The Best Restaurant Payroll Software in 2026
We researched restaurant payroll software from official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on payroll accuracy, restaurant-specific workflows, value for money, and verified features such as tip handling, tax filing, POS connectivity, and employee payments.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
APS Payroll#1 of 249.4/10Restaurant-focused payroll with tip calculations, tax filing, POS integrations, and optional HR tools.
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Runner-up
Fourth Payroll#2 of 249.2/10A strong fit for larger restaurants that need payroll, tips, compliance, and POS data connected.
Pricing on request
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Lowest paid price in the top 10
SurePayroll#8 of 248.1/10A low-cost payroll option for restaurants with tipped and hourly employees.
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 24 tools, best first
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Best forRestaurants wanting broad, transparent payroll coverage
Restaurant-focused payroll with tip calculations, tax filing, POS integrations, and optional HR tools.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
9.4/10★★★★★Visit APS Payroll -
Best forLarger restaurants needing deep POS connectivity
A strong fit for larger restaurants that need payroll, tips, compliance, and POS data connected.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Fourth Payroll -
Best forComplex restaurant payroll and benefits teams
A strong fit for restaurant groups managing tips, shifts, taxes, benefits and POS data.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit isolved -
Best forRestaurant groups using Restaurant365 operations
A restaurant-focused payroll platform with tip, tax, POS, and employee self-service tools.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Restaurant365 -
Best forMulti-location operators needing deep payroll controls
A deep restaurant payroll suite with POS connectivity, but a high per-location starting price.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit KitchenSync -
Best forSmall restaurants wanting affordable full-service payroll
Full-service restaurant payroll with tipped-wage calculations and a $49 monthly base price.
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
- Multi-state payroll
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit OnPay -
Best forEstablished businesses wanting mature payroll operations
A mature payroll option for established restaurants, with limited POS connectivity.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit ADP -
Best forBudget-conscious restaurants needing simple payroll
A low-cost payroll option for restaurants with tipped and hourly employees.
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
- Multi-state payroll
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit SurePayroll -
Best forDesktop users seeking low annual payroll cost
A low-cost annual desktop option for tip tracking, tax work and unlimited payroll runs.
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
- Multi-state payroll
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit CheckMark -
Best forRestaurants focused on tip distribution
A focused web payroll system for restaurants that distribute tips.
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
- Multi-state payroll
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit TipPay -
Best forLegacy Windows-based hospitality payroll teams
A hospitality-focused Windows payroll system for tips, multi-state taxes, and POS-connected workflows.
- Tip management
- Multi-state payroll
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forUK restaurants needing low-cost payroll software
Low-cost UK payroll with native tronc, variable-hours support and managed options.
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
- Employee self-service
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit TeamPay -
Best forQuickBooks users needing integrated payroll
A strong QuickBooks-centered payroll option for restaurants needing automated tax handling.
- POS integrations
- Payroll tax filing
- Multi-state payroll
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit QuickBooks -
Best forRestaurants wanting payroll plus broad HR tools
A broad payroll and HR platform for restaurants that need more than payroll.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Paycor -
Best forSmall teams needing payroll and general HR
A broad payroll and HR platform for small teams, but not a restaurant-focused system.
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Gusto -
Best forOrganizations wanting comprehensive HR and payroll
A broad payroll and HR system for organizations that need one employee-data platform.
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Paycom -
Best forGrowing businesses needing an all-in-one HCM
An all-in-one HCM for growing organizations, with quote-based pricing and broad functionality.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit UKG Ready -
Best forHR-led organizations needing payroll self-service
A broad HR and payroll platform for organizations that want employee self-service and workforce tools.
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Paylocity -
Best forRestaurants prioritizing scheduling over payroll
A scheduling-led workforce platform with payroll available as part of its wider suite.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Workforce.com -
Best forRestaurants focused on workforce scheduling
A scheduling-led workforce platform for Australian restaurants and hourly teams.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Tanda -
Best forLarge operators needing advanced labor optimization
Advanced forecasting, scheduling, compliance, and labor visibility for large operators.
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit UKG -
Best forAustralian restaurants needing roster and time tools
A broad Australian workforce platform for restaurant rostering, time capture and payroll workflows.
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit ClockOn -
Best forRestaurants needing POS with basic staff tools
A capable restaurant POS with scheduling, but not a verified payroll system.
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Toast -
Best forBusinesses needing a low-cost online ordering site
A low-cost online ordering site, but not a restaurant payroll system.
5.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Square Online
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Tip management | Payroll tax filing | Multi-state payroll | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | APS Payroll | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 | |
| 2 | Fourth Payroll | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | ||
| 3 | isolved People Cloud | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | ||
| 4 | Restaurant365 Payroll & HR | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Kit by KitchenSync | No | $1,500/site/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 6 | OnPay | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 7 | RUN Powered by ADP | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | |
| 8 | SurePayroll | No | $20/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 9 | CheckMark Payroll | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 10 | TipPay | No | $29/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 11 | PayMaster Hospitality | No | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 12 | TeamPay | No | £2/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 13 | QuickBooks Payroll | No | $50/mo | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 14 | Paycor | No | 7.0 | ||||
| 15 | Gusto | No | 6.9 | ||||
| 16 | Paycom | No | 6.8 | ||||
| 17 | UKG Ready | No | 6.7 | ||||
| 18 | Paylocity | No | 6.6 | ||||
| 19 | Workforce.com | No | 6.4 | ||||
| 20 | Tanda | No | 6.3 | ||||
| 21 | UKG Pro Workforce Management | 6.2 | |||||
| 22 | ClockOn | No | $8.80/user/mo | 6.1 | |||
| 23 | Toast | No | 5.8 | ||||
| 24 | Square Online | Yes | 5.4 |
Head-to-head All 26 comparisons →
- APS Payroll vs Fourth Payroll
- APS Payroll vs isolved People Cloud
- APS Payroll vs Restaurant365 Payroll & HR
- APS Payroll vs Kit by KitchenSync
- APS Payroll vs OnPay
- APS Payroll vs RUN Powered by ADP
- APS Payroll vs SurePayroll
- Fourth Payroll vs isolved People Cloud
- Fourth Payroll vs Restaurant365 Payroll & HR
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How we rank restaurant payroll software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update