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The first time I ran payroll for my own team, I paid a freelance writer twice in the same week and then, with the kind of confidence only total ignorance can produce, forgot to pay her at all the following month. I was managing three websites, a spreadsheet held together with hope, and a growing suspicion that “payroll” was just accounting’s way of punishing people who’d rather be writing headlines.

So when I say I get why “free payroll software for small business” is one of the most searched phrases among small business owners, I mean it personally. Nobody wants to pay a monthly fee to do math they already resent doing. But is any payroll software actually free, or is that the retail equivalent of “no annual fee” credit cards that mysteriously charge you in year two?

Turns out, some of it really is free. Not “free trial that turns into $50 a month.” Actually, indefinitely, no-credit-card free. Here’s what’s real, what’s a trap, and which option fits a business like yours.

The Short Version

If you’re in a hurry, here’s the quick read on free payroll software for small business owners in 2026:

• Payroll4Free.com — genuinely free core payroll, tax calculations, and direct deposit if you pay nine or fewer employees a month. Best for very small U.S. teams.
• ExcelPayroll — a free, downloadable spreadsheet system. Best if you already live in Excel and don’t mind manual data entry.
• HR.my — free forever with no employee cap, cloud-based, and available in 66 languages. Best for unlimited headcount, though U.S. tax depth is thinner than the U.S.-built options.
• Wave, Zoho Payroll, Homebase, and QuickBooks — genuinely useful, but payroll itself is a paid add-on, not a free tier. Worth knowing before you sign up expecting otherwise.

Now, the longer, more useful version — including where each of these can quietly cost you money or time.

So What Actually Counts as “Free” Payroll Software?

Here’s the trick with this keyword: a lot of “free payroll software” lists are really “free trial” lists wearing a disguise. QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, SurePayroll, and RUN by ADP all show up in free payroll searches, and all of them require a paid subscription once the trial ends or your first payroll run happens.

That’s not a scam, it’s just not what most small business owners mean when they type “free” into Google. If you want software that’s free indefinitely, with no credit card and no expiration date, the real list is much shorter than the SEO content around it suggests.

Is Payroll4Free Actually Free, or Is There a Catch?

Payroll4Free.com is the closest thing to a true free lunch in this space, and the “catch” is refreshingly honest: the company keeps the lights on by showing small ads inside the software when you log in to process payroll. That’s it. No feature countdown, no “free for 30 days,” no forced upgrade.

The free tier covers businesses paying nine or fewer people a month, and includes wage and tax calculations, paid time off tracking, an employee self-service portal, reporting, and either paper checks or direct deposit through your own bank account. Optional paid add-ons exist if you’d rather Payroll4Free handle your tax filings or run direct deposit through their bank instead of yours.

The trade-offs are real, though. It’s Windows-based rather than cloud-native, so there’s no mobile app for you or your employees, and it’s built for U.S. payroll specifically.

What About ExcelPayroll — Is a Spreadsheet Really Enough?

There’s something almost defiant about ExcelPayroll’s pitch: yes, in 2026, you can still run payroll from a spreadsheet, and it still works. ExcelPayroll is a free, downloadable template system that calculates wages, taxes, and deductions inside Microsoft Excel, and generates the tax forms you need at year-end.

It’s genuinely free with no paid tier at all — but “free” assumes you already have Excel, which itself is a paid product unless you’re using an older standalone license. And because it’s a spreadsheet rather than a hosted service, there’s no employee portal, no direct deposit, and no automatic tax filing. You are, in effect, the payroll department.

This one’s best suited to a business owner who already thinks in spreadsheets, has a handful of employees with fairly simple pay structures, and doesn’t mind being their own IT support if a formula breaks.

Can HR.my Really Handle Unlimited Employees for Free?

Somewhat improbably, yes. HR.my doesn’t cap employee count on its free plan — a genuinely rare feature in this category, where most “free” tools quietly gate you at 9, 10, or 25 people. It’s cloud-based, has a mobile-friendly portal, and supports 66 languages, which makes it a strong fit for businesses with international or multilingual teams.

Here’s where I’d slow down before switching, though: HR.my is built as a global HR and payroll platform, which means its depth on U.S.-specific payroll tax rules isn’t necessarily as tight as tools designed around U.S. compliance from the ground up. If your business operates in a single U.S. state with straightforward payroll, that may not matter much. If you’re juggling multi-state tax withholding, it’s worth stress-testing before you commit.

Wasn’t TimeTrex Supposed to Be Free Too?

You’ll still see TimeTrex on a lot of “best free payroll” lists, and it deserves a specific callout because the story here has changed. TimeTrex discontinued its free, open-source, on-site Community Edition on October 1, 2024 — the version still runs for existing users, but it no longer receives security patches or tax table updates, which is a real problem for anything touching payroll calculations. TimeTrex now markets a cloud-based “Community Edition” as free with unlimited users, but given how recently the on-site free tier was pulled, I’d confirm current terms directly with TimeTrex before building a payroll process around it, rather than trusting an older roundup post.

Isn’t Zoho Payroll Free? (Not Anymore — Here’s What Changed)

You’ll also see Zoho Payroll described as free in a handful of “best free payroll” articles, and it’s worth correcting directly: as of its U.S. relaunch, Zoho Payroll offers a 14-day free trial only, not a free-forever tier. Pricing starts at $29 to $39 a month per organization plus a per-employee fee, depending on whether you pay monthly or annually. It’s a strong product for businesses already living inside the Zoho ecosystem, and it’s genuinely built for U.S. tax compliance — just don’t go in expecting it to be free indefinitely. It also doesn’t currently support paying 1099 contractors in the U.S. edition, which matters if your team includes freelancers.

Wave and Homebase follow a similar pattern worth knowing about: Wave’s accounting and invoicing tools are free, but payroll itself is a separate paid add-on. Homebase offers free scheduling and time tracking for small teams, but payroll again sits behind a paid plan.

When Does “Free” Stop Making Sense for Your Business?

Free payroll software is genuinely good enough for a specific kind of business: small headcount, relatively simple pay structures, and an owner who has the time (or patience) to handle some of the manual work these tools don’t automate. But there’s a point where free starts costing you more than a subscription would.

Ask yourself:

• Are you outgrowing the employee cap? Most free tiers max out around 9 to 10 people. Cross that line and you’re either upgrading or switching tools entirely.
• Do you need automated tax filing, not just tax calculation? Several free tools calculate what you owe but leave the actual filing to you. If quarterly Form 941 filings already make your stomach drop, that manual step is worth paying to eliminate.
• Are you hiring across state lines? Multi-state payroll tax compliance is exactly where free and low-cost tools tend to get thin.
• Would a mistake actually hurt you? A missed contractor payment (ask me how I know) is embarrassing. A payroll tax filing error is expensive.

So Which Free Payroll Software Should You Actually Use?

If you’re a solo founder or run a team of nine or fewer in the U.S. and want the most complete free feature set, Payroll4Free is the obvious starting point. If you’re comfortable owning your own spreadsheets and want zero dependency on a third-party platform, ExcelPayroll gets the job done without ever asking for a card number. And if your team is larger than most free tiers allow, or spans multiple countries, HR.my is the rare free option that doesn’t punish you for growing.

None of them will hold your hand the way a $40-a-month platform will. But none of them will bill you either, and for a lot of small businesses, that trade is worth making, at least until the business outgrows it. Mine did, eventually. The freelance writer, for the record, did eventually get paid- and forgave me, mostly.

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Abstract

Thailand leads global markets in AI optimism, with 72% of Thais reporting that AI has already transformed their daily lives, and 78% expecting even greater change in the next three to five years.

Key Details:

• Current Impact: Nearly three-quarters of Thais say AI-powered products and services have profoundly changed their lives over the past 3-5 years, significantly above the 32-country global average of 54%.
• Benefits Over Risks: 74% of Thai consumers believe AI offers more benefits than drawbacks, compared to 55% globally. Seven in ten (69%) agree potential societal benefits outweigh environmental costs, well above the 49% global average.
• Productivity Gains: 80% of employed Thais report AI tools have saved them time at work in the past year (vs. 62% globally), though 65% expect their jobs to change significantly within five years.
• Job Displacement Concerns: 64% of Thai workers worry AI could replace their current job within five years, placing Thailand among countries with the highest job displacement anxiety.
• Mixed Emotions: 77% feel excited about AI, but 61% simultaneously feel nervous—reflecting a global pattern of “wonder and worry” coexisting.
• Trust Gaps: Only 47% trust companies using AI to protect personal data, and 57% trust AI not to discriminate, indicating confidence in AI’s potential doesn’t automatically translate to trust in implementation.
• Transparency Demand: 85% of Thais believe companies should disclose when AI is used in products and services, higher than the 80% global average.

Thailand’s strong AI enthusiasm presents significant opportunities for businesses, but success requires balancing innovation with transparency, responsibility, and human-centered approaches to address legitimate concerns about privacy, bias, and workforce disruption.

Essentially, Thais see AI as a proven driver of progress that is already improving their lives, which fosters a stronger belief in its future potential despite simultaneous concerns about job displacement and data privacy. According to the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026 report, 64% of Thai workers believe AI could replace their current job within the next five years. This places Thailand among the countries where concerns about job displacement are most pronounced.

Key factors driving this optimism include:

• Proven Productivity: 80% of employed Thais report that AI tools have saved them time at work in the past year, significantly higher than the global average of 62%. This immediate efficiency gain reinforces the belief that AI is a force for positive change.
• Perceived Benefits Outweigh Risks: 74% of Thais believe AI products offer more benefits than drawbacks, compared to 55% globally. They are also more likely to agree that AI’s societal benefits outweigh its environmental costs (69% vs. 49% globally).
• Deep Integration: AI is already deeply embedded in everyday Thai experiences, from banking and shopping to customer service and content recommendations. Nearly three-quarters (72%) say AI has profoundly changed their daily lives in the last 3–5 years, compared to 54% globally.
• Regional Trend: This optimism aligns with a broader trend across the Asia-Pacific region, where countries tend to be more positive about AI’s potential compared to many nations in Europe and North America.

Thais are more optimistic about AI than the global average primarily because they have already experienced its tangible benefits in their daily lives and workplace, leading them to view it as a practical tool for improvement rather than a distant or abstract technology.

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Stantec also plans shops and food and drink venues

More than 500 new homes could be built on the edge of a Stockport village joining up with another major development next door. Between them, Woodford could see more than 1,300 homes built.

Plans have been put forward to build the new homes off Chester Road in Woodford. The development would include up to 423 new homes as well as an extra care facility for those over 55 with up to 72 beds.

Alongside this, there are plans for shops, food and drink venues up to 100 square metres, new health services, a nursery or day centre, as well as a new nature park.

Approximately 2,900 people live in Woodford according to the latest estimates for 2024 and in the 2021 Census, 858 households were recorded.

In total, 567 homes could be built if the plans are given the go ahead by Stockport Council. Documents linked to a planning application submitted by Michael Conroy on behalf of Stantec said the plans were included in a draft version of Stockport Council’s local plan which will eventually set out development across the borough until 2042.

There are a number of buildings on the site that will be demolished while a number of trees will be cut down. There is no ancient woodland deemed to be on the site but the site sits within the green belt.

Developers Stantec are pointing to the nearby Woodford Garden Village on the former Woodford Aerodrome as an example of how the area is changing. This will include up to 775 homes, a new pub, an extra care unit, and a primary school.

That development was refused by Stockport Council and then allowed on appeal due to the delivery of new housing and public open space. The local authority has asked for this decision to be judicially reviewed and this process is ongoing.

In a planning document, Stantec said: “The proposed vision is to create a new sustainable, high-quality neighbourhood which significantly improves the local housing offer in Woodford by delivering a range of house types to meet a variety of housing needs, including affordable dwellings, aspirational homes for young people and families, larger higher value homes, and homes for the elderly.

“Housing development is to be delivered alongside mixed-use development including community facilities. The scheme is to be brought forward in line with ‘garden village’ principles, with development set within an attractive landscaped setting.

“The emphasis on green infrastructure at the site will enhance the natural environment and offer extensive opportunities for recreation.”

The new nature park will have ‘a mixture of wildflower and grass meadows, with ponds, new hedgerows and tree planting’ alongside a community orchard and a zone for wildlife.

However the plans are facing opposition with more than 180 comments at the time of publication.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.