Best SurePayroll Alternatives in 2026
The top SurePayroll alternatives are APS Payroll, Fourth Payroll and isolved People Cloud: 15 restaurant payroll software our editors would look at instead of SurePayroll, in our ranking order.
SurePayroll: A low-cost payroll option for restaurants with tipped and hourly employees. Where it falls short: no free plan is available.
Switching from SurePayroll? For most restaurant payroll software buyers the best SurePayroll alternative is APS Payroll, built for restaurants wanting broad, transparent payroll coverage.
Why People Look for a SurePayroll Alternative
- No free plan is available
- No Tax Filing requires the employer to file and deposit payroll taxes
- Integrations focus on accounting and time tracking rather than named POS systems
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAPS Payroll9.4
Restaurants wanting broad, transparent payroll coverage
Visit APS Payroll - Lowest priceTipPay7.8
Paid plans from $29/mo
Visit TipPay
All 15 SurePayroll Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forRestaurants wanting broad, transparent payroll coverage
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 8.1
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
- Better than SurePayroll:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 8.1
A mature payroll option for established restaurants, with limited POS connectivity.
- POS integrations
- Tip management
- Payroll tax filing
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit ADP -
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
SurePayroll Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to SurePayroll?
APS Payroll: #1 in our Restaurant Payroll Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. Restaurant-focused payroll with tip calculations, tax filing, POS integrations, and optional HR tools.
What is the cheapest paid alternative to SurePayroll?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, TipPay starts lowest, at $29/mo.
Why do people look for SurePayroll alternatives?
No free plan is available; No Tax Filing requires the employer to file and deposit payroll taxes; Integrations focus on accounting and time tracking rather than named POS systems.
How do I switch from SurePayroll?
Export your data from SurePayroll (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SurePayroll.
How to Switch from SurePayroll
- Export your data from SurePayroll (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SurePayroll.
SurePayroll vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Tip management | Payroll tax filing | Multi-state payroll | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | SurePayroll | No | $20/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 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 | CheckMark Payroll | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 9 | TipPay | No | $29/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 10 | PayMaster Hospitality | No | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 11 | TeamPay | No | £2/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 12 | QuickBooks Payroll | No | $50/mo | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 13 | Paycor | No | 7.0 | ||||
| 14 | Gusto | No | 6.9 | ||||
| 15 | Paycom | No | 6.8 |
Head-to-Head
- SurePayroll vs APS Payroll
- SurePayroll vs Fourth Payroll
- SurePayroll vs isolved People Cloud
- SurePayroll vs Restaurant365 Payroll & HR
- SurePayroll vs Kit by KitchenSync
- SurePayroll vs RUN Powered by ADP
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update