Payroll4Free Review

Pros

• Free payroll processing for up to 9 employees
• Pay employees and contractors
• Time clock data import options
• Employee self-service portal
• Optional full-service tax support
• Very helpful customer support reps

Cons

• No integrations
• Limited self-support options
• No demo
• Only compatible with Windows
• No benefits administration
• Ads within the software

What Is Payroll4Free?

Payroll4Free is payroll software for very small businesses that want to calculate and process basic payroll for free or at a low cost.

As one of the few free payroll software options available, Payroll4Free supports basic payroll processing, employee and contractor payments, direct deposit and check options, custom deductions, and payroll tax calculations.

Payroll4Free Pricing

Payroll4Free offers a free basic payroll plan for businesses that stay within its free payee limits.

Payroll4Free’s current fee schedule lists one free payroll batch for businesses paying 9 or fewer employees, while its fee notes indicate payroll processing fees apply once the number of unique monthly payees exceeds 10.

Because of this, businesses should review Payroll4Free’s current fee schedule before signing up.

Payroll4Free Plan

Payroll4Free’s plan includes:

• Unlimited payroll processing within the free payee limits
• Support for paying contractors and employees
• Paper check and direct deposit payment options, though direct deposit service costs extra
• Online employee self-service portal
• Custom payroll deductions
• Optional time clock data import
• Payroll data export options
• PTO accrual
• Time off management
• Payroll reports
• 1099 form creation

Extra Payroll4Free Costs & Fees

Payroll4Free can remain free for very small businesses, but several fees may apply. Businesses that exceed the free payee limits may pay batch posting fees. Direct deposit, payroll tax services, additional tax authorities, payroll adjustments, wire services, and some setup or support requests can also cost extra.

Payroll4Free also charges incidental fees for services such as payroll adjustments, wire reversals, tax filing confirmations, account changes, and system training.

Is Payroll4Free Easy To Use?

Payroll4Free works, but it is not the easiest payroll software to use. The interface feels outdated, the software is Windows-only, and it is not compatible with macOS or mobile devices.

In the very limited number of reviews available for the software, ease of use was a consistent complaint, with users citing the software’s very outdated interface and slowness as major pain points.

However, users were generally satisfied with the core payroll features.

Payroll4Free Features

Payroll4Free covers basic payroll processing, but it lacks many modern payroll features, including benefits administration, HR tools, built-in time tracking, and direct integrations.

Payroll4Free has fewer features than other payroll software and is only suited for very small businesses.

While some very small businesses may be able to run payroll using Payroll4Free, they’ll be missing out on key features, such as benefits administration, built-in or integrated time tracking, and many features now common in modern payroll software.

Still, Payroll4Free has consistently ranked among the best free payroll software solutions on the market, because it’s one of very few software solutions that allow businesses to run payroll without paying a cent.

Payroll4Free users get access to the following features:

Payroll4Free Customer Service

Payroll4Free’s customer service has room for improvement. Payroll4Free has limited support options and no comprehensive knowledgebase, though our direct support experience was positive.

Payroll4Free only offers two forms of support: phone and email. Live support is available from 8:30 AM to 5 PM EST, Monday through Friday.

However, the quality of support appears stronger than the number of available support channels suggests.

When representatives were busy helping other customers, I was asked to leave a message after about two minutes. I followed up with an admittedly long email that was answered two business days later.

However, I was surprised by the level of attention given to my questions, as each one was answered in great detail. My follow-up email was answered in less than half an hour.

Ultimately, Payroll4Free offers good quality customer service and support — with limited availability.

Payroll4Free Integrations

Payroll4Free does not integrate directly with other software but does offer data import and export options for businesses that want to consolidate information in one place. Payroll4Free supports the import of .XLSX and .CSV files.

Payroll4Free Reviews

Payroll4Free has limited recent customer feedback online, which makes it harder to evaluate the current user experience.

Capterra users rated the software 3.1/5 stars based on 13+ reviews that were pretty evenly split on the software’s ease of use, reliability, and customer support services.

Negative Payroll4Free Reviews & Complaints

• Customer support reps aren’t helpful
• Setup challenges
• Outdated interface
• Ads

Positive Payroll4Free Reviews

• Pricing
• Great for very small businesses
• Reports are accurate
• Easy to generate tax forms
• Reliable

Is Payroll4Free Secure?

Payroll4Free provides some information about its security practices. Security protocols include:

• 2048-bit SSL encryption
• Amazon Cloud storage (protected by industry-standard security practices)
• Client data encryption
• Web browser extension for added security

Final Verdict: Is Payroll4Free Worth It?

In general, Payroll4Free is a good option for businesses with very basic payroll processing needs and fewer than 10 employees. Businesses that fit this profile may be able to avoid monthly payroll software costs.

However, Payroll4Free is a limited payroll software solution. If you want a payroll service that can sync your payroll data with other software, run on MacOS, or that offers benefits administration, built-in time tracking, or basic HR features — Payroll4Free won’t work for you.

If you’re looking for the best mix of value and quality, we recommend checking out one of the best cheap payroll services. Start with our Square Payroll review, Patriot Payroll review, or OnPay review.