Is Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll free?

Yes. Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll by Payrollguru, Inc. is free, shows ads, and lists no in-app purchases on the App Store or Google Play. Its description points to a separate paid Payrollguru app for multiple employee profiles, pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and a pie chart. Stub44 (Salary Calculator + on the App Store) is a free download with no ads, and it sells Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year with a 7-day free trial.

Does Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll handle 401(k) and other pre-tax deductions?

Not in this app. Its description says pre-tax and post-tax deductions are in the separate paid Payrollguru app. Stub44 treats traditional 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and SIMPLE IRA contributions as pre-tax, treats HSA, Health FSA, and Dependent Care FSA as FICA-exempt, and handles Roth 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) contributions, custom deduction buckets, and garnishments.

Is Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll on Android?

Yes. Payrollguru, Inc. publishes it on Google Play under the name Paycheck Free, where it is rated 3.7 with 100K+ downloads. Stub44 is on Google Play as Salary Calculator +, rated 4.8 with 1K+ downloads.

Is Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll updated for 2026?

Its release notes say so. Version 4.6, released in January 2026, reads: 'App updated for 2026.' Stub44 was last updated in August 2026, but its listing does not name a tax year.

Does Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll run payroll for employees?

The listing describes a paycheck estimator, not a payroll service. It computes a net paycheck from gross pay or hourly wages and can email the details to an employee, employer, payroll service provider, or spouse. Nothing in the listing says it pays employees or files tax forms. Stub44 is also an estimator, and its listing says results are estimates for educational and informational purposes.

What do reviewers say about Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll?

It has a 2.5 rating from 161 US App Store ratings, with 76 one-star and 39 five-star. In App Store reviews, most written before 2022, reviewers say the app stopped working or froze on Calculate after the iOS 14 and iOS 15 updates in 2020 and 2021, and that ads were too frequent. Reviewers also say its estimates are accurate or close. Stub44 has no App Store ratings yet.

Stub44 vs Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll

Disclosure: Stub44 is our app. It is listed on the App Store as “Salary Calculator +” (id 6762491263). This comparison is written honestly, including the places where Paycheck Lite is the better fit. Ratings and pricing are from the US App Store and Google Play as of September 2026.

Quick answer

Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll by Payrollguru, Inc. is a free paycheck estimator that turns gross pay or hourly wages into a net paycheck after federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare withholding. It has been on the App Store since 2011, runs on iPhone and iPad, and is on Google Play as “Paycheck Free”. The catch is ads on both stores and a 2.5 rating from 161 App Store ratings.

Stub44 works out take-home pay for all 50 states plus DC, with W-4 inputs, pre-tax and Roth deductions, garnishments, and saved profiles. It is a free download with no ads, and Pro costs $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year.

If you want a quick net-pay estimate for free, or you are weighing a job in another state, go with Paycheck Lite. If your paycheck has 401(k), HSA, or garnishment deductions, or you want to keep several jobs as saved profiles, go with Stub44.

For the other apps we looked at, see our salary calculator app roundup.

Side-by-side

Feature comparison as of September 2026, based on each app’s US App Store listing, description, and privacy label, plus Google Play for the Android rows. Ratings are US store totals.
Feature	Stub44	Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll
Platforms	iOS + Android	iOS + Android (as Paycheck Free)
US App Store rating	No App Store ratings yet	2.5 (161 ratings)
Google Play rating	4.8, 1K+ downloads	3.7 (1.31K reviews), 100K+ downloads
Last updated	August 2026	January 2026
Free-tier limits	Not stated	Whole app is free with ads; multiple profiles and deductions are in a separate paid Payrollguru app
Paid plans	Pro: $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, 7-day free trial	None in this app; the listing points to a separate paid Payrollguru app
Take-home pay from salary or hourly wages	Yes	Yes
Federal and state income tax	Yes, all 50 states + DC	Yes, “50 different states and US territories”
Social Security and Medicare	Yes, with year-to-date wage-base cap and Additional Medicare	Yes, and it takes year-to-date wages
Pre-tax deductions	Yes, 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), SIMPLE IRA; HSA and FSA as FICA-exempt	No, the listing puts them in the separate paid app
Post-tax deductions	Yes, Roth 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), plus custom buckets	No, also in the separate paid app
Multiple jobs / profiles	Yes, saved profiles with one-tap switching	No, one saved employee profile
W-4 inputs	Post-2020 and pre-2020 forms, plus state allowances	Federal and state allowances
Filing statuses	5, listed by name	Federal and state statuses; not listed by name
Hourly pay and overtime	Yes, multiple overtime entries	Yes, overtime and double time
Pay periods	8, from daily to yearly	Not stated
State payroll items	Yes, CA SDI, NY PFL, and more	Yes, state unemployment and disability where applicable
Garnishments	Yes, child support, IRS levy, creditor	Not stated
Compare net pay across states	Not stated	Yes, aimed at a job in another state or a move
Tax year named in the listing	Not stated	Yes, updated for 2026 in January 2026
Export	Not stated	Email paycheck details; no file format stated
Languages	1 (English)	1 (English)
Ads	No	Yes, on both stores
Account required	No, and it works offline	Not stated
Data stays on device	Yes, keeps your data on the device, with no account	Not stated
Privacy label	Data Used to Track You: Identifiers. Data Linked to You: Identifiers. Data Not Linked to You: Purchases, Usage Data, Diagnostics	Data Not Linked to You: Identifiers, Usage Data, for Third-Party Advertising. No Data Used to Track You section

Where Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll wins

It costs nothing, and there is nothing to buy inside it. Paycheck Lite is free and lists no in-app purchases on the App Store or on Google Play. Stub44 sells Pro at $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, and its listing does not say which features are free.

Its listing says it was updated for 2026. Version 4.6, released in January 2026, says “App updated for 2026.” Stub44’s listing does not name a tax year. Paycheck Lite has also been on the App Store since 2011, and its Android version, Paycheck Free, shows 100K+ downloads and a 3.7 rating on Google Play.

It is built to compare states, and it shares by email. The description says you can “compare net paychecks in 50 different states and US territories,” especially if you are considering a job in another state or a move. Paycheck details can be emailed to an employee, employer, payroll service provider, or spouse. Stub44’s listing states neither a state-to-state comparison nor any export option.

Where Stub44 wins

Deductions stay in the app. Paycheck Lite’s description says pre-tax and post-tax deductions live in a separate paid Payrollguru app, not this one. Stub44 handles traditional 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and SIMPLE IRA as pre-tax, HSA and FSA as FICA-exempt, Roth contributions after tax, custom buckets, and garnishments for child support, IRS levies, and creditors.

No ads. Paycheck Lite shows ads on both stores. In reviews written between 2017 and 2021, reviewers say the ads came too often, and that an ad could crash or freeze the app, or refuse to close. Stub44 has no ads.

More than one paycheck. Paycheck Lite stores one employee profile, and the listing moves multiple profiles to the paid app. Stub44 saves profiles for jobs, offers, and what-ifs and switches between them with one tap. Its period grid shows net pay across all eight pay periods at once, and it takes both the post-2020 and pre-2020 W-4.

Pricing

Stub44 is a free download. Its listing does not say which features need Pro. Pro costs $2.99 a week or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial.
Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll by Payrollguru, Inc. is free with ads and lists no in-app purchases. Its description points to a separate “paid Payrollguru app” for multiple profiles, pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and a pie chart; that app’s name and price are not on this listing.

Over a year, Paycheck Lite costs $0 and shows ads, while Stub44 Pro costs $29.99 on the annual plan.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Paycheck Lite : Mobile Payroll if you want a free net-pay estimate with no purchase, you are weighing a job in another state, or you want to email paycheck details to someone, and ads don’t bother you.

Pick Stub44 if your paycheck has 401(k), HSA, FSA, Roth, or garnishment deductions, you want several jobs or offers saved as profiles, or you want a calculator with no ads.

If you would rather not install either one, our free salary take-home pay calculator by state and state relocation take-home comparison run in the browser with no download.