Employee records and management
Add every staff member with salary, joining date, role, department, tax code, account details, and contract type. Edit, archive, or re-hire without losing history. Works for 3 employees or 300.
v1.0.0 · ~177 MB · Windows 10 / 11
Timeline Payroll: free payroll software for Windows
A free downloadable payroll application for Windows 10 and 11. Employees, attendance, tax deductions, payslips, and reports, all offline on your own PC. No subscription, no per-employee fee, no signup.
File: Timeline-Payroll.exe · v1.0.0 · free for lifetime
What you get
One download. The whole payroll system.
Installer
~177 MB single .exe
Runs on
Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
Internet
Not required
Price
Free for lifetime
Timeline Payroll covers the full payroll cycle for a small team: employee records, daily attendance and overtime, automated gross-to-net calculation, one-click payslips, and reports your accountant can use. Every record stays on your own Windows PC, and there is no per-employee fee at any team size.
Inside the app
Every payroll module, in the free download
Six screenshots straight from the application. No tier upgrades, no paywalls.
Payroll processing and runs
Run monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly payroll in minutes. Gross pay, tax deductions, contributions, overtime, bonuses, and advances all computed locally. Generate payslips with one click.
Time tracking and attendance
Mark daily attendance, track leaves, overtime hours, half-days, and late-ins. Attendance feeds directly into the payroll run so salaries always match the days actually worked.
Activity logs and audit trail
Every edit, pay run, and adjustment is logged with date, user, and the old and new values. Your accountant and auditor get a clean trail without extra spreadsheets.
Reports and exports
Monthly salary sheets, staff payout reports, department-wise cost breakdowns, deductions by category, and exportable CSV/PDF files ready for your accountant.
Settings, currency and tax rules
Set your business name, currency, tax brackets, pay cycle, and deduction categories. Runs cleanly in the USA (USD), UK (GBP), Canada (CAD), Australia (AUD), and most English-speaking markets.
Install
How do you install Timeline Payroll on Windows?
Three steps, about 15 minutes from download to your first printed payslip.
- 1
Download the installer
Click the download button on this page. It saves Timeline-Payroll.exe (~177 MB) to your Downloads folder, directly from timelinedigi.com. No signup, no email, no license key.
- 2
Run the .exe
Double-click the downloaded file. The installer is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may ask once; choose "More info", then "Run anyway". It installs in about a minute on Windows 10 or 11.
- 3
Set up and run your first payroll
Open Timeline Payroll, set your company name, currency, and tax brackets in Settings, add your employees, confirm attendance for the pay period, then run payroll and print payslips. About 15 minutes end to end.
Windows SmartScreen may ask once
The installer is not code-signed, so the first time you run it Windows may show a blue SmartScreen panel. Click More info, then Run anyway. It does not come back after the first launch. If you want to check the file first, verify it against the SHA-256 checksum below.
File details
Exactly what you are downloading
- File name
- Timeline-Payroll.exe
- Version
- v1.0.0
- Size
- ~177 MB (176,809,472 bytes)
- Platform
- Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
- Price
- Free for lifetime, no subscription, no per-employee fee
- SHA-256
- ff1ac6e8fc58f74e06f085568565aaf5a2f2f413eaf266dd17ae5486410bed47
- Code signing
- Not code-signed. SmartScreen may ask once on first run; verify the checksum above if you want certainty about the file.
Unlimited employees, one Windows PC
There is no employee cap and no limit on pay runs. In practice, small businesses with up to 200 employees run Timeline Payroll comfortably on a standard laptop, from a freelance team of 2 upward. Everything lives in one offline database on a single PC, which is exactly what makes it fast, private, and free to operate.
If you grow past that point, or you need multiple branches, cloud sync, direct bank integration, or automated tax filing for your jurisdiction, Timeline Digital builds custom cloud-synced payroll systems on top of the same workflows. Talk to us about a custom build.
Comparing options first? See how Timeline Payroll stacks up against Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, Patriot, ADP RUN, and five others in our best payroll services for small business comparison.
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FAQ
Straight answers before you download
Is Timeline Payroll free forever, or is it a 30-day trial?+
Free forever. There is no 30-day free trial because there is nothing to trial into: the full application, every module, is free for lifetime, with no subscription, no credit card, no per-employee fee, and no feature lockout. If you searched for "30 day free trial payroll software", this is the simpler answer: you download it once and keep it.
Why does Windows SmartScreen warn me about the installer?+
Because the installer is not code-signed. Windows SmartScreen may ask once the first time you run a new unsigned .exe; choose "More info", then "Run anyway". The file is distributed only from timelinedigi.com, and you can verify it against the SHA-256 checksum published on this page before installing.
How do I verify the download with the SHA-256 checksum?+
Open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run Get-FileHash .\Timeline-Payroll.exe -Algorithm SHA256. The output should match the checksum published on this page: ff1ac6e8fc58f74e06f085568565aaf5a2f2f413eaf266dd17ae5486410bed47. If it does not match, delete the file and download it again from timelinedigi.com.
Does Timeline Payroll work offline?+
Yes. It is a desktop Windows application that runs 100% offline on a single PC. Employees, attendance, payroll runs, payslip generation, and reports all work without an internet connection, and every record stays on your own computer.
How many employees can I add?+
There is no cap. The free download supports unlimited employees on a single Windows PC. In practice, small businesses with up to 200 employees run Timeline Payroll comfortably on a standard laptop. Above 200 staff or with multiple branches, Timeline Digital can build a custom cloud-synced version on top of the same workflows.
Can I generate and print payslips?+
Yes. After each payroll run, click Generate Payslips. Timeline Payroll produces a printable PDF or direct print-ready payslip for every employee with their gross pay, deductions, overtime, net pay, and employer details. No fee is charged per payslip.
What happens to my data if I stop using the software?+
Nothing. Your data sits on your own Windows PC. You can export every employee record, payroll run, and report to CSV or PDF whenever you want. If you later migrate to a paid system, Timeline Digital can help you map the export so your history moves with you.
What if I outgrow the free version?+
Timeline Digital builds custom payroll software on top of the same workflows: multi-branch cloud sync, direct bank integration, country-specific tax filing automation, or deep links to your accounting system. The free desktop app is the starting point; message us on WhatsApp or use the contact form when you need more.
Run your first payroll this week
One installer, ~177 MB, Windows 10 or 11. No credit card, no email signup, no trial clock. Download it, add your employees, and print your first payslips in about 15 minutes.
Having trouble installing? Message us on WhatsApp or email info@timelinedigi.com