Payroll Software
How Much Does Payroll Software Cost?
Real list prices from 9 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 software costs
Published prices for payroll software range from $17–$50 per month in base fees and $4–$8 per employee per month. At 25 employees, the median list cost across 8 products is $199 per month.
List prices before discounts, taxes and add-ons; quote-only vendors are not included.
Cost by company size
Gusto Simple$49/mo1 + $6/employee/mo1
Justworks Payroll$50/mo2 + $8/employee/mo2
OnPay Payroll Essentials$49/mo3 + $6/employee/mo3
Patriot Payroll Basic Payroll$17/mo4 + $4/employee/mo4
Paychex Flex Essentials$39/mo5 + $5/employee/mo5
QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll$50/mo6 + $7/employee/mo6
| Employees | Gusto Simple | Justworks Payroll | OnPay Payroll Essentials | Patriot Payroll Basic Payroll | Paychex Flex Essentials | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $55/mo | $58/mo | $55/mo | $21/mo (lowest) | $44/mo | $57/mo |
| 10 | $109/mo | $130/mo | $109/mo | $57/mo (lowest) | $89/mo | $120/mo |
| 25 | $199/mo | $250/mo | $199/mo | $117/mo (lowest) | Not offered | $225/mo |
| 50 | $349/mo | $450/mo | $349/mo | $217/mo (lowest) | Not offered | $400/mo |
| 100 | $649/mo | $850/mo | $649/mo | $417/mo (lowest) | Not offered | $750/mo |
| 250 | $1,549/mo | $2,050/mo | $1,549/mo | $1,017/mo (lowest) | Not offered | $1,800/mo |
The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.
Pricing models explained
- Base fee + per employee. A monthly base fee plus a fee for each employee paid. This is the most common structure and scales predictably with headcount.
- Per employee per month. A single per-employee rate with no base, often used for larger or HCM-bundled deals. Check the minimum monthly charge.
- Per payroll run. A fee for each pay run, sometimes plus a per-employee fee. Cost rises with weekly or off-cycle payrolls.
- Tiered plans. Packages that gate features such as multi-state filing, time tracking or HR tools. Compare tiers against the features you need, not the entry price.
- Custom quote. Enterprise pricing based on employee count, entities and modules, usually with an implementation fee.
Price comparison
| Product | Starting price | Pricing model | Pricing details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Payroll | $17/mo + $4/employee/mo (you file taxes)4 | Base fee + per employee | Patriot Payroll plans and prices |
 SurePayroll | $20/mo + $4/employee/mo (you file taxes)7 | Base fee + per employee | SurePayroll pricing |
 Square Payroll | $35/mo + $6/employee/mo8 | Base fee + per employee | Square Payroll pricing |
| Gusto | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo1 | Base fee + per employee | Gusto plans and prices |
| OnPay | $49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)3 | Base fee + per employee | OnPay plans and prices |
| QuickBooks Payroll | $50/mo + $7/employee/mo6 | Base fee + per employee | What QuickBooks Payroll costs |
 Rippling | $40/mo + $8/employee/mo9 | Base fee + per employee | Rippling plans and prices |
| Justworks | $50/mo + $8/employee/mo2 | Base fee + per employee | Justworks pricing |
| Paychex Flex | $39/mo + $5/employee/mo (up to 19 employees)5 | Base fee + per employee | What Paychex Flex costs |
 Homebase | See plans | Tiered plans | Homebase plans and prices |
 Namely | See plans | What Namely costs | |
 Paycor | Quote only | Quote only | What Paycor costs |
 Paylocity | Quote only | Base fee + per employee | Paylocity pricing |
 ADP Workforce Now | Quote only | Quote only | ADP Workforce Now pricing |
 Paycom | Quote only | Quote only | What Paycom costs |
 Netchex | Quote only | Quote only | What Netchex costs |
 ADP RUN Powered by ADP | Quote only | Quote only | ADP RUN Powered by ADP plans and prices |
 Workday HCM | Quote only | Quote only | What Workday HCM costs |
 Dayforce | Quote only | Quote only | Dayforce plans and prices |
 UKG Pro | Quote only | Quote only | UKG Pro pricing |
 isolved People Cloud | Quote only | Quote only | isolved People Cloud plans and prices |
 UKG Ready | Quote only | Quote only | UKG Ready plans and prices |
Lowest published monthly price of a plan for payroll software, 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 fees4
QuickBooks Payroll
- Background checks via Checkr: starting at $29.99 per report, State tax filing fees (named in the offer terms; amount not published), Health insurance (Allstate)
- 401(k) (Vestwell) and workers' compensation (NEXT): sold separately through third parties
- Benefits administration: sold separately, 20+ employees required
- Mineral HR experts: paid add-on on Workforce Payroll and Premium (included in Elite; price not published)
- Next-day direct deposit for contractors: additional fee
- Automated 1099s add-on and printing and mailing 1099 copies: additional fees6
Gusto
- Next-Day pay add-on on Simple: $15/mo + $3/mo per person (included in Plus and Premium)
- Same-day pay: $90 per payroll on Simple and Plus (included in Premium)
- Instant pay: $100 per payroll on Simple and Plus (included in Premium)
- State tax registration: pricing varies by state
- Global contractor payments: $5 per payment to US-based bank accounts; foreign exchange rates may vary
- R&D tax credits: 15% of identified tax credits
- Time & Attendance Plus on Simple: $6/mo per person after free trial
- Gusto Business Compliance: $85/mo per state, annual contract (included in Premium)
- Remote I-9: $20 per submission (included in Premium)
- E-Verify: $5 per submission on top of Remote I-9 (included in Premium)
- Priority Support on Simple and Plus: $30/mo + $3/mo per person
- Health insurance broker integration: $6/mo per eligible employee
- Workers' compensation: starting at $14/mo
- Gusto Money Plus: $19/mo
- Tax-advantaged benefits: $200 annual service charge; HSA $2.50/mo per participant; FSA, dependent care FSA and commuter benefits $4/mo per participant each with a $20/mo minimum
- 401(k): pricing varies by 401(k) integration
- Cannabis-related businesses: some plans require a CRB compliance add-on (price not published)
- Insufficient funds at the payroll debit deadline: $100 processing fee1
OnPay
- HR: +$15 base and $2 per worker a month
- Time Tracking: +$15 base and $4 per worker a month
- Compliance Resources: +$10 base a month
- Live HR Support: +$65 base a month
- Benefits: you pay plan premiums only3
Paychex Flex
- Paychex Promise (delay the payroll debit up to 7 days): free for the first 3 months, then $99 per year
- Paychex Flex Essentials: payroll tax administration "additional fees may apply"; W-2s and 1099s at additional cost
- Package add-ons (priced by quote): Time & Attendance, HR Analytics, Talent Management, Business Insurance, Retirement Plans, Health Insurance, Workers’ Comp, HR Consulting, Assisted Set Up and Managed Set Up are add-ons on lower packages; Enhanced and Premium Customer Support are add-ons on lower packages10
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 plan11
Netchex
- W-2 processing: $100 base fee plus $8 per employee W-2
- Amended W-2 after December 31: $20 per form
- Printed W-2 package shipping: $29 for the first 50 employees, plus $5 per additional 50
- Paper W-2 copy for employees without e-delivery consent: $1.25 each
- 1099-NEC processing: $100 base fee plus $8 per contractor form12
ADP RUN Powered by ADP
- W-2 and 1099 forms: additional fee
- Off-cycle payrolls: payroll fees increase with payroll frequency
- Contractor payment bundle: monthly base price plus a per-contractor fee; year-end processing fees apply
- Add-ons available with every package: Time and Attendance, Retirement, Workers’ Compensation, Health Insurance
- Small Business Marketing toolkit (Upnetic): additional charge, Essential and Enhanced customers with up to 4 employees13
What drives the price
- Number of employees and contractors paid each cycle
- Pay frequency and the number of off-cycle runs
- Number of states and local jurisdictions requiring filings
- Multiple legal entities or pay groups
- Bundled modules such as time tracking, benefits administration or HR
- Service level, such as a dedicated payroll specialist
Fees to ask about before you sign:
- Implementation or setup fees, and data migration charges
- Per-state or per-jurisdiction filing fees
- Year-end form fees for W-2s and 1099s
- Fees for off-cycle runs, corrections and amended returns
- Charges for integrations or API access
- Termination and data export fees
More on payroll software
- All payroll software, ranked
The full ranking, top picks and how to choose.
- Payroll Software comparison table
Every product side by side: score, price and verified features.
- Payroll software for small business
The ranking reweighted for small business.
- Payroll software for mid-sized companies
The ranking reweighted for mid-sized companies.
- Payroll software for retail
The ranking reweighted for retail.
- Payroll software for healthcare
The ranking reweighted for healthcare.
- Employee cost calculator
What one employee costs on top of pay in each state: payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, workers’ comp and health.
- HR software pricing index
Median published prices in every HR category, free to reuse.
Frequently asked questions
How much does payroll software cost?
Most platforms charge a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee, while enterprise vendors quote custom prices. Total cost depends on headcount, pay frequency, states and bundled modules. Compare the full cost, including setup, year-end forms and state filing fees. Our cost guide shows current verified ranges.
How much does payroll software cost per employee?
Published per-employee prices run from $4 to $8 per employee per month across 9 products, with a median of $6. List prices, before discounts and add-ons.
What is the cheapest payroll software?
At 25 employees, the lowest published list prices are Patriot Payroll ($117/mo, you file taxes), SurePayroll ($120/mo, you file taxes), and Square Payroll ($185/mo). List prices, before discounts and add-ons.
How much does payroll software cost for 50 employees?
For 50 employees, the median published list price across 8 products is $349/mo; the lowest are Patriot Payroll ($217/mo, you file taxes), SurePayroll ($220/mo, you file taxes), and Square Payroll ($335/mo). List prices, before discounts and add-ons.
Do payroll platforms publish their prices?
Of the 22 payroll platforms we track, 8 publish a list price we can compare and 11 are quote-only (ADP RUN Powered by ADP, ADP Workforce Now, Dayforce, isolved People Cloud, and 7 more).
Is there free payroll software?
Homebase lists a free plan. Free plans have their own limits on employees, features or support.
Do payroll platforms charge an implementation fee?
Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and SurePayroll state no implementation fee.
Can I pay for payroll software month to month?
ADP RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, Patriot Payroll, QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and SurePayroll bill month to month. Netchex sells annual terms.
How are payroll platforms priced?
By the published pricing model — base fee + per employee: Gusto, Justworks, OnPay, and 7 more; tiered plans: Homebase.
How much does payroll software cost for 10 employees?
For a 10-person team the lowest published list prices are Patriot Payroll at $57, SurePayroll at $60, and Paychex Flex at $89 a month; 9 products publish a price we can compute at that size.
How this page was made
What it is built from
49 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
Our independent review of Oct 28, 2026 asked for changes. 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 13 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
- Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person” “Gusto Business Compliance Tools to help you track state tax registrations, annual reports, and agency mail as you expand into new states, in supported states. $85/mo per state for an annual contract”
- Justworks justworks.com/pricing“Justworks Payroll customers pay $8 per month per employee plus a $50 base fee.”
- OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “+ $15 base and $4/worker per month”
- Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll $17 $8.50 /mo plus $4 $2 per worker paid” “If you use Patriot’s payroll software, you will be charged $4 (Basic) or $5 (Full Service) per worker you pay during the month.”
- Paychex paychex.com/payroll/paychex-flex-essentials“Our most affordable option: Only $39/mo. + $5 per employee”
- Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“WORKFORCE PAYROLL Pay your team and get payroll taxes done for you. $50 + $7/employee” “Background Checks: Background check services provided by Checkr. Checkr's terms and additional fees apply. Subscription to QuickBooks Workforce required.”
- SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/payroll“$20/mo $4 per employee”
- Square squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing“For full-service payroll, the cost is $35 per month, plus $6 per person paid per month.”
- Rippling rippling.com/solutions/small-businesses“Rippling's small business plans start at $8 per user per month for payroll. The final cost depends on which other products you add, such as benefits administration, time and attendance, or IT device management.”
- Paychex paychex.com/paychex-promise“Paychex Promise is free for the first three months of service. After the initial 3-month period, the annual subscription is $99 per year.”
- 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.”
- Netchex netchex.com/year-end-processing-fees-delivery“$8 per Employee W-2”
- ADP adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/payroll-for-1-49-employees/payroll-packages.aspx“We’ll create and deliver W-2 and 1099 forms for you (additional fee) … RUN Powered by ADP allows you to process payroll outside of your regular payroll schedule if needed, though payroll fees increase with frequency. … RUN Powered by ADP offers a contractor payment bundle that charges a monthly base price, plus a per-contractor fee. Year-end processing fees also apply.”