Gusto
Best all-around for growing teams
$49/mo + $6 per employee · about $109/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Prices checked October 2026
Stop overpaying to pay your people.
We put 11 payroll providers on the same math — base fee, per-employee fee, multi-state surcharges — so you can see what your team will actually cost each month.
Payroll Match Quiz
Step 1 of 3Total Cost of Ownership
What will payroll cost at your headcount?
Drag the slider. Every provider is priced on its cheapest plan that files your payroll taxes for you, then re-sorted from lowest to highest.
12550
List prices before promotions, add-ons and benefits. "Est." = vendor is quote-only; figure is a widely reported entry estimate. Multi-state mode assumes one additional state.
Side-by-side
Compare all 11 providers
QuickBooks Payroll
Best for QuickBooks Online users
$50/mo + $7 per employee · about $120/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Patriot Software
Lowest full-service price
$37/mo + $5 per employee · about $87/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →OnPay
Best for multi-state on a budget
$49/mo + $6 per employee · about $109/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →ADP RUN
Best for compliance depth as you scale
$79/mo + $4 per employee · about $119/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Paychex Flex
Best for a dedicated payroll rep
$39/mo + $5 per employee · about $89/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Rippling
Best for HR + IT + payroll in one
$40/mo + $8 per employee · about $120/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Wave Payroll
Best for Wave accounting users
$40/mo + $6 per employee · about $100/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Square Payroll
Best for restaurants & retail on Square
$35/mo + $6 per employee · about $95/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Homebase
Best for hourly shift teams
$49/mo + $6 per employee · about $109/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →Deel
Best for international teams
$0/mo + $29 per employee · about $290/mo for 10 employees
Check Price →No providers match that filter.
Payroll buying guides
Industry guides
Best Payroll Software for Food Trucks and Mobile Concessions (2026)
The best payroll for food trucks, concession trailers and caterers: tip handling, seasonal staff, events in other states, and the new 2026 W-2 tip reporting rules.
October 22, 2026
Head-to-head
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll: Real Cost Comparison for 1–50 Employees (2026)
Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll pricing side by side at 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 employees — including the multi-state surcharge that flips which one is cheaper.
October 22, 2026
Tax rules
S-Corp Payroll Rules for a Single-Member Owner (2026 Guide)
How to pay yourself as the only owner-employee of an S corporation: reasonable salary, health insurance on the W-2, filing deadlines, and the cheapest payroll software for one person.
October 22, 2026
Common questions
What is the cheapest full-service payroll software?
On published October 2026 list prices, Patriot Software Full Service ($37/month + $5 per worker) is the lowest-cost full-service option from about five workers up. Square Payroll ($35 + $6 per person) is close behind and includes multi-state payroll, which Patriot charges $12/month per extra state for.
Do providers charge extra for multiple states?
OnPay, Square Payroll and Homebase include it. QuickBooks (Core/Premium) and Patriot add $12/month per extra state, and Gusto requires moving from Simple to Plus ($80 + $12 per person). Tick "Employees in 2+ states" in the calculator to see the effect.
Why are ADP, Paychex and Rippling marked "Est."?
They quote each customer individually and don't publish a rate card. We use widely reported entry-level figures (and Rippling's own published starting price) so you can compare ballparks — always get a written quote.
How does Payroll Research make money?
Some "Check Price" links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up. Rankings in the calculator are sorted purely by price math and are never paid placements.