Best Payroll Software for Accountants (2026): Partner Programs Compared

Gusto says more than 23,000 accounting firms use Gusto Pro. The dashboard puts every client’s payroll in one view, with a cross-client task list, compliance alerts, and prompts about opportunities such as workers’ comp, retirement plan mandates and R&D tax credits that you can raise with clients.

The partner program grows with your book. At the start you get the dashboard, training, certifications and migration support. Once your first client joins, your firm gets free payroll and HR, which Gusto’s FAQ describes as free Gusto Plus when you onboard at least one client per year. Larger books unlock up to 20% revenue share, dedicated partner support and a featured listing in Gusto’s Partner Directory.

Which plan to pick: for each client you choose a billing method: client billed with revenue share, client billed with a partner discount, or firm billed, where you pay Gusto and set your own rate. Client plans are Simple ($49 a month plus $6 per person), Plus ($80 plus $12) and Premium ($180 plus $22).

Watch out for: migration effort. Gusto’s Payroll Transfer Automation imports employee details from ADP Run and QuickBooks payroll files, but company information and past payroll totals still need to be entered manually. Gusto Pro partners get onboarding help and free payroll transfers.

If most of your clients already use QuickBooks Online, Intuit’s payroll is the path of least resistance: payroll posts straight into the same file you reconcile, and you manage it from Intuit Accountant Suite. Intuit now sells its payroll under the QuickBooks Workforce name, in three tiers: Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium and Workforce Elite.

The ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing program is Intuit’s only ongoing discount. With the ProAdvisor discount, Intuit bills your firm and you get 30% off the base subscription plus 15% off employee and contractor fees, ongoing. That takes Workforce Payroll from $50 a month plus $7 per employee to $35 plus $5.95. The Direct discount bills the client at 30% off the base for 12 months. A revenue share option gives the client 50% off the first 3 months instead.

Which plan to pick: Workforce Payroll for most clients, on the ProAdvisor discount if you bundle payroll into your fees. Intuit also offers 65% off for 2 years when you move 5 or more clients from Enhanced Payroll for Accountants to QuickBooks Workforce.

Watch out for: list price differences. The QuickBooks Online prices on Intuit’s accountant page did not match its retail pricing page when we checked, so confirm the payroll price in Intuit Accountant Suite before you quote clients.

OnPay’s partner program is straightforward. Every partner gets free payroll for the firm, free client setup and marketing resources, plus a discount that grows with your book: 10% for 1 to 2 clients, 15% for 3 to 19 and 20% for 20 to 49. Partners can pass the discount to clients or take a revenue share instead, and can have OnPay bill clients or bill them directly.

It suits firms with a mix of client types. OnPay’s single client plan at $49 a month plus $6 per worker includes multi-state payroll, and OnPay says it handles distinct cases such as restaurants, farms and churches. Its accounting integrations sync after every pay run, with custom item mapping and employee-level detail, and the accountant dashboard supports multiple permission levels so you can delegate to staff or hand payroll to clients.

Which plan to pick: join the partner program before you move your first client, so setup and migration are handled by OnPay’s partner team.

Watch out for: client add-ons. HR tools, time tracking and live HR support each add to a client’s bill. The partner page did not list the discount for 50 or more clients, so ask if your book is that large.

Patriot keeps client payroll cheap, which matters for firms serving very small businesses. Its retail Full Service plan is $37 a month plus $5 per worker, and Basic, where you or your client file the taxes, is $17 plus $4. Partners get 5% to 30% off every Patriot product, including payroll, accounting, time and attendance and HR, with deeper discounts as active clients increase.

Patriot bills your firm at reduced rates, so you can invoice clients at your own fees. Partners also get free expedited direct deposit for approved clients, free co-branding and, with six or more active clients, free accounting and payroll for their own firm.

Which plan to pick: Full Service for clients who want you to hand off tax filing entirely; Basic for clients where your firm files payroll taxes as part of its service.

Watch out for: integrations and scale. If your clients use Xero or another ledger, check how payroll will get into their books before you move them. Firms managing large books may miss Gusto Pro’s cross-client task list and advisory prompts.