Best Payroll Software for Small Business, Compared

Payroll software for small business costs $87 to $153 a month for a 10-person team, as of November 2026, on the cheapest US plan that files your payroll taxes for you. Patriot, Square, SurePayroll and Wave are the cheapest. ADP's RUN, Paychex and Paylocity don't publish a price.

We read the pricing page of every provider here in November 2026. Every price links to its source, and quote-only providers are marked "not published" rather than estimated. There are no star ratings; the order below is by monthly cost for 10 people, cheapest first. Kloqk isn't a payroll company. We make a time clock that exports hours to most of these providers, and none of them pays us to be listed.

Quick comparison

Provider	Best for	Starting price	Per employee fee	Files taxes for you?	Source
Patriot	The lowest price with taxes filed	$17/mo (Basic) or $37/mo (Full Service)	$4 or $5 per worker paid	Full Service only	Pricing page
Square Payroll	Businesses already on Square, and contractor-only payroll	$35/mo (contractors only: no base fee)	$6 per person paid	Yes (full service)	Pricing page
SurePayroll	A flat, simple plan with automatic payroll runs	$29/mo per its price calculator	$7 per employee	Full Service only	Pricing page
Wave	Owners who keep their books in Wave	$40/mo	$6 per employee or contractor	Yes	Pricing page
Gusto	A first payroll system that grows into HR	$49/mo (Simple)	$6 per person	Yes	Pricing page
OnPay	Multi-state teams that want one flat plan	$49/mo	$6 per worker	Yes	Pricing page
ADP	Owners who want ADP's backing, or ADP's deeper HR packages	Roll: $59/mo. RUN: quote only	Roll: $7 per worker	Yes	Pricing page
Paycor	Teams that want HR and reporting with a published price	$99/mo (Basic)	$5 per employee	Yes	Pricing page
QuickBooks	Businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online	$88/mo (bundled with accounting)	$6.50 per employee	Yes	Pricing page
Remote	Paying people in more than one country	No base fee	From $19 per employee	Yes, in each country	Pricing page
Paychex	Owners who want a dedicated rep and a quote	Not published	Not published	Yes	Pricing page
Paylocity	Larger teams buying a full HR suite	Not published	Not published	Yes	Pricing page

The "best for" column is our judgment, and each one follows from the facts in that provider's section below.

What does payroll cost for 10 employees?

Almost every provider charges a monthly base fee for the company plus a fee for each person paid that month. The base fee grabs attention, but the total at your headcount is what you pay. Here it is for a team of 10:

Patriot is cheapest at $87. Square, SurePayroll and Wave all land within $13 of it. Remote costs the most because it has no base fee but charges $19 for every person, which adds up fast.

How does the cost change as you hire?

A high base fee hurts a 5-person shop and barely matters at 50. A high per employee fee works the other way. This chart follows four plans with very different mixes:

• Patriot Full Service
• Gusto Simple
• Paycor Basic
• Roll by ADP

Paycor Basic costs $45 more than Gusto Simple at 5 employees, then catches up: at 50 employees both cost $349 a month, because Paycor charges $1 less per person. Roll by ADP goes from third cheapest at 5 people to the most expensive of the four at 50. Patriot stays cheapest the whole way.

Plan	5 employees	10 employees	25 employees	50 employees
Patriot Full Service	$62	$87	$162	$287
Square Payroll	$65	$95	$185	$335
SurePayroll Full Service	$64	$99	$204	$379
Wave	$70	$100	$190	$340
Gusto Simple	$79	$109	$199	$349
Gusto Plus	$140	$200	$380	$680
OnPay	$79	$109	$199	$349
Roll by ADP	$94	$129	$234	$409
Paycor Basic	$124	$149	$224	$349
QuickBooks + Simple Start	$120.50	$153	$250.50	$413
Remote Global Payroll	$95	$190	$475	$950
ADP RUN, Paychex Flex, Paylocity	Not published (quote only)

Totals are before tax, add-ons and intro discounts. Gusto Plus is included because Gusto labels it its best value plan.

The 12 payroll providers, reviewed

Each section covers what the provider is, the features its own pages list, what it costs as of November 2026, the pros and cons, and who it fits.

1. Patriot: best for the lowest price with taxes filed

Patriot Software sells accounting and payroll to small businesses, and its payroll comes in two plans: one where you file the taxes and one where Patriot does.

Key features

• Unlimited payrolls and automatic payroll runs
• Direct deposit and an employee portal on both plans
• Pay contractors inside payroll
• Full Service adds federal, state and local tax filings and deposits, with year-end filings at no extra fee
• Time and attendance and HR software as add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each

Pricing

Basic Payroll is $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid. Full Service Payroll is $37 a month plus $5 per worker paid. New accounts get 30 days free, then 50% off both fees for 3 months. For 10 people on Full Service that's $87 a month.

Pros

• The cheapest published full-service price on this list
• Two clear plans, no quote needed
• Contractors paid in the same run

Cons

• Basic leaves tax filing to you, which is where small mistakes turn into penalties
• Time tracking and HR cost extra

See the current prices on Patriot's pricing page.

2. Square Payroll: best for businesses already on Square, and contractor-only payroll

Square Payroll is the payroll add-on inside the Square dashboard, so if you take payments with Square it shares your team and sales data.

Key features

• Automated federal and state tax payments and filings on full service
• Pay by check, direct deposit or Cash App
• Auto payroll, off-cycle payments, multistate payroll and multiple pay rates on full service
• Next-day direct deposit on full service
• Employee self-onboarding and the Square Team App

Pricing

Full-service payroll is $35 a month plus $6 per person paid. Contractor-only payroll is $6 per person paid with no base fee. Mailing paper W-2s or 1099s costs $3 per form a year if you opt in. 10 people on full service come to $95 a month.

Pros

• One of the cheapest full-service plans
• No base fee for contractor-only payroll
• No long-term contract

Cons

• Contractor-only skips tax filing, auto payroll and multistate payroll
• Makes the most sense if you already use Square

See the current prices on Square's payroll pricing page.

3. SurePayroll: best for a flat, simple plan with automatic payroll runs

SurePayroll, a Paychex company, sells online payroll to small businesses and households with one main plan.

Key features

• Payroll taxes filed and deposited on Full Service
• W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
• Unlimited payroll runs and free 2-day direct deposit
• Reports and pay stubs online, and payroll that runs on a schedule

Pricing

The price calculator uses $29 a month plus $7 per worker for Full Service, but another block on the same page showed $39 a month plus $7. The No Tax Filing plan showed $20 plus $4 per employee in one place and $29 in another. Multi-state payroll adds $9.99 a month, and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms cost $50 plus $5 per form, billed once a year. On the calculator price, 10 people cost $99 a month.

Pros

• Low base fee
• Unlimited payroll runs
• Household payroll plan if you also employ a nanny

Cons

• The page showed two different base fees when we read it, so confirm before you sign
• Year-end forms and extra states cost extra

See the current prices on SurePayroll's pricing page.

4. Wave: best for owners who keep their books in Wave

Wave is accounting software for very small businesses. Payroll is an add-on that posts straight into your Wave books.

Key features

• State and federal payroll taxes paid and filed for you, in all 50 states
• Direct deposit
• Employees log in for pay stubs and W-2s
• Payroll journal entries land in your Wave accounting automatically

Pricing

A $40 base fee plus $6 per active employee and $6 per contractor paid. Wave says the price is the same in every state. 10 people cost $100 a month.

Pros

• One price, no tiers
• Payroll and bookkeeping in one place
• Tax service in every state

Cons

• Little reason to choose it if your books live somewhere else
• Fewer HR tools than Gusto or OnPay

See the current prices on Wave's payroll page.

5. Gusto: best for a first payroll system that grows into HR

Gusto is the payroll company most small businesses look at first. It runs payroll and adds HR, benefits and time tools as you move up its plans.

Key features

• Unlimited payrolls with tax filings and payments on every plan
• Basic PTO policies and holiday pay on Simple
• Time tracking and scheduling, next day pay, multi-state payroll and contractor invoices on Plus
• A named advisor and compliance help on Premium

Pricing

Simple is $49 a month plus $6 per person, for payroll in one state. Plus is $80 plus $12 per person. Premium is $180 plus $22 per person. US contractors are billed at your plan's per person rate. Next day pay on Simple is $15 a month plus $3 per person. 10 people on Simple cost $109 a month; on Plus, $200.

Pros

• Clear published prices on every plan
• Simple covers most single-state small businesses
• Room to grow without switching providers

Cons

• Simple is limited to one state
• Plus doubles the per person fee

See the current prices on Gusto's pricing page.

6. OnPay: best for multi-state teams that want one flat plan

OnPay sells one payroll plan and lets you add HR, time tracking and benefits on top.

Key features

• W-2s, 1099s and year-end filings included
• Federal, state and local tax filings included
• Pay workers in as many states as you need
• Unlimited pay runs, and support by phone, chat and email
• No implementation or integration fees

Pricing

Payroll Essentials is $49 a month plus $6 per worker. Time tracking is $15 a month plus $4 per worker, and HR is $15 plus $2 per worker. 10 people cost $109 a month.

Pros

• Multi-state payroll included at the base price
• No setup fees
• One plan, easy to budget

Cons

• Time tracking and HR are paid add-ons
• No lower-cost plan for owners who file their own taxes

See the current prices on OnPay's pricing page.

7. ADP: best for owners who want ADP's backing, or ADP's deeper HR packages

ADP calls itself the biggest name in payroll. For small businesses it sells RUN Powered by ADP, in four packages for 1 to 49 employees, and Roll by ADP, a payroll app you run by chatting.

Key features

• RUN Essential: payroll processing and tax filing, automated recurring payroll and 24/7 live payroll support
• RUN Enhanced adds hiring tools, state unemployment insurance services, background checks and wage garnishment processing
• RUN Complete and HR Pro add live HR support, a handbook wizard, legal assistance and an applicant tracking system
• Roll: payroll, tax filing and built-in time tracking in one app

Pricing

RUN is quote only; the page shows Get Pricing where a price would go. Roll is free for 3 months, then $59 a month plus $7 per W-2 employee or 1099 contractor paid that month. 10 people on Roll cost $129 a month.

Pros

• Deep HR and compliance options in RUN
• Roll has one published price and includes time tracking
• Support around the clock

Cons

• RUN prices are quote only, so you can't compare without a sales call
• Roll costs more per worker than most plans here

See the current prices on ADP's RUN page.

8. Paycor: best for teams that want HR and reporting with a published price

Paycor sells payroll and HR software and is one of the few mid-market providers that posts prices for small businesses.

Key features

• Federal and state tax filing, direct deposit and auto-run payroll on Basic
• Employee self-service and a mobile app for pay stubs and time off requests
• Standard and custom reports
• On-demand pay and in-product compliance tools

Pricing

Basic is $99 a month plus $5 per employee. Essential is $149 plus $6 per employee in the plan table (the plan cards on the same page say $7). Complete is $199 plus $7, and HCM is $199 plus $12. Setup fees run from $59 to $199 by plan, and Paycor advertises 50% off for 6 months. 10 people on Basic cost $149 a month.

Pros

• Real HR and reporting tools on the cheapest plan
• Low per employee fee, so cost grows slowly with headcount
• Published prices

Cons

• The highest base fee of the published plans
• Setup fees, which most cheaper providers skip

See the current prices on Paycor's small business pricing page.

9. QuickBooks Payroll: best for businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Payroll is Intuit's payroll, now sold mostly as a bundle with QuickBooks Online accounting.

Key features

• Full service payroll: QuickBooks calculates, files and pays your payroll taxes
• Garnishments and deductions set up per paycheck
• Auto payroll for salaried employees on direct deposit
• Reports on payroll history, contractor payments, paid time off and tax payments

Pricing

Workforce Payroll + Simple Start is $88 a month plus $6.50 per employee. Workforce Payroll + Essentials is $125 plus $6.50 per employee. Workforce Premium + Plus is $203 plus $10 per employee. The 50% promo applies to the base fee for 3 months. If you already have QuickBooks Online you can add payroll, but the page doesn't list that price. 10 people on the cheapest bundle cost $153 a month.

Pros

• Payroll posts straight into QuickBooks
• Accounting included in the price

Cons

• You pay for accounting software whether you need it or not
• The add-on price for existing QuickBooks users isn't published

See the current prices on QuickBooks' payroll pricing page.

10. Remote: best for paying people in more than one country

Remote is built for companies that hire across borders. Its products are priced per person with no base fee.

Key features

• Global Payroll: gross-to-net calculated locally, with tax filings and statutory contributions handled in each country
• Time off, timesheets and expenses sync
• Reports by country, entity and cost center
• US PEO for hiring across states without an entity in each one

Pricing

Global Payroll starts at $19 per employee a month. The US PEO starts at $99 per employee a month. Contractor Management starts at $29 per contractor a month, and Employer of Record starts at $599 per employee a month on annual contracts. 10 people on Global Payroll cost $190 a month.

Pros

• No base fee
• Covers employees and contractors abroad

Cons

• Usually more than a US-only business needs
• The most expensive published option here from 10 people up

See the current prices on Remote's pricing page.

11. Paychex: best for owners who want a dedicated rep and a quote

Paychex is one of the biggest payroll and HR companies in the US, with four small business packages: Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete.

Key features

• Run payroll in as few as two clicks
• Payroll taxes calculated, paid and filed automatically
• Employee self-service
• Automations that flag missing time punches before payroll

Pricing

Not published. Paychex's page asks you to request pricing or get a quote.

Pros

• A range of packages from basic payroll to a full HR suite
• Also owns SurePayroll and Paycor, if you'd rather have a published price

Cons

• No public price, so comparing means a sales call
• Hard to know the real cost until you're well into the process

See the current prices on Paychex's small business payroll page.

12. Paylocity: best for larger teams buying a full HR suite

Paylocity sells payroll alongside HR, finance and IT modules, and is usually bought through a demo.

Key features

• Automated and custom payroll workflows
• More than 30 payroll audits with automatic alerts
• On-time tax filings and on-demand pay options
• Time collection by mobile, web, kiosk or time clock in its workforce module

Pricing

Not published. Paylocity's pricing page asks you to request pricing.

Pros

• Broad HR and workforce tools in one system
• Payroll in more than 100 countries

Cons

• No public price
• More system than a 10-person shop needs

See the current prices on Paylocity's pricing page.

What the base price leaves out

Your bill won't match the table exactly. These are the extras we saw on the providers' own pages:

• Setup fees. Paycor charges $59 to $199 depending on the plan. Most of the cheaper providers don't charge one, and OnPay says it has no implementation fees.
• Year-end forms. SurePayroll bills W-2 and 1099 forms at $50 plus $5 per form a year. Square charges $3 per mailed form if you want paper copies. OnPay and Patriot Full Service include year-end filings.
• More than one state. Gusto keeps multi-state payroll off Simple. SurePayroll adds $9.99 a month. OnPay includes it.
• Faster pay. Gusto's next day pay is $15 a month plus $3 per person on Simple.
• Contractors. Gusto, Roll by ADP and Wave charge for a contractor the same way as for an employee in any month they're paid.
• Promos. Intro discounts at Patriot, QuickBooks, Paycor and Roll by ADP make the first few months cheaper than the rest of the year.

How to choose a payroll provider

Start with three questions, then compare totals at your own headcount.

• Do you want to file payroll taxes yourself? Almost nobody should. Late or wrong filings cost more than the fee difference. That rules out Patriot Basic and SurePayroll's No Tax Filing plan for most owners.
• What do you already use? On Square, use Square Payroll. Books in QuickBooks or Wave, use theirs, so payroll lands in the ledger without a second login.
• How many states and countries? One state: Gusto Simple, Patriot or Square. Several states: OnPay includes it, Gusto needs Plus. Several countries: Remote.
• Mostly 1099 contractors? Square's contractor-only plan, at $6 per person paid with no base fee.
• Need HR, onboarding and reporting too? Paycor has published prices. Get quotes from ADP RUN, Paychex and Paylocity as well.

Get a written quote from at least one quote-only provider even if you expect to pick a published plan. Sales reps have room to discount, and a written number from ADP is a fair thing to show Gusto.

Where do the hours come from?

Every provider here pays hourly staff from hours somebody entered. Those hours usually come off paper time cards, a spreadsheet, or a time clock, and that's where most payroll errors start: a missed punch, overtime counted per pay period instead of per workweek, a lunch that should have been unpaid.

Some payroll plans include time tracking (Gusto Plus, Roll by ADP, OnPay as an add-on). Many owners keep a separate time clock instead, so it works with whichever payroll provider they're on this year.

Kloqk's export formats cover Gusto, ADP (RUN and Workforce Now), Paychex Flex, QuickBooks Payroll, Rippling, Paylocity, Square Payroll, OnPay and Justworks, plus a detailed CSV of everything for any other provider. The Paychex file is Paychex Flex's own Payroll Upload layout, which the Paychex time clock page explains, and our Paychex time and attendance guide walks through it. Hours arrive split into regular and overtime by your state's rules (see overtime tracking), with breaks applied the way you set them. The rest of the clock is on the time and attendance page, and plans are on the pricing page.

Before you switch payroll providers

• Switch at the start of a quarter if you can, so only one provider touches each quarter's filings.
• Pull year-to-date totals for every employee from the old provider. The new one needs them for W-2s.
• Check each person's pay rate, tax setup and direct deposit details after the move.
• Run one payroll in parallel and compare net pay person by person.
• Match your time clock's export to the new provider before the first real payroll.