Payroll Services
How Much Do Payroll Services Cost?
Real list prices from 2 payroll products that publish them, cost by headcount, the pricing models you will meet and the fees that are easy to miss.
How much payroll services cost
Published prices for payroll services range from $29–$37 per month in base fees and $5–$7 per employee per month. At 25 employees, the median list cost across 2 products is $183 per month.
List prices before discounts, taxes and add-ons; quote-only vendors are not included.
Cost by company size
Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll$37/mo1 + $5/employee/mo1
SurePayroll Full Service$29/mo2 + $7/employee/mo2
| Employees | Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll | SurePayroll Full Service |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $42/mo | $36/mo (lowest) |
| 10 | $87/mo (lowest) | $99/mo |
| 25 | $162/mo (lowest) | $204/mo |
| 50 | $287/mo (lowest) | $379/mo |
| 100 | $537/mo (lowest) | $729/mo |
| 250 | $1,287/mo (lowest) | $1,779/mo |
The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.
Pricing models explained
- Base fee + per employee. A monthly base fee plus a monthly fee for each person paid. Most online payroll services publish their prices this way.
- Per run. A fee charged per payroll run, sometimes with a per-employee component.
- Flat fee. A fixed monthly price for small employers with a defined number of employees.
- Quote based. Used by many providers that assign a specialist, by PEOs and for multi-entity payroll, where scope drives price.
Price comparison
| Product | Starting price | Pricing model | Pricing details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Payroll | $37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)1 | Base fee + per employee | Patriot Payroll pricing |
| SurePayroll | $29/mo + $7/employee/mo (Full Service plan)2 | Base fee + per employee | SurePayroll plans and prices |
 QuickBooks Payroll | See plans | What QuickBooks Payroll costs | |
 Gusto | See plans | Gusto plans and prices | |
 OnPay | See plans | Base fee + per employee | What OnPay costs |
 Square Payroll | See plans | Square Payroll pricing | |
 Paychex Flex | See plans | Paychex Flex pricing | |
 Paycor | Quote only | Quote only | Paycor pricing |
 TriNet | Quote only | Per employee | What TriNet costs |
 ADP RUN Powered by ADP | Quote only | Quote only | ADP RUN pricing |
 Netchex | Quote only | Quote only | Netchex pricing |
 Vensure Employer Solutions | Quote only | Quote only | What Vensure Employer Solutions costs |
 ADP TotalSource | Quote only | Quote only | ADP TotalSource plans and prices |
 Insperity (PEO) | Quote only | Quote only | What Insperity (PEO) costs |
Lowest published monthly price of a plan for payroll services, cheapest first at 25 employees. “See plans”: priced on another basis; “Quote only”: no published price.
Extra and hidden costs
Patriot Payroll
- Time & Attendance add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee
- HR Software add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee
- Full Service: $12 a month for each additional state filed
- Basic Payroll: nominal 1099 e-filing fees1
SurePayroll
- Multi-state payroll: $9.99 a month (first state included)
- Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms: $50 base plus $5 per form, billed annually
- Accounting software integration: $4.99 a month
- Time clock integration: from $5 a month plus $3 per employee
- Employment law support: from $30 a month
- 401(k): quoted by plan3
What drives the price
- Employee count and pay frequency
- Number of states and local jurisdictions
- Level of service, from self-service to fully managed
- Off-cycle runs and corrections
- Add-ons such as time tracking, benefits and HR support
Fees to ask about before you sign:
- Setup or conversion fees
- Year-end form fees, including fees for mailed paper copies of W-2s and 1099s
- Fees for amended returns and notice handling
- Charges for off-cycle or bonus runs
- Monthly fees for each additional state or local tax jurisdiction
- Garnishment payment or new-hire reporting sold as an add-on or only on higher plans
- Charges to export data on termination
More on payroll services
- All payroll services, ranked
The full ranking, top picks and how to choose.
- Payroll Services comparison table
Every product side by side: score, price and verified features.
- Payroll services for small business
The ranking reweighted for small business.
- Payroll services for mid-sized companies
The ranking reweighted for mid-sized companies.
- Payroll services for healthcare
The ranking reweighted for healthcare.
- Payroll services for manufacturing
The ranking reweighted for manufacturing.
- HR software pricing index
Median published prices in every HR category, free to reuse.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a payroll service cost?
Most online payroll services charge a monthly base fee plus a monthly fee for each person paid, and the comparison table shows both parts for each provider as published. Providers that assign a specialist, and PEOs, usually quote a price after a call. Compare the total for your headcount, including extra states, year-end forms, off-cycle runs and garnishment service, not just the headline price.
Who is the cheapest payroll company?
The lowest list price depends on your headcount and the plan. Our Best value pick is the provider with the lowest published cost at a standard team size among providers that score at or above the median. Check that the cheapest plan still files your state and local taxes.
Can I do my own payroll for free?
Yes. No law requires a payroll provider, and the federal tools are free: the Treasury's EFTPS system takes federal tax deposits at no charge, and IRS Publication 15-T gives the withholding methods. The cost is your time and the risk of errors, since you must also handle state taxes, new-hire reports, quarterly returns and year-end forms on time.
Do payroll services publish their prices?
Of the 14 payroll services we track, 2 publish a list price we can compare at 25 employees and 7 are quote-only (ADP RUN Powered by ADP, ADP TotalSource, Insperity (PEO), Netchex, and 3 more).
Do payroll services charge an implementation fee?
Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and SurePayroll state no implementation fee.
Can I pay for payroll services month to month?
ADP RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, and 3 more bill month to month.
How are payroll services priced?
By the published pricing model — base fee + per employee: OnPay, Patriot Payroll, and SurePayroll; per employee: TriNet.
How this page was made
What it is built from
21 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 8, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction
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Sources
The 12 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
- Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.” “Optional extras are listed on the pricing page: Time & Attendance and HR Software (each $6/month plus $2 per employee), $12/month for each additional state with Full Service Payroll, and nominal 1099 e-filing fees for Basic Payroll customers.”
- SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/payroll“Pay employees in minutes, easily access reports, and get payroll taxes filed and deposited automatically.” “Billed monthly. Cancel anytime.”
- SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/pricing“Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed annually – not monthly – at a $50 base fee plus $5 per form.” “FREE onboarding with help from real humans”
- Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“No contracts. Free account setup. Switch or cancel anytime.” “Do I have to sign a long-term contract? Nope. Gusto is month-to-month. Cancel anytime.”
- OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“No implementation or integration fees” “Get started at just $49 base + $6/worker per month. No hidden fees, ever.”
- Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/one-employee“Guided Setup: Free one-time 60-min virtual session with a QuickBooks Workforce expert. Only available to new Workforce customers who are within the first 30 days and have not yet run payroll. Does not include data migration.”
- Square squareup.com/us/en/compare/square-vs-gusto“Square’s all-inclusive flat pricing starts at $35 a month plus $6 for every additional person paid – and you don’t start paying until you pay your first employee.”
- ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/payroll-for-1-49-employees/payroll-packages.aspx“No. With RUN Powered by ADP, you don’t have to sign a long-term contract. You can start services quickly and cancel at any time if your needs change.”
- OnPay onpay.com/terms-of-service“The Service will continue until such time as Client or Service Bureau gives thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, unless termination is for cause.”
- Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“No annual contractCancel anytime”
- Square squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing“No commitment, no long-term contracts required”
- TriNet trinet.com/peo/pricing“PEPM stands for "Per Employee Per Month" and is the pricing method TriNet uses to determine your administrative cost.”