and moved to Paychex.
For businesses with under 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. has a base fee of $72/month plus $8 PEPM. However after discounts discussed above that fee could go down to $54/month plus $6 PEPM. After year three that drops again to $50/month and $5.60 PEPM.
For Businesses with over 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. base fee drops to $65/month plus $7 PEPM. After all possible discounts this rate drops to $48.75/month plus $5.25 PEPM
Custom pricing available for businesses with over 100 employees
Paychex does not disclose their pricing except for their lowest tier plan that does not include SUI or Work Comp integrations. Pretty much anything other than logging on and running a simple payroll will cost you extra with this lowest tier plan. However this lowest cost and lowest service tier does come in at $35/month plus $5 PEPM.
The Basics
Along with ADP, Paychex is the other 800lbs gorilla in the payroll service space. Much like ADP they have similar problems around their size. Tough to compete with in that over 1,000 employee space, you will be just a number to them in the service area. This leaves a lot of customers frustrated and looking elsewhere.
Both Gusto and The Ragnar Group offer flexibly payroll run options. These include weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly.
Both Gusto and The Ragnar Group offer automated tax payments to maintain tax compliance.
The Ragnar Group Inc. has built out integrations with dozens of carriers to find you the right coverage your business needs in a pay as you go option. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for Work Comp insurance will also earn you a 5% discount on your payroll services.
Gusto only uses Next Insurance for their Work Comp solutions. Next can be great for the right situation, our agency at The Ragnar Group uses them sometimes. However it is pretty limited in some industries. Gusto also does not offer discounts for addition this service. In fact it shows on their site as an additional cost.
Similar to Work Comp, The Ragnar Group Inc. works with dozens of carriers from an indepenedent standpoint to find you the best policy for your business and your wallet. Your business will earn another 5% discount on payroll services by using The Ragnar Group Inc. to find your general liability insurance policy.
Gusto’s website does not mention any solutions for general liability insurance. You will have to find your own solution that may or may not play well with Gusto.
Through our in-house Registered Investment Advisor firm we have the ability to work with dozens of 401(k) carriers. We also have the ability to compare multiple types of retirement plans such as SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Payroll Deducted IRAs and 403(b). Using The Ragnar Group Inc. to manage your retirement plan will earn you an additional 5% discount on your payroll service along with reduced fees on your retirement plan. The Ragnar Group Inc. also has local advisors to help your employees manage their journey to retirement with no cost financial planning.
Gusto is most similar to Ripple in this regard. They have a few options but are only mainly digital based. These include Guideline, Human Interest, Betterment and Vestwell. They do not have any solutions for SIMPLE or SEP IRAs. You and your employees will be on your own to compare providers and services. There are not any local advisors to help you find and design that best plan or help with retirement planning.
The Ragnar Group Inc. understands small business. We offer not only traditional group policies but also more flexible ICHRA plans to help small businesses find predictable and affordable coverage. Our agents are local and will work with you to understand your business and find they type of plan that works best for you and your employees. Using The Ragnar Group Inc. for health benefits will also earn you another 5% discount on payroll services PLUS for businesses with over 50 employees we offer steep discounts on broker fees when combined with payroll services.
Much like others on this list, Gusto uses call center agents to help you choose your policy. You will not have any local support. Gusto actually won’t even support benefits with their lowest tier plan and will charge an additional $6 PRPM to integrate health insurance for their mid-tier plan.
The Ragnar Group Inc. believes that keep clients is just as important as finding new one. On your third anniversary of using us for your payroll services you will earn another 5% discount on your payroll services. Most providers only lock in your rate for 3 years and then INCREASE your rate.
Gusto is a tech company first and foremost. They will work like most other tech companies, their focus is to build out a tech environment that makes flexibility pretty tough forcing you to make decisions that might not be the best for your business. More so payroll focused than it’s counterpart Ripple.
The Ragnar Group Inc. only uses local advisors and agents that all work in-house for The Ragnar Group Inc. This creates an environment where we are all working for the common good of you and your business. No 1-800 numbers, no guessing who to contact.
Like other tech focused companies, they will rely heavily on call centers and chat boxes. No local advisor or agents that get to know you or your business.
For businesses with under 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. has a base fee of $72/month plus $8 PEPM. However after discounts discussed above that fee could go down to $54/month plus $6 PEPM. After year three that drops again to $50/month and $5.60 PEPM.
For Businesses with over 25 employees The Ragnar Group Inc. base fee drops to $65/month plus $7 PEPM. After all possible discounts this rate drops to $48.75/month plus $5.25 PEPM
Custom pricing available for businesses with over 100 employees
Gusto actually provides a couple tiers of pricing.
Simple: $40/month plus $6 PEPM. There will be additional charges for any other services discussed.
Plus: $80/month plus $12 PEPM. This does include time and attendance.
The largest additional fee is that $6 PEPM on top of the $12 PEPM if you want health benefits integrated with payroll. $18/PEPM is pretty steep compared to others.