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With so many different payroll solutions available, figuring out which one is right for you is tough. You know you want to automate payroll calculations, tax withholdings, and deductions, while also providing tools for tracking employee hours, managing benefits, and generating compliant payroll reports, but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences as part of a family of church leaders and my experience as an assistant youth pastor, with my picks of the best church payroll software.

What is Church Payroll Software?

Church payroll software is a type of tool used to manage payroll processes for a church's staff and employees. The features that make this possible include automated payroll processing to calculate wages, taxes, and deductions accurately, direct deposit capabilities for convenient payment to employees' bank accounts, tax compliance tools to ensure accurate tax filings and withholdings, benefit tracking functionalities to manage employee benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, and reporting capabilities for regulatory compliance.

By centralizing payroll and HR-related tasks in one system, church payroll software provides transparency and accountability in payroll processes and helps churches manage payroll responsibilities effectively and efficiently, so they can focus more on their mission and ministry.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Church Payroll Software Solutions

Here’s a brief description of each church payroll platform to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.

Best for global payroll and compliance

  • Free demo available
  • Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Deel is a global payroll and compliance platform that can be utilized by various organizations, including churches, to facilitate the hiring, onboarding, and payment of employees and contractors around the world. 

The platform offers tools for creating contracts compliant with local laws, processing payroll, and handling tax documentation, which can be particularly useful for churches with international missionaries or remote workers. Deel's ability to handle multiple currencies and payment methods, including cryptocurrencies, may also be beneficial for churches with diverse payment needs.

Deel integrates with multiple solutions, including Xero, BambooHR, Lever, Greenhouse, Workday, Quickbooks, Netsuite, Rippling, ADP, and Paychex.

For global payroll services, interested parties are encouraged to contact Deel's sales team for specific pricing information. Deel HR is also free for teams of up to 200 people.

Best for tax penalty protection

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $4/employee/month + $20/month base fee

QuickBooks Payroll is a payroll management tool that assists businesses with automated tax calculations, filings, and time tracking. It stands out for its tax penalty protection feature, which safeguards businesses against potential tax penalties, positioning it as a reliable solution for tax compliance and protection.

I chose QuickBooks Payroll for church payroll software because of its comprehensive service offerings and user-friendly interface, which are particularly suited to the unique needs of church payroll management. What makes QuickBooks Payroll different is its automatic tax calculations and filings, which significantly reduce the risk of errors and penalties, a critical factor for non-profit entities like churches. I believe QuickBooks Payroll is best for tax penalty protection due to its robust compliance features and seamless integration with other QuickBooks products, catering to various business stages and industries.

QuickBooks Payroll integrates with 650 popular business apps including PayPal, Veem, Google Sheets, SaasAnt, Expensify, PaperEntry, BillBjorn, TimeSaver, ClockShark Time Tracking, Gusto, Run Powered by ADP, Guideline 401(k), Fundbox, Bill.com, and many others.

Pricing starts at $4/employee/month with a $20 base fee, and they offer a 30-day free trial.

Run payroll with a solution that files your taxes for you

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $6/employee/month + $40/month base fee
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Gusto is a popular HR and payroll management solution. The platform is a great choice for modern churches because it enables you to set your employees up with benefits and manage paid time off. And the solution also creates an online database for your staff’s pay stubs, so they can check them out using mobile devices.

The great thing about using this app is that it files your taxes for you. Every time you run payroll, the solution files your tax sheets with the right federal or state agencies. The software keeps track of tax changes, so you don’t have to worry about misfilings.

Integrates with multiple apps, including Aplos church software, 15Five, 7Shifts, ActiveCampaign, Asana, Clover, QuickBooks, and Bonusly.

Gusto costs from $40/month plus $6/staff member. You can schedule a live demo.

Run payroll and benefit from dedicated support

Church Windows is a church management software with a good payroll feature. This solution creates a centralized location for all your accounting and financial information, so you can gain visibility into your finances and simplify your existing processes.

The highlight of using this platform to run payroll is that it allows you to generate checks, tax forms, reports, and allowances with ease. The Federal and State tax tables are updated when necessary, so you don’t need to change them yourself. You can also transfer your payroll information into the accounting module.

Church Windows has a slight learning curve, but the software’s support team can guide you through the payroll process.

Church Windows costs from $279/month. You can access a demo and request a free trial.

Set up automated tax payments and control your finances

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $35/month plus $6/employee/month

Wave is a cloud-based church software that allows you to check your accounting and financial information from wherever you are. The platform covers all the financial needs of a church, from payroll service to online donation processing and bank connections.

This software stands out thanks to its clean layout. Every feature and functionality is highlighted accordingly, so even people who are not tech-savvy can quickly learn their way around this tool.

The payroll feature allows you to generate W2 and 1099 forms in preparation for tax season and deposit money into your staff’s bank accounts. Wave also enables you to set up automated tax payments for specific states in the US.

Wave costs from $20/month. You can try the solution out for free for 30 days. You can also access a free-forever version with limited functionalities.

Schedule direct deposits in advance and automate the payroll process

CDM+ is an online church management software that enables clergy members to speed up their payroll process. The software creates an online portal for your employee so they can access their pay history, pay stubs, withholdings and deductions.

The solution also allows you to schedule direct deposits in advance, so you can automatically run payroll during bank holidays. The tool also helps you with other financial aspects, such as online giving tracking or fund accounting, and enables you to generate custom reports.

This software has a mobile-friendly version, so you can access it on any device, from anywhere, at any time.

CDM+ offers custom pricing upon request. You can schedule a demo and try the solution out for free for three months.

All-in-one church software with good payroll features

  • r=tlp-cbs

PowerChurch Plus is an all-in-one church management software with dedicated payroll features. The solution helps you with church bookkeeping, financial management, as well as other aspects of church management.

This software creates a database for all your financial and personal records, making it easy to access information. You can also run payroll and pull reports on your contributions and accounts payable throughout the fiscal year.

The solution’s Knowledge Base helps you set up and maintain payroll according to federal and state laws. You can also access detailed guides and screenshots to speed up the setup process.

PowerChurch software integrates with several apps, including Vanco, Dynamic Systems, Avery, SimpleTexting, Clockify, and Constant Contact.

PowerChurch Plus costs from $395. You can download a free demo.

Set up payroll and clergy allocations with a step-by-step guide

  • 30-day free trial
  • Pricing is available upon request

FellowshipOne is a payroll and accounting software specifically developed to help church leaders manage their resources. The solution has an integrated payroll processing feature that automatically tracks payments in your general ledger, so you can rest easy knowing that there’s no need to duplicate data.

One of the great things about this software is that it guides you through the payroll process. You can set up special clergy allocations and benefits, and you can also group employees who earn similar rates for faster processing.

Fellowship One integrates with EasyTithe, Church Champions, Call-em-all, Brushfire, and Webconnex, among other apps.

FellowshipOne offers custom pricing upon request. You can try out the platform for free for 30 days.

Create an online database for your payslips and financial records

  • 30-day free trial.
  • From $13 per month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Xero is an online accounting solution that doubles as a nonprofit accounting software. The platform has a beautiful build that’s easy to navigate and understand, so you should be able to find and use most of its features with minimal training.

The payroll tool helps you set up recurring pay runs and keep basic pay records. You can enter employee hours, set up and update hourly rates, and calculate deductions. You can send your staff payslips via email or you can print them. The platform stores the information online, so your church members can check their payslips using mobile devices.

Xero integrates with dozens of solutions, including EzzyBills, Stripe, Deel, HubSpot, Square, PayPal, and Zapier.

Xero costs from $12/month You can access a 30-day free trial.

Automate your tax filing and payroll processes

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $30/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4/5

QuickBooks is a payroll solution that’s ideal for faith leaders, whether you run a large or small church. The platform has a straightforward design, so even older members of your religious organization should be able to use it without difficulty.

This software enables you to track your staff’s time, approve timesheets, and create invoices on multiple devices. You can automate your payroll, and the solution will even help you calculate and file your federal and state taxes. With Quickbooks Premier, you can receive expert guidance on how to set up your payroll.

QuickBooks integrates with hundreds of apps, including Square, Paypal, Shopify, Gusto, and CRMs.

Quickbooks costs from $22.50/month. You can try out the software for free for 30 days.

The 10 Best Church Payroll Software Solutions Summary

Tools Price
Deel Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people
QuickBooks Payroll From $4/employee/month + $20/month base fee
Gusto From $6/employee/month + $40/month base fee
Church Windows No price details
WAVE From $35/month plus $6/employee/month
CDM+ No price details
PowerChurch Plus r=tlp-cbs
Fellowship One Pricing is available upon request
Xero From $13 per month
QuickBooks Online From $30/month
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Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.

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Other Church Payroll Options

Here are a few more church payroll tools that didn’t make the top list.

  1. Rise

    Put payroll on autopilot and receive notifications if you make errors

  2. Freshbooks

    Keep track of expenses and create personalized invoices

  3. BambooHR

    Online HR platform with a powerful payroll feature that helps you manage your team’s pay.

  4. Hubstaff

    Employee monitoring platform that enables you to track your staff’s activity, create invoices, and automate your payroll process.

  5. Wagepoint

    Payroll simplification solution that helps community leaders run payroll and get support when filing their taxes.

Comparison Criteria

What do I look for when I select the best church payroll system? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria: 

  1. User Interface (UI): I look for tools that have clean layouts, so you and your church staff don’t waste time trying to find the right features in order to set up payroll. 
  2. Usability: I look for solutions that are easy to use, so church leaders and staff can run payroll with ease. 
  3. Integrations: I look for software that integrates with the other solutions in your app ecosystem, such as church accounting software, church management tools, or communication apps.  
  4. Value for $: I look for tools that allow you to save time when running payroll and managing church finances, so you can get the most out of your investment. 

Church Payroll Software Key Features

  1. Accounting: The payroll tool should act as a basic church finance software and help you with multiple church accounting aspects, such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, and a general ledger. 
  2. Simple Payroll: The solution should help you calculate wages, make deposits and generate tax reports. 
  3. Payroll scheduling: The tool should allow you to schedule payroll so you can pay your staff in a timely manner without difficulty. 
  4. Automation: The solution should enable you to automate some tasks so you can save time when running payroll. 

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Other Church Finance Software Reviews

Here are some other similar church software reviews I've done around church payroll and church finance software. They may be of use to you if you didn't find what you're looking for here.

Simplify Your Payroll With Dedicated Software

Church payroll software enables you to automate your payroll and simplify your tax filing process. And the best church accounting software helps you create positive experiences for your employees with benefits management and paid time off tracking. 

And positive staff experiences help your church members be more effective. As a 2017 Salesforce report shows, employees who benefit from positive work experiences are 4.6 times more likely to “give it their all” at work. 

If you want to receive advice on how to lead your church to success from top thinkers in our community, subscribe to The Lead Pastor

By Alexandria Schmidt

Lexie was born into a family of pastors and other church leaders. She was trained by her grandfather and worked as an assistant youth pastor in a megachurch in her twenties. Now she runs a peer support group and is the Technical Consultant for her current church, MCC Illiana. While she is no longer pastoring, she is staying active in other parts of the ministry.