Payroll · Published price, no warning
Hourly.io Review
Payroll plus pay-as-you-go workers' comp in one app, with GPS time tracking and job costing on every plan
Quick verdict
Who Hourly.io suits: Trade shops paying hourly field crews that want workers' comp premiums tied to each payroll run, with GPS time tracking and job costing in the same app. Pricing: From $80/mo + $12/active user (Gold, four-day direct deposit); Platinum $120/mo + $16/user with next-day deposit after 8 qualifying runs and credit approval; Platinum+ with same-day deposit is quoted. Four-day direct deposit on the Gold plan, higher per-user fees than payroll-only services, a quote-only top tier, and no published list of states where its workers' comp is sold.
About Hourly.io
Hourly (Hourly, Inc.) combines payroll with pay-as-you-go workers' comp insurance in one platform. SEC Form D filings list Hourly, Inc. as a Delaware corporation incorporated in 2019 with its principal place of business in Palo Alto, California; its 2022 filing reports about $27 million sold in a funding round. Tom Sagi is co-founder and CEO. Hourly says it is not a PEO: it does not lease your employees, and it shows what you pay for each part.
Hourly describes its workers' comp as pay-as-you-go: premiums are paid automatically based on your actual payroll, calculated as payroll (per $100) times the class code rate times your experience modifier, plus state taxes and fees. Hourly says policies under $5,000 get a streamlined audit with minimal paperwork. You can generate your own certificate of insurance from your phone, and you can buy workers' comp and payroll together or start with one.
Payroll comes in three plans. Gold is $80/mo plus $12 per active user with four-day direct deposit. Platinum is $120/mo plus $16 per active user with next-day direct deposit, and Platinum+ is quoted ('Exclusive Pricing') with same-day direct deposit; next-day and same-day deposit are available after 8 qualifying payroll runs and credit approval. Every plan includes automated tax payments and filing, W-2s, garnishments and child support payments, the workers' comp integration, an employee app, GPS time tracking, job costing reports, unlimited payroll runs and unlimited phone support. Platinum adds a dedicated customer success team, next-day paper check delivery, paperless onboarding and unlimited HR expert access. Hourly bills only for active users: anyone who records at least one shift or is paid at least once in the month.
The trade-off: Gold's four-day direct deposit is slower than the next-day deposit on QuickBooks' base Workforce Payroll plan, faster deposit needs a pricier tier plus a payroll track record, and $12-$16 per user is double or more the $6 per person that Gusto Simple and OnPay charge. Hourly's pages do not list the states where its workers' comp is sold, so confirm your state first. Pay-as-you-go workers' comp is also available through partners at other payroll services, including OnPay and Patriot, so compare the full package rather than the idea alone.
How it works
Contact Hourly or sign up on its website. For workers' comp, the premium depends on your class codes, payroll, experience modifier and the states where your team works. Once set up, your crew clocks in on Hourly's employee app with GPS time tracking, you run payroll, and Hourly makes the tax payments and filings and pays workers by direct deposit or paper check. Each payroll run also pays the workers' comp premium on that payroll, so the premium follows actual wages instead of an up-front estimate. Job costing reports break down labor cost, and you are billed only for workers who record a shift or get paid that month.
Pros & cons
What works
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Workers' comp premiums follow actual payroll
Hourly collects the premium with each payroll run, calculated as payroll (per $100) times your class code rate times your experience modifier, plus state taxes and fees, instead of an up-front estimate.
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Payroll and workers' comp in one place
The same platform runs payroll and the policy. Hourly says you can buy both or start with one and switch the other later.
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GPS time tracking and job costing on every plan
All plans include GPS time tracking, job costing reports, unlimited payroll runs, automated tax filing and unlimited phone support.
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Billing only for active users
Hourly charges the per-user fee only for people who record at least one shift or get paid at least once in the month, which suits seasonal crews.
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90-day refund offer
Hourly says it will refund 100% of the subscription cost for the first 90 days of service if the platform doesn't meet your needs.
What doesn't
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Four-day direct deposit on Gold
Gold pays by four-day direct deposit. Next-day (Platinum) and same-day (Platinum+) deposit need a pricier plan, 8 qualifying payroll runs and credit approval.
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Higher per-user fees
Gold is $12 and Platinum $16 per active user per month, against $6 per person on Gusto Simple and OnPay.
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No published state list
Hourly's pages do not list the states where its workers' comp is sold; cost depends on where your team works, so confirm your state before switching.
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Top tier is quote-only
Platinum+ with same-day deposit is shown as 'Exclusive Pricing' with no published price.
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Thin accounting integration detail
Hourly's accounting page names QuickBooks without saying which version or what syncs, and we found no Xero integration.
Pricing
From $80/mo + $12/active user (Gold, four-day direct deposit); Platinum $120/mo + $16/user with next-day deposit after 8 qualifying runs and credit approval; Platinum+ with same-day deposit is quoted.
Starting base: $80/mo + $12/employee
Affiliate disclosure: The link to Hourly.io on this page goes to its own site and is not an affiliate link.
Integrations
Reviews and complaints at the source
We do not copy third-party review scores onto this page: they change often and we could not verify them. Read Hourly.io's current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Is Hourly available in my state?
Hourly's pricing and workers' comp pages do not list the states where its workers' comp is sold, and Hourly says cost depends on the states where your team works. Its licenses page lists insurance brokerage licenses by state. Ask Hourly before you switch.
How does the pay-as-you-go workers' comp work?
Each payroll run pays the premium on that payroll: payroll (per $100) times your class code rate times your experience modifier, plus state taxes and fees. Hourly says policies under $5,000 get a streamlined audit with minimal paperwork.
Do I have to buy both payroll and workers' comp?
No. Hourly recommends both to get the full benefit, but says you can start with one and switch the other when the timing suits you.
Other payroll services
Gusto
Tier SOnline payroll with automatic federal, state and local tax filing, contractor payments and published prices for every plan
OnPay
Tier SOne-plan online payroll at $49/mo plus $6 per person, with QuickBooks and Xero sync and optional pay-as-you-go workers' comp
Patriot Payroll
Tier SLow-cost online payroll from Canton, Ohio: $37/mo plus $5 per worker with full tax filing, or $17/mo plus $4 per worker if you file taxes yourself
QuickBooks Payroll (plans branded QuickBooks Workforce)
Tier AIntuit's own payroll, now sold as QuickBooks Workforce: runs inside QuickBooks Online, from $50/mo plus $7 per employee payroll-only
Square Payroll
Tier ASquare's payroll for businesses already on Square: $35/mo plus $6 per person paid, or $6 per contractor with no base fee
Rippling
Tier AHR, IT and finance platform with payroll, sold by custom quote