Gusto ranks #1 for run payroll (score 8.4/10). Pricing: $49/mo + $6/person; free tier: no. Runners-up: Rippling, Deel.
Top 5, ranked by our published rubric. Sponsorship never affects the order. Last updated 2026-10-13.
| # | Tool | Score | Pricing | Paid from | Free tier | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | 8.4 | From $49 | $49/mo + $6/person | no | Payroll and HR |
| 2 | Rippling | 7.8 | Custom | Custom (request quote) | no | HR, IT and payroll platform |
| 3 | Deel | 7.7 | From $14 | From $14/worker/mo; contractors $49 | Unverified | Global payroll and contractors |
| 4 | QuickBooks | 6.5 | From $19 | $19/mo (50%-off promo shown) | no | Accounting with Intuit Assist AI |
| 5 | Xero | 6.0 | From $27 | $27/mo after promo ($5.40/mo intro) | no (trial) | Small business accounting |
Payroll and HR
Why ranked: Gusto: Payroll and HR. We placed it 1st of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from $49/mo + $6/person.
Fit 10.0 · value 5.0 · breadth 10 · availability 7 (how we score) · pricing source · site bot-blocked (403)
HR, IT and payroll platform
Why ranked: Its own site says: “Rippling eliminates the friction from running a business, combining HR, IT, and Finance apps on a unified data platform.” We placed it 2nd of 5 on fit for this task. No public price (sales-led).
Fit 8.5 · value 4.4 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live
Global payroll and contractors
Why ranked: Its own site says: “Hire, pay, and manage teams in 150+ countries with Deel.” We placed it 3rd of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from From $14/worker/mo; contractors $49.
Fit 7.0 · value 6.9 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live
Accounting with Intuit Assist AI
Why ranked: Its own site says: “Over 800 integrations See all integrations FAQs QuickBooks is scalable, cloud-based accounting software for all types of businesses.” We placed it 4th of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from $19/mo (50%-off promo shown).
Fit 5.5 · value 6.2 · breadth 10 · availability 7 (how we score) · pricing source · site bot-blocked (000)
Small business accounting
Why ranked: Its own site says: “Xero online accounting software for your business connects you to your bank, accountant, bookkeeper, and other business apps.” We placed it 5th of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from $27/mo after promo ($5.40/mo intro).
Fit 4.0 · value 6.2 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live
No tools match these filters.
Many business tools are priced by quote only, so price filters hide them.
By TaskRanking's published rubric, Gusto ranks first, followed by Rippling and Deel.
None of the top 5 had a confirmed free tier when we checked on 2026-10-13.
Score = 50% fit, 25% value (from vendor pricing pages), 15% breadth, 10% availability. Sponsorship never affects rank.
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