Short answer
OnPay is our top pick for small businesses, scoring 88/100 when price and ease of use carry more weight. Paid plans start at $49/mo + $6/person (One plan; HR add-on $15 + $2/worker, time tracking $15 + $4/worker).
This list uses the same tools and ratings as our main payroll tools ranking, reweighted for teams of roughly 1 to 50 people: price and ease of use count for more, and enterprise depth counts for less. Tools that score 70 or higher on the small-business weights are included.
The reviews
Starting price$49/mo + $6/personOne plan; HR add-on $15 + $2/worker, time tracking $15 + $4/worker
Free trial / planFirst month free
Main score87/100
OnPay is full-service payroll with one base plan: $49 a month plus $6 per person paid. It includes unlimited pay runs, tax filings and payments in all 50 states, W-2s and 1099s, and integrations with no extra fee. HR tools, time tracking, compliance resources and live HR support are paid add-ons.
Who it's best for
Small businesses with employees or contractors in more than one state that want one simple price.
Strengths
- Tax filing in all 50 states included at $49 + $6 per person
- No per-pay-run or integration fees
- Rated 4.8/5 on G2
Watch-outs
- HR tools cost $15 + $2 per worker a month extra
- Time tracking is a $15 + $4 per worker add-on
- Mailed year-end forms cost $10 each
Skip it if: You want HR, time tracking and payroll bundled on one plan without add-ons.
Read our full OnPay review →
Starting price$49/mo + $6/personSimple, single-state; Plus $80 + $12/person; Premium $180 + $22/person
Free trial / planFree to set up; you pay once you run payroll
Main score88/100
Gusto is full-service payroll with built-in HR and benefits administration. Simple ($49 a month plus $6 per person) covers single-state payroll, tax filing and core HR; Plus ($80 plus $12 per person) adds multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit and time tracking; Premium ($180 plus $22 per person) adds access to HR experts. A Contractor plan costs $35 a month plus $6 per contractor.
Who it's best for
Small businesses that want payroll, health benefits administration and core HR handled by one tool.
Strengths
- Payroll, core HR and health benefits administration in one product
- Contractor-only plan at $35 a month plus $6 per contractor
- Rated 4.6/5 on G2 across more than 13,000 reviews
Watch-outs
- Simple is single-state; multi-state payroll needs Plus ($80 + $12 per person)
- Next-day direct deposit is a Plus feature or a Simple add-on
- Per-person fees double from Simple to Plus
Skip it if: You have employees in several states and want that on the cheapest plan; OnPay includes all 50 states for $49 + $6.
Read our full Gusto review →
Starting price$37/mo + $5/workerFull Service Payroll; Basic (you file taxes) $17 + $4/worker
Free trial / plan30 days free, then 50% off for 3 months
Main score78/100
Patriot Payroll comes in two plans. Basic ($17 a month plus $4 per worker) runs payroll and direct deposit while you file taxes yourself; Full Service ($37 plus $5 per worker) adds federal, state and local tax filings and deposits. Each additional state costs $12 a month, and time and attendance and HR software are add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.
Who it's best for
Businesses with a few employees in one state that want the lowest per-worker price and don't need HR tools.
Strengths
- $5 per worker on Full Service, $4 on Basic
- 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months
- Rated 4.8/5 on G2
Watch-outs
- Each additional state costs $12 a month
- Basic doesn't file taxes for you
- Time tracking and HR are separate add-ons
Skip it if: You have employees in several states or want benefits and HR in the same tool.
Read our full Patriot Payroll review →
Starting price$35/mo + $6/personFull-service; contractor-only $6/person with no base fee
Free trial / planNo trial listed; no long-term contract
Main score79/100
Square Payroll is full-service payroll for $35 a month plus $6 per person paid. It includes federal and state tax filings, multistate payroll, next-day direct deposit, scheduling, overtime calculations and direct-tip tracking. Contractor-only payroll costs $6 per person with no base fee.
Who it's best for
Restaurants, retailers and service businesses with hourly staff, especially those already using Square for payments.
Strengths
- Lowest full-service base fee here at $35 a month
- Multistate payroll and next-day direct deposit included
- Contractor-only payroll at $6 per person, no base fee
Watch-outs
- Health insurance, 401(k) and workers' comp are add-ons
- Thin HR tools compared with Gusto or Rippling
- Few G2 reviews (31) to judge by
Skip it if: You need HR features such as an HR resource center or an HR advisor.
Read our full Square Payroll review →
Starting price$50/mo + $7/employeeWorkforce Payroll; Premium $88 + $13; Elite $134 + $17
Free trial / plan30-day trial of the base price, or 50% off for 3 months
Main score77/100
QuickBooks Payroll, now sold as QuickBooks Workforce, works with or without QuickBooks Online. Workforce Payroll ($50 a month plus $7 per employee) includes next-day direct deposit; Premium ($88 plus $13) adds same-day direct deposit, time tracking and an HR resource center; Elite ($134 plus $17) adds expert setup, a certified HR advisor and tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year.
Who it's best for
Small businesses whose bookkeeping already runs in QuickBooks Online and want payroll to post there automatically.
Strengths
- Next-day direct deposit on the entry plan, same-day from Premium
- Time tracking included from Premium
- Elite covers tax penalties up to $25,000 a year
Watch-outs
- Highest published entry price here ($50 + $7 per employee)
- HR advisor access needs Elite ($134 + $17)
- Time tracking isn't on the entry plan
Skip it if: You don't use QuickBooks for accounting and want the lowest price.
Read our full QuickBooks Payroll review →
Starting priceFrom $8/employee/moPlus a monthly base fee; quoted by the products you choose
Free trial / planNo trial listed; 6 months free for eligible VC-backed startups
Main score82/100
Rippling is a modular workforce platform. You pick products, such as payroll, global payroll, contractor payments, HRIS, benefits administration and time and attendance, and Rippling quotes a price that starts at $8 per employee per month plus a monthly base fee.
Who it's best for
Companies that expect to add HR, benefits, time tracking or international hires to payroll.
Strengths
- Payroll, HRIS, benefits and time tracking on one employee record
- Global payroll and contractor payments in the same platform
- Rated 4.7/5 on G2 across more than 14,000 reviews
Watch-outs
- Only a starting price is published; the base fee and module prices come from a quote
- No free trial listed
- More setup than a payroll-only tool
Skip it if: You only need to pay a handful of employees in one state.
Read our full Rippling review →
Starting pricePricing on requestFour packages: Essential, Enhanced, Complete and HR Pro
Free trial / planPromotional free months for new customers
Main score80/100
RUN Powered by ADP is ADP's payroll service for businesses with 1 to 49 employees. Essential covers payroll, direct deposit, tax filing, multi-state payroll and onboarding; Enhanced adds state unemployment management, job costing and labor law posters; Complete adds an HR HelpDesk and handbook wizard; HR Pro adds applicant tracking, training and legal assistance.
Who it's best for
Small businesses that expect to need HR help desk support, compliance services and add-ons such as workers' compensation from one large provider.
Strengths
- Multi-state payroll and tax filing on the entry package
- HR HelpDesk, handbook and legal assistance on higher packages
- Rated 4.7/5 on G2 across more than 6,000 reviews
Watch-outs
- No published prices; every package shows Get pricing
- Time tracking, retirement and health insurance are add-ons
- Promotional free months make the year-one cost hard to compare
Skip it if: You want to see the full price before you talk to sales.
Read our full RUN Powered by ADP review →
How we weighted this list
| Criterion | Main ranking | Small business |
|---|
| Payroll & tax filing | 25% | 16% |
| Compliance & multi-state | 15% | 9% |
| HR & benefits | 15% | 9% |
| Time tracking & integrations | 10% | 6% |
| Ease of use | 15% | 26% |
| Price & value | 20% | 34% |
FAQ
What are the best payroll tools for small businesses?
OnPay scores highest (88/100) once price and ease of use carry more weight, followed by Gusto, Patriot Payroll.
How is this different from your main ranking?
Same tools and the same 0 to 5 ratings, but price and ease of use count for more, because small teams rarely have an admin or a big budget. The weights are in the table on this page. Patriot Payroll move into the top three as a result.
Which payroll tools are cheapest for a small team?
See the starting prices in the comparison table; free plans and trials are listed next to them. Price the plan that covers your team size, not only the entry plan.
What should a small business look for?
A free plan or low entry price, quick setup without an admin, and the two or three features you need on day one. Avoid paying for enterprise controls you won't use yet.
Vettlo Editorial TeamResearched and written by the Vettlo editorial team using our methodology. Prices and plan details come from each vendor's public pricing page.