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Short answer
Gusto is our top pick among the 7 payroll tools we ranked, scoring 88/100. Paid plans start at $49/mo + $6/person.
Gusto (88/100): best for small businesses that want payroll, benefits and core people tools in one place.
OnPay (87/100): best value for multi-state payroll.
Rippling (82/100): best for growing companies that want payroll, benefits and employee records in one system.
RUN Powered by ADP (80/100): best for small businesses that want a large provider's compliance and help desk services.
Square Payroll (79/100): best for hourly, shift-based teams.
Payroll software calculates pay, withholds and files federal, state and local taxes, pays employees by direct deposit and produces W-2s and 1099s at year end. Almost every small-business tool now prices the same way, a monthly base fee plus a fee for each person paid, so the real comparison is what the base plan leaves out: multi-state payroll, next-day direct deposit, time tracking and access to HR help.
We scored seven payroll services on six weighted criteria. For a 10-person team on the entry full-service plan, published list prices run from $87 a month (Patriot Full Service, one state) to $120 (QuickBooks Workforce Payroll); Rippling and ADP quote by company, and ADP publishes no prices.
The shortlist
1Gusto Best for small businesses that want payroll, benefits and core people tools in one place88/100Review
2OnPay Best value for multi-state payroll87/100Review
3Rippling Best for growing companies that want payroll, benefits and employee records in one system82/100Review
4RUN Powered by ADP Best for small businesses that want a large provider's compliance and help desk services80/100Review
Starting prices are the entry plan that files payroll taxes for you, from each vendor's pricing page on Oct 28, 2026, billed monthly. Gusto's pricing page didn't load for us; its Simple price is from Gusto's comparison pages, and its Plus and Premium prices from a pricing guide published on gusto.com. Patriot and QuickBooks also advertise introductory discounts; these are the regular prices. Rippling lists only its per-employee starting price; ADP prices by quote.
The reviews
1
Gusto
Best for small businesses that want payroll, benefits and core people tools in one place
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It covers the most ground for a small team, from payroll and tax filing to benefits and HR support, and you can set it up for free before the first pay run.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It includes multi-state payroll and tax filing on its only plan, at the same price as Gusto's single-state Simple plan, and it shares the highest G2 rating here (4.8/5) with Patriot.
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.
Score breakdown
Payroll & tax filing (25%)4.5/5
Compliance & multi-state (15%)5/5
HR & benefits (15%)3.5/5
Time tracking & integrations (10%)3.5/5
Ease of use (15%)4.5/5
Price & value (20%)4.5/5
3
Rippling
Best for growing companies that want payroll, benefits and employee records in one system
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It has the widest product range here, so payroll, HR records, benefits and time tracking share one employee database as the company grows.
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.
Score breakdown
Payroll & tax filing (25%)4.5/5
Compliance & multi-state (15%)4.5/5
HR & benefits (15%)5/5
Time tracking & integrations (10%)5/5
Ease of use (15%)3.5/5
Price & value (20%)2.5/5
4
RUN Powered by ADP
Best for small businesses that want a large provider's compliance and help desk services
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It includes multi-state payroll on its entry package and offers the deepest HR and compliance services of any tool here.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It has the lowest full-service base fee here and includes multistate payroll, next-day direct deposit and tip tracking without add-ons.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It has the lowest per-worker fees here, a do-it-yourself plan for $17 a month and a 30-day free trial.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It includes next-day direct deposit on the entry plan, same-day deposit from Premium and tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year on Elite.
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.
Each tool gets a 0 to 5 rating on every criterion. We weight the ratings below, convert the total to a score out of 100, and only rank tools that score 70 or higher. Open any tool's Score breakdown to see its ratings. Full process on our methodology page.
Payroll & tax filing25%
Compliance & multi-state15%
HR & benefits15%
Time tracking & integrations10%
Ease of use15%
Price & value20%
How to choose payroll software
Price your headcount, not the base fee. At 10 people, OnPay and Gusto Simple both cost $109 a month, Square Payroll $95 and QuickBooks Workforce Payroll $120. Per-person fees decide the bill as you grow.
Check multi-state before you sign. OnPay, Square Payroll and ADP RUN include multi-state payroll on their entry plan. Gusto needs Plus, and Patriot charges $12 a month for each additional state.
Decide how fast you need to pay people. QuickBooks includes next-day direct deposit from Workforce Payroll and same-day from Premium; Gusto puts next-day on Plus or sells it as a Simple add-on.
Count the add-ons. OnPay's HR tools ($15 + $2 per worker) and time tracking ($15 + $4 per worker) can add $90 a month at 10 people. Price the bundle you will run.
Look past introductory offers. Patriot, QuickBooks and ADP all advertise discounts or free months for new customers. Compare the regular price you'll pay in month four.
Payroll FAQ
What is the best payroll software for small businesses?
Gusto scores highest in our ranking (88/100) for small businesses that want payroll, benefits and HR in one place. OnPay (87/100) is the best value if you pay people in more than one state, since all 50 states are included for $49 a month plus $6 per person.
How much does payroll software cost?
Most small-business payroll costs a monthly base fee plus a per-person fee. At published prices, full-service payroll for 10 employees costs $87 a month on Patriot Full Service, $95 on Square Payroll, $109 on Gusto Simple or OnPay and $120 on QuickBooks Workforce Payroll.
What is the cheapest payroll software?
Patriot Basic is $17 a month plus $4 per worker, but you file payroll taxes yourself. For full-service payroll that files taxes, Patriot ($37 + $5 per worker) and Square Payroll ($35 + $6 per person) are the cheapest here.
Does ADP publish RUN prices?
No. Each RUN Powered by ADP package (Essential, Enhanced, Complete and HR Pro) shows a Get pricing button, and ADP was advertising free months for new customers when we checked on Oct 28, 2026.