Agencies run blended teams of employees and contractors, often across projects and borders. We weighted contractor and W2 flexibility, payroll and onboarding, then ranked the six that fit agency life best.
Scored on our five criteria, reweighted for agencies: paying W2 staff and contractors cleanly, fast onboarding for project hires, and value as headcount flexes. See the full rubric →
Agencies juggling W2 staff and 1099 contractors get both in one place, with automatic filing and a contractor plan for lean months. It handles US work cleanly, though heavily global rosters outgrow it.
When an agency spins teams up and down by project, Rippling automates onboarding, offboarding and device handling on one record. Modular pricing adds up, and the platform is more than the smallest shops need.
Agencies with contractors worldwide lean on Deel for compliant payments in well over a hundred currencies and employer of record where needed. Domestic US payroll is not its strength, and EOR carries a real per head cost.
A PEO gives a growing agency real benefits and offloads compliance, useful when you want to attract talent without an HR team. The flat fee is clear, but the benefits driven cost is the larger number.
For agencies that care about culture and retention, BambooHR leads on records, onboarding and performance reviews. Payroll is a US add on, and pricing is quote based.
Agencies wanting to hand payroll off entirely get a dedicated specialist and published entry pricing from Paychex. The platform is dated next to Gusto or Rippling, and add ons stack up.
Pricing verified as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing.
Capabilities as of June 2026. Plans and add ons shift often · check the vendor for current features.