10 Best Payroll Software for Contractors in 2026

HireGlobal is a global contractor and workforce payroll platform that handles contractor onboarding, multi-currency payments across 180+ countries, tax form collection, and compliance management through AOR, V-EOR, and EOR engagement models.

Who Is HireGlobal Best For?

HireGlobal suits HR and finance teams managing globally distributed contractors who need structured compliance coverage across multiple jurisdictions.

Why I Picked HireGlobal

I've included HireGlobal in my top picks because no other contractor payroll tool I've evaluated offers built-in $1M indemnification per worker against misclassification claims. That coverage comes through the Virtual Employer of Record tier, backed by an in-house team of 40+ lawyers who monitor local labour laws continuously. I also like that the AOR tier provides compliant contracts specifically designed to reduce misclassification risk at a much lower price point than a full EOR.

HireGlobal Key Features

• Multi-currency payouts: Send payments in over 50 currencies to contractors in 180+ countries.
• Consolidated invoicing: Approve and pay multiple contractors through a single monthly invoice.
• Automated tax form collection: Collect W-9 and W-8BEN forms digitally during onboarding.
• TopTracker integration: Track time, approve invoices, and manage payments directly with TopTracker.

HireGlobal Integrations

HireGlobal offers a native integration with TopTracker for time tracking, invoice approval, and payments. Native integrations with other third-party tools are not clearly documented.

Justworks is a PEO and payroll platform that handles payroll for both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, covering tax filings, direct deposits, and multi-state compliance across all 50 states.

Who Is Justworks Best For?

Justworks suits small to mid-size US-based businesses that pay a mix of full-time employees and contractors and want payroll, compliance, and benefits in one place.

Why I Picked Justworks

Justworks is one of my top picks because I love how it automates the actual deposit of contractor payments, routing funds directly to bank accounts once a pay run is approved, with no manual transfer steps involved. My team can also schedule regular payment cycles, and 1099 generation happens automatically at year-end. With coverage across more than 2,000 tax localities, multi-state contractor tax calculations don't require any manual work on our end.

Justworks Key Features

• PEO-level benefits administration: Manage access to health, dental, and vision for eligible workers through a single platform.
• HR document storage: Upload and organize contracts, tax forms, and onboarding materials for both employees and contractors.
• Automated 1099 filing: Generate and file 1099 forms for contractors directly from the payroll system.
• Multi-state payroll support: Run payroll compliantly for contractors and employees across all 50 US states.

Justworks Integrations

Justworks offers native integrations with QuickBooks and Xero, and provides an API for custom integrations.

Gusto is a payroll and HR platform that handles contractor and employee payments, tax filings, benefits administration, and compliance in one place.

Who Is Gusto Best For?

Gusto is a strong fit for small businesses in the US that pay a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 contractors and want to manage both from a single platform.

Why I Picked Gusto

Gusto earns its spot as one of the best on my shortlist because of how thoroughly it handles 1099 filings without any extra effort on my part. When December rolls around, Gusto automatically generates, files, and delivers 1099-NEC forms to every contractor I've paid that year, at no added cost. I also like that contractors self-onboard and submit their own tax info upfront, which means I'm not chasing down W-9s at year-end.

Gusto Key Features

• Unlimited payroll runs: You can submit as many payrolls as needed each month without extra charges.
• Integrated time tracking: Capture contractor hours directly within Gusto for more accurate payroll processing.
• Multi-state payroll support: Pay contractors working in different states and manage compliance requirements in one platform.
• Accounting software integrations: Connect with platforms like QuickBooks or Xero to sync payroll data automatically.

Gusto Integrations

Gusto offers 150+ native integrations, including QuickBooks, Xero, Homebase, 7Shifts, 15Five, Expensify, Clover, Checkr, Ashby, BambooHR, and Hubstaff. An API is available for custom integrations.

Deel Payroll is a global contractor payroll platform that handles contract creation, multi-currency payments, automated invoicing, tax form collection, and worker classification compliance across 150+ countries.

Who Is Deel Payroll Best For?

Deel Payroll is a strong fit for companies that regularly pay international contractors across multiple countries and need built-in compliance without setting up foreign entities.

Why I Picked Deel Payroll

Deel Payroll earns its spot on my shortlist because no other contractor payroll tool covers compliance at this scale. I especially like Deel Shield, which assesses worker classification and indemnifies against misclassification liability, a real risk when paying contractors across dozens of countries. The platform also generates locally compliant contracts and supports payouts in 120+ currencies, so paying a designer in Brazil and a developer in Nigeria happens from one place.

Deel Payroll Key Features

• Automated invoicing: Easily create, send, and manage invoices for contractor payments in multiple currencies.
• Tax form management: Collect, generate, and store required contractor tax documents, like W-8 and W-9 forms, directly on the platform.
• Payment scheduling: Schedule one-time or recurring payments to contractors worldwide with flexible frequency options.
• Multi-method withdrawals: Contractors can withdraw funds through local bank transfers, PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, or even crypto.

Deel Payroll Integrations

Deel Payroll offers over 130 native integrations, including Workday, QuickBooks, Xero, BambooHR, NetSuite, Slack, Personio, Mesh Payments, 15Five, and JIRA. An API is available for custom integrations.

RemoFirst is an EOR and contractor management platform that handles cross-border payroll, compliant contract generation, multi-currency payments, and time tracking for international contractors and employees across 185+ countries.

Who Is RemoFirst Best For?

RemoFirst is a strong fit for startups and growth-stage companies hiring international contractors for the first time.

Why I Picked RemoFirst

RemoFirst earns its spot on my shortlist because of how it handles contractor payments across borders. I love that you can invoice contractors in seven currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, SGD) while they still receive payment in their own local currency. I also like the one-click invoice generation on the Premium tier, which removes the manual back-and-forth when paying contractors across 150+ countries.

RemoFirst Key Features

• Compliant contract generation: Automatically create localized contracts for contractors in over 150 countries.
• Time tracking and timesheet management: Track contractor hours and manage digital timesheets within the platform.
• Integrated background checks: Run contractor background screenings globally with no added cost at the free tier.
• Expense reimbursement management: Enable contractors to submit expenses directly for approval and payment through the platform.

RemoFirst Integrations

RemoFirst offers native integrations with BambooHR, ADP Workforce Now, and GoCardless. An API is available for custom integrations.

Foundation Software is a construction-focused accounting and payroll platform that handles employee payroll, accounts payable, job costing, and certified payroll reporting for U.S.-based construction firms.

Who Is Foundation Software Best For?

Foundation Software is built for U.S.-based construction firms that need to manage complex employee payroll, certified payroll reporting, and prevailing wage compliance across multiple trades and job sites.

Why I Picked Foundation Software

I picked Foundation Software as one of the best because it's the only tool on my list built specifically around WH-347 certified payroll reporting. If your crews are working on government-funded projects under Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, Foundation automates the certified payroll reports you're legally required to submit to federal, state, and local agencies. It also handles multi-rate and multi-union payroll in a single run, so a crew member working across two trades on the same job gets calculated correctly without manual adjustments.

Foundation Software Key Features

• Multi-rate timecard processing: Calculates pay for crew members working across multiple trades, unions, or pay rates within a single payroll run.
• Certified payroll reporting: Generates WH-347 reports for submission to federal, state, and local agencies on government-funded projects.
• Job costing integration: Links payroll data directly to individual job records so labor costs are tracked against project budgets in real time.
• 1099 e-filing for subcontractors: Prints and electronically files 1099s for vendor and subcontractor payments through the accounts payable module.

Foundation Software Integrations

Foundation Software offers native integrations with construction-focused tools like Procore, BusyBusy, PlanSwift, ServiceTrade, The EDGE, eSub, and Viewpoint, along with its in-house ecosystem including hrHQ, Payroll4Construction, SafetyHQ, and WorkMax TIME. An open API is available for custom integrations.

Sage 100 Contractor is a construction-focused ERP platform that combines accounting, job costing, project management, payroll processing, and subcontractor payment tracking in a single system built for construction firms.

Who Is Sage 100 Contractor Best For?

Sage 100 Contractor is built for U.S.-based construction firms that need payroll, job costing, and subcontractor payment tracking in one platform.

Why I Picked Sage 100 Contractor

Sage 100 Contractor earns its spot on my list because it's the only all-in-one construction ERP that ties payroll, job costing, and subcontractor payment tracking into a single system built specifically for construction firms. I like how certified payroll (WH-347) and Davis-Bacon compliance are built directly into the payroll module, so running prevailing wage jobs doesn't require a workaround. The 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC tracking through Accounts Payable, paired with Aatrix e-filing, keeps subcontractor tax reporting accurate at year-end.

Sage 100 Contractor Key Features

• Subcontract tracking: Monitors subcontractor agreements, payment terms, and balances directly within the Accounts Payable module.
• Union payroll support: Calculates union rates, fringe benefits, and workers' comp classifications automatically per employee.
• Lien waiver management: Tracks and manages lien waivers for subcontractors as part of the compliance documentation workflow.
• Multi-state payroll processing: Handles payroll tax calculations and reporting across multiple states within a single payroll run.

Sage 100 Contractor Integrations

Sage 100 Contractor offers a smaller set of native integrations focused on the construction ecosystem, including Aatrix, Sage Paperless Construction, Sage Estimating, Sage Construction Management, and Microsoft Office (Excel and Outlook). Third-party connections to Procore, hh2 Cloud Services, GCPay, TimberScan, and Rhumbix are available through partner integrations, and an API exists for custom integrations, though it's noted as less open than cloud-native alternatives.

Rippling offers employee and contractor management software that streamlines onboarding and payroll processes. It is best for onboarding efficiency due to its comprehensive and automated system.

Why I picked Rippling: I selected Rippling for its automated contractor onboarding process, which significantly reduces the administrative burden typically associated with bringing new contractors on board. It differentiates itself with powerful automation features that handle everything from document management to regulatory compliance checks.

Rippling is best for businesses that require rapid scaling and need to onboard contractors quickly and efficiently.

Standout features & integrations:

Features include automated contractor onboarding, allowing companies to issue contracts, collect necessary tax forms, and set up payments, all from a single platform.

It features a unified dashboard that provides a comprehensive view of contractor details, work statuses, and compliance documentation.

In addition, Rippling’s robust security measures ensure that sensitive data is handled safely and in compliance with global regulations.

Integrations include Salesforce, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Asana, GitHub, Jira, Zoom, and LinkedIn.

Everee is a payroll platform built for businesses with flexible, non-traditional workforces that combines W-2 and 1099 contractor payroll, automated tax filings, and same-day payment processing in a single system.

Who Is Everee Best For?

Everee is a strong fit for small businesses, staffing agencies, and gig-work platforms that pay high volumes of US-based 1099 contractors on flexible or daily schedules.

Why I Picked Everee

Everee earns its spot on my shortlist because it's the only platform I've found that lets you process a contractor pay run in the morning and have funds in workers' bank accounts that same afternoon. I like that you can run 1099 and W-2 payroll together in a single pay run, so mixed workforces don't need two separate systems. The Everee Visa Pay Card adds instant access on top of same-day ACH, giving contractors a real choice in how they receive their money.

Everee Key Features

• Mobile onboarding and pay access: Contractors can onboard and manage payouts through Everee’s mobile app.
• Automated tax paperwork handling: W-2 and 1099 tax forms are generated and filed automatically for all payees.
• Multi-state payroll compliance: Supports tax filings and payments across all 50 US states for both W-2 and 1099 workers.
• Payroll API and white-label options: Offers APIs for custom integrations and the option to embed payroll into other platforms.

Everee Integrations

Native integrations are not clearly documented. Everee offers an API for custom integrations.

Worksuite is a freelancer management system that combines contractor onboarding, document collection, compliance management, contract lifecycle tracking, and multi-currency global payments in one platform.

Who Is Worksuite Best For?

Worksuite is a strong fit for mid-size to enterprise teams in media, publishing, and production that manage large, distributed contractor networks across multiple countries.

Why I Picked Worksuite

I've included Worksuite in my top picks because of how it handles contractor document organization at scale. When you're managing hundreds of contractors, documents like W-9s, signed contracts, and compliance certifications tend to scatter. Worksuite centralizes all of this with configurable onboarding workflows that automatically collect and store documents per entity or region. Compliance gates are built directly into those workflows, so a contractor can't advance to payment until their documentation is verified.

Worksuite Key Features

• Global payments: Send payments to contractors in 190+ countries with 120+ currencies supported.
• Contract lifecycle management: Create, negotiate, e-sign, and renew contracts all within the platform.
• Integrated compliance checks: Automatically verify classification, background, and KYC before issuing payments.
• Business intelligence dashboards: Track contractor headcount, spend, and onboarding metrics in real time.

Worksuite Integrations

Worksuite offers native integrations with NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, Salesforce, HubSpot, monday.com, Slack, Asana, Veriff, and Checkr. It connects with Zapier and has an API for custom integrations.