Best Payroll Software for Small Business (2026): 5 Services Compared

Gusto is the payroll most small businesses should try first. Setup is guided, pay runs are unlimited, and Gusto handles tax deposits and filings, including W-2s, 1099s and quarterly 941s. It syncs payroll to QuickBooks and Xero, and higher plans add more features as the team grows.

For a single-state team, Simple covers everything payroll needs. Plus adds multi-state payroll and time tracking. Premium is the top tier; compare its feature list with Plus before paying the higher per-person fee.

Which plan to pick: Simple at $49 per month plus $6 per person while everyone works in one state. That is $109 a month for 10 employees. Move to Plus when you hire in a second state.

Watch out for: the per-person fee on higher plans. At $12 per person on Plus, a 30-person team pays $440 a month, so compare OnPay once you pass a handful of states or a few dozen employees.

OnPay costs the same as Gusto Simple but includes something Gusto charges extra for: payroll in every state. Its single base plan covers unlimited pay runs, federal, state and local tax filings, year-end forms and an accounting sync with customizable line-item mapping, so wages post to the right accounts.

That makes it the best value for a small business that hires remote employees, or that runs locations across a state line.

Which plan to pick: there is one base plan. Add time tracking or HR tools only if you need them; OnPay sells bundles if you need several.

Watch out for: add-ons. Time tracking, HR tools and live HR support each add to the monthly bill, so price the bundle you will actually use against Gusto Plus.

If your books already live in QuickBooks Online, running payroll in the same system removes a whole category of work. Paychecks, employer taxes and liabilities post to the right accounts without an integration to maintain, and your accountant sees everything in one place.

Intuit now sells its payroll under the QuickBooks Workforce name, in three tiers: Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium and Workforce Elite. Intuit lists Workforce Payroll at $50 a month plus $7 per employee. Its pricing page now shows Premium only in bundles with QuickBooks accounting and does not list Elite, so confirm those prices at signup. Elite adds access to on-demand payroll experts, and there is no annual contract.

Which plan to pick: Workforce Payroll for most small businesses. Premium or Elite only if you need the extra features on Intuit’s plan comparison, such as Elite’s on-demand experts.

Watch out for: the price you are actually quoted. Intuit was advertising 50% off for the first 3 months, so confirm the full monthly price, and what it rises to after the promotion, before you compare it with Gusto or OnPay. If your accountant is a ProAdvisor, ask whether they can add payroll at a discount. See our accounting software for startups guide for QuickBooks Online plan prices.

Patriot keeps payroll simple and cheap. Full Service Payroll files and deposits federal, state and local taxes, handles year-end filings at no extra fee, and guarantees its tax filings. You pay a flat monthly fee plus a per-worker fee once a month, however many payrolls you run, and in months with no payroll you pay only the base fee.

For a 10-person business in one state, that is about $87 a month, roughly $22 less than Gusto Simple or OnPay. Patriot also sells a Basic plan, from $17 a month plus $4 per worker, where Patriot calculates payroll and you file the taxes yourself.

Which plan to pick: Full Service. Basic only makes sense if you or your accountant are comfortable filing payroll taxes.

Watch out for: multi-state teams, where the $12-per-state fee adds up, and integrations. Patriot lists its own accounting software and QuickBooks, so check before you pair it with Xero or another ledger.

Square Payroll is the natural choice for a retail shop, cafe or salon that already takes payments on Square. Hours flow in from Square POS or the Square Team App, tips are tracked, and Square calculates, withholds and files federal and state payroll taxes, including state unemployment.

Because you pay only for the people you actually pay in a given month, it suits seasonal businesses whose headcount rises and falls.

Which plan to pick: full-service payroll at $35 a month plus $6 per person paid. The contractor-only plan is only for businesses with no W-2 employees.

Watch out for: support hours. Payroll specialists are available on weekdays, which is a problem if you run payroll on a weekend.