PayFWDs vs Payroll4Free

PayFWDs9.2Visit Payroll4Free7.8Visit

Higher score PayFWDs #1 in Nonprofit Payroll Software 9.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit PayFWDs

vs

Payroll4Free #5 in Nonprofit Payroll Software 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Payroll4Free

• PayFWDs fits best

  Nonprofits allocating payroll to grants and programs

• Payroll4Free fits best

  Very small nonprofits seeking free payroll

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Side by side

Feature	PayFWDs 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Payroll4Free 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	7.8
Ranking	#1 in Nonprofit Payroll Software	#5 in Nonprofit Payroll Software
Best for	Nonprofits allocating payroll to grants and programs	Very small nonprofits seeking free payroll
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	$15/mo
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Browser extension
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Phone, Tickets	Email, Phone, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market	Small business, Solo
Features PayFWDs 5/5 · Payroll4Free 4/5
Tax filing included	✓	✓
Nonprofit tax support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Multi-state payroll	✓	✓
Contractor payments	✓	✓
Time tracking	✓	✓
Specs
Employee limit	Not checked yet	9 employees
Our review
Pros	Allocates labor costs across grants, funds, programs, and projects Supports federal, state, and local tax filing across multiple states Combines payroll, time tracking, HR, reporting, and contractor payments	Free payroll processing for up to nine individuals monthly Supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors Includes PTO tracking, employee portals, and reporting
Cons	Pricing is customized and requires contact with sales The platform is web-based rather than offered across multiple platform types Organizations seeking payroll-only software may find its wider scope unnecessary	Tax deposits and filings require a paid service Direct-deposit services carry additional fees Free service is limited to nine or fewer payees
Our verdict	PayFWDs is a cloud-based payroll and HR platform for small to midsize nonprofits and other growing organizations. Its nonprofit focus centers on assigning labor costs to grants, funds, programs, and projects, while covering payroll… Read the review →	Payroll4Free is online payroll and human-resources software for small organizations, including nonprofits that pay W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, or both. Its core feature set covers payroll processing, federal, state, and local tax… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PayFWDs — where it wins

  • Allocates labor costs across grants, funds, programs, and projects
  • Supports federal, state, and local tax filing across multiple states
  • Combines payroll, time tracking, HR, reporting, and contractor payments

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing is customized and requires contact with sales
  • The platform is web-based rather than offered across multiple platform types
  • Organizations seeking payroll-only software may find its wider scope unnecessary

• Payroll4Free — where it wins

  • Free payroll processing for up to nine individuals monthly
  • Supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
  • Includes PTO tracking, employee portals, and reporting

  Where it doesn't

  • Tax deposits and filings require a paid service
  • Direct-deposit services carry additional fees
  • Free service is limited to nine or fewer payees

• PayFWDs9.2/10 · Pricing on request

  A nonprofit-focused payroll platform built for grant allocation and multi-state compliance.

  Visit PayFWDsFull verdict →
• Payroll4Free7.8/10 · Free plan

  A practical free payroll option for nonprofits with nine or fewer payees.

  Visit Payroll4FreeFull verdict →