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The Best Nanny Payroll Software In 2024

Nanny payroll software can help you manage the payments to your childcare provider with ease. All of our picks are easy to use, affordable, and help make payroll taxes simple.

    Davina Ward
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Chelsea Krause
  • REVIEWED BY

    Chelsea Krause

    Lead Staff Writer

Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.

The best payroll software for paying nannies should enable household employers to pay employees, manage payroll taxes, and help maintain compliance with tax laws.

For this guide, we reviewed the best nanny payroll software and evaluated each selection’s features, pricing, and overall functionality. Keep reading to find the best nanny payroll software for your household.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyBest ForNext StepsBest For
SurePayroll

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  • Overall best nanny payroll software
  • Custom pricing
  • Includes benefits & supports multiple employees
  • Overall best nanny payroll software
  • Custom pricing
  • Includes benefits & supports multiple employees

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HomeWork Solutions

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  • Best nanny payroll software for HR support
  • $165-$245/quarter
  • Includes HR support & payroll tax return preparation
  • Best nanny payroll software for HR support
  • $165-$245/quarter
  • Includes HR support & payroll tax return preparation

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NannyPay

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  • Best nanny payroll software for multiple employees
  • $199.95/year-$299.95/year
  • Tracks taxable payments & deductions
  • Best nanny payroll software for multiple employees
  • $199.95/year-$299.95/year
  • Tracks taxable payments & deductions

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Savvy Nanny

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  • Best budget-friendly nanny payroll software
  • $50/month
  • Easy to use & includes optional year-end tax preparation
  • Best budget-friendly nanny payroll software
  • $50/month
  • Easy to use & includes optional year-end tax preparation

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HomePay

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  • Best automated nanny payroll software
  • $75/month
  • Payroll automation & optional year-end tax preparation
  • Best automated nanny payroll software
  • $75/month
  • Payroll automation & optional year-end tax preparation

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Payroll4Free

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  • Best free nanny payroll software
  • Free for 10 or fewer employees
  • Basic payroll features & forms
  • Best free nanny payroll software
  • Free for 10 or fewer employees
  • Basic payroll features & forms

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Poppins Payroll

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  • Best for beginners
  • Starts at $49/month
  • EIN registration services included
  • Best for beginners
  • Starts at $49/month
  • EIN registration services included

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Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

The Best Nanny Payroll Software Options

The best nanny payroll software should be easy to use and should offer payroll management, payroll tax support, and other features that are useful for paying household employees. Top picks include:

The Top Nanny Payroll Services Compared

PricingFull-Service Tax SupportYear-End Filing FeesMobile App
SurePayrollStarts at $49/monthNone
HomeWork SolutionsStarts at $165/quarter for one employee$110
NannyPayStarts at $199.95/yearNone
Savvy NannyStarts at $50/month$45 + $5/employee
HomePayStarts at $59/month + DIY plan availableUndisclosed
Payroll4FreeFree for up to 10 employees + DIY plan available$35/month or $350/year
Poppins PayrollStarts at $49/monthNone

SurePayroll: Best Overall

Total Rating 3.7
Pricing3.4

Ease Of Use3.5

Features3.8

Customer Service4.1

User Reviews3.7

Payroll Processing Time

2-4 days

Pricing

Starts at $19.99/month + $4/employee per month

Business Size

Small to mid-size businesses

Pros

  • Great mobile app
  • Affordable pricing
  • 2-day direct deposit at no extra cost
  • Extended support hours with Saturday live support

Cons

  • Fees for integrations and tax filing in Ohio and Pennsylvania
  • Limited integrations
  • No built-in time tracking

Why We Chose SurePayroll As Best Overall

We chose SurePayroll as the best overall nanny payroll service because the software packs essential payroll features, optional benefits, tax support, and solid customer support all in one package.

SurePayroll is also one of the best cheap payroll software solutions, and offers its customers great bang for their buck. The software also supports multiple employees, although it's best suited for households with 10 or fewer employees.

SurePayroll Pricing

SurePayroll offers a single Household Employer plan at $49.99/month for a single employee, plus $10 per additional employee. Additionally, there are several add-ons that will increase your monthly costs, such as local tax filing and software integrations.

However, SurePayroll also runs promotions to help lower costs, including the current offer for new customers — free service for three months.

SurePayroll Features

SurePayroll has all of the features you’ll need to pay your nanny while remaining tax compliant. Features worth noting include:

  • Unlimited payroll processing
  • Automated payroll
  • Direct deposits
  • Mobile app
  • Employee self-service portal
  • HR support
  • New hire reporting
  • Automated tax filing & payments
  • Health benefits
  • Pre-employment screenings

What To Watch Out For

  • Fees: SurePayroll can be fee-heavy and charges extra for local tax filing (Ohio and Pennsylvania) and integrations.

When To Use SurePayroll

  • You employ multiple household employees
  • You’re in need of payroll software with an excellent mobile app
  • You want a payroll service with built-in benefits administration

Get Started With SurePayroll

Read our in-depth review

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HomeWork Solutions: Best For HR Support

HomeWork Solutions


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Pros

  • Extensive feature set
  • Automated payroll runs
  • Robust HR features
  • Good customer support

Cons

  • Only quarterly pricing offered
  • No mobile app
  • Year-end fees

Why We Chose HomeWork Solutions For Best HR Support

We chose HomeWork Solutions as one of the best nanny payroll services because it offers free HR support that can help household employers best navigate nanny taxes and payroll. The software also offers self-service and full-service payroll options to fit any household's needs.

If you have a bigger budget, the features that are offered by HomeWork Solutions are worth the expense. Automated payroll options, an intuitive interface, dedicated account specialists, and great customer service are just a few of the positive aspects of this software.

HomeWork Solutions Pricing

HomeWork Solutions has two payroll plans ranging from $165 – $245 per quarter. The more expensive plans include direct deposit payments for your nanny, in add ition to tax prep and filing. HomeWork Solutions also charges a $110 setup fee and a $110 year-end fee.

HomeWork Solutions Features

HomeWork Solutions makes it easy to process payroll for your nanny while also remaining tax compliant.

Notable features include:

  • Free HR consultations
  • Payroll tax return preparation
  • Form 1040 Schedule H & W2s
  • Direct deposit payments to household employees
  • Payroll records
  • Employee withholding calculations
  • Tax payments & reports

What To Watch Out For

  • Affordability: HomeWork Solutions can get expensive for households with multiple employees.
  • Mobile App: Unlike SurePayroll, HomeWork Solutions doesn’t offer a mobile app for employers to conveniently manage payroll on-the-go.
  • Fees: HomeWork Solutions charges a set up fee and a year-end fee at $110 each.

When To Use HomeWork Solutions

  • You’re a new household employer and need help setting up a tax ID
  • You value helpful live customer support and dedicated support representative
  • You value helpful live customer support and dedicated support representative

Get Started With HomeWork Solutions

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NannyPay: Best For Multiple Employees

NannyPay


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Pros

  • Affordable
  • Supports unlimited employees
  • Easy payroll set up
  • Cloud-based and locally-installed versions

Cons

  • No direct deposit
  • No tax filing
  • Email-only support
  • No mobile app

Why We Chose NannyPay As Best For Multiple Employees

We chose NannyPay as one of the best nanny payroll services because it's an excellent choice for budget-minded users, especially those with multiple employees to pay.

NannyPay enables you to print out checks and tax forms for your household employee. Setup is easy and cloud-based with locally installed versions for Windows and Mac are available. The software supports up to an unlimited number of household employees.

NannyPay Pricing

You can choose from NannyPay Cloud, NannyPay2 Desktop for Windows, or NannyPay2 software for Mac. Pricing for each version ranges from $199.95/year to $299.95/year. The cheapest plans support up to three employees, while the more expensive plans support unlimited employees.

NannyPay Features

NannyPay doesn’t have a large feature set and automated options like more expensive software. However, it does offer quite a few helpful features to simplify paying your nanny and remaining tax compliant, including:

  • Cloud-based or locally-installed versions (automatic backups)
  • Calculates all payroll taxes
  • Tracks taxable payments, non-taxable payments, and deductions
  • Generate and print forms including Schedule H, W-2, and W-3
  • Reports
  • ePayments via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and more
  • Nanny tax resources

What To Watch Out For

NannyPay’s low annual pricing does come with a few catches. Unlike some other options on this list,

  • Tax Filing: NannyPay does not support tax filing options.
  • Direct Deposit: NannyPay does not support direct deposit payments.
  • Support: NannyPay’s customer support is limited to email, although there are tax guides and a help center available to help you get the most out of the software.

When To Use NannyPay

  • You’re looking for a cheap payroll processing service for your household employees
  • You have the know-how or use professional services to handle your household employer payroll taxes
  • You want to pay your employees via a third-party app, such as Venmo

Get Started With NannyPay

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Savvy Nanny: Best for Budget-Friendliness

Savvy Nanny


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Pros

  • Affordable
  • Good customer support
  • Tax filing and payments
  • Support for automated payroll runs

Cons

  • No EIN registration assistance
  • Very limited weekend support options
  • Year-end tax filing fee

Why We Chose SavvyNanny For Best Budget-Friendly Nanny Payroll

We Chose SavvyNanny As one of the best payroll software for household employers because it offers essential payroll processing services at an affordable, flat-rate price point.

SavvyNanny offers tax filing and payments, direct deposit, automated payroll, and more. It also supports multiple employees and is easy to use.

SavvyNanny Pricing

SavvyNanny pricing is simple. The software costs $50/month for up to two employees. Additional household employees can be added for $6/employee.

Year-end tax filing costs just $45 plus $5/employee. There are no contracts required and no hidden fees.

SavvyNanny Features

SavvyNanny has just about everything you could want in nanny payroll software at a price that’s easy on the wallet. Notable features include:

  • File & pay federal & state taxes
  • Pay household employees with direct deposit or printed checks
  • Automated or self-service payroll
  • Phone, email, & chat support available six days per week
  • Payroll taxes are paid as you go
  • Year-end tax filing

What To Watch Out For

  • Pricing: SavvyNanny charges a $45 + $5/employee fee for year-end filing.
  • EIN Support: SavvyNanny doesn’t offer services to help set up your employer EIN, but this is a nice-to-have feature for many.

When To Use SavvyNanny

  • You’re looking for a fully automated payroll processing system with a self-managed tax filing option
  • You value having multiple customer support options to choose from
  • You want a simple, affordable pricing plan that supports multiple employees

Get Started With Savvy Nanny

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HomePay: Best For Automated Payroll Processing

HomePay


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Pros

  • Good customer support
  • Tax ID assistance
  • Automated payroll processing
  • Lifetime access to payroll records

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Poorly-rated mobile app
  • No local tax support

Why We Chose HomePay For Best Automated Payroll Software

HomePay earned a spot as one of the best nanny payroll software options by offering unlimited customer support, payroll management, tax processing services, and even household employee onboarding and tax account setup.

HomePay would be a great fit for household employers who want to take the most hands-off approach to paying their nannies, as the software's automations and services take care of nearly everything.

HomePay Pricing

HomePay starts at $59/month for its Basic plan offering payroll management, onboarding, and self-managed payroll taxes. HomePay’s Premium plan costs $75/month and offers full-service tax support, dedicated customer support, and a Premium Care.com membership.

HomePay also charges an undisclosed fee for year-end tax preparation and filing services.

At the time of writing, HomePay is running a promotion offering one month free for new customers subscribed to its Premium plan.

HomePay Features

HomePay boasts a great feature-set that makes it easy to pay household employees including nannies. This includes:

  • Automated payroll processing from any device
  • Direct deposit
  • New Hire Report filing
  • Federal & state tax account setup
  • Employee onboarding
  • PTO & reimbursement tracking
  • Audit support
  • Unlimited support for employers & employees

What To Watch Out For

  • Local Tax Support: HomePay does not offer local tax support, so it’ll be on you to calculate, file, and remit local payroll taxes.
  • Pricing: Compared to other household payroll services, HomePay is on the expensive end. Additionally, the software charges a $100 year-end tax filing fee.
  • Mobile App: HomePay’s mobile app isn’t well-rated with bugginess as the most commonly cited complaint.

When To Use HomePay

  • You need payroll processing software with mobile time-tracking options
  • You are a Care.com user or would benefit from a Care.com premium membership
  • You’re looking to automate as much of the payroll process as possible

Get Started With HomePay

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Payroll4Free: Best Free Nanny Payroll Software

Total Rating 3.0
Pricing3.6

Ease Of Use2.7

Features3.1

Customer Service2.6

User Reviews3.1

Payroll Processing Time

2-4 Days

Pricing

Free for up to 10 employees

Business Size

Small to mid-sized businesses (up to 10 employees for free)

Pros

  • Free plan with affordable add-on services
  • Optional full-service tax support
  • Basic payroll reports
  • Web-based employee portal

Cons

  • Outdated interface
  • 10 employee limit for free services
  • No free trial

Why We Chose Payroll4Free As The Best Free Nanny Payroll Software

We chose Payroll4Free as one of the best nanny payroll software solutions because it offers free basic payroll processing for household employers with fewer than 10 employees.

Payroll4Free is a great option for anyone on a budget, as you can access most features without paying a monthly subscription fee. While this software doesn't contain some of the more advanced features you'd find with other payroll software, what it does offer may be perfectly adequate for paying your nanny.

Payroll4Free Pricing

All of Payroll4Free’s basic features are available at no cost.

However, if you want Payroll4Free to deposit and pay your payroll taxes, you’ll need to pay $35/month or $350/year.

Additionally, if you prefer to use Payroll4Free instead of your own bank for direct deposit, an additional $35/month or $350/year fee applies. However, you’ll save the most by bundle both services for $400/year.

Payroll4Free Features

Despite being a free software option, Payroll4Free has a number of useful features beneficial to household employers. These include:

  • Federal, state & local tax calculations
  • Pre-filled tax forms
  • Direct deposit
  • Vacation, sick, & PTO tracking
  • Employee portal
  • Integrations
  • Reporting

What To Watch Out For

  • Payroll4Free Pricing: Payroll4Free begins to charge per payroll run if you pay more than 10 employees per month. These fees may be applied retroactively on payroll runs that occurred earlier in the month.
  • Ads: Payroll4Free is sustained in part by ads shown within the software. They aren’t overly imposing, but they are there.
  • No Native Mac Compatibility: Payroll4Free is only compatible with devices running Windows OS.

When To Use Payroll4Free

  • You need free payroll software to pay up to 10 household employees
  • You prefer to handle payroll taxes yourself, but may consider full-tax support
  • You have access to devices running Windows OS

Get Started With Payroll4Free

Read our in-depth review

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Poppins Payroll: Best For Beginners

Poppins Payroll


Visit Site


Pros

  • Free trial
  • Affordable with no added fees
  • 5-year access to payroll records
  • EIN registration support

Cons

  • Not available across all 50 states
  • No self-managed payroll tax filing plan
  • No support for paying with third-party apps

Why We Chose Poppins Payroll As The Best Nanny Payroll Software For Beginners

We chose Poppins Payroll as one of the best payroll services for household employers because the software offers all payroll processing essentials, plus EIN registration services at one low price.

Poppins Payroll is an excellent companion service for household employers who value simplicity, as the software boasts simple pricing, easy to use features, full payroll tax support, and is designed specifically for use by household employers.

Poppins Payroll Pricing

Poppins Payroll offers a single plan that costs $49/month for one employee plus $10/month per additional employee. Once subscribed to Poppins Payroll, all features are available to use, there are no hidden fees, and no contracts.

Poppins Payroll Features

Poppins Payroll Features

Poppins Payroll offers a wide array of features that should suit the needs of most household employers, including everything from PTO policies to new hire reporting. Here’s a look at Poppins Payroll’s features:

  • Unlimited payroll processing
  • EIN registration services
  • Direct deposit and paper check payment options
  • Secure document storage for tax and payroll records
  • Set custom time-off policies
  • PTO accrual and time off tracking
  • New hire reporting
  • Full tax support at the federal, state, and local level

What To Watch Out For

  • States Serviced: Poppins Payroll is only available in 38 states and DC. The service isn’t available in Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
  • No Self-Managed Payroll Option: Poppins Payroll does not give users the option to manage their payroll tax payments and filing.

When To Use Poppins Payroll

  • You’re new to processing payroll for your household employees
  • You need a payroll service that will handle the official tasks, including EIN registration and new hire reporting
  • You value pricing transparency and are looking for an affordable payroll option

Get Started With Poppins Payroll

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Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing payroll providers since 2018. Our writers have tested more than 75 different payroll software systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate payroll providers.

When comparing different apps, we consider over seventy data points, including the speed and cost of payroll runs, federal and state tax filing features, HR integrations, employee management tools, time tracking, and more. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from several vantage points. The payroll apps we pick are widely available and relatively easy to train on, with robust features and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at features such as employee and client portals, user onboarding services, PTO management, benefits administration, multistate compliance, and more.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.

75+

Vendors evaluated

76

Attributes assessed per vendor

26

Features weighed

20+

Combined years of experience


Do You Have To Have Nanny Payroll Software?

Legally, you are not required to use nanny payroll software. However, nanny payroll software does offer a number of great benefits that make it easier to pay your nanny while also maintaining compliance with state and federal tax agencies.

Nanny payroll software can automatically calculate your nanny’s pay, taxes, and other withholdings. Depending on the software you choose, you may be able to easily set up direct deposit, print paper checks from home, or issue payments through payment apps. Your software can also save payroll records used for filing taxes, during an IRS audit, or even for obtaining funding.

Some software even offers more comprehensive features, such as payroll and tax support, employee onboarding, and easy preparation, filing, and payment of state and federal taxes.

How To Choose The Right Nanny Payroll Software

When choosing the right nanny payroll software, there are several factors to keep in mind.

Your budget is important, but it should never be the most important factor. Instead, you should look for software that offers the features you need, is easy to use, and has good customer support at a price that’s right for you. Make sure to take advantage of any free trials or demos if available to get hands-on with the software to make sure it’s a good fit.

Didn’t find what you were looking for here? Don’t stop looking for the perfect nanny payroll software.

Check out our free payroll software for more affordable payroll solutions. Good luck!

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Davina Ward

Davina Ward

Senior Staff Writer
Davina joined Merchant Maverick in 2022, covering small business payroll and accounting. She began writing for small businesses in 2018 and has since gained expertise in the SaaS industry. She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in English Literature from SUNY Geneseo in 2018. She currently resides in New York.
Davina Ward
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