PayWow

PayWow is a payroll and compliance service for small employers, with distinct workflows for employee payroll, contractors, and trucking. Its breadth is most useful to businesses that want payments and tax administration together; the signup pause makes it a poor choice for anyone who needs to start with a provider now.

Overview

PayWow combines payroll, tax filing, onboarding, timekeeping, and contractor payments. Complete Payroll covers employees and contractors, while dedicated contractor and trucking tools accommodate more specific payment workflows. That range can suit small businesses that would otherwise coordinate several administrative tasks, but may be more than a contractor-only operation needs.

The practical barrier is immediate: PayWow is currently not accepting new signups and directs interested businesses to its support team. Prospective customers should not plan around adopting it unless that changes.

Key features

Payroll, taxes, and onboarding

Complete Payroll supports employees and contractors. PayWow says it withholds and deposits taxes and e-files quarterly and annual federal and state forms, bringing routine payment and tax work into one service. Employees can enter their own information through the employee portal, and the service offers new-hire reporting. These tools are relevant to employers seeking a connected payroll process; businesses that only need to send contractor payments may not need the full package.

Contractor and trucking workflows

Contractor payments can be made by direct deposit or check, with automatic 1099 filing. Pro adds a contractor portal, extensive reports, and integrations; the free Basic plan instead has limited reports and check payments only. Trucking businesses get load tracking and driver pay by the mile, load, or specific rate, a focused workflow beyond general contractor payments.

Timekeeping and mobile access

The myPayWow app supports shift clock-ins and outs, time-off requests, and location-based clocking. The Android app also supports pay-stub downloads, time tracking, time-off requests, e-signatures, and access to tax forms. That combination is useful for employees who need payroll documents and timekeeping on mobile, alongside scheduled payment schedules for payroll operations.

Security and support

PayWow describes its application as storing user data securely and displays an AICPA SOC Certified Company badge. It lists payroll-specialist support, with [email protected] and 704.234.6000 as contact details.

Pricing

PayWow uses a freemium model, with contractor plans and a separate employee-and-contractor payroll option:

Contractor Payroll — Basic: free, billed $0/Monthly. It includes unlimited contractors, limited reports, and check payments. This is the no-cost option for businesses that can handle check-based payouts and do not need extensive reporting.

Contractor Payroll — Pro: $9 a month, billed $9/Monthly + $1.49 per direct deposit. It includes unlimited contractors, extensive reports, a contractor portal, and integrations. It suits businesses that need contractor self-service or direct deposit, but the per-deposit charge adds to the monthly fee.

Complete Payroll: $25 a month, billed $25/Monthly + $4 per employee/contractor. It covers payroll for employees and contractors. The per-worker charge means the monthly base is not the full cost for an employer with a larger payroll.

The contractor plans do not have a contractor-count cap, but Basic gives up direct deposit, extensive reports, portal access, and integrations. The signup pause limits the practical value of every plan for new customers.

Platforms

PayWow is available on Android, iOS, and the web. Its mobile tools cover timekeeping and employee access to pay stubs and tax forms.

Who it's for

PayWow is aimed at small businesses, including employers with single-digit headcounts, that need employee and contractor payroll, tax filing, and onboarding in one service. Contractor-focused businesses can choose between free check-based payments and paid direct-deposit features. Trucking firms may benefit from load tracking and configurable driver pay. It is not a practical option for a new customer while signups remain paused.

Pros and cons

Pros

Employee and contractor payroll sit alongside federal and state tax filing, onboarding, and new-hire reporting, reducing the need to separate those workflows.

Basic allows unlimited contractors at no monthly charge, and Pro adds direct deposit, a contractor portal, extensive reports, and integrations.

Trucking-specific load tracking and driver pay options address an industry workflow not covered by a generic contractor payment setup.

Mobile tools cover shift timekeeping, time-off requests, pay stubs, e-signatures, and tax-form access.

Cons

New signups are currently paused, so businesses selecting a provider now cannot count on onboarding.

Basic is limited to check payments and limited reports; direct deposit costs $1.49 per transaction on Pro in addition to its monthly fee.

Complete Payroll adds $4 per employee or contractor to its $25 monthly base, so headcount increases the bill.

Alternatives

For another payroll option, Zoho Payroll has a free plan for up to 10 employees with basic payroll and email support, plus a free trial; it is worth considering if that employee cap and INR pricing suit your business. OnPay is a paid alternative with a $49 monthly base fee plus $6 per worker per month, a free trial, unlimited pay runs and schedules, and year-end W-2 and 1099 filings included; choose it if those terms better fit your payroll needs.

Cleo Pay offers a free plan for vendors and contractors with one user seat and unlimited incoming payments, but no outbound payments. Payoneer Payer is another option for businesses with higher payment volumes, with custom pricing and payment fees that vary by method and location.

BuildFair offers project access at no charge to owners invited by a builder, alongside a paid subcontractor plan. Petl Pay is a freemium option for projects and contributors. Plane Contractor Management has a free HRIS platform with hiring and onboarding tasks, a contractor and employee directory, custom reports, holidays, and time tracking. IRIS Practice Engine is a paid option for web and API users. For a broader shortlist, see Contractor Payment Software.

Verdict

PayWow is best suited to a small employer that wants employee and contractor payroll, tax filing, onboarding, and timekeeping in one service, particularly a trucking business with specialized driver-pay needs. Its free contractor plan and paid self-service features make the contractor offering flexible, but the current signup pause is the decisive reason to look elsewhere if you need to choose and adopt a provider now.