Poppins Payroll positions itself as a friendlier, more affordable alternative to HomePay. At $49/month, they're in the middle of the market: not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either.
Is Poppins the right choice for your family?
What Is Poppins Payroll?
Poppins is a full-service nanny payroll company that handles tax calculations, filings, and compliance on your behalf. They've built a reputation for solid customer service and a clean interface.
What's included:
- Payroll processing and tax calculations
- Quarterly tax filings (they file for you)
- W-2 and Schedule H generation
- Direct deposit
- Pay stubs
- Phone and email support
See what you'll owe
Use our free calculator to estimate your nanny tax costs for 2026.
How Much Does Poppins Payroll Cost in 2026?
Pricing verified against Poppins' published rates, June 2026.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Monthly service fee (1 employee) | $49 |
| Each additional employee | +$10/mo |
| Year-end documents | Included |
| Direct deposit | Included |
| Leaving before December, if you want Poppins to do the year-end filings | $110 |
| Leaving mid-year, if you want Poppins to file the quarter-end reports after you go | $49 |
| Annual total (1 employee) | ~$588 |
| Annual total (2 employees) | ~$708 |
The good news: no separate year-end fee while you're a customer, and direct deposit is included. Two optional fees to know about if you leave before December: $110 if you want Poppins to do the year-end filings and documents (Schedule H, W-2, W-3 and state year-end filings) for the months they handled, and $49 if you want them to keep paying taxes and filing quarter-end reports after the month you quit. Do those filings yourself, or through your next provider, and neither applies. New customers get the rest of their signup month free, so true year-one cost is closer to $539 (eleven full months) for a single employee.
Same paperwork, a fraction of the price
NannyKeeper calculates the same taxes, generates your W-2 and Schedule H, and reminds you before every deadline, from $10/mo. You file the forms yourself, about 15 minutes a quarter.
What Poppins Does Well
Year-end docs included while you're a customer. W-2 and Schedule H are part of the monthly fee, so there's no separate January bill as long as you stay through year-end.
Good customer support. Poppins has a reputation for responsive, helpful support. If you get stuck, they're there to help.
Cleaner interface than HomePay. The platform is more modern and easier to navigate than some legacy competitors.
Reasonable pricing. At $588/year, they're significantly cheaper than HomePay Plus ($900) and still less than HomePay Essentials ($708), but more expensive than budget options.
Where Poppins Falls Short
Deadline reminders aren't listed. Poppins's pages don't list email reminders before a quarterly return or Schedule H is due. That sounds like a small thing while they file for you, but the returns carry your own Social Security number, so the IRS comes to you either way, and a record of your own deadlines is what you'd check their work against.
No free tier. There's no way to try Poppins or track payments without committing to the $49/month plan.
Limited mobile experience. The platform works on mobile browsers but doesn't have a dedicated app. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting.
Poppins vs. NannyKeeper: Full Comparison
How Poppins compares to NannyKeeper:
| Feature | Poppins | NannyKeeper |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $49 | $10 (Starter) / $18 (Plus) |
| Year-end fee | Included | Included |
| Leaving mid-year | $110 if you want Poppins to do the year-end filings, $49 for quarter-end reports after you go, neither if you file yourself | No fee |
| Annual total (Starter) | ~$588 | $100 |
| Annual total (Plus) | ~$588 | $180 |
| Direct deposit | Included | $6/transfer (Plus) / $8/transfer (Starter) |
| Files taxes for you | Yes | No (you file; takes 15 min/quarter) |
| Email deadline reminders | Not listed | Yes |
| Free payment tracking | No | Yes, free forever |
| W-2 generation | Included | Included |
| Schedule H generation | Included | Included |
| All 50 states | Yes | Yes |
| Employee W-4 self-service | Unknown | Yes (Plus) |
Ready to simplify nanny taxes?
NannyKeeper does the calculations, tracks the deadlines, and prepares the paperwork so you can focus on your family.
The main tradeoff: Poppins files your taxes for you (full-service). NannyKeeper calculates everything, generates the forms, sends deadline reminders, and you submit them yourself (about 15 minutes per quarter).
The savings: NannyKeeper's subscription is $408-$488/year cheaper than Poppins. Direct deposit is an add-on ($6-$8/transfer), so total savings depend on how often you use it.
A real example
Say you pay your nanny $500/week in California, by direct deposit every other week. Use our nanny tax calculator to see the breakdown, but here's the rough picture:
| Poppins | NannyKeeper (Starter) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual payroll service | $588 | $100 |
| Year-end documents | $0 (included) | $0 (included) |
| Direct deposit | $0 (included) | $208 ($8 × 26 paydays) |
| Total cost | ~$588 | $308 |
| You save | $280/year |
The direct deposit line assumes paychecks of $1,000 or less, where the fee is the flat $8 (a transfer over $1,000 adds 0.8% of the excess). If you pay by check, the saving is the full $488/year. Poppins files your taxes for you and bundles direct deposit into its monthly fee; NannyKeeper charges a lower subscription, bills direct deposit per transfer, and tells you exactly what to file, where to file it, and reminds you before each deadline.
On the "friendlier" question. Poppins' support reputation is deserved. Here's what a NannyKeeper customer said about ours, unprompted, in a survey:
"Personal touch, designed well, works well, appreciate the help with doing this. Reasonable fee. All around small business for the win!" Daniel I., paid customer, NPS survey response, August 31, 2026
More customer quotes, each dated and reproduced word for word, are on our reviews page.
Poppins vs. HomePay
How does Poppins compare to the other major player?
| Feature | Poppins | HomePay (Essentials) | HomePay (Plus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $49 | $59 | $75 |
| Annual total | ~$588 | $708 | $900 |
| Files for you | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct deposit | Included | Included | Included |
Poppins saves you $312/year vs. HomePay Plus ($120/year vs. Essentials). Both are full-service (they file your taxes for you), so the main difference is price and brand recognition.
Who Should Use Poppins?
Poppins makes sense if:
- You want full-service filing at a lower price than HomePay or GTM
- Good customer support is important to you
- The $588/year price point fits your budget
Who Should Skip Poppins?
You probably don't need Poppins if:
- You're comfortable filing forms online and want a lower subscription cost
- You want proactive email deadline reminders
- You want a free tier for payment tracking
- You'd rather pay less and handle the filing yourself (about 15 min/quarter)
So Is Poppins Payroll Worth It?
Poppins charges $588 a year for the same filing HomePay charges $708-$900 for, on a platform built for households. If you've decided someone else has to press submit, it's the one we'd point you to over HomePay.
One thing to keep in mind with any full-service provider: the tax liability stays with you. To file on your behalf, you also grant the provider power of attorney over your federal and state tax accounts, so a third party acts as you with the agencies. The taxes themselves are still reported on your own Form 1040, on Schedule H, under your own Social Security number. Poppins backs its filings with an accuracy guarantee, which is genuinely reassuring, but a guarantee covers a penalty from their error, not the underlying tax, and the IRS still treats you as the responsible party. Filing yourself, you review every figure before it goes in. Full-service buys convenience, not a transfer of accountability.
The real question is whether you need someone to press submit at all. NannyKeeper does the same calculations, generates the same W-2 and Schedule H, and emails you before every deadline (not listed on Poppins's pages), for $100-$180 a year. Filing yourself takes about 15 minutes a quarter, you see every number first, and there's no charge of any kind if your plans change mid-year.
Our recommendation: Poppins if you want full-service and want it household-built. NannyKeeper if you're willing to file yourself and would rather keep the $408-$488 a year the subscription alone saves.
Poppins is good value for full-service. If you don't need full-service, NannyKeeper saves you more.
With NannyKeeper, you can start tracking payments for free: no credit card, no commitment. If you decide you want full payroll, it's $10/month. Direct deposit is available at $6–$8/transfer.
Not sure what you'd owe in taxes? Try our free nanny tax calculator to see the numbers for your situation.
Compare NannyKeeper vs Poppins in detail →
Compare all nanny payroll services →
FAQ
How much does Poppins Payroll cost per year?
Poppins Payroll costs approximately $588 per year ($49/month) for one employee. Each additional employee adds $10/month, so a two-nanny household pays about $708/year. Year-end documents like W-2s and Schedule H are included, direct deposit is included, and new customers' first signup-month is free.
Is Poppins Payroll better than HomePay?
Poppins is cheaper than HomePay ($588/year vs $900/year for Plus or $708/year for Essentials). Both are full-service (they file your taxes for you) and both include direct deposit. HomePay's main advantages are brand recognition and, on Plus, a Care.com membership.
Does Poppins Payroll file my taxes for me?
Yes. Poppins is a full-service provider: they file your quarterly taxes and year-end documents on your behalf. This is different from self-service options like NannyKeeper, where you file the forms yourself.
What's the cheapest nanny payroll service?
NannyKeeper starts at $10/month with no year-end fees, making the annual cost $100 on annual billing compared to Poppins' $588. Free payment tracking is available with no subscription at all.
Can I switch from Poppins to NannyKeeper?
Yes. You can switch nanny payroll services at any time. Sign up here and you'll be running payroll in minutes. NannyKeeper will calculate your taxes going forward. Ask your current provider whether it will issue your nanny a W-2 for the months it ran payroll. If it will, your nanny gets two W-2s that together cover the year; if it won't, the new provider's W-2 can cover the whole year. We recommend switching at the start of a quarter for the cleanest transition.