If your family has the budget, paying for nanny services can help you easily balance work and childcare. Often, the most challenging parts of hiring a nanny are finding the best fit for your family and determining the best way to pay them for their services. Luckily, several nanny payroll services can help you figure out how to do that and even automate many of the tasks you have on your plate.

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Feature comparison table

FeatureGustoRipplingPaychexJustworksPapaya GlobalOnPay
Automatic tax filingYesYesYesYesYesYes
IntegrationsYesYesYesYesYesYes
Unlimited payroll runsYesYesNoYesNoYes
Employee onboarding featuresYesYesYesYesYesYes
Employee self-service toolsYesYesYesYesYesYes
Mobile appYesYesYesYesYesYes

Top nanny payroll services of 2023

The best nanny payroll services should be easy to use, best-suited for beginners and chock-full of features to make paying your nanny for their services a breeze. Here are the top picks to consider if your family uses a nanny for child care.

Gusto: Best for easily filing taxes

The Gusto logo.
Image: Gusto

Gusto is an award-winning, all-in-one payroll solution that works well for those paying a nanny to care for their children. It comes with features to help you pay employees and contractors, keep track of time worked, and can stay in compliance with payroll taxes.

It’s important to properly classify your nanny as an employee or contractor. Research shows that 10-20% of employees misclassify their employees as independent contractors, which can result in fines. You can find information on proper classification requirements in the U.S. on the IRS website.

Features

  • Automatically file payroll taxes.
  • Unlimited payroll and clear pricing.
  • Hiring and onboarding.
  • Insights and reporting.

Pros

  • State tax registration in all 50 states.
  • Tracks changing laws to keep you compliant.
  • Time tracking with geolocation.

Cons

  • Could be expensive for families with tight budgets.
  • No invoicing or accounts receivable features.

Pricing

Three pricing plans: Simple ($40/month), Plus ($60/month) and Premium (contact Gusto for details).

Gusto

Rippling: Best for small businesses

The Rippling logo.
Image: Rippling

Rippling is another workforce management and payroll service. According to Rippling’s website, you can run payroll in as little as 90 seconds. It has helpful features such as automatic tax filing, reporting, time and attendance, and over 500 integrations.

Another reason to consider using Rippling is its mobile app. You can download Rippling on the Google Play Store to easily manage your nanny services on the go.

Features

  • Time and attendance.
  • Expense management.
  • Benefits administration.
  • Task automation for ease of use.

Pros

  • Offers pre-built workflow templates.
  • Useful for businesses with one employee.
  • Send payments via direct deposit or check.

Cons

  • Customer service could be improved.
  • Custom reporting can be challenging.

Pricing

  • Starts at $8 per month per user.

Rippling

Paychex: Best for employee self-service

The Paychex logo.
Image: Paychex

Paychex is another potential option for your nanny payroll services. The company can accommodate businesses with one employee or thousands. Paychex Flex is its HR and payroll service for small businesses, and it’s quite affordable, considering how many features you get.

Features

  • Online employee self-service.
  • Payroll dashboard with configurable views.
  • New-hire reporting to government agencies.
  • Robust reporting and analytics.

Pros

  • 24/7 U.S.-based customer service.
  • Easy to switch from a different service to Paychex.
  • Simplified business taxes.

Cons

  • Extra fee for payroll tax filing.
  • Does not offer time tracking for employees.

Pricing

  • Plans start at $39 per month plus $5 per employee.

Paychex

Justworks: Best for external integrations

The Justworks logo.
Image: Justworks

Justworks is an easy payroll service platform that works well for all types of businesses — even those with one employee. The solution can help you remain compliant with employment regulations and payroll tax, as it does the heavy lifting and has tools for W2s, 1099s and payroll reports.

Features

  • Payroll tax filings.
  • One-off and overtime payments.
  • Automated deposits for employees.
  • Sync timesheets to payroll.

Pros

  • IRS-certified and ESAC-accredited.
  • Integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and QBO.
  • Manage PTO and onboarding.

Cons

  • May be expensive for families.
  • Customer service can be slow.

Pricing

  • Basic plan is $59 per month.
  • Plus plan is $99 per month.

Justworks

Papaya Global: Best for employers on a budget

The Papaya Global logo.
Image: Papaya Global

Papaya Global is another all-in-one payroll solution to consider for your nanny. The vendor serves notable clients like Microsoft, Canva, Wix, Toyota, Shopify and Vimeo. According to its official website, Papaya can offer payroll, tax, compliance and onboarding services for employees.

Features

  • Reporting.
  • Salary updates.
  • Automated payment processing.

Pros

  • Good for businesses with employees or contractors.
  • Compliance engine to help you follow regulations.
  • Auditing to identify payroll discrepancies.

Cons

  • Navigation can be challenging.
  • Can take a long time for system issues to resolve.

Pricing

  • $20 per month for payroll or $25 per month for contractor management.

Papaya Global

OnPay: Best for full-service payroll

The OnPay logo.
Image: OnPay

OnPay is a simple, easy-to-use payroll software for small businesses. According to OnPay’s site, the solution automates all the “hard stuff” so you can focus on other life responsibilities outside of paying your nanny.

Features

  • Full-service payroll.
  • All tax filings and payments for W-2 and 1099 workers.
  • Software integrations.

Pros

  • One month free trial.
  • Backed by payroll experts.
  • Switching from other platforms is easy.

Cons

  • Lacks scalability.
  • Limited software integrations.

Pricing

OnPay

How to choose the right nanny payroll service

There are several types of nanny payroll services to suit your family. However, it’s still challenging to know which one is best.

OnPay is likely your best choice if you’re looking for a small-business solution. It is best suited for companies with a limited number of employees. This option will work well for you unless you have more than one nanny.

Gusto and Rippling are good options if you need clarification on payroll tax requirements. The last thing you want is failing to comply with payroll taxes, and compliance and taxes are automated with these solutions.

Paychex is helpful if you’re new to paying a nanny because of its 24/7, U.S.-based payroll support. Papaya is a good option to save money on your payroll software, as its monthly base plan is only $20. Justworks is the best platform if you need an all-in-one solution and can afford a $59 monthly payment.

Choosing the best nanny payroll service in 2023

No two nanny payroll service platforms are the same, as you’ll get various features and capabilities at different prices. The six options above are helpful if you want to take care of your nanny’s payroll with ease, as they’re considered “all-in-one” solutions. When choosing the right payroll service provider, be sure to speak with a representative to learn more about the ins and outs of their solution. This will help make your decision easier.