From schedule to payday without the scramble.

Yes, free payroll software does exist, but there are tradeoffs. Most require you to manage taxes and compliance on your own, and don’t have the full suite of features small businesses need. For example, Payroll4Free offers unlimited free payroll for up to 10 employees, but you handle tax filing yourself. HR.my has a free tier with limited features. On the other hand, Homebase offers 6 months of full-service payroll completely free—including automatic tax filing, expert setup, and migration—then is $49/month plus $6 per employee once the promotion ends.

It depends on your needs. For small businesses with simple payroll needs (such as just a few employees, predictable hours, and straightforward pay) basic free tools might work. But if you’re running a restaurant, retail shop, fitness studio, or any business with hourly workers, shift scheduling, tips, or variable hours, you need payroll built for that complexity. Homebase is recognized as the best payroll for small businesses and hourly teams by CNN Underscored, US News 360, and Forbes. Try us for free for 6 months and see if we’re the right fit for you.

For small businesses with hourly teams, the easiest payroll is one connected to your scheduling and time tracking—so hours flow automatically and there’s no manual entry. Homebase integrates all three, and 85% of our customers rate us "extremely" or "very" easy to use. Plus, you can run payroll in about 3 minutes once it’s set up.

After 6 months, Homebase Payroll is $49/month plus $6 per employee per month. We don’t lock you into contracts, so if we’re not a right fit for your team, you can cancel anytime. New customers also get 6 months of our Plus plan for free, which includes more comprehensive time tracking, scheduling, and team management tools. After that the Plus plan is $56/month on annual billing.

Yes. With Homebase, automatic tax filing is included even during the free 6-month period. We calculate, withhold, file, and deposit federal, state, and local taxes in all 50 states. W-2s and 1099-NECs are delivered by January 31. Many "free" payroll tools charge extra for tax filing.

Not hard at all. Homebase includes free expert setup and migration. A dedicated payroll specialist moves your data, verifies everything, and confirms you’re ready before your first run. 90% of customers say switching was faster than expected.

Yes. Homebase handles tips, overtime, multiple wage rates, and break rules automatically. Tip Manager collects, pools, and distributes tips compliantly by state, and feeds them directly into payroll. You can also run W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in the same payroll run.

You get 6 months of the full Homebase Payroll product with no limits, no stripped-down features, and no surprises. Expert setup and data migration are included for free too. It’s a limited-time offer, so you’ll need to set up and run payroll by December 15, 2026 to be eligible.

You can use Homebase Payroll on its own. But if you also use Homebase scheduling and time tracking, payroll becomes even easier. Hours flow automatically from your time clock into payroll with no manual entry, and compliance issues get flagged before payday so there are no costly surprises later.

Technically yes, but it's error-prone and time-consuming. You need to manually calculate hours, overtime (which varies by state), tips, multiple wage rates, and taxes. Homebase automates all of this for you, so you get accurate hours, wages, and taxes in payroll and stay compliant with changing labor laws.

Yes, if you choose the right provider. Look for encryption, data backups, compliance certifications, and a track record. Homebase processes over 7 million paychecks and $5 billion in payroll annually and is trusted by 100,000+ small businesses, so your data is secure and compliant.

Look for things like automatic tax filing, good customer support, integration with scheduling/time tracking (especially for hourly teams), and no hidden fees after the free period. Avoid tools that lock basic features behind paywalls or charge extra for tax filing. Homebase checks all those boxes—plus you get a free human expert to help set it all up.

Yes. Homebase works for teams of any size. Once your 6-month free period ends, if you have 5 or fewer employees, you’ll only pay $29/month plus $6 per employee paid. Other "free forever" tools like Payroll4Free cap you at 10 employees, then charge per employee after that.

Yes. Homebase serves nonprofits and handles both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Tax filing and exemptions are also included, and you get the same expert setup and migration support. The 6-month free offer applies to nonprofits too.

It depends on what "free" actually includes. Many free tools often lock tax filing, support, or features behind paywalls, so you end up paying anyway. Paid payroll that includes everything—like Homebase at $49/month—often costs less over time and saves you hours every week. Our free 6-month offer lets you try Homebase Payroll risk-free to see the time savings yourself.