Payroll Calculator vs Paystub Maker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Payroll Calculator
Calculate payroll costs and employee take-home pay in seconds. This tool computes gross wages, taxes, and deductions for hourly or salaried employees. It also estimates employer-side payroll taxes and allows saving multiple payroll scenarios.
- Calculate gross wages and take-home pay
- Estimate employer payroll taxes (FUTA, SUTA, etc.)
- Support for hourly and salary pay
- Detailed tax and deduction inputs
- Save and manage multiple payrolls
- Offline functionality
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How much does your team cost per pay period? Run a full payroll in seconds with Payroll Calculator. No ads, no account needed. Enter each employee's details once: hourly or salary pay, W-4 filing status, state, deductions, overtime. Set the pay period on the payroll. Get the full cost: gross wages, take-home per employee, and employer payroll taxes (Social Security match, Medicare match, FUTA, SUTA). Save multiple payrolls for different teams, pay periods, or what-if hires. Answers to your payroll questions • How much does my team cost per pay period? • What are my employer payroll taxes this run? • What will each employee take home after taxes? • How much FUTA and SUTA do I owe on this payroll? • What's the cost of adding one more hire? • How do my employer costs change if I switch pay periods? Per-employee paycheck math • Hourly and salary income modes • Every pay period: daily, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, yearly • W-4 inputs: pre-2020 and post-2020, filing status, dependents, additional withholding • Federal income tax and state income tax for all 50 states plus DC • Social Security, Medicare, and Additional Medicare Tax • Overtime with custom multipliers, plus tips, commissions, bonuses, and reimbursements Deductions • Pre-tax: traditional 401(k), HSA, Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA • Post-tax: Roth 401(k), Roth 403(b), Roth 457(b), union dues, creditor garnishments • Per-employee YTD tracking so Social Security and FUTA caps stop at the right amount Employer-side payroll taxes • Social Security match at 6.2%, capped at the federal wage base • Medicare match at 1.45% • FUTA at 0.6% (override higher for credit-reduction states) with the $7,000 cap • SUTA with your state's rate and wage base • Per-payroll "other employer costs": flat-dollar lines or percentages of gross for benefits, workers' comp, and anything else you pay on top Multiple payrolls • Save separate payrolls for different teams, departments, or what-if scenarios • Switch between them without losing any employee data • Rename, duplicate, or delete payrolls from one screen • A sample 3-employee payroll loads instantly so you can try it before adding real employees Ad-free & private • No ads • All calculations stay on your device • No account required. Works completely offline • Available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Arabic, Korean, and Vietnamese Your real payroll numbers, on your phone. Disclaimer This app provides estimates for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, payroll, or tax advice. Actual withholding, employer tax liability, and take-home pay can vary by employer, benefits, and state rules. SUTA rates and wage bases are user-entered and must be verified with your state agency. Always verify results against official IRS and state guidance and your payroll records.
Paystub Maker
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Paystub Maker is the fast, honest way to create professional pay stubs and small-business documents on your iPhone. Built for self-employed people, freelancers, and small employers who keep their own records, it gives you accurate numbers, clean PDFs, and no watermark, for one flat price. Most pay stub apps charge for every single stub, stamp a watermark across your document, and use tax math that reviewers say is wrong. Paystub Maker is the opposite: unlimited documents, a transparent tax breakdown you can see and trust, and a one-time Lifetime unlock so you never pay per stub again. ACCURATE 2026 TAX MATH - Federal income tax withholding from the official 2026 IRS Publication 15-T percentage method. - Social Security and Medicare at exact statutory rates, including the Social Security wage base and the Additional Medicare surtax. - State income tax for all 50 states and DC, with no-tax states handled correctly. - Every figure is shown in a clear line-by-line breakdown, and every figure is editable, so you can match your real payroll to the cent. PROFESSIONAL PAY STUBS - Hourly or salary, with overtime, bonuses, and custom earning lines. - Pre-tax and post-tax deductions. - Year-to-date totals. - Weekly, every-two-weeks, twice-a-month, or monthly pay periods. - Clean, print-ready PDF you can email or save. No watermark, ever. A FULL BUSINESS DOCUMENT SUITE One shared address book for your business, employees, and customers powers every document: - Purchase orders with itemized pricing, tax, and shipping. - Packing slips and delivery notes for shipments. - Proof of income letters generated from an employee's pay stubs. PRIVATE BY DESIGN - Everything is created and stored on your device. - No account, no sign-up, no analytics, no tracking. - Your business and employee details never leave your iPhone. HONEST PRICING - Build and preview unlimited documents for free. - Your first PDF export is free so you can see the real, watermark-free result. - Unlock unlimited exports with a one-time Lifetime purchase, or a weekly or annual plan with a 3-day free trial. FOR LEGITIMATE RECORD-KEEPING Paystub Maker is a record-keeping and document tool for real businesses and self-employed workers. The withholding figures are estimates based on published 2026 tax tables and should be verified against your official payroll records. This app is not tax, accounting, or legal advice. Questions or feedback? Contact info@appharbour.com. SUBSCRIPTION AND PURCHASE INFORMATION This app offers a one-time Lifetime unlock, plus a weekly subscription with a 3-day free trial and an annual subscription with a 3-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID Account Settings. The Lifetime unlock is a one-time purchase and does not renew. Restore purchases from the paywall at any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.appharbour.com/paystubdocs/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.appharbour.com/paystubdocs/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Payroll Calculator at 15.0 against Paystub Maker's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Payroll Calculator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Paystub Maker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Payroll Calculator | Paystub Maker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | EHM TECH LLC | App Harbour ApS |
In-app purchases
Payroll Calculator
- Pro - Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Pro - Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Paystub Maker
- Weekly Premium3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Annual Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime Unlock$49.99






