We apply the Software Fit Standard: start with a buyer job, define the evidence boundary and publish reasons to choose and reject. Payment cannot change the result.

1. A URL must own a distinct decision

We reject pages that merely exchange a vendor, industry or company-size variable without changing the workflow, exception, criteria and conclusion.

2. Evidence hierarchy

  1. Regulators, statutes and standards bodies for requirements.
  2. Official vendor documentation for product claims.
  3. A documented, reproducible test only when one was actually run.
  4. Secondary review platforms for market orientation, never as our factual source of record.

3. Criteria for Payroll software platforms

  • Federal, state, and local filing workflow
  • State setup and multistate operating model
  • Employee and contractor separation
  • Hourly, overtime, tip, bonus, and commission inputs
  • Payroll review, approval, correction, and audit workflow
  • Year-end form preparation and delivery workflow
  • Time, accounting, benefits, and point-of-sale data handoffs
  • Mid-year migration and prior payroll intake
  • Administrator permissions and employee self-service
  • Support escalation and documented responsibility boundaries
  • Reporting, exports, and general-ledger mapping
  • Implementation effort and recurring administrative ownership

4. No false precision

We do not invent ratings, review counts, customer counts or prices. A feature labeled compliant by a vendor remains a vendor claim unless the relevant authority proves the conclusion.

5. Commercial separation

A paying partner may receive a clearly disclosed direct link, with the relationship stated near the placement. Payment does not buy a verdict, criterion, inclusion or rank.

6. Maintenance

Sources carry a verification date. Product, pricing and regulatory changes reopen the affected page rather than silently changing a network-wide template. See the public framework changelog.

Applying the Software Fit Standard is an editorial commitment, not an official certification, accreditation, product approval or guarantee of end-to-end testing.