Best Payroll Software for 1 Employee (2026): Cheapest Full-Service Options

Patriot has the cheapest plan in this guide, and its full-service plan is within about $1 of Square’s. Full Service Payroll at $37 a month plus $5 per worker, about $42 with one employee, files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes, handles year-end filings at no extra fee, and guarantees its tax filings. You pay the per-worker fee once a month no matter how many payrolls you run, and in months with no payroll you pay only the base fee.

Basic Payroll at $17 plus $4 per worker is cheaper still, about $21 a month, but it only calculates payroll. You make the tax deposits and file the forms yourself.

Which plan to pick: Full Service for most owners. The extra $21 a month hands tax deposits and filings to Patriot, so you are not the one tracking deposit deadlines and Form 941 due dates.

Watch out for: multiple states. If your one employee lives in a different state from your business, the extra state fee adds $12 a month on Full Service.

SurePayroll, owned by Paychex, has the lowest monthly fee for full-service payroll in this guide: $29 a month plus $7 per employee, or about $36 with one employee. The Full Service plan files and deposits your payroll taxes, runs unlimited payrolls and pays by two-day direct deposit.

The catch is year-end forms. SurePayroll’s pricing page bills W-2 and 1099-NEC forms once a year, at a $50 base fee plus $5 per form. With one employee that adds about $55 a year, which brings the real cost to about $41 a month, level with Square and about $1 less than Patriot Full Service.

Which plan to pick: Full Service. The No Tax Filing plan ($20 a month plus $4 per employee, about $24 with one employee) costs more than Patriot Basic and also leaves the filings to you.

Watch out for: the base fee shown at signup. SurePayroll lists $29 on its pricing page, but some of its other pages show $39.

Square Payroll is full-service payroll at close to Patriot’s price: $35 a month plus $6 per person paid, or about $41 with one employee. Square calculates, withholds and files federal and state payroll taxes, including state unemployment, and supports multiple tax jurisdictions.

It is a natural fit if you already take payments with Square, since hours come in from Square POS or the Square Team App.

Which plan to pick: full-service payroll. The contractor-only plan at $6 per person is only for businesses that pay 1099 contractors and no employees.

Watch out for: support hours if you run payroll outside weekday business hours.

Gusto costs more for a single employee, about $55 a month on Simple, but it offers guided setup and room to grow. Payroll runs are unlimited, Gusto files federal, state and local tax forms, and it syncs with QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks, the accounting tools freelancers use most, which we compare in our freelancer accounting guide.

If you plan to hire again or offer benefits such as health insurance, Gusto handles those in the same account.

Which plan to pick: Simple. Move to Plus only if your employee works in another state. If you need time tracking, Gusto sells it as an add-on on Simple ($6 per person a month).

Watch out for: paying about $13 to $14 a month more than Patriot or Square for features you may not use yet.

OnPay’s single plan includes unlimited pay runs, federal, state and local tax filings, year-end forms and payroll in all 50 states at no extra cost. With one employee it costs about $55 a month, the same as Gusto Simple.

It stands out in two situations: when your one employee lives in a different state, where Patriot charges an extra-state fee and Gusto needs the Plus plan, and when you want to reach support by phone, email or chat. Setup and migration from a previous provider are free.

Which plan to pick: the base plan. Skip the add-ons until you need them.

Watch out for: paying more than you need to. If your employee is in your own state and you do not need much support, Patriot Full Service costs about $13 less a month.