Digital payroll providers handle the payroll process for small businesses. They integrate time-tracking, employee benefits, and compliance updates, tax withholdings and filings while reducing manual errors and administrative burden. Cloud-based platforms support direct deposit, multi-state payroll, and year-end reporting, often with mobile access. Many provide additional modules for various human resource tools and workers’ comp. 
So who are the best digital challenger business banks? Let’s start with our definition:
- Centered around payroll processing
- Core business is small-business payroll
- Business is primarily digitally sold/delivered (rules out Wells Fargo, BofA, and the majority of traditional banks)
- Founded since 1999
Resources: Looking for digital banks, lenders, payment providers, insurance or digital accounting for small businesses? Check out our latest lists: Small Business (SMB) savings/treasury accounts (7) | SMB online lenders (33) | SMB challenger banks (15) | SMB insurers (15) | SMB credit cards/expense management (16) | Billpay & invoicing (16)| Payment processors (7) | SMB digital accounting/bookkeeping (21)
Leading Digital SMB Payroll Providers (United States)
Ranked by our FAB score (Fintech Attention Barometer*)
| Rank | Company | FAB | Reviewed | Founded | HQ | Raised Total | Visits Sep '26 |
| 1 | Rippling | 2,760 | 13 Oct 26 | 2016 | SF | 2400 | 10,400,000 |
| 2 | Gusto | 2,260 | 13 Oct 26 | 2011 | SF | 746 | 10,800,000 |
| 3 | Deel | 1,170 | 13 Oct 26 | 2019 | SF | 1300 | 3,800,000 |
| 4 | DailyPay | 955 | 13 Oct 26 | 2015 | NYC | 1700 | 1,900,000 |
| 5 | Justworks | 366 | 13 Oct 26 | 2012 | NYC | 160 | 1,700,000 |
| 6 | Remote | 335 | 13 Oct 26 | 2019 | SF | 496 | 1,300,000 |
| 7 | PayActiv | 206 | 13 Oct 26 | 2012 | SF | 134 | 950,000 |
| 8 | Fingercheck | 159 | 13 Oct 26 | 2013 | NYC | 106 | 540,000 |
| 9 | SurePayroll | 158 | 13 Oct 26 | 2000 | Chicago | 8 | 860,000 |
| 10 | OnPay | 127 | 13 Oct 26 | 2011 | Atlanta | 106 | 400,000 |
| 11 | OnTheClock | 115 | 13 Oct 26 | 2004 | Detroit | 0.35 | 630,000 |
| 12 | Zenefits (TriNet) | 113 | 13 Oct 26 | 2013 | SF | 584 | 160,000 |
| 13 | Oyster | 110 | 13 Oct 26 | 2019 | Charlotte | 289 | 210,000 |
| 14 | Patriot Software | 106 | 13 Oct 26 | 2002 | Canton, OH | 4.4 | 590,000 |
| 15 | Papaya Global | 97 | 13 Oct 26 | 2016 | NYC | 445 | 160,000 |
| 16 | Pebl (was Velocity) | 90 | 13 Oct 26 | 2014 | Denver | 500 | 99,000 |
| 17 | Namely | 80 | 13 Oct 26 | 2012 | NYC | 218 | 260,000 |
| 18 | Ontop | 67 | 13 Oct 26 | 2020 | Miami | 34.7 | 230,000 |
| 19 | Check | 34 | 13 Oct 26 | 2019 | NYC | 119 | 63,000 |
| 20 | Lano | 13 | 13 Oct 26 | 2018 | Berlin | 17.9 | 37,000 |
Source: Fintechlabs, 12 Sep 2026, using data from Crunchbase, SimilarWeb, Pitchbook, SEMRush
*FAB = Fintech Attention Barometer, our proprietary calculation of popularity and momentum.
** Sponsor
Company Profiles
1. Rippling
FAB Score = 2,760 (down 160 since Aug 2026)
Founded: 2016
HQ: San Francisco, California
Traction:
Funding: $2.4B including $450M series G in May 2025, $500M series F in 2024 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $14B based on Sep 2025 secondary (ask) (FintechLabs)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 10.4 million (Similarweb)
2. Gusto
FAB Score = 2,260 (down 240)
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $746M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $4.6B based on a Aug secondary (ask) (FintechLabs)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 10.8 million (Similarweb)
3. Deel
FAB Score = 1,170 (up 40)
Founded: 2019
Headquarters: San Francisco
Traction:
Funding: $1.3 B including a $300 M Series E in October 2025 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $14B based on a Sep 2026 secondary (ask) (FintechLabs)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 3.8 million (Similarweb)
4. DailyPay
FAB Score = 955 (down 20)
Founded: 2015
Headquarters: New York City
Traction:
Funding: $1.7 billion including $195M in 2026, $200M in 2025, $275M in 2024, $260M in 2023 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $1.6B based on Sep 2026 secondary market (ask) (FintechLabs)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 1.9 million (Similarweb)
5. Justworks
FAB Score = 366 (up 80)
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $160M including $17M in 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 1.7 million (Similarweb)
6. Remote
FAB Score = 335 (down 40)
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $496M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $1.8 billion based on Feb 2026 secondary (ask) (FintechLabs)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 1.3 million (Similarweb)
7. PayActiv
FAB Score = 206 (up 32)
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $134M prior to 2021 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 950,000 (Similarweb)
8. Fingercheck
FAB Score = 159 (up 28)
HQ: Brooklyn (NYC)
Founded: 2013
Traction:
Raised: $115M in Oct 2024 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (July 2026): 540,000 (Similarweb)
9. SurePayroll (acquired by Paychex)
FAB Score = 158 (down 2)
HQ: Chicago
Founded: 2000
Traction:
Raised: $8M in 2021 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 860,000 (Similarweb)
10. OnPay
FAB Score = 127 (down 6)
HQ: Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 2011
Traction:
Raised: $106M including a $63M Series B debt facility in Jan 2025 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 400,000 (Similarweb)
11. OnTheClock
FAB Score = 115 (down 2)
HQ: Detroit
Founded: 2004
Traction:
Raised: Undisclosed (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 630,000 (Similarweb)
12. Zenefits (acquired by TriNet in 2021)
FAB Score = 113 (down 8)
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2013
Traction:
Raised: $584M prior to 2023
Acquired by TriNet for $220M in Dec 2021
Website visits (Sep 2026):
– Zenefits.com 160,000 (Similarweb)
– Trinet.com 1.2 million (Similarweb)
13. Oyster
FAB Score = 110 (down 14)
HQ: Charlotte, NC
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $289M including $64M in 2024 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 210,000 (Similarweb)
14. Patriot Software
FAB Score = 106 (up 8)
HQ: Canton, Ohio
Founded: 2002
Traction:
Raised: $4.4M in 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 590,000 (Similarweb)
15. Papaya Global
FAB Score = 97 (down 14)
Founded: 2016
HQ: New York City
Traction
Funding: $445M prior to 2022 (Crunchbase)
Valuation: $1.5B based on July 2025 secondary (ask)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 160,000 (Similarweb)
16. Pebl (fka Velocity Global)
FAB Score = 90 (down 2)
HQ: Denver, CO
Founded: 2014
Traction:
Raised: $500M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 99,000 (Similarweb)
17. Namely
FAB Score = 80 (up 6)
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $218M prior to 2019 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 260,000 (Similarweb)
18. Ontop
FAB Score = 67 (up 24)
Founded: 2020
Headquarters: Miami, Florida (originally from Bogotá, Colombia)
Traction:
Raised: $34.7 M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 230,000 (Similarweb)
19. Check
FAB Score = 34 (unchanged)
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $119M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 63,000 (Similarweb)
20. Lano
FAB Score = 13 (unchanged)
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Founded: 2018
Traction:
Raised: $17.9M prior to 2023 (Crunchbase)
Website visits (Sep 2026): 37,000 (Similarweb)
