Childcare payroll · September 20, 2026
Best payroll software for childcare (2026)
Teachers, ratios, and a payday that files. A classroom app is not a substitute for tax deposits.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Childcare payroll is hourly plus ratio coverage: openers, closers, and people who call out before the handbook is printed. The job is: hours become a check, withhold, file. Classroom and parent-billing apps are different products. We will not rank them as payday.
This ranking substitutes for a requested “nonprofit volunteers” payroll page — that slug was too close to existing nonprofit payroll. Childcare is the high-intent SMB ops job we shipped instead.
Gusto publishes a bill. Homebase wins when the schedule is the leak. Paychex and ADP are quotes when a broker or 401(k) already lives there. Square Payroll is a fine extra if the front desk already takes cards on Square — see Is Square Payroll worth it rather than a fifth row.
Prices as of September 21, 2026. Ratio laws and classification are legal questions. This is not licensing, wage, or tax advice. We are not your accountant.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | Centers that want published pricing and a director who can finish setup | Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state. | 8.5 |
| 2 | Homebase | Centers whose leak is the hourly roster, then payday | Scheduling plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (free tier plus paid location plans; a $120/mo plan appears). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid. | 8.3 |
| 3 | Paychex Flex | Centers whose CPA, 401(k), or workers’ comp already lives at Paychex | Quote-only. Request PEPM, base, implementation, year-end, and benefits in writing. | 7.6 |
| 4 | ADP RUN | Multi-site groups whose lender or CPA already standardized on ADP | Quote-only. Essential, Enhanced, Complete, HR Pro. | 7.5 |
01
Gusto
Centers that want published pricing and a director who can finish setup
Public pricing: Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state.
Gusto public pricing (gusto.com/product/pricing), reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
The schedule is the weekly fire and you want payroll on that schedule — Homebase. Or the CPA already lives in Paychex.
Why it ranks
- A director can estimate twelve teachers on a napkin.
- Full-service US filings. PTO sits next to payday when you actually track it.
- Benefits when the first benefits-eligible lead teacher appears.
- Pairs with QBO, where many center books already live.
Watch-outs
- Simple is single-state. A second site in another state usually means Plus.
- Not a ratio or classroom OS.
- You will export hours from a schedule. That export is the failure mode.
- Do not buy Premium to look like a school district.
02
Homebase
Centers whose leak is the hourly roster, then payday
Public pricing: Scheduling plans on joinhomebase.com/pricing (free tier plus paid location plans; a $120/mo plan appears). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid.
Homebase official pricing, reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You already have a schedule that works and only need filings. Buy payroll, not a second labor app.
Why it ranks
- Availability, swap, and overtime visibility are why directors use it.
- Payroll add-on math is public: $39 + $6.
- Better than a generic HRIS for a 20-person hourly mix.
- See employee scheduling and time clocks.
Watch-outs
- Budget scheduling + payroll.
- Location plans add up at a second site.
- Not licensing software.
- Classification of substitutes is still counsel.
03
Paychex Flex
Centers whose CPA, 401(k), or workers’ comp already lives at Paychex
Public pricing: Quote-only. Request PEPM, base, implementation, year-end, and benefits in writing.
Paychex official site, reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You want a napkin this Tuesday. Get a quote or start Gusto.
Why it ranks
- The relationship is the product.
- Useful when the broker will not move retirement.
- Full-service filings on packages they advertise.
- See Gusto vs Paychex and Paychex vs ADP.
Watch-outs
- No napkin without a quote.
- Implementation and year-two fees hide in teasers.
- Not a classroom app.
- We do not treat third-party call quotes as list.
04
ADP RUN
Multi-site groups whose lender or CPA already standardized on ADP
Public pricing: Quote-only. Essential, Enhanced, Complete, HR Pro.
ADP RUN pages, reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You do not have a written quote.
Why it ranks
- Boards and some multi-site operators already know the logo.
- A path into broader HCM if you actually grow.
- Filings and garnishments are why the brand exists.
- See Gusto vs ADP RUN.
Watch-outs
- No napkin.
- Implementation is a project a single site often regrets.
- Not ratio software.
- Rippling is the IT fork — rarely the childcare default.
How we picked
The job is US childcare payday: hourly, filings, a schedule people will use. We scored published pricing and schedule adjacency. Classroom/parent billing suites stay off unless payroll is a first-class published product. Nonprofit payroll remains the page for 501(c)(3) treasurers.
Who should skip this page
- School districts and enterprise HCM.
- Nannies paid from a household — a different tax product.
- Nonprofits — nonprofit payroll.
- Anyone buying AI lesson planners as payroll.