Gusto is the best payroll software for small business if you want full-service payroll, tax filing, benefits, HR features, and an easy employee experience in one platform. OnPay is the better value pick if you want one flat full-service plan at $49/mo plus $6/employee/mo with every feature included.
This guide compares US payroll software for small business by the cost that actually shows up on the bill: base fee plus per-employee fee. QuickBooks Payroll is best for existing QuickBooks users, Patriot is the cheapest full-service payroll option here, and Rippling is the broad HR-plus-IT platform for teams that need more than payroll.
Quick comparison
| Rank | Tool | Best for | Base price | Per-employee price | 10-employee example | Key limit or catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | Best all-around full-service payroll | Simple $49/mo; Plus $80/mo; Premium $180/mo; Contractor Only $35/mo | Simple $6/employee/mo; Plus $12/employee/mo; Premium $22/employee/mo; Contractor Only $6/contractor/mo | Simple: $109/mo | HR/time depth is gated to Plus and Premium; base fee rose to $49 in 2026 |
| 2 | OnPay | Best value full-service payroll | $49/mo, one plan | $6/employee/mo | $109/mo | One plan only; fewer native integrations than QuickBooks-tied options |
| 3 | QuickBooks Payroll | Best for QuickBooks accounting users | Core $50/mo; Premium $85/mo; Elite $130/mo | Core $6/employee/mo; Premium $9/employee/mo; Elite $11/employee/mo | Core: $110/mo; Premium: $175/mo | Best value mainly if you already use QuickBooks; promos can hide month-4 cost |
| 4 | Patriot Software | Cheapest full-service payroll | Basic $17/mo; Full Service $37/mo | Basic $4/employee/mo; Full Service $5/employee/mo | Full Service: $87/mo | Basic does not file payroll taxes for you |
| 5 | Rippling | Payroll bundled with HR and IT | Quote-based; no public fixed base tier | Platform starts around $8/employee/mo; payroll typically adds about $6-$10/employee/mo; HR+payroll buyers report about $25-$50/employee/mo all-in | Quote-based | Modular pricing climbs as payroll, HR, IT, global, and contractor features are added |
1. Gusto -- best all-around payroll for small business
Gusto is the strongest all-around choice because it combines full-service payroll, automatic federal/state/local tax filing, unlimited pay runs, direct deposit, W-2/1099 handling, benefits administration, employee self-onboarding, and integrations in a platform built for small businesses.
Best for: Small teams that want payroll, benefits, and HR in one easy system.
Not for: Buyers who only care about the cheapest possible full-service payroll bill.
What stands out: Gusto's advantage is breadth without feeling like an enterprise HCM suite. Simple covers the payroll basics, while Plus and Premium add more HR/time depth for growing teams.
Drawback: The per-employee fee climbs quickly on higher tiers: $12/employee/mo on Plus and $22/employee/mo on Premium. The cheapest Simple tier also omits some HR/time features a growing team may want, which can push the real buyer to the $80/mo Plus tier.
Pricing: Simple is $49/mo base plus $6/employee/mo. Plus is $80/mo base plus $12/employee/mo. Premium is $180/mo base plus $22/employee/mo. Contractor Only is $35/mo base plus $6/contractor/mo. A 10-employee business on Simple pays $49 plus $60, or $109/mo.
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2. OnPay -- best value full-service payroll
OnPay ranks second because it makes the price decision simple: $49/mo base plus $6/employee/mo, with all features included. There are no payroll tiers to decode before you know whether multi-state payroll, HR tools, benefits, W-2/1099, direct deposit, tax filing, tax-accuracy guarantee, and QuickBooks/Xero integrations are included.
Best for: Cost-conscious small businesses that want full-service payroll without tier games.
Not for: Teams that want a premium concierge tier or the most polished brand/interface.
What stands out: OnPay has the same headline entry price as Gusto Simple, but the value is that benefits and HR tools are included in the one plan rather than pushed into higher tiers.
Drawback: The brand is less familiar than Gusto or QuickBooks, and the interface is more utilitarian than Gusto's. It also has one plan only, which is clean for value but leaves no premium concierge path.
Pricing: OnPay is $49/mo base plus $6/employee/mo. A 10-employee business pays $49 plus $60, or $109/mo. A 25-employee business pays $49 plus $150, or $199/mo. The first month is free.
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3. QuickBooks Payroll -- best for QuickBooks users
QuickBooks Payroll is the right shortlist pick if payroll needs to live tightly beside QuickBooks accounting. It includes full-service payroll and tax filing, tier-dependent same/next-day direct deposit, native QuickBooks accounting sync, QuickBooks Time on Premium and higher, workers-comp administration, and tax-penalty protection on Elite.
Best for: Businesses already running QuickBooks accounting.
Not for: A standalone payroll buyer who wants the easiest or lowest effective price.
What stands out: The books-to-payroll integration is the reason to choose it. If payroll and accounting already live in the same QuickBooks workflow, the tighter sync can matter more than a lower sticker price elsewhere.
Drawback: Core is thin. The realistic starting tier for many teams is Premium at $85/mo plus $9/employee/mo, which is pricier than Gusto or OnPay entry pricing. The frequent 50%-off-for-3-months promo can also create a month-4 budget surprise.
Pricing: Core is $50/mo base plus $6/employee/mo. Premium is $85/mo base plus $9/employee/mo. Elite is $130/mo base plus $11/employee/mo. A 10-employee business pays $110/mo on Core, $175/mo on Premium, or $240/mo on Elite before any short-term promo.
4. Patriot Software -- cheapest full-service payroll
Patriot is the budget pick because Full Service Payroll is $37/mo base plus $5/employee/mo, the lowest full-service price in this comparison. It is payroll-first rather than an all-in-one people platform, but that is exactly the trade some small businesses want.
Best for: Budget-first teams that want automated tax filing and transparent pricing.
Not for: Teams that want deeper benefits, HR features, integrations, or a more polished interface.
What stands out: Patriot is the cheapest full-service option here. Full Service for 10 employees is $37 plus $50, or $87/mo.
Drawback: Basic Payroll does not file your payroll taxes; you file them yourself. For automatic tax filing, use Full Service at $37/mo plus $5/employee/mo. Patriot is also thinner on benefits and HR than Gusto.
Pricing: Basic Payroll is $17/mo base plus $4/employee/mo, but it does not include automated tax filing. Full Service Payroll is $37/mo base plus $5/employee/mo and includes automated tax filing. A 10-employee business on Full Service pays $87/mo.
5. Rippling -- most powerful broad platform
Rippling is the broadest tool here because payroll sits inside a wider HR and IT platform with device/app management, 600+ integrations, automation/workflows, global and contractor options, and a modern UX. That power is useful for a fast-scaling team, but it is more platform than a small business usually needs for payroll alone.
Best for: Fast-scaling businesses that want payroll, HR, and IT in one system.
Not for: A small business that mainly needs straightforward payroll and tax filing.
What stands out: Rippling can handle payroll alongside HR and IT workflows, which none of the simpler payroll-first tools are trying to match.
Drawback: Pricing is quote-based and modular. The published platform floor is not the same as a real payroll+HR bill, and cost climbs as modules are added.
Pricing: Rippling's platform starts around $8/employee/mo. Payroll typically adds about $6-$10/employee/mo on top, and most HR+payroll buyers report about $25-$50/employee/mo all-in. Module and global pricing is quote-based, with no precise public tier to calculate like the other tools.
Gusto vs OnPay
Gusto and OnPay start at the same headline cost for full-service payroll: $49/mo base plus $6/employee/mo. For 10 employees, both are $109/mo at entry.
Pick Gusto if you want the more polished all-around payroll, benefits, and HR platform, and you are willing to move into Plus or Premium as the team grows. Pick OnPay if you want the best value: one $49 plus $6 plan with every feature included and no tier upsell.
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll
Pick QuickBooks Payroll if your business already runs on QuickBooks accounting and the accounting sync is the main reason to buy. Core is $50/mo plus $6/employee/mo, but many teams will look at Premium at $85/mo plus $9/employee/mo for the more realistic feature set.
Pick Gusto if you want an easier standalone payroll and benefits platform. Gusto Simple is $49/mo plus $6/employee/mo, and the Plus/Premium tiers add deeper HR and time features without requiring the business to be built around QuickBooks.
How we picked
SoftwareSift ranked these tools on all-in cost, full-service payroll and tax filing, ease for a small team, feature completeness, and fit. Commission is not a ranking input: Gusto leads as the best all-around SMB payroll platform, OnPay follows as the best value, QuickBooks wins for existing QuickBooks users, Patriot wins on cheapest full-service pricing, and Rippling wins on broad HR+IT power.
Alternatives we considered
Enterprise HCM suites and international EOR-first platforms are outside this shortlist. This article is focused on US small-business payroll software: running payroll, filing and paying payroll taxes, direct deposit, W-2/1099 handling, and practical HR/benefits add-ons.
FAQ
What is the best payroll software for a small business?
Gusto is the best all-around pick for full-service payroll, benefits, and HR in one easy platform. OnPay is the best value at $49/mo plus $6/employee/mo with all features included. Patriot is the cheapest full-service payroll option at $37/mo plus $5/employee/mo.
Gusto vs OnPay: which should I pick?
Pick Gusto for polish, benefits, HR depth, and room to grow into Plus or Premium. Pick OnPay for value: the same $49 base plus $6/employee entry price as Gusto Simple, but with all features included in one plan.
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll: which is better?
QuickBooks Payroll is better if you already use QuickBooks accounting and want the tightest books-to-payroll integration. Gusto is better if you want easier standalone payroll, benefits, and HR, and it often has a lower effective entry cost than QuickBooks Premium.
What is the cheapest payroll software for small business?
Patriot is the cheapest full-service payroll option here. Full Service Payroll is $37/mo base plus $5/employee/mo, so 10 employees cost $87/mo. Patriot Basic is cheaper at $17/mo plus $4/employee/mo, but you file payroll taxes yourself.
Why is Rippling ranked lower if it is the broadest platform?
Rippling is powerful, but it is quote-based and broader than pure payroll. For a fast-scaling team that wants HR and IT in one system, that scope can be worth it. For a typical small business that mainly needs payroll and tax filing, Gusto, OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll, or Patriot are cleaner fits.