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LeadChange Group

Payroll Services

Best Payroll Services for Small Business

Small employers value a named contact and clear pricing, because one tax error can be a large share of monthly cash.

products that fit
14
By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 6 sources, facts checked

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Top 9 by LeadChange Scoreof 14 that fit · 4 not scored yet · scored for small business (reweighted)

  1. QuickBooks Payroll7.7 out of 10, High confidence
  2. OnPay7.0 out of 10, Medium confidence
  3. Square Payroll6.9 out of 10, High confidence
  4. Gusto6.4 out of 10, High confidence
  5. Paychex Flex5.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
  6. Paycor4.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
  7. TriNet4.3 out of 10, Medium confidence
  8. Netchex3.7 out of 10, Medium confidence
  9. ADP RUN Powered by ADP2.9 out of 10, Medium confidence
  10. Patriot PayrollNot scored yet

See all 14 rankedHighMedium confidence

Payroll services for small business, ranked

Ranked by LeadChange Score from verified facts; products with too few verified facts are not scored yet and come last. Prices are list prices as published by each vendor.

Filter by verified facts

  1. QuickBooks Payroll

    QuickBooks Payroll suits small and midsize businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online and want payroll and tax filing in the same place.

    Pricing model
    Base fee + per employee1
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes2
    QuickBooks Payroll pricing

  2. OnPay

    OnPay suits US small businesses that want full-service payroll at one published price: $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with federal, state and local tax filings, W-2s, 1099s, multi-state payroll and unlimited pay runs included. Setup and data migration are free, and support is by phone, chat and email.

    Pricing model
    Base fee + per employee3
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes4
    OnPay pricing

  3. Square Payroll

    Square Payroll fits small US employers, above all Square POS sellers, that want full-service payroll at a low published price with no contract. It costs $35 a month plus $6 per person paid, and a contractor-only plan costs $6 per contractor paid.

    Pricing model
    Base fee + per employee5
    SOC 2 Type II
    Yes6
    Square Payroll plans and prices
Show all 14 products
  1. Gusto6.4/10 · High confidenceGusto pricing
  2. Paychex Flex5.7/10 · Medium confidencePaychex Flex pricing
  3. Paycor4.7/10 · Medium confidencePaycor pricing
  4. SurePayroll4.7/10 · Medium confidence · Doesn’t file payroll taxesSurePayroll pricing
  5. TriNet4.3/10 · Medium confidenceTriNet plans and prices
  6. Netchex3.7/10 · Medium confidenceWhat Netchex costs
  7. ADP RUN Powered by ADP2.9/10 · Medium confidenceADP RUN Powered by ADP plans and prices
  8. Patriot PayrollNot scored yet (14 of 24 facts verified)Patriot Payroll pricing
  9. Vensure Employer SolutionsNot scored yet (12 of 24 facts verified)Vensure Employer Solutions pricing
  10. ADP TotalSourceNot scored yet (10 of 24 facts verified)What ADP TotalSource costs
  11. Insperity (PEO)Not scored yet (9 of 24 facts verified)What Insperity (PEO) costs

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

All payroll services, ranked

How the score works

What matters for small business

  1. Taxes and year-end forms in base price

    Add-on fees are the main surprise at small scale.

  2. Named support contact

    Notices and corrections need someone who knows your account.

  3. Short contract terms

    Growth and changes in headcount should not trigger exit fees.

More tools for small business

Find your fit

By industry

For ChurchesFor ConstructionFor EducationBest payroll services for franchisesBest payroll services for healthcareFor HospitalityBest payroll services for law firmsBest payroll services for manufacturingBest payroll services for nonprofitsBest payroll services for restaurantsBest payroll services for retailBest payroll services for staffing agenciesBest payroll services for trucking

By company size

For EnterprisesBest payroll services for mid-sized companiesSmall Business

Frequently asked questions

What are the best payroll services for small business?

On the LeadChange Score weighted for small business, the highest-scoring of the 10 products with a published score are QuickBooks Payroll (7.7/10), OnPay (7.0), and Square Payroll (6.9).

How much does payroll services cost for small business?

At 10 employees, the lowest published list prices among the products ranked here are Patriot Payroll ($87/mo) and SurePayroll ($99/mo, you file taxes). List prices, before discounts and add-ons.

Which payroll services for small business offer a free trial?

OnPay, Patriot Payroll, and QuickBooks Payroll list a free trial, according to their vendors: 3 of the 14 products for small business.

Which payroll services for small business have SOC 2 Type II?

OnPay, Patriot Payroll, Paycor, QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and TriNet state SOC 2 Type II compliance; QuickBooks Payroll and Square Payroll also hold ISO 27001. That is 6 of the 14 products for small business.

Which payroll services for small business include workers’ compensation?

ADP TotalSource, Insperity (PEO), and TriNet include workers’ compensation coverage in their service; ADP RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, Paychex Flex, and QuickBooks Payroll do not include it. That is 3 of the 14 payroll services for small business.

Which payroll services for small business integrate with QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online, listed by 5 of the 14 payroll services for small business: Netchex, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, Square Payroll, and TriNet.

Which payroll services for small business have a mobile app?

ADP RUN Powered by ADP, ADP TotalSource, Gusto, Insperity (PEO), Netchex, and 8 more confirm a mobile app; 1 of the 14 products for small business does not document one.

Which payroll services for small business support single sign-on?

Gusto, Paycor, and TriNet document single sign-on; 11 of the 14 products for small business do not.

How we research

This ranking of payroll services for small business reweights the LeadChange Score: capability coverage 25%, pricing transparency & value 30%, integrations & API 10%, security & compliance 10%, fit & support 15%, and data confidence 10%. Only products with a verified fact showing they serve this segment are listed.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    42 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 22, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. 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 6 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
  1. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“WORKFORCE PAYROLL Pay your team and get payroll taxes done for you. $50 + $7/employee”
  2. Intuit assurance.intuit.com“Our most recent SOC 2 report is for the period of September 1, 2024, to April 30, 2025. Our Next SOC 2 will be released end of October and will cover the period of May 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.”
  3. OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Get started at just $49 base + $6/worker per month. No hidden fees, ever.”
  4. OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
  5. Square squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing“For full-service payroll, the cost is $35 per month, plus $6 per person paid per month. For contractor-only payroll, the cost is $6 per person paid per month.”
  6. Square trust.squareup.com/overview“SOC 2 Type II”

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.