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 Jan’26 |
| ** | Quickbooks (Intuit) | NA | 19 Feb 26 | 1983 | SF | 16,900,000 | |
| 1 | Rippling | 2500 | 26 Feb 25 | 2016 | SF | 2100 | 9,300,000 |
| 2 | Gusto | 2463 | 26 Feb 25 | 2011 | SF | 746 | 11,800,000 |
| 3 | Deel | 1185 | 26 Feb 25 | 2019 | SF | 1300 | 3,900,000 |
| 4 | DailyPay | 915 | 26 Feb 25 | 2015 | NYC | 1700 | 1,700,000 |
| 5 | Remote | 295 | 26 Feb 25 | 2019 | SF | 496 | 1,100,000 |
| 6 | Justworks | 286 | 26 Feb 25 | 2012 | NYC | 160 | 1,300,000 |
| 7 | SurePayroll | 172 | 26 Feb 25 | 2000 | Chicago | 8 | 930,000 |
| 8 | Zenefits (TriNet) | 143 | 26 Feb 25 | 2013 | SF | 584 | 310,000 |
| 9 | PayActiv | 144 | 26 Feb 25 | 2012 | SF | 134 | 640,000 |
| 10 | OnPay | 139 | 26 Feb 25 | 2011 | Atlanta | 106 | 460,000 |
| 11 | Fingercheck | 138 | 26 Feb 25 | 2013 | NYC | 115 | 410,000 |
| 12 | Oyster | 113 | 26 Feb 25 | 2019 | Charlotte | 289 | 220,000 |
| 13 | Patriot Software | 104 | 26 Feb 25 | 2002 | Canton, OH | 4.4 | 580,000 |
| 14 | Papaya Global | 103 | 26 Feb 25 | 2016 | NYC | 445 | 190,000 |
| 15 | Namely | 100 | 26 Feb 25 | 2012 | NYC | 218 | 360,000 |
| 16 | Velocity Global | 84 | 26 Feb 25 | 2014 | Denver | 500 | 67,000 |
| 17 | Ontop | 45 | 26 Feb 25 | 2020 | Miami | 34.7 | 120,000 |
| 18 | Check | 30 | 26 Feb 25 | 2019 | NYC | 119 | 46,000 |
| 19 | Lano | 17 | 26 Feb 25 | 2018 | Berlin | 17.9 | 56,000 |
| 20 | Workful | 4 | 26 Feb 25 | 2017 | Evans, GA | 0 | 9,800 |
Source: Fintechlabs, 27 Feb 2026, using data from Crunchbase, SimilarWeb, Pitchbook, SEMRush
*FAB = Fintech Attention Barometer, our proprietary calculation of popularity and momentum.
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Company Profiles
1. Rippling
FAB Score = 2,500
Founded: 2016
HQ: San Francisco, California
Traction:
Funding: $2.oB including $450 M Series G in 2025 and $500M Series F in 2024
Valuation: $19B based on its Nov 2025 round
Website visits (Jan 2026): 9.3 million
2. Gusto
FAB Score = 2,560
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $718M prior to 2023
Valuation: $8.4B based on a July secondary transaction
Website visits (Jan 2026): 11.8 million
3. Deel
FAB Score = 1,190
Founded: 2019
Headquarters: San Francisco
Traction:
Funding: $1.3 B including a $300 M Series E in October 2025
Valuation: $17B based on a Nov, 2024 round
Website visits (Jan 2026): 3.9 million
4. DailyPay
FAB Score = 915
Founded: 2015
Headquarters: New York City
Traction:
Funding: $9M by 2018
Valuation: $1.1B based on Jan 2026 secondary market (ask)
Website visits (Jan 2026): 1.7 million
5. Remote
FAB Score = 295
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $506M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 1.1 million
6. Justworks
FAB Score = 286
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $143M prior to 2021
Website visits (Jan 2026): 1.3 million
7. SurePayroll
FAB Score = 172
HQ: Chicago
Founded: 2000
Traction:
Raised: $12.5 prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 930,000
8 (tie).PayActiv
FAB Score = 144
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $134M prior to 2021
Website visits (Jan 2026): 640,000
8 (tie).Zenefits (TriNet)
FAB Score = 144
HQ: San Francisco
Founded: 2013
Traction:
Raised: $583M prior to 2023
Acquired by TriNet for $220M in Dec 2021
Website visits (Jan 2026): 530,000
10.OnPay
FAB Score = 139
HQ: Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 2011
Traction:
Raised: $100M including a $63M Series B debt facility in Jan 2025
Website visits (Jan 2026): 460,000
11.Fingercheck
FAB Score = 138
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2013
Traction:
Raised: $115M including since 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 410,000
12.Oyster
FAB Score = 113
HQ: Charlotte, NC
Founded: 2019
Traction:
Raised: $291M including $64M in 2024
Website visits (Jan 2026): 220,000
13.Patriot Software
FAB Score = 104
HQ: Canton, Ohio
Founded: 2002
Traction:
Raised: No public data available
Website visits (Jan 2026): 580,000
14.Papaya Global
FAB Score = 103
Founded: 2016
HQ: New York City
Traction
Funding: $300 M
Valuation: $1.5B based on July 2025 secondary (ask)
Website visits (Jan 2026): 190,000
15.Namely
FAB Score = 100
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $157M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 360,000
16.Velocity Global
FAB Score = 84
HQ: Denver, CO
Founded: 2014
Traction:
Raised: $500M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 64,000
17.Ontop
FAB Score = 45
Founded: 2020
Headquarters: Miami, Florida (originally from Bogotá, Colombia)
Traction:
Raised: $34.5 M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 120,000
18.Check
FAB Score = 30
HQ: New York City
Founded: 2012
Traction:
Raised: $119M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 46,000
19.Lano
FAB Score = 17
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Founded: 2018
Traction:
Raised: $16.6M prior to 2023
Website visits (Jan 2026): 56,000
20.Workful
FAB Score = 4
HQ: Evans, Georgia
Founded: 2017
Traction:
Raised: $0
Website visits (Jan 2026): 9,800
