7 Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses in Singapore

Benefits of subscribing to a payroll software for your business 

Payroll software hosts a wide variety of benefits for business owners including: 

• Automating tasks — Saves time cutting checks and filing taxes
• Reducing labour/outsourcing cost — Small-business payroll software can even eliminate the need for a full-time payroll employee
• Increasing accuracy — Eliminates the chances of human error
• Reducing risks — The risk of incurring penalties decreases as payroll software normally will remind you of the important deadlines

💡 Tips: Want to automate your invoice payments say goodbye to manual invoicing for good? Try it out with Aspire Bill Pay.

Top 7 Payroll Software for Small Business in Singapore

There are many payroll software solutions available in the market. However, determining which is best for your business can be overwhelming. We have created a list of popular payroll software in Singapore and their prices, including ones that are completely free, as a guide to help you navigate your options.

1. Quickbooks

QuickBooks is an accounting software business primarily providing tools to help small businesses with all their accounting needs. Their range of products focus on on-premise accounting applications that allow users to make business payments, manage and pay bills and various payroll functions all in a single platform. 

QuickBooks Payroll Software Features: 

• Cash flow management
• Invoicing 
• Bookkeeping 
• Advanced accounting 
  

QuickBooks Payroll Software Pricing*:

• Core Payroll Plan: $22.50/month 
• Premium Payroll Plan: $37.50/month 
• Elite Payroll Plan: $62.50/month 
  

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used QuickBooks: 

• Ecoscapes 
• Clearly Blue Digital Content Marketing Agency
• Belong.Co Hiring & Recruitment Solutions

Pros Of The QuickBooks Payroll:

• QuickBooks for Payroll has been recognized as one of the easiest applications by users and reviewers worldwide. You have to enter the employee's details and the total amount paid to him.
• With QuickBooks-backed payroll services, you'll receive all your tax returns, and experts handle the payroll process.
• QuickBooks for Payroll is a cost-effective product for your business. Service has two levels: Enhanced and Assisted. Both are affordable and offer excellent value for money.
• You can save time by automating payroll tax calculations, filings, and payments, most of which are payroll tasks, and using it to streamline other aspects of the payroll process. 

Cons Of The QuickBooks Software:

• Various accounting management programs offer additional functions for employee pension or health management. However, QuickBooks needs to be added to the list and needs HR support features to manage the company's payroll process effectively.
• You'll have to pay a lot to get some advanced features, but if those are essential to running your business, there are better options than QuickBooks.  

💡 Tips: Did you know that you can connect your Aspire account with QuickBooks? Through this integration, users can manage invoicing, expense tracking, and accounting in one place.

2. Xero

If you own a small business, this may just be the ideal accounting software for you. Xero is a cloud-based accounting software geared towards helping small businesses thrive in their communities. With over 2 million subscribers and counting, Xero continues to be the accounting solution of choice for many global companies. 

Xero Payroll Software Features: 

• Real-time cash flow tracking 
• Online invoice payments 
• Bank reconciliation 
• Seamless payroll functions 
  

Xero Payroll Software Pricing: 

• Starter Plan: 10 USD/month 
• Standard Plan: 30 USD/month 
• Premium Plan: 40 USD/month 
  

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used Xero: 

• Anywhr 
• Boxgreen
• Garang Grill 
• Moovaz

Pros Of Xero:

• Because Xero is cloud-based, its flexibility allows users to access the platform from any web browser on their laptop or desktop.
• Xero gives you great data visualizations of your business's key financial metrics.
• Additionally, the dashboard provides an overview of all outstanding invoices, invoices to be paid, bank account balances, cash flow, and more.
• Inventory management is another essential feature you can access on the go. Track your inventory in real time and see which items are selling well.  

Cons Of Xero:

• Easy to install, but it takes time to learn how to use it.
• Prices have recently increased, and integrated salaries are no longer included in Xero.
• Users need better customer service and take a long time to resolve issues. 

P.s. Did you know? Aspire became Xero’s first business neobank partner in Southeast Asia. Xero in on How You Can Grow Your Business with Aspire here!

3. PayDay! SaaS

PAYDAY Software is a leading cloud-based online payroll and leave solution in Singapore. It was developed and designed for startups, entrepreneurs, business owners or accountants who have little or no experience in handling payroll. Moreover, it is most suitable for Singapore SMEs with fixed monthly payroll policies and less than 50 employees in their employment.

While they have various pricing packages based on the number of employees, they also offer a 30-day free trial to try out their features before committing to a monthly package. 

PayDay! SaaS Payroll Software Features: 

• Mobile payroll processing and management 
• Salary disbursement 
• Automated electronic payslips to employees 
  

PayDay! SaaS Payroll Software Pricing*:

• 1-5 employees: S$25 per Month
• 6-19 employees: S$30 per Month
• 11-20 employees: S$40 per Month
• 21-30 employees: S$50 per Month
• 31-40 employees: S$60 per Month
• 41-50 employees: S$70 per Month
• Monthly fee for 51 employees onwards S$70 + $1 per Employee per Month

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used PayDay! SaaS:

• GentleBros
• Systemethod

Pros Of PayDay! SaaS Payroll:

• A cloud-based payroll solution for small- to medium-sized organizations is PayDay! It enables company owners to handle payroll remotely without prior payroll processing experience.
• PayDay! enables users to input their corporate payroll procedures, personnel information, and employee salaries before routinely automating the remaining payroll processing tasks.
• For the pay period, reports, files, and payslips are accessible through the dashboard visible upon logging in.
• Employees may access their itemized payslips online via any web browser or specialized Android or iOS mobile apps.
• PayDay! ensures compliance with Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Central Provident Fund (CPF), and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore by automatically accounting for payroll deductions (IRAS).

Cons Of The PayDay! SaaS Payroll:

• PayDay! Internet access is necessary for SaaS payroll software. You can only start your payroll run if your Wi-Fi is down or you are away from home and can access a secure connection.
• You have no choice but to adjust to interface changes and other updates when using PayDay! SaaS payroll software. Menus and functionality can change overnight without you knowing it. They might be amazing at times or annoying at others.
  

4. JUSTLOGIN

JustLogin is an award-winning HR management software built for SME, by an SME. With an intuitive and user-friendly interface, users can access their company records easily and complete multiple functions in just a few clicks. For those who don’t want to commit just yet, JustLogin provides a free 14-day trial with no credit card details required. But if you’re ready to take the plunge, they have various pricing options that will cater to your budget. 

JustLogin Payroll Software Features Include:

• Unlimited custom pay elements 
• Auditing services
• Automated and digital payslips 
• Available reports and payroll data 
  

JustLogin Payroll Software Pricing*:

• Price: $5.00/user. However, can be more affordable depending on the number of employees
• JustPayroll (automated payroll service): S$5 per user
• JustClock (workforce tracking): $5 per user
• JustLeave (absence management): S$7 per user
• JustExpense (process claims): S$7 per user
  

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used JustLogin:

• Pandora
• Asus
• Bata
• Ownday

Pros Of JustLogin:

• Provides cost-saving opportunities to ensure continued growth and maintain stakeholder trust.
• As industries and businesses need to change, so must technology. JustLogin is a great payroll software with easy access to technology.  

Cons Of JustLogin:

• It has several quality control issues
• Some other cons are related to security and confidentiality issues.

5. SIMPLE PAY

SimplePay provides cloud-based payroll software solutions aimed at making the payroll process as simple and straightforward as possible. Currently, they are serving over 16,000 companies across the globe for their payroll processing needs. 

SimplePay Payroll Software Features Includes:

• Leave management
• All legislative updates when applicable
• Integrate with Xero and QuickBooks online
  

SimplePay Payroll Software Pricing*:

• S$4 per employee per month (fewer than 3 employees are charged as 3 employees)
• Each additional employee (over 25 employees) is charged at only S$3 each
  

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used SimplePay: 

• Atlantic Medical 
• Lumar Foods 
• Unboxed Consulting (UK)

Pros Of SimplePay:

• SimplePay is a trustworthy and easy-to-use payroll solution that provides several advantages to assist businesses in automating and managing their payroll process.
• The program includes functions including direct bank deposit, tax compliance, payroll management, tracking of leave and vacation time, and benefits administration.
• Local tax rules and regulations are adhered to by SimplePay payroll software. It entails figuring out and deducting the appropriate tax and deduction amounts for each employee and producing the essential reports and paperwork required by regional tax authorities. This function aids companies in adhering to laws and regulations and avoiding fines for non-compliance.

Cons Of SimplePay:

• The software should also perform better for complex payrolls along with basic payrolls.
• The handling of timesheets and timekeeping is separate from SimplePay.
• Price is costly, especially if you manage the payroll for numerous companies.
• Certain functionalities are still manual, making scaling challenging if your organization expands rapidly.

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6. TALENOX (unlimited free plan available)

Talenox is a credible online payroll and HR software that is trusted by thousands of companies, banks, as well as statutory boards in the country. Through their cloud-based payroll system, users can access a wide range of functions such as one-click payment to banks, spreadsheet imports, and automated paycheck emails to employees. 

Talenox (Suite Plan) Payroll Software Features Includes:

• Updates on tax and leave requirements
• One-click-export to banks, CPF portal, and IRAS
• Data is auto-synced across all apps
• Customer support via in-app messaging
  

Talenox Payroll Software Pricing*:

• S$40 per month for the first 5 employees
• additional S$8 for each additional active full-time employee
• additional S$4 for each additional active part-time employee
  

*please verify with provider

Companies that have used Talenox:

• TecSurge
• Ninjavan
• Clubmeatballs

Pros Of Talenox Payroll:

• Talenox is an online payroll system that has been carefully and intelligently pre-set with each location's employment laws and specifications.
• The software manages the intricacies of payroll processing and creates compliance reports for SMEs (small and medium enterprises).
• Talenox is a great tool for new businesses to use when creating an employee database.
• The software provides benefits like attendance, performance, workflow, and document management.

Cons Of Talenox Payroll:

• Employee payroll data can be large, unwieldy, and garbled information difficult for payroll software like Talenox to process. Even border responsibilities may need more control over this data.
• Finding a payroll provider and getting your company on board can be tedious. A series of meetings may be held to update and coordinate with them. 

7. SINGROLL (completely free payroll software for small business)

Singroll is a free payroll software that provides its users with itemised payslips and SME checklists and is considered to be one of the country’s best due to its affordability. Today, their software is being used by over 4,000 companies in Singapore alone. What’s more, is that there is an unlimited number of users and no grant application needed. 

Singroll provides a wide range of features including:

• Employees management
• Payroll
• Permits & Licenses
• CPF
• Reports
• System Setting
• Ticket
• Information updates from MOM, WDA, SPRING, and other organization
  

Companies that have used SINGROLL: 

• Architude
• United Capital Consultancy 
• InfoDrive Solutions 

Pros Of Singroll:

• Singroll has an extensive client network and offers dedicated services such as payroll preparation, comprehensive report generation, file generation, claims management, and CPF contribution verification.
• With basic payroll data and attendance and hours data, Singroll payroll software can deliver all the reports.  
• With this software, you can analyze your company's labor costs in detail across departments and even individual jobs and contracts.

Cons Of Singroll:

• Issues related to data security, loss, or theft may arise.
• Cybersecurity and fraud activities can also take place.
• Information access, quality, and control issues are also relevant to Singroll software. 

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A lot of your time can be used to planning and growing the business instead of doing administrative tasks. Subscribing to a cloud-based payroll software can be very helpful in managing all the paper works for you. Find out the 3 things to consider when you're looking for cloud-based HR Software here.

💡 Tips: Aspire users can exclusively receive 1% cashback on SaaS spend. Open an account to get started!

How to Process Payroll in Singapore?

Payroll processing can be done very easily using any of three ways. It can be processed manually, outsourced to a third party, or through a payroll service platform. Calculating the amount of tax due and how much should be withheld from employees while processing payroll manually requires using Microsoft Excel or other accounting software. This strategy might be effective when there are a few employees, but it frequently takes longer and raises the possibility of error. Given the process's complexity, many businesses outsource it or use an online payroll provider.

Online payroll software can compile all the data for you, figure out the necessary tax withholdings, and start employee payments on your behalf. For small firms that want to outsource something other than this function, using such payroll systems might be a simple and affordable solution to relieve yourself of this tedious task.

In Singapore, every business has a procedure that works for them. While every company has its preferences for how to calculate payroll, these general phases are frequently included in Singapore’s typical payroll process:

1. Looking through employee schedules

2. The gathering and preparation of raw payroll data

3. Calculating overtime pay

4. Determining gross pay

5. Recognizing deductions

6. Determining net pay

7. Payroll transfers via a predetermined channel

8. Maintenance of data

Importance Of Itemised Payslips To Resolve Payroll Disputes:

Itemized payslips are essential to resolve any disputes related to payroll software. With an itemized payslip, it has become easy to access information about take-home pay, including salary calculations and deductions.

Companies must utilize a generic payslip template that contains all pertinent information on an employee's wage to comply with this itemized payslips guideline. All parties benefit from maintaining accurate employee information, and the business avoids potential liability because of mistakes. The government should also have the proper tax and wage information, which enables them to obtain it.

As per MOM payroll regulations, each itemized payslip should include the following information:

1. Employer's full name

2. Employee's full name

3. Basic pay 

4. Salary period start and end date

5. Total allowances

6. Total deductions, including Central Provident Fund deductions

7. Dates of payment

8. Mode of payment (cash, cheque, or bank deposit)

9. Overtime payment periods

10. Overtime hours worked

11. Total overtime pay

12. Other additional charges

13. Net salary (Basic pay + Total allowances + Total deductions (Including CPF) + Total Overtime pay + Other additional charges)

14. Employer's CPF contributions

It is essential to have a standard payslip format, as it contains the collection of all the relevant information related to payroll.

How to Choose An Excellent Payroll Software?

The best MOM payroll software for your business requires extensive planning and careful analysis. You can save time with the correct program regarding payroll-related issues. Before choosing, one must weigh their ‘pros’ & ‘cons,’ as it will decide whether it makes the job of your accounting and HR staff easier to accomplish or worse.

Some Crucial Factors:

1. Focus On Confidentiality & Security:

Sensitive information, including complete employee names, addresses, and bank information, is handled by payroll management. Such information should be included in the open and readily available to everyone, online or offline.

Your payroll software's data leak could have severe consequences. To find out about their security characteristics before choosing a particular software vendor. Inquire about their data encryption, firewalls, and two-factor authentication choices. Find an application that you can trust with such important data.

2. User-friendly Interface:

Making the payroll process simpler is one reason businesses consider utilizing payroll software. Choose a system that is simple to use, has clear instructions, and can be quickly mastered by your team—even if they aren't tech-savvy. Find software that you can modify to meet the requirements of your team. Your business's operations should be well-suited to the software, not the other way around.

3. Payroll Software Frequency:

The cost of some payroll software alternatives varies depending on how frequently you use them. Your monthly payroll frequency may have an impact on your software costs. Finding software with a flat charge might be worthwhile if your business' payroll frequency is still in the testing stage. Doing this can reduce your paycheck frequency as much as you like while saving some money.

4. Number Of Employees:

The amount of money you set aside for payroll software may be influenced by the size of your business. There are frequent restrictions on how many employees you may add to a system or package from payroll software vendors. It is a crucial element, particularly for businesses with a sizable workforce. It's a good idea to pick a program that can scale up quickly and is adaptable. Investigating and selecting a program that can develop with you only makes sense as your firm will eventually expand.

2023 Payroll Trends:

Several major payroll trends could affect the number of companies operating in 2023. Keeping up with these trends will help your business succeed. Here are the trends we expect to impact the world of payroll.

It's no secret that business is moving towards a digital environment. Payroll operations have long migrated to software to manage payroll completely, making them no exception to this transition. Companies use various features of a fully digital payroll system. They have also started looking at how these systems can work in harmony with other functions within their organizational structures. To enhance the experience of their employees and payroll personnel, businesses will fully utilize the advanced features of payroll software in 2023.

Instead of using external vendors or payroll providers, businesses decide to keep their payroll activities in-house. Outsourcing was made logical when payroll procedures required a large amount of overhead. Thanks to automation, a payroll department can now function with just a few staff and a cloud computing expense.

By switching to the all-in-one, self-service platforms, you can have greater control over how you connect with people and how your data is utilized. Human capital management (HCM) systems that include payroll applications are becoming the norm. Well-known examples include Workday, Oracle Cloud, UKG, and Ceridian Dayforce.

All-in-one systems also offer interdepartmental communication, which makes it easier to work and interact with other business departments, particularly HR. As organizations invest in full-suite HCM systems that can consolidate company activities in a single, useful application, separate payroll software will become less popular.

Flexibility and work-life balance are becoming increasingly important to the American workforce. Payroll software must therefore change to accommodate more atypical requirements as the number of independent contractors grows. Payroll software firms are anticipated to introduce adjustments in 2023 that are focused on this group of employees.

Simplify all your payroll needs with Aspire

Instead of spending time on hefty administrative tasks, make the shift and tap into digital solutions such as payroll software to eliminate manual work once and for all. Not only will it help manage all your paperwork for you, but it will save you heaps of time that you can put towards planning and growing your business. To learn more, explore Aspire's pricing plans here.