# Payroll Relief Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Is Payroll Relief the right Payroll solution for you? Explore 41 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/151189/Payroll-Relief/reviews

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Payroll Relief

3.5 (41)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/151189/Payroll-Relief/alternatives/)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Reviews of Payroll Relief

Ease of use

3.7

Customer Service

3.4

## Pros and Cons in Reviews

Debbie S

PresidentAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“This software was priced within reach for our startup and allowed up to ramp-up quickly. As we've grown, their tiered pricing has allowed us to increase our margins.“

September 16, 2020

WS

Wayne S

PresidentAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months.

“They bill by the number of checks projected to use for a one year period... but you didn't use them and they still won't refund your money. “

October 14, 2024

WS

Wayne S

PresidentAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months.

“They take your money and WILL NOT give it back when you decide to move on. “

October 14, 2024

WS

Wayne S

PresidentAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months.

“They claim they don't have a refund policy. “

October 14, 2024

GT

Gavin T

CPAAccounting, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“The requirement to wire funds to them when a direct deposit withdrawal is rejected due to insufficient funds is also cumbersome.“

December 8, 2022

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 1-25 of 41 Reviews

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Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

SC

Sheena C.  
Payroll Analyst  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great Payroll Software"

August 24, 2020

5.0

Overall I have really enjoyed payroll relief. We have a client who still has me process her quarterly reports in quick books and every time after I do it, I am so thankful for Payroll Relief, the ease to just set up a payroll and process is so worth it, filing reports is so easy, and anytime I have had an issue support has always been really helpful. They have on going training and webinars you can go back and watch and training videos. They have links to forms you need from all the states. Just overall we have been happy with they product and how efficient it has been. Every product will have issues from time to time but so far this is the best one we have used.

Pros

This software is so easy to use!! initally getting started and figuring out where things are takes a minute but once you get it down it is so simple and just couple of clicks and you can process a payroll.

Cons

I would like to individualize a few reports more but they are constantly looking at that and trying to add and improve. They did have a feature that let you add time in by each employee and with an update the feature was removed. I would like that option back, but overall any issue I have or anything I think I can't do I am usually able to talk to support and find a way to do it.

Review Source

GT

Gavin T.  
CPA  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great for Simple Payroll Clients"

December 8, 2022

4.0

Overall Payroll Relief has been a great tool for our office. We have numerous clients whose only employees are the owners who are paid on salary. Being able to set up these clients and then process them all in bulk allows us to provide payroll for many more clients than if we were running them through QuickBooks or another service where we had to individually process each client.

Pros

The best part of this software is the ability to quickly process payroll for multiple clients and keep track of when payroll needs to be processed for each client.

Cons

The processing time for direct deposit is longer than it is for other services that are available. The shortest processing time is 2 business days which requires verifying the bank account with an online login. The requirement to wire funds to them when a direct deposit withdrawal is rejected due to insufficient funds is also cumbersome.

Review Source

JV

Justine V.  
Operations Manager  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "DO NOT USE PRR"

July 29, 2024

1.0

I've spent so much extra time fixing errors caused by this software, attempting to get penalties abated, and dealing with their horrible support. There team is rude. They close cases without completing them. Support does NOT return calls and they take no accountability for the softwares errors. The system is not properly paying taxes but does not notify you that there is an underpaid amount, instead it just marks it paid when it is not. DO NOT USE

Pros

The cost was reasonable but you get what you pay for.

Cons

The support is HORRIBLE. Issues with returns being filed on time and accurately. Not taking responsibility for the software's mistakes.

Review Source

JM

John M.  
CEO  
Human Resources  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Reliable Payroll Software"

August 31, 2020

5.0

Pros

Payroll Relief is a tried-and-true web-based payroll system. I like the system's batch processing capabilities and tax payment automation. The company continues to build time saving features into the platform. Overall the software is easy to use and my team is able to customize each account to meet the specific needs of our clients.

Cons

The system has two vertical navigation bars. Both contain links to screens that are used quite often. Employee screens and payroll reports are accessible from the right navigation bar while payroll processing screens, and tax forms are accessible from the left navigation bar. I would prefer all of these screens to be accessible from the left navigation bar.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Accounting assistant  
Accounting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Payrolls "

May 29, 2021

5.0

Pros

Great to use

Cons

Just a little complicated but still can be understood if tried

Review Source

LH

Lisa H.  
President  
Accounting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Accountants and Bookkeepers - DO NOT PURCHASE THIS SOFTWARE"

August 8, 2022

1.0

I tried to ask them to refund even a small portion of the fees I prepaid as I had to transfer the majority of my clients over to QuickBooks Online Payroll to ease my clients minds. They refused and eventually stopped responding to my emails. I'm now using the software with a few very simple clients payrolls to try and utilize and recoup some of the money I paid, but there's no way I can put a larger client or one with complicated payroll on the software as I don't have the time to babysit the tax deductions and reporting features. One of my clients also just realized that they withdrew funds for one of the employees payroll which was to be direct deposited to their account, however, the direct deposit didn't show up. I contacted their support team to find out if there was a way we could trace the funds, they said no that they don't have access to that since they are no longer a client and then disconnected the chat on me. I just don't understand how it's possible that they don't have record of a payroll that happened just over a month ago. Their customer service is horrible and you can't get in touch with anyone higher up to escalate the situation. I would absolutely not recommend this software to anyone unless you want to invite stress into your life, the savings is not worth it.

Pros

The price could have been very affordable, however, I had to cancel my service due to errors within the software and they wouldn't refund my money.

Cons

I transferred about 25 of my client's payroll over to their software from Intuit Online Payroll. After the transfer we realized that the state of Utah withholdings weren't included on their calculations or payroll reports. I contacted them and let them know that and they had no answers for me and left me hanging for days. In the meantime, I had to explain to my clients the errors and this made them very uneasy about using the software, and understandably so, as calculating taxes and reporting should be the basics of a payroll software. Due to the fact that I had upcoming payrolls, (and I had no answers from support at this point) I had to make the decision to switch to another payroll software to keep everything running for my clients. At the point that this happened I was just over my initial 30 days to cancel and they would offer no refund or even partial refund of the $6000 I had to prepay.

Alternatives considered

[Patriot Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/116050/Patriot-Payroll/)

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

Pricing

Review Source

JB

Jennifer B.  
Owner/CEO  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Bait and switch"

February 6, 2021

1.0

Again, I am here to let every other accounting firm know that they will show you the bells and whistles when they first try to sell you. But once you are in, the amount of programming you have to do since this is not at all an intuitive system blows our minds. Don’t just walk away from this huge nightmare.... Run. And run fast. I wish someone could have warned us before we made the switch. Now we are stuck for the next year. If you move forward with this company you will lose sleep and the problems they create for you, with your clients will be the bane of your existence.

Pros

The development and continued upkeep of this program keeps me from liking anything. They do not even come close to comparing to other software programs out there. This program is NOT current at all in the sense that they offer relevant items applicable to payroll.

Cons

There are so many things I absolutely abhor. You have to know and develop Java script in the system just so it tracks vacation for employees. It doesn’t know how (at all) to show employer paid health insurance on paystubs. The program glitched last week with a major data breech. Each client’s payroll downloaded paystubs from other companies. Their tech support responded with “we are aware of the problem” really? What does that mean!?!? They don’t allow you to put in health insurance for a S Corp shareholder. They act like it isn’t a big deal but these issues are huge considering their competition delivers and actually listens to their clients. This company can care less and they are only interested in taking your money and treating you poorly after you pay. No accounting firm can handle the problems of this company. In fact, it is known amongst the accounting world that payroll relief is a huge joke.

Review Source

EL

ELLEN L.  
Enrolled Agent  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Too many errors"

September 23, 2019

3.0

Although the company seemed to know what they were doing years ago, things have drastically gone downhill. No one would ever turn off automatic tax payments and quarterly reporting for half of their payroll clients at the end of a tax year ever! I feel like their customer service motto was "Blame the customer!"

Pros

Originally, it was an easy added feature to the accounting software we were using. It made for a great all in one system. It was easy for us to switch to payroll from accounting and vice versa. It pulled payroll journals directly over without us having to enter in any information.

Cons

The worst problem we had with payroll relief was when the company decided to turn off automatic tax payments and report processing on a random number of our clients. Once the situation was recognized, clearly things were already late as they send things in on the final due date. As it didn't stop filing and tax payments on all, just most, we had to figure out which ones needed attention and then get with each of the taxing agencies over the next 6 months to get the penalties removed. It was a nightmare. We were simply told by support that we had to have manually cancelled the payments and quarterly filings ourselves and they would not assist us further. Also, the payroll journals did not leave any space for editing them. It was not often when they needed to be changed but it causes issues on financial statements when the client's bank account was cancelled due to fraud the day before running payroll. The payroll journal posted to the wrong bank account and customer support was not too interested in helping. These are just two examples of headaches we faced with Payroll Relief.

Review Source

Kathi D.  
Owner  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Stay away."

January 12, 2021

3.0

If the software did what it says, it would be amazing. Please, if you are considering this software, read through the facebook users group to see what is really happening. Also, if you can, try this with ONE company and then once you have access to the website, read through the help forum! In my short (less than one year) experience, I had several clients' returns, set to "auto e-file" not be filed (when they had the previous quarter.) No explanation from support. Tax payments were made late, penalties assessed, and no help from support. Software updates create havoc. Features removed without notice. Additional fees assessed mid-year without notice. I really, really wanted this to work. It ended up costing me over $2000 and countless hours (and it's not over yet.)

Pros

The claims. If it did what it said it would, it would save me time and money.

Cons

Pay stubs cannot be emailed to employees (unless you want to download one by one and email yourself.) Tax payments and returns set to "auto e-file" may or may not be processed on time.

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

Pricing, and belief in the sales pitch.

Review Source

KC

KEN C.  
Owner  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "It will cost you customers"

November 13, 2020

1.0

I went through a lot to convert clients from Quickbooks payroll to Payroll relief. Once we had everything working and everyone trained, Payroll relief did an update that completely changed the way it operated. Without warning or prior training. I have tried to work through their problems because I do not want to convert all of my clients again, but I think I am going to have to find another program.

Pros

It has several good function when they work.

Cons

It is really hard to get a customer account working like it should. A year an a half ago I filed BBB complaint and they never answered it. Tech support is very hard to get, but just OK when they help you.

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

It looked like payroll relief would do a lot for my clients and function easily. It has failed.

Switched from

[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)

Errors with QuickBooks.

Review Source

ML

Maria L.  
CPA  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Payroll Relieft"

July 18, 2019

5.0

Obtaining more accurate data from clients.

Pros

Ease of use. Allows access to clients info and allows us to control what they can do. Also, access from any where.

Cons

When contacting support I do not always get a direct answer even when I list my email and phone number. Most go to owner and I have to wait until he forwards to me.

Review Source

MB

Marc B.  
Managing Partner  
Accounting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Stay away"

July 30, 2019

1.0

I have tried payroll relief twice, both times a disaster. This go around I have experienced incorrect calculation of social security and medicare tax ( different amount from employer to employee, off by more than $10 so not a rounding issue), no one at customer service can tell me why. No one at customer service can tell me how to input personal use of a company car. No one at customer service can tell me why the software won't calculate company match for a SIMPLE plan. And out of the blue it paid a tax deposit that was already paid. This payment is/was marked as paid manually in April and three months later it processed the payment which resulted in an overdraft fee.

Pros

I was attracted by the price and the ability to run unlimited payroll

Cons

Functionality is a train wreck but customer service is simply non existent with this company. Hope you never have a question. Help database hasn't been updated in quite a while and none of the screenshots match the actual software.

Review Source

ML

Meredith L.  
Administrative Specialist  
Accounting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Software conversion nightmare"

January 11, 2019

3.0

Pros

I'm trying to think of a "pro." None come to mind.

Cons

Converting from Accounting CS to Payroll Relief has been an absolute nightmare, and we're still having problems getting the system to pull taxes. Customer Service has been of little help, and they are sometimes not responsive, at all. When addressed with the sales rep who convinced us to convert, we were told they were very busy with other clients, so it might take a while for them to get back to us. Not happy, at all.

Review Source

CNW

Cydni Nicole W.  
Ophthalmic Coding Specialist  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Very user friendly!"

August 1, 2018

5.0

Pros

The practice I work for uses this software for our payroll. I log in to my employee portal about twice a month to look at my check stubs, view my remaining PTO, ets. It is very easy to navigate the employee portal!

Cons

I have been a user of the employee portal for over 5 years now and I have never had any issues with this aspect of the software!

Review Source

SR

Sam R.  
Practice Manager  
Veterinary  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Don't Do It "

February 24, 2026

1.0

Terrible. I would never recommend anyone utilize this service if you want to have a smooth payroll process and get actual customer service.

Pros

The button to send employees a link to sign up for their own portal access actually works unlike the last software program.

Cons

Customer service is non existent. Good luck getting ahold of your payroll analyst or their direct report. The way they handled the transition to the new software was atrocious. The new software is still not very good. Not worth the stress they caused by changing everything at the last minute, right before the end of the year. No training on the new software, just "here is the link and good luck".

Alternatives considered

[Gusto](https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/)[Asure](https://www.capterra.com/p/159581/Payroll-Tax-Management/)[RUN Powered by ADP](https://www.capterra.com/p/185859/RUN/)

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

I did not choose them, we were forced to switch by IRIS

Switched from

[Thomas](https://www.capterra.com/p/86368/Thomas-Assessments/)

Forced by IRIS the payroll company to switch to this system

Review Source

LT

Luka T.  
Payroll manager  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Great tool for small business owners "

October 28, 2025

5.0

overall it has been great and it pretty easy to navigate. Love the cloud cabinet which it makes easier for employers to access to their reports and forms

Pros

Very simple and easy to setup the account for small business owners. Great tool and workflow friendly.

Cons

When you process payroll the earliest the employees can receive the amount is in two days. It would be better if it could only take 1 day.

Review Source

MS

Mitchell S.  
Owner  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Does an okay job, but watch out for price increases"

July 16, 2025

3.0

It works for it's intended purpose. I've used it successfully for a couple of years now and don't have very many complaints, so it's doing it's job. But the company keeps increasing prices each year (this year a 7% increase after 10% last year) without adjusting any features, and it's a pretty expensive product to begin with. That being said, I'm comfortable enough with it that it's hard to change.

Pros

It's easy to scale the number of clients you have in Payroll Relief without adding a huge administrative burden. There are a decent amount of automatic filing options to make it easier.

Cons

It takes a while to get comfortable using the product, and there's very little customization with the product.

Review Source

GS

Greg S.  
President  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Proceed with Caution"

August 2, 2024

3.0

It was good at first, but it kept worsening over time.

Pros

Easy to use and navigate. Always for decent configuration for complicated payrolls.

Cons

The price keeps going up, and there are very last-minute notifications, many times on 15-day notice with no time to communicate an adjustment to client pricing. There are no new features or additional value to justify the increased pricing. Their competitors are almost the exact same cost with a lot more value, better accuracy, and files/pays all government jurisdictions. It doesn't file or pay all taxes (local specifically). Customer service is subpar, and there are more and more errors that keep occurring. Lastly, Payroll Relief places everything on the firm's shoulders. If they mess up, the firm has to pay. We are switching away to another software.

Switched from

[Patriot Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/p/116050/Patriot-Payroll/)

It's similar to Payroll Relief but provides all the missing features. Plus, they take financial responsibility for errors they make and if the client bounces anything.

Review Source

WS

Wayne S.  
President  
Accounting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "STAY AWAY.."

October 14, 2024

2.0

Smooth sales people. Promise the moon but deliver nothing

Pros

Seems to work for a SIMPLE payroll with not many people

Cons

Lack of service, can't seem to handle complicated payrolls. They take your money and WILL NOT give it back when you decide to move on. They claim they don't have a refund policy. They bill by the number of checks projected to use for a one year period...but you didn't use them and they still won't refund your money. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY

Switched from

[QuickBooks Desktop](https://www.capterra.com/p/212058/QuickBooks-Desktop-Pro/)

900 numbers. QB can not handle them for reporting purposes

Review Source

Debbie S.  
President  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Decent Balance of Features and Price"

September 16, 2020

4.0

It is the backbone that our business is built on. Several years ago we attempted to transition to a more robust platform (Evolution) which was a disaster, so we came back and have learned to live within the restrictions of their system. While there have been many enhancements in the 11 years we have been using the product, the developer does a poor job of rolling them out. Doesn't seem to be any beta testing and users and support personnel are often left to fumble through. While they maintain a user forum, management is typically not very inclined to respond to complaints or implement suggestions. While there is no perfect system, overall I would probably give them a rating of about 65%.

Pros

This software was priced within reach for our startup and allowed up to ramp-up quickly. As we've grown, their tiered pricing has allowed us to increase our margins. It's easy to demo to prospects and overall impression from our clients is that is is easy to use. Integrated ACH services are a critical differentiator.

Cons

There are significant limitations in reporting and HRIS capabilities. As we continue to reach upmarket to larger, more complex clients, we have been forced to cobble together several different solutions to meet their needs, since these extended features are not available.

Review Source

BG

Bessy G.  
Office Administrator  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Payroll Processing Done Fast ad Easy"

September 29, 2020

5.0

We like the software. We use all of the products AW offers. We just don't like their customer service. We compromise because for a small business it's a good choice.

Pros

My favorite things about this software are: 1) Payroll processing for companies under 10 employees takes less than 2 minutes to process 2) You can print, email and archive check copies and reports in a few clicks 3) Clients can so as much or as little as they want 4) It's fairly inexpensive

Cons

My issue with Payroll Relief and all of the Accountants World software is the customer service. When things don't work and it's because they're having issues, you won't know until you call in. They don't bother informing their customers. We've been with them for over 10 years and while they offer new products or services, when you have an issue, they're very slow to respond or take responsibility.

Alternatives considered

[CS Professional Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/89836/CS-Professional-Suite/)

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

TR was VERY expensive and the modules weren't integrated. On AW I can archive my files to Cloud Cabinet (the AW document management app) directly from Payroll Relief.

Switched from

[QuickBooks Enterprise](https://www.capterra.com/p/174984/QuickBooks-Enterprise/)

Cloud based, many more features, much less work

Review Source

RD

Robyn D.  
Office manager/ payroll clerk  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Very easy and user friendly software. Makes payroll a breeze."

June 5, 2021

5.0

Ive been very impressed and have told quite a few coworkers about it and gotten them to try it out too.

Pros

The ease with direct deposit and w2 printing amazed me. Its very simple to understand and learn. Ive also been able to teach it easily to others.

Cons

I honestly have no complaints. Im grateful i found this program because it makes this part of my job simple.

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

The reviews sold me. I seen zero complaints and for good reason, its truly an excellent program.

Switched from

[Quicken](https://www.capterra.com/p/151854/Quicken/)

Ease of use. Ease of deposits. Ease of record keeping.

Review Source

JG

Jenna G.  
Office Manager  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Review"

July 17, 2020

5.0

It is a great easy payroll software

Pros

I like that you can efile tax forms for quarterlys no more printing off. Also, I like that it can intergrade with Accountants world.

Cons

I don't like how customer service has no clue to what is always going on.

Alternatives considered

[QuickBooks Online Advanced](https://www.capterra.com/p/189398/QuickBooks-Online/)

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

It was cheaper at the moment for all the payrolls processed

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Bookkeeper  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Love this software"

May 1, 2019

5.0

It has made the end of the year a delight. Before it was very hard but with this software it is a breeze

Pros

It is put together so that it is easy to use and if you need any help they are just a phone call away

Cons

It doesn't keep ALL years active so that you can look back in them. It only leaves two.

Alternatives considered

[QuickBooks Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/190778/QuickBooks-Online/)

Reason for choosing Payroll Relief

It is so much better

Review Source

JS

Jim S.  
Partner  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "A fully automated simple to use system that makes you look like a large payroll provider"

July 12, 2017

5.0

The benefit of being able to offer payroll directly to my clients which not only creates a new profit center, but also allows me to post directly into the accounting software.

Pros

A fully automated system that I can run remotely from my iPad if needed. Once payroll is finalized, nothing more to do. Direct deposits generated, tax payments scheduled, third party check/ACH payments done, reports emails to client, and complete quarterly & annual form filing.....all done for me. 24/7 access from wherever you have an internet connection. Client and employee email and text notifications

Cons

The need for a cross year detailed earnings report. The inability to work with some smaller local banks

Review Source

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