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The best payroll software for small businesseswith real prices, November 2026

Payroll pricing is usually a monthly base fee plus a fee per employee, so the cheapest tool depends on your headcount. Full-service tools file and pay your payroll taxes for you; cheaper basic plans may leave tax filing to you.

We compare independently. Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our prices, order or verdicts. How we make money

  1. 1

    Gusto

    Easy full-service payroll with benefits and HR add-ons.

    $49/mo

    starting price

    All Gusto plansVisit Gusto
  2. 2

    OnPay

    One simple plan with everything included.

    $49/mo

    starting price

    All OnPay plansVisit OnPay
  3. 3

    QuickBooks Payroll

    Businesses already on QuickBooks Online.

    $50/mo

    starting price

    All QuickBooks Payroll plansVisit QuickBooks Payroll
  4. 4

    ADP

    Growing businesses that want a large provider; price on request.

    Quote

    price on request

    All ADP plansVisit ADP
  5. 5

    Patriot Payroll

    Low-cost basic payroll if you're comfortable filing taxes yourself.

    $17/mo

    starting price

    All Patriot Payroll plansVisit Patriot Payroll
  6. 6

    Square Payroll

    Businesses already using Square for payments.

    $35/mo

    starting price · free plan

    All Square Payroll plansVisit Square Payroll

What to check before you buy

  • Add up base fee + (per-employee fee × your headcount); that's your real monthly cost.
  • Is tax filing included (full service), or do you file and pay taxes yourself?
  • Do you pay contractors too? Some plans charge for them separately.
  • Do you need benefits, time tracking or HR tools, and are they included or add-ons?

Prices come from each vendor's official pricing page. See how we check prices or browse the full SaaS Price Tracker.