Heartland Payroll review

Heartland Payroll is a cloud-based payroll, tax administration and HR platform for US businesses. Its Payroll+ suite brings payroll processing together with time tracking, hiring, employee self-service and HR tools, so it may suit a business trying to reduce the number of separate systems it manages.

The payroll tools support direct deposit, printed checks and pay cards, along with year-end tax forms. Heartland says the platform calculates, withholds, remits and electronically files federal, state and local payroll taxes. Time and attendance features cover hours, shift schedules, estimated overtime, labor tracking and paid time off.

The HR side includes applicant tracking, job postings, candidate screening and paperless onboarding. Employers also get an HR library, handbook builder, templates, credential tracking and live HR support. Employees can access pay stubs and tax forms, update personal details and submit hours through self-service.

Heartland’s main appeal is the breadth of its payroll and HR bundle. Businesses can handle payroll, tax administration, time tracking, hiring and employee records in one platform rather than buying each function separately. That could simplify administration, though the published pricing information does not show which functions are included in each plan.

The payroll options are practical for different payment preferences: the feature list includes direct deposit, printed checks and pay cards. Heartland also says it handles tax calculations, withholdings, remittances and electronic filing across federal, state and local taxes. That’s a useful range for employers with workers in more than one location.

Other useful pieces include shift scheduling, overtime estimates, PTO tracking and employee access to pay stubs and tax forms. The HR library, handbook builder and onboarding tools extend the bundle beyond payroll. One commenter in an r/humanresources thread described having a single point of contact as an advantage, but that is one user’s view, not a service guarantee.

The pricing page lists Essentials at $89 per month for businesses with 1–5 employees, giving smaller teams a published starting point.

The published pricing leaves important questions open. Essentials starts at $89 per month and is listed for businesses with 1–5 employees; the published pricing information does not say what happens to the price above five employees or spell out the plan’s included features. Advanced and Complete are custom-priced, so larger businesses will need a quote before they can compare costs.

Annual pricing is not published, and the price for the Heartland Time add-on is not published either. The pricing information also does not provide a detailed breakdown of setup costs or other fees, so ask for those in writing rather than treating the starting price as a complete estimate. A free plan is not listed; trial availability is not published.

That makes switching harder to price from public information alone. Get a quote that names the employee count, included payroll and HR features, add-ons, and any extra charges. The Reddit threads we read do not offer enough specific, independent detail to judge reliability or support quality.

Heartland’s listed starting price is $89 per month for Essentials, for businesses with 1–5 employees. That is the only numeric tier price provided. Advanced and Complete are custom-priced, so the jump from Essentials—and the price for larger teams—is not published. Ask for a quote that spells out employee bands, included features and any implementation or support charges before comparing it with your current payroll bill.

Annual pricing is not published, and the published pricing details do not list free-trial terms. Heartland Time is an add-on, but its price is also not published. Payroll+, the suite described in the product information, combines payroll, tax administration, time tracking, hiring, employee self-service and HR tools; the pricing details do not say which plan includes each feature. Get that mapping in writing. Essentials is the clearest starting point for a 1–5-person business. For Advanced or Complete, budget only after receiving a detailed quote.

The published materials do not describe Heartland’s migration service, import formats, data-export options, contract terms or cancellation process. Before switching, ask whether Heartland can import employee records, tax setup, year-to-date payroll and leave balances, and who handles tax filings during the cutover. Confirm the transition date and how employees will access pay stubs and tax forms through self-service.

If you may leave later, get written answers on exporting payroll and tax records, the format of those files, and any notice or termination requirements. The product information describes multi-state payroll and tax filing, but it does not explain how a move between providers is handled. We also do not have Reddit posts or comments in the published sources, so we can’t substantiate common reasons users leave Heartland. Treat migration, portability and exit terms as open questions—not assumed capabilities—and compare the written answers with your current provider before signing.