Payroll Mate
Payroll software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$219 per calendar year
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
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What is Payroll Mate
Payroll Mate is a desktop payroll software application used to calculate payroll, print paychecks, and generate common payroll tax forms and reports. It targets small businesses and payroll administrators who want an on-premises tool rather than a cloud service. The product emphasizes manual control over payroll setup (earnings, deductions, taxes) and supports check printing and form preparation workflows.
On-premises payroll control
Payroll Mate runs locally, which can fit organizations that prefer keeping payroll data on their own computers rather than in a hosted service. It supports hands-on configuration of pay items, deductions, and employee records. This approach can be useful for businesses with stable payroll rules that do not need a broader HR platform.
Check printing and forms
The product supports printing paychecks and producing standard payroll reports used for reconciliation. It also focuses on generating payroll tax forms as part of the payroll workflow. For small teams, this can reduce reliance on separate tools for check stock printing and basic payroll documentation.
Straightforward small-business workflow
Payroll Mate is oriented around core payroll processing rather than a large suite of HR, IT, or finance modules. This can reduce implementation time compared with broader systems that bundle payroll with multiple adjacent functions. It can be a fit for companies that only need payroll calculations, checks, and reporting without extensive platform dependencies.
Limited cloud and mobile access
As a desktop-first product, Payroll Mate typically does not provide the same anywhere-access, mobile workflows, and browser-based administration found in cloud payroll platforms. Remote payroll processing and multi-location collaboration can require workarounds such as remote desktop access. This can be a constraint for distributed teams.
Fewer integrated HR capabilities
Payroll Mate focuses on payroll processing and does not function as a full HR system with features like onboarding, benefits administration, and broader employee lifecycle workflows. Organizations that want payroll tightly connected to HR records and approvals may need additional software. This increases the number of systems to manage and reconcile.
Integrations and automation constraints
Compared with platforms that provide extensive prebuilt integrations and APIs, desktop payroll tools often have more limited connectivity to accounting, time tracking, and workforce systems. Data imports/exports may require manual steps or file-based processes. This can increase operational effort as transaction volume grows.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll Mate (desktop, tax-year license) | $219 per calendar year (tax year license) | Processes payroll for up to 10 companies, up to 75 employees per company; Windows desktop software; payroll calculations, check printing, W‑2/W‑3/941/940/1099 reporting; includes 60 days technical support. |
| Option #1 (W-2 Copy A & W-3 laser forms) | $30 per tax year | Prints government-approved W-2 Copy A & W-3 on plain paper. |
| Option #2 (Direct Deposit / NACHA) | $129 per tax year | Generates NACHA-formatted direct deposit files. |
| Option #3 (Additional companies & employees + timesheet import + department support) | $140 per tax year | Expands support to up to 100 companies and 1,000 employees per company; adds timesheet import and department support. |
| Option #4 (MICR check printing) | $50 per tax year | Enables MICR ink check printing on blank check stock. |
| Option #5 (State payroll reporting for select states) | $55 per tax year | Adds state payroll reporting for IL, TX, CA, FL, NY (select forms). |
| Option #6 (Vendor & 1099 Center) | $79 per tax year | Vendor/contractor management, print 1099-NEC/MISC and 1096. |
| SSA wage file export (optional) | $69–$199 per tax year (tiered by number of companies) | Generates SSA wage files for electronic upload; pricing varies by company count. |
| Networking feature (optional) | $120 / $220 / $370 per tax year (3 / 5 / 10 users) | Network sharing of payroll data across multiple machines. |
