Best Canadian Payroll Software Shortlist
Here’s my list of the best Canadian payroll software that I’ll cover in this article:
- 1. Deel — Best global payroll solution for Canadian organizations interested in hiring foreign talent
- 2. Papaya Global — Best global payroll software for Canadian organizations with global expansion plans
- 4. ADP Workforce Now — Best all-in-one solution for time tracking, benefits, talent, HR and payroll management
I recently purchased a best-selling money management book backed by thousands of positive reviews. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that the American author had tailored the content to U.S. readers. While some of the principles were universal, many of the specifics weren’t relevant to me as a Canadian.
For a small purchase like a paperback, it's not really a big deal. But when it comes to choosing the best payroll software for your Canadian organization, you’ll want to be confident the tool is fluent in Canadian finance.
This article covers the 10 best Canadian payroll software on the market that serve the specific needs of Canadian businesses. These payroll software will save you time by cutting down on manual input, helping you to reduce errors and increase accuracy. They can even handle many year-end taxation tasks on your behalf. Curious to see who made the list? Let’s get started.
Selection Criteria
Wondering what I look for when evaluating the best Canadian payroll software for this list? Here’s a summary of my selection criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I chose payroll software systems that are well-organized visually, and designed in an appealing manner that makes it easy to find the functionality you’re looking for.
- Usability: I selected software with user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate, whether the user is a human resources manager or a small business owner.
- Integrations: The software solutions I’ve chosen improve productivity by offering functionality that integrates with other systems like time tracking, invoicing, direct deposit, and other mobile apps.
- Value for $: All the software solutions in this list are cost-effective, with most priced per employee with an additional monthly base fee.
Canadian Payroll Software: Key Features
- Canadian compliance: Rather than spend precious time Canadian-izing a tool made for American taxation, these payroll software options have built-in reporting specific to Canadian business needs.
- Automated calculations: Automated functions allow you to do things like replicate past pay runs and calculate deductions with greater accuracy and efficiency.
- Self-serve for employees: It’s far easier for employees to access their pay stubs and T4s themselves than it is for HR professionals to add this task to their laundry list of to-do’s.
- Multiple payment options: All the payroll software in this list enable you to pay employees via direct deposit or cheque, and easily calculate payment for salary employees, freelancers, and hourly employees alike.
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Overviews of the 10 Best Canadian Payroll Software
Here’s a brief description of each Canadian payroll software solution, including each tool’s best use case, some highlighted features, and screenshots to give you a sense of the user interface.
Deel
Best global payroll solution for Canadian organizations interested in hiring foreign talent
Deel is a global HR solution with global payroll features that companies can run even without supervision. This software can run payroll in over 90 different countries worldwide, including Canada, while also streamlining operations, and eliminating problems with handling taxes, local compliance, and benefits.
Deel's payroll software helps Canadian businesses stay compliant with relevant Canadian regulations. Canadian businesses won’t have to worry about taxes, compliance, government declarations, and calculations as Deel will handle everything for them.
Companies can get their entire team operational with Deel in just a month, which is impressive since other payroll providers often take many months to finish the payroll setup process. Subscribing to one of Deel’s plans with payroll functionalities can help Canadian businesses expand and hire more talent abroad while ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations by being able to handle taxes, provide benefits, and handle local, legal, tax, and accounting expertise.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include an easy-to-use platform that unifies EOR (employer of record) services, contractor payments, and payroll management. Deel’s in-house payroll team processes payroll directly and provides end users with support to resolve any issues within your payroll process. In addition, Deel can help you offer localized benefits for staff based within Canada or any other location they support.
Integrations include Ashby, BambooHR, Expensify, Greenhouse, Hibob, Netsuite, Okta, OneLogin, Quickbooks, SCIM, Xero, Workday, and Workable. They also have an API that supports additional custom integrations as well.
Pricing for Deel is a flat rate and varies depending on the country you're based in and the type of plan you select. They offer three plans: Direct Employees, Contractors, or EOR Employees. Payroll handling features are only available in the Direct Employees and EOR Employees packages.
Pros
- Add-ons available to localized benefits and global payroll
- Flat rate pricing with no hidden fees
- Manages Canadian compliance obligations on your behalf
Cons
- Could be too pricey for small businesses
- No free trial available
Papaya Global
Best global payroll software for Canadian organizations with global expansion plans
Papaya Global is a global payroll platform offering smart, simple, and streamlined payroll solutions for many companies worldwide, including ones in Canada. Their global payroll platform supports 160+ countries and comes with payroll, compliance, benefits, and HR features that are suited for global businesses. Using this solution allows companies to comply with Canadian regulations, including SOC2.
Using Papaya Global, Canadian businesses receive a robust payroll solution that handles their local payroll needs, plus the added ability to hire talent abroad while also ensuring that they comply with all relevant regulations. New customers will be able to go live with the platform quickly, get 360-degree visibility on their workforce spending, and boost productivity and performance when using their solution.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include numerous payroll automations for payroll calculations, tax filing, compliance, equities, and time and attendance tracking. Businesses can also access all their data from one intuitive dashboard, giving them a comprehensive view of their entire workforce. From there they can request standardized reports and handle risk-free payroll payments without leaving the platform.
Integrations are available with most financial tools, as well as with BambooHR, Expensify, NetSuite, SAP SuccessFactors, and Workday.
Pricing for Papaya Global varies depending on the end user’s use case and country. They charge a setup fee per location, a cycle fee per employee, and a year-end fee for tax filing. Papaya Global does not charge any additional fees.
Pros
- Well-suited for companies interested in global expansion
- Can be used to pay international contractors or foreign employees
- Automatic compliance monitoring
Cons
- Pricing structure can be complex depending on your workforce needs
- No mobile app
Humi
Best payroll software for teams seeking an easy-to-understand, user-friendly option
Payroll is, by nature, complicated. Humi aims to take the guesswork out of payroll and HR software by making their interface as intuitive and easy-to-use as possible. HR info such as hires, terminations, vacation usage, and benefits are integrated with payroll processing, making dual entry a thing of the past. Employees can also access self service pay stubs, vacation requests, and benefits inquiries, and easily receive direct deposits.
Humi provides an excellent option for Canadian businesses or teams with HR in Canada because T4s, Records Of Employment (ROE), Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) remittances, and Employer Health Tax (EHT) applications are automatically included in the platform. Multi-province payroll makes it easy to manage employees across the country. And Humi’s tax engine is specifically designed for Canadian regulations, making any audit and compliance efforts that much easier.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include automatic T4s and ROEs, records and reporting, EHT calculations, direct deposit, self-serve pay stubs, multi-province payroll, benefits, and automatic CRA remittance.
Integrations include Greenhouse, Voila!, Workable, Xero, and Zapier.
Pricing for Humi is based on your number of employees and how many modules you’d like to integrate into your program. A free demo is available prior to signing up.
Pros
- Easy tracking of all employees
- Clean and intuitive design makes it easy for employees to self-serve
- Covers all Canada-specific payroll needs
Cons
- Free trial does not include exact customization, so some guesswork must be done
- Documents require some elbow grease to customize
- Growing list of integrations means some of your existing providers may not yet be on the list
ADP Workforce Now
Best all-in-one solution for time tracking, benefits, talent, HR and payroll management
ADP Workforce Now is an all-in-one cloud-based platform that offers functionality like time tracking, benefits, HR, talent, and payroll management. Since you can manage your entire workforce from their single dashboard, you’ll never again have to waste time toggling between platforms to find what you need. This solution also boasts enterprise-grade data security and comprehensive privacy practices.
ADP’s single dashboard reduces manual data entry by pre-populating data across workflows in real time, so you can enter information once and move on to more important tasks. Proactive error detection sends alerts to reduce mistakes and ensure accurate payroll processing.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include automated online payroll processing, a self-serve app for employees, in-house payroll experts, time tracking, HR data management tools, and tax calculation and remittance tools.
Integrations include accounting solutions like Quickbooks, Wave, and Xero, ERPs like Oracle, SAP, and Workday, time and attendance solutions like Clock Shark, Deputy, and Dolce, and recruiting and onboarding solutions like GoodHire, Sapling, and Zip Recruiter.
Pricing for ADP Workforce Now is available upon request and is based on the size of your organization and the features you’d like integrated. They do not provide a free trial option.
Pros
- Market leader for payroll processing and tax filing
- Global functionality for large multinational teams
- Extensive list of integrations
Cons
- Larger customer base may mean slightly longer wait times for customer service
- Pricing is supplied via custom quote rather than transparently on the website
- No free trial available
QuickBooks Online
Best for managing contractors and freelancers around the globe
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting software designed to help small and medium-sized businesses manage their finances. It offers a range of features, including invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management. As a user of QuickBooks Online, I've found it to be a reliable and user-friendly tool that has helped me keep track of my business finances with ease.
QuickBooks Online provides direct deposit options for your employees, making it easy to pay them on time and securely. You can also set up custom pay schedules to accommodate different payment frequencies, such as weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Another standout feature is the ability to generate T4 slips and other year-end tax forms for your employees. This makes tax season much less stressful, as you can easily provide your employees with the necessary documents for filing their taxes.
QuickBooks Online is highly suitable for managing contractors around the globe with the ability to track contractor expenses, generate and send contractor invoices, and efficiently handle contractor payments through the platform. With QuickBooks Online, businesses can accurately categorize contractor transactions, manage their contractor database, and generate contractor-specific reports for simplified financial management. The platform's user-friendly interface and comprehensive contractor management tools make it a powerful solution for effectively organizing, tracking, and managing contractor-related activities.
Standout Features and Integrations
Features include automatic tax calculations, which means you don't have to worry about manually calculating taxes and deductions for your employees. This is a huge time-saver and helps ensure accuracy in your payroll process. QuickBooks Online also offers robust reporting features that help you analyze your payroll data and make informed decisions about your business. You can generate reports on payroll expenses, and employee hours.
Integrations include over 400 business apps like Rewind Backups, Knowifiy for Customers, Plooto, Expensify, Fathom, BigCommerce, Verify, Insightly CRM, Mailchimp, and others.
Pricing starts at $24/month CAD or $30/month USD. It comes with a 30-day free trial.
Pros
- Businesses with remote employees may incur additional costs for province-specific filings
- Easy and efficient tax filing system
- Industry leader in accounting means existing trust in accuracy and reliability
Cons
- Setup services and expert review are only available in higher tiers
- Limited users, even then highest plan caps at 25
Xero
Best for straight-forward payroll needs for small teams
If you’re a current Xero user with simple payroll needs, this add-on is an excellent option. While Xero is quick to mention that larger teams with more complex payrolls may need to integrate a third-party app, small teams in Canada with only a few employees will find this functionality offers everything they need.
With the payroll option, Xero users can manually input vacation leave, hourly rate, hours, and taxes, and calculate deductions. To run payroll that is recurring, you’re able to copy a previous pay run and make changes to keep it current. Pay stubs can also be emailed or printed directly from Xero.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include simple online pay runs, pay records, salary and wage payments, and vacation leave.
Integrations include Capsule CRM, DEAR Inventory, Deputy, Expensify, EzzyBills, HubSpot, Tradify, and WorkflowMax. It’s worth noting that Xero also integrates with a number of the other software named in this list, in case you’re an existing Xero user but your needs are beyond what their payroll functionality can offer.
Pricing for Xero begins at $17 per month and plans are based on the extent of your needs. Xero also offers a free trial.
Pros
- Existing Xero users can run payroll from within this familiar tool
- Simple, straight-forward functionality
- Lengthy list of integrations
Cons
- Most data needs to be manually inputted
- Does not accommodate larger teams
- Exclusively available within Xero
Ceridian Dayforce
Best cloud-based HCM suite with compliance-centric payroll
Ceridian Dayforce is a recognized HCM leader with a team of in-house compliance experts who remain continuously on top of regulatory changes. You can also offload day-to-day benefits administration and payroll entirely to their team, freeing up your time to focus on other tasks. This payroll software is an excellent solution for Canadian companies who plan to scale internationally, given that Ceridian supports payroll delivery in more than 160 countries.
Ceridian’s consolidated pay and time engine simplifies the payroll process while increasing accuracy with real-time calculations. Ceridian will manage and file taxes on your behalf, aligning with all provincial and federal regulations. Employees can also access their pay stubs and tax information directly with their self-serve feature.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include talent management, real-time audits, smart benefits, workforce management, managed payroll, and streamlined HR tools.
Integrations include CIBC SmartBanking for Business and QuickBooks.
Pricing for Ceridian Dayforce is available upon request, and a 60-day free trial is available.
Pros
- Reliable in-house compliance support
- Scalable; supports payroll in 160+ countries
- Two-month free trial
Cons
- Transparent pricing not readily available
- Timesheets are presented in biweekly view, not weekly
- Some mobile app limitations
Push Operations
Best full-service payroll software for food services companies
Restaurants have very specific payroll needs, and Push Operations has developed a software to meet them. This fully integrated cloud-based payroll software boasts clients in Canada like Wendy’s, Boston Pizza, A&W, and Denny’s. Push operations allows users to streamline hours into payroll, saving time that would normally be spent manually inputting time calculations for employees serving a variety of shifts.
Push Operations can be used as a standalone payroll software, or you can take advantage of all the features as a comprehensive employee management suite. Push will calculate and pay taxes on your behalf, assist you in pulling T4s and ROEs, and can pay your employees by direct deposit or cheque. Push makes it easy to pay employees who have multiple rates (like overtime) and will monitor split shift premiums and minimum tip top-offs.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include regulatory compliance, onboarding, self-serve pay stubs, time tracking, real-time payroll reporting, and one-click payroll processing.
Integrations include Avero, CTUIT, Focus POS systems, Greenline POS, HIK Vision, Par, Squirrel Systems, Ultipro, and Upserve.
Pricing for Push starts at $11 per employee, per month for their Starter + Payroll plan. A free demo is also available.
Pros
- Helpful and courteous support
- Built to meet the specific needs of restaurants
- Run payroll for employees with multiple pay rates
Cons
- Primarily for restaurants and food services companies
- Better interface on desktop than mobile
- User permissions can be time-consuming
Collage
Best for tech-forward organizations seeking a cutting-edge software solution
Collage aims to provide best-in-class payroll services to Canadian businesses by combining the expert knowledge of HR professionals, benefits experts, and in-house tech wizards. Backed by a venture launchpad called Diagram, Collage has built the platform to deliver a cutting edge solution that will evolve the landscape of Canada’s fintech industry.
Collage offers unified HR and payroll including benefits integration. Clients are assigned a dedicated CPA-approved payroll manager who is available to answer questions about your organization’s specific needs. This means that when tax season rolls around, you can rest assured that your adjustments, returns, T4s and reconciliations will be completed on time, and in compliance with the current regulatory requirements.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include year-end processing, unified HR and payroll, automatic calculations, compliance with Canadian regulations, extensive reporting, and dedicated payroll managers.
Integrations are not mentioned in Collage’s materials, but their platform does integrate with some benefit providers.
Pricing for Collage begins at $8 per user per month, and a variety of add-on features can be purchased a la carte. A free demo is also available.
Pros
- Simple, easy-to-use software
- Easy to streamline processes like onboarding
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Platform is so customizable that it doesn’t offer a “one size fits all” configuration
- No mobile app
- Training module could use further enhancement
Easypay
Best for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a well-established solution
Easypay has been providing payroll services to Canada’s small to mid-sized businesses since 1985. Within this payroll software, users can serve any combination of hourly, salary, or commission-based employees, and pay them on a number of different schedules including weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, and monthly by both cheque or direct deposit. The Easystub feature also enables employees to view and download pay stubs and T4s.
Easypay allows you to print individual or batched ROEs, and it will calculate EI, CPP, and tax for all provinces. Year-end reports like T4 and RL-1 can be filed directly through Easypay. There are no limits on the number of employees you can manage within the system, allowing this platform to grow with you as you scale.
Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include direct deposit, self-serve pay stubs and T4s, extensive audit and reporting capabilities, automatic deductions, benefits, and multi-departmental costing.
Integrations include Adagio, Sage300 ERP, SAP, and QuickBooks, among others.
Pricing for Easypay starts at $439 per year. A 45-day free trial is also available.
Pros
- Trusted provider with a proven track record of over 37 years
- No limits on number of employees
- 45-day free trial
Cons
- Visual design of interface is basic
- Tech-forward companies may crave more cutting edge technology
- Windows-based platform may be problematic for Mac users
The 10 Best Canadian Payroll Software Summary
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Deel Best global payroll solution for Canadian organizations interested in hiring foreign talent | Free demo available | Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people | Visit Website |
2 | Papaya Global Best global payroll software for Canadian organizations with global expansion plans | Free trial available | EOR from $650/employee/month or $2/contractor/month; Global payroll from $3 to $12/employee/month | Visit Website |
3 | Humi Best payroll software for teams seeking an easy-to-understand, user-friendly option | Free demo available | From $4.50/user/month | Visit Website |
4 | ADP Workforce Now Best all-in-one solution for time tracking, benefits, talent, HR and payroll management | 30-day free trial | From $160/month for up to 49 employees | Visit Website |
5 | QuickBooks Online Best for managing contractors and freelancers around the globe | 30-day free trial | From $30/month | Visit Website |
6 | Xero Best for straight-forward payroll needs for small teams | Free trial available | From $17 per month | Visit Website |
7 | Ceridian Dayforce Best cloud-based HCM suite with compliance-centric payroll | 60-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
8 | Push Operations Best full-service payroll software for food services companies | Free demo available | From $11 per employee, per month | Visit Website |
9 | Collage Best for tech-forward organizations seeking a cutting-edge software solution | Free demo available | From $8 per user, per month | Visit Website |
10 | Easypay Best for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a well-established solution | 45-day free trial | From $439 per year | Visit Website |
Other Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best Canadian payroll software list:
- Payworks
Best for fast-growing companies with plans to scale up
- Knit
Best for time-strapped small businesses with immediate payroll needs
- Wagepoint
Best payroll solution for user experience and “human-friendly” support
- Rippling
Best Canadian payroll software for CAD businesses with international employees
- Rise
Best software for reliable regulatory compliance and Canadian tax knowledge
- Workzoom
All-in-one people management software with payroll, recruiting, time tracking, and more
- Nethris
Efficient cloud-based payroll software with a comprehensive suite of customizations
- Umana
Heavily customizable payroll software catering to medium-sized businesses
- Payment Evolution
Enterprise-class cloud payroll software built for Canadian small businesses
- StarGarden HCM
HCM solution with extensive payroll capabilities
What Makes Canadian Payroll Software Unique?
Canada’s payroll requirements are notoriously complex. Both employers and employees pay payroll tax and contribute to CPP and EI. Payroll taxes include both federal and provincial taxes, meaning that companies with employees spread across Canada need to navigate many varied deductions. This is why payroll software specifically for Canadian companies is so helpful – because it takes the guesswork out of the deductions and taxation process, ensuring that your company remains compliant and your employees receive their pay without issue.
Other Resources
One of the biggest benefits of cloud-based payroll software is that it’s constantly being updated. As new functionality becomes available and each solution adopts it in their own time, the list of the best Canadian payroll software will inevitably evolve as time goes on.
This helpful article on the 10 Key Benefits of Payroll Software can help you learn the main principles and navigate future changes.
If you’d like to further enhance your payroll knowledge, you won’t want to miss this fantastic article on How to Manage Payroll for Small Businesses.
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Related read: Best Canadian HR Software