10 Best Payroll Software of 2026

Gusto is the most balanced choice for a small US employer that wants payroll and benefits handled together. Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit or printable checks, tax filings and payments, payroll approvals and Payroll on Autopilot, plus domestic contractor payments and expense reimbursements. Benefits are where it pulls ahead of cheaper rivals: medical, dental and vision plans, 401(k) plans with automated contributions, and HSA, FSA and commuter accounts all feed deductions straight into each paycheck. Simple costs $49 per month plus $6 per person, but it only runs payroll in one state, so a team with remote hires in other states needs Plus at $80 plus $12 per person, which also adds time tracking and next-day pay. Speed costs extra on lower plans: same-day pay is $90 and instant pay $100 per payroll unless you are on Premium. There are no contracts and setup is free.

OnPay keeps payroll pricing to one line: Payroll Essentials costs $49 base plus $6 per worker each month, which works out to $55 for a single employee. That plan covers what many rivals split across tiers. OnPay files federal, state and local payroll taxes, including Forms 941 and 940, in all 50 states without extra cost, allows unlimited runs and multiple pay rates, and processes W-2 and 1099 forms at year end. It integrates with accounting software, 401(k) providers and workers' comp carriers so benefit deductions and premiums flow into payroll, and its support line covers phone, email and chat without limits. OnPay also lists industry setups for farms (Form 943), restaurants, nonprofits and healthcare. HR tools, compliance resources and time tracking are sold as add-ons, and its pricing page is built mostly for accounting partners, so expect to ask sales for the full add-on list. New customers get the first month free and free data migration.

QuickBooks Payroll makes the most sense when your accounting already runs on QuickBooks Online, because pay runs, tax payments and contractor payments post directly into the books. The entry plan, Workforce Payroll, lists at $50 per month plus $7 per employee and covers payroll tax calculation, filing and payment, auto payroll for salaried staff on direct deposit, 1099 e-filing and next-day direct deposit when you run payroll by 5:00 pm. Health insurance and 401(k) plans integrate so deductions come out of each paycheck. Premium, at $88 plus $13 per employee, adds time tracking, same-day direct deposit when you run payroll by 7:00 am and an expert review of your setup. Elite, at $134 plus $17, adds tax penalty protection that pays IRS penalties and interest up to $25,000 a year. Intuit often runs introductory discounts, but the per-employee fee climbs from $7 to $17 on the higher plans, so the cost rises quickly as a team grows and needs more features.

Rippling treats payroll as one module on a shared employee record, so a raise, a new department or a benefits election entered once flows into the next pay run. Once you click run, Rippling calculates payroll taxes and files them with federal, state and local agencies, and its pay run comparison shows changes in gross pay, taxes and deductions against earlier runs before you approve. Health, dental and vision insurance details sit on the same record, and employees can view pay stubs and tax forms on their own. Custom policies, permissions, automations and more than 650 integrations make it the most configurable tool on this list. The trade-off is price transparency: Rippling says plans start at $8 per employee per month with a monthly base fee, but payroll itself is quoted based on headcount and the products you add. A five-person shop that only needs paychecks may find it more than it needs.

Square Payroll is the shortest path to compliant payroll for a business already running on Square. Full-service payroll costs $35 per month plus $6 per person paid, with unlimited pay runs and no long-term contract, and Square automates federal and state tax filings and payments at no additional charge. The tie to Square POS is the main reason to choose it: direct tips and timecards import from the register, commission rates are tracked across your team and employees with several pay rates are handled. You can set up locations across states, including remote employees' home states for unemployment tax. Two-day payroll is standard, and instant payments let you run payroll one day before payday using funds in your Square balance. Contractor-only payroll costs $6 per person paid and files Form 1099-NEC. Benefits are less developed than on HR-first platforms, and mailing paper W-2s or 1099s costs $3 per form.

Justworks sells two very different products under one roof, which is its main appeal. The Payroll plan, at $50 per month plus $8 per employee, covers multi-state payroll, multiple pay rates, tip processing, off-cycle and holiday pay, employer payroll tax filings, W-2 and 1099 filings, 401(k) plans and online onboarding, PTO and document tools. Payroll customers can buy access to medical, dental and vision insurance with COBRA administration for $8 per benefits-eligible employee per month. If you later want Justworks to co-employ your staff, PEO Basic costs $79 and PEO Plus $124 per employee per month, adding HR consulting and fuller benefits. Support comes from people by phone, email and chat, plus a resource center open around the clock. Time tracking is an $8 per employee add-on, and US and international contractors can be paid from the same account. The per-employee fee is higher than Gusto's entry plan, so a very small, single-state team pays a little more here.

RUN Powered by ADP is the small business platform from one of the largest US payroll companies, aimed at employers with 1 to 49 people. It comes in four packages. Essential covers payroll, taxes and compliance help; Enhanced adds ZipRecruiter, state unemployment insurance and a garnishment payment service; Complete adds basic HR support; and HR Pro adds enhanced HR support and perks. Run & Done can put recurring payroll on autopilot, and employees can be paid by direct deposit, by the Wisely Direct pay card or by ADPCheck, which helps teams with workers who lack bank accounts. A mobile app lets you run payroll away from a desk, and ADP's benefits, retirement and insurance products plug in when you need them. The catch is pricing: ADP shows no prices for RUN and asks you to request a quote, though it advertises up to 6 months of free payroll for new sign-ups. That makes it hard to compare against tools with published rates.

SurePayroll is the cheapest way on this list to get a provider filing payroll taxes for you. The small business plan starts at $29 per month plus $7 per worker, with unlimited payroll runs, federal and state payroll taxes filed and deposited, free 2-day direct deposit, live phone and chat support, multiple pay rates and bonuses, new hire reporting, online pay stubs and a mobile app for employers and employees. Your first state is included; payroll in more states adds $9.99 a month. Watch the add-ons, because they are where the low base price gives some ground back: year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed annually at a $50 base fee plus $5 per form, accounting software sync is $4.99 a month and time clock integration starts at $5 a month plus $3 per employee. SurePayroll also offers 401(k) plans, workers' comp and health insurance as separate products. A separate household plan from $39 per month covers families paying a nanny or caregiver, with federal and state taxes filed and deposited automatically.

Paychex Flex is the online payroll platform from Paychex, a long-standing large US provider. You enter hours, salaries, bonuses or time off, and Flex calculates pay, flags issues before payroll is due, then handles direct deposits, tax filings and pay stubs or checks. Employees get a 24/7 portal for pay stubs, W-2s and chat support, plus discounts and financial wellness tools at no added cost to the employer. Paychex Promise gives up to 7 days of flexibility when cash flow threatens payday, which few rivals offer. Flex connects to dozens of business applications, and Paychex sells time and attendance, benefits, 401(k), workers' comp, HR services and a PEO that plug into the same system, so a business can grow into it from a single hire to 100 or more employees. Support comes by phone, chat or email. Paychex does not publish Flex prices, so you need a sales quote, and the range of products makes like-for-like comparison slow.

Wave Payroll is a payroll add-on for Wave's accounting software, priced at $40 per month plus $6 per active employee and $6 per independent contractor paid for customers who signed up after April 2, 2025. As part of its tax service, Wave transfers tax payments and files the paperwork with your state tax agency and the IRS, though 1099 filings are excluded, and Wave notes that in rare cases tax payments may not transfer automatically. Direct deposits are unlimited and free, and each pay run is recorded in your Wave books, with wage and tax payment reports for cash flow. Employees get a portal for pay stubs, W-2s and vacation leave, and Wave generates W-2, W-3 and 1099-NEC forms. Leave tracking and accruals are included. There is little in the way of benefits administration or HR tools, so it suits owners who already keep books in Wave and need straightforward paychecks. A 30-day free trial lets you test a pay run first.