Ten thousand combinations. One that fits yours.

Tell us your state, your headcount, how you pay people, and what you already run. We name the one payroll provider that fits — and the one thing it's better than. Not a top-ten list. An answer.

Four questions. Then the answer → No email. No signup. Results on the next screen.

Why the top-ten list doesn't fit you

A list ranks the market. It can't rule things out for your setup.

~40
Payroll providers
50
States · own filing & comp rules
3+
Ways you pay: W-2, 1099, both
×
Whatever accounting tool you run

That's tens of thousands of combinations. No writer at a comparison site is holding that in their head — which is why they wrote you a list instead of an answer.

Your answers run against every provider's actual plan rules, state by state. We check the ones that don't fit off the shelf, and hand you what's left.

How the counter works

You ask. We spec it. You walk out with one part.

01

Answer four

State, headcount, how you pay, what you already use. Sixty seconds, no account.

02

We rule out

We eliminate the providers that don't fit your setup — and show you which, and why.

03

One fits

One primary pick, one alternate, and the reason for the split. Not a wall of cards.

04

In the open

We earn a commission from some providers, and we say so up front — not buried in the footer like everyone else.

The shelf

We carry a short, deliberate shelf.

How we work →

A comparison site brags about how many it lists. For a specifier, a long list is the problem. We keep a tight roster we can spec against every state and pay structure — and we tell you what each one is bad at. A few of the names you'll see:

Gusto
W-2 · 1099 · QuickBooks + Xero sync
Square Payroll
Lowest base · no-base 1099 plan
QuickBooks
Native if you keep books in QB
Paychex
Heavier · HR · growing headcount

Before you start

Four questions about your setup. Results on the next screen — no email.

We earn a commission from some of these, and we tell you which — up front, not buried in the footer. Everyone else hides it. We don't.

Take the Quiz →

Sixty seconds · four questions · no email

Field notes

What we've had to figure out at the counter

All field notes →
The house rules
We don't

Rank the whole market. Gate the answer behind your email. Bury what we earn in the footer. Say "best," "#1," or "ultimate guide."

We do

Rule things out in front of you. Name one pick and one alternate. Tell you up front that we earn a commission — and tell you what each provider is bad at.