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Payroll software review

Payroll4Free

Ad-supported payroll software, free while you pay 9 or fewer people once a month; you file the taxes yourself unless you pay for its tax service, whose price isn't published.

By Payroll4FreeParent company: Payroll4Free.com, Inc.
Not enough data to score

Not enough verified data yet

We've verified 4 of 12 key facts for this payroll provider. Until we reach 80%, this page shows what we have, with sources, and it isn't a full review.

Our verdict

Worth a look only for a very small team paid once a month that can file its own taxes. A restaurant with a regular staff should ask for the price of the tax service and of more frequent payrolls in writing.

What we like

  • The software is free, with ads, for up to 9 people paid once a month.
  • Calculates federal, state and local payroll taxes and pays W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
  • Direct deposit or paper checks, an employee portal and live phone support.

What to watch

  • Doesn't fit a 15-employee restaurant paid every two weeks for free, and the price above the free tier isn't published.
  • In the free version you deposit and file the payroll taxes yourself; the tax service has an unpublished fee.
  • No POS integration and no documented tip tools.
  • No published service terms.

How the score breaks down

RTC ScoreNot enough data

Methodology v0.1.0

We could verify less than 60% of what we score, so we don't rank it.

Data completeness34%

We could verify 34% of the scoring data

Strongest points
Who files payroll taxes, Published pricing, Year-end W-2 and 1099 forms
Weakest point
POS integrations

Score by criterion

  • 12-month payroll cost (reference restaurant)Weight 19%No data
  • Who files payroll taxesWeight 7%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • POS integrationsWeight 6%Weakest0.0 out of 10
  • Published pricingWeight 5%Strongest5.0 out of 10
  • Tip credit and minimum wage make-upWeight 5%No data
  • Tips imported from POS systemsWeight 5%0.0 out of 10
  • 2026 W-2 ready for No Tax on TipsWeight 5%0.0 out of 10
  • Initial termWeight 5%No data
  • Live support hours a weekWeight 5%No data
  • Payroll in all 50 statesWeight 4%No data
  • Time trackingWeight 4%No data
  • FICA tip credit (Form 8846)Weight 3%No data
  • Tip pooling and tip-outsWeight 3%No data
  • Early termination feeWeight 3%No data
  • Unlimited pay runsWeight 3%0.0 out of 10
  • Fastest direct deposit includedWeight 3%No data
  • Tax penalty guaranteeWeight 3%No data
  • Year-end W-2 and 1099 formsWeight 2%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • Accounting integrationsWeight 2%No data
  • Notice to avoid renewalWeight 2%No data
  • Garnishments and new-hire reportingWeight 2%No data
  • Declared cash tipsWeight 2%No data
  • State and local minimum wages built inWeight 2%No data
  • Dedicated specialistWeight 2%No data
  • Paying 1099 contractorsWeight 1%10.0 out of 10
  • Early pay for employeesWeight 1%No data

All the data, with sources

Each value links to its source. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't disclose it; "Unconfirmed" means we looked and couldn't confirm it. Data points we have for fewer than four vendors are left out until we can compare them.

Pricing
Data pointValue
Base feeNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free charges a monthly fee for its Payroll Tax Service (it deposits and files the taxes for you) and doesn't publish it.
Per employeeNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Free only while you pay 9 or fewer people no more than once a month; the price above that isn't published.
Who counts as an employeeUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free doesn't say how it counts people above the free limit.
Per contractor (1099)Not publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Contractors count toward the 9 people of the free tier; the price above it isn't published.
Published pricingPartly publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Free up to 9 people paid once a month; the tax filing service and larger payrolls are priced by request.
Setup feeUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Year-end forms feeNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Year-end W-2 processing comes inside the paid tax service, whose fee isn't published.
Each extra stateUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Other feesTwo optional paid services, without published prices: the Payroll Tax Service (it deposits and files your payroll taxes) and the Direct Deposit Service (it moves the funds through its bank). Filled-out tax forms carry a small fee.Source: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)
Taxes and forms
Data pointValue
Who files payroll taxesThe provider calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxesSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Only with the paid Payroll Tax Service. In the free version Payroll4Free calculates the taxes and you deposit and file them.
Payroll in all 50 statesUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free says it has clients in nearly every state, not that it covers all 50.
Year-end W-2 and 1099 formsW-2 and 1099 prepared and filedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)W-2 filing comes with the paid tax service.
Paying 1099 contractorsIncluded in payroll plansSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)
Tax penalty guaranteeUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Garnishments and new-hire reportingUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Paying your team
Data pointValue
Pay schedulesUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)The free tier allows one payroll a month; other schedules are not described.
Unlimited pay runsNoSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)More than one payroll a month leaves the free tier.
Fastest direct deposit includedUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Early pay for employees (earned wage access)UnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Tips
Data pointValue
Imports tips from these POS systemsSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)No POS connection is documented on its public pages.
Tip pooling and tip-outsUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Tip credit and minimum wage make-upUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
FICA tip credit (Form 8846)UnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Declared cash tipsUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
2026 W-2 for No Tax on Tips (code TP and tipped occupation code)Not confirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)We found no Payroll4Free page about the 2026 W-2 for No Tax on Tips.
2026 W-2 for qualified overtime (code TT)Not confirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)We found no Payroll4Free page about qualified overtime on the 2026 W-2.
Service charges paid as wagesUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
State and local minimum wages built inUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Integrations and time tracking
Data pointValue
POS integrations (hours or sales data)Source: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)No POS integration is documented.
Time trackingUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)It tracks vacation and paid time off, but doesn't document a time clock.
SchedulingUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Accounting integrationsUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)The free tier includes 'outside software integrations' without naming the programs.
Payroll engineThe vendor itselfSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)
Benefits and insurance
Data pointValue
Health benefitsUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Workers' compensationUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Contract and exit
Data pointValue
Initial termNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free doesn't publish its service terms.
Automatic renewalNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Notice to avoid renewalNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Early termination feeNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free doesn't publish its service terms.
Early termination clauseNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Right to raise pricesNot publishedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Your records when you leaveUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Support
Data pointValue
Support 24/7UnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Live phone support is included; its hours aren't published.
Live support hours a weekUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not published.
Dedicated specialistUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Language
Data pointValue
Employee app in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Payroll4Free has an employee web portal, not an app, and doesn't say it works in Spanish.
Owner's dashboard in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Pay stubs in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Support in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Its FAQ only says some staff speak a second language, without naming Spanish.
Contract or terms in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)Not documented: Payroll4Free's home, features, FAQ and about pages don't mention it (checked October 1, 2026).
Website in Spanish for the USNoSource: Payroll4Free (opens in a new tab)No Spanish version or language selector on the site.

More about Payroll4Free

How we score