Choosing subscription payroll comes down to three questions that have little to do with the interface. Who performs the filings, who inside your organisation can change where money goes, and what you take with you when you leave. Everything else is preference.
Who files, and who pays if it is wrong
Full service products file on your behalf and some take responsibility for their own errors; calculation only products prepare and disclaim. That distinction is worth more than any feature and is rarely on a comparison page. Ask for the clause and read what it actually covers, because guarantees vary from generous to decorative.
The bank details control
The most common payroll fraud is a request to change an employee's account just before a run. The defence is procedural: confirm every change through a channel you already had, never one supplied in the request, and require a second person to approve. Products supporting an approval step on bank changes are worth choosing for that alone.
The exit and the history
Payroll history must be retained for years, and the most common unpleasant surprise on leaving a provider is an export covering the current year only. Confirm you can take complete history in a readable format, and confirm it during the trial rather than during the notice period.
Questions people ask about saas payroll software
Is full service worth the extra?
For most employers yes, because it moves the filing work and often some of the penalty risk. Very small, very simple payrolls are the exception.
Can an accountant have access?
Almost always, and the permission model should let them prepare without being able to change bank details. Check the roles.
How do we switch providers safely?
At a quarter boundary, with year to date figures reconciled and a parallel run. Mid quarter switches create two sets of figures to reconcile.