10 Best Cheap Payroll Services

Gusto: Best overall

Our rating: 4.6 out of 5

Gusto doesn’t just offer payroll tools but benefits and HR tools as well—all in one platform. Its plans start at an affordable $49 per month, plus $6 per employee per month. In its first-tier plan, you enjoy full-service single-state payroll services. You can also add states by upgrading to Gusto’s Plus plan. Overall, Gusto is a great option for small businesses looking for an all-in-one platform to manage HR and payroll-related processes even as your company grows.

Pricing

Gusto offers four plans. Here’s a brief overview of each:

• Simple: Starting at $49 per month, plus $6 per employee per month, you get basic payroll tools. It includes full-service payroll services for a single state, basic hiring and onboarding tools, reporting, employee profiles, and an employee self-service portal.
• Plus: This plan is regularly $80 per month, plus $12 per person per month, though it often runs promotional pricing. It adds multi-state payroll to the Simple plan features, in addition to time-tracking, expense management, employee performance, and workforce costing tools.
• Premium: Starting at $180 per month, plus $16.50 per employee per month (with promotional pricing regularly available), this plan adds dedicated support and HR management tools to the Plus features.
• Contractor Only: This plan allows you to pay contractors and use it in conjunction with your payroll plan. It is $35 per month, plus $6 per employee per month for unlimited contractor payments across all 50 U.S. states.

Gusto pros and cons

Why I chose Gusto

Gusto is a one-stop shop for everything you need to run payroll. It even includes time-tracking tools that automatically sync with payroll for accurate pay runs and HR tools to keep you compliant with labor laws. It also allows you to expand to other states by tapping into its Plus or Contractor Only plans. Both of these plans allow you to pay workers in all 50 U.S. states to accommodate company growth. Finally, its dedicated customer success manager services in its top-tier plan help to support companies as they expand into new territories.

Workful: Best for ease of use

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

Workful is a great choice if you are looking for an easy platform to handle all of your HR, time tracking, payroll, employee expenses, and reporting needs with one monthly price. Since all these tools are available and sync automatically, you don’t have to integrate external platforms. In addition to automated syncing and calculations, also lending to its ease of use, you can also run payroll from start to finish in four clicks from any device.

Pricing

Workful offers one all-inclusive plan for $45 per month, plus $7 per team member per month. This plan includes all of Workful’s payroll, time tracking, employee self-service, and HR management tools.

Workful pros and cons

Why I chose Workful

I chose Workful because it offers lots of tools to make running payroll easy, such as time tracking. Employees must only clock in and out of their shifts and their time is automatically calculated, including overtime, and synced to payroll. This means no manual time entrances or complex calculations come payday. It also offers other automated tools that sync with payroll, such as expense tracking. And, its employee portal allows employees to manage many HR tasks without your involvement, such as accessing pay stubs and tax forms, requesting time off, and more.

Justworks: Best for robust customer support

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

In addition to offering payroll tools, Justworks offers HR software and access to employee benefits. It stands out by providing robust human support for small businesses, even those looking to expand with a global workforce. Its Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and Employer of Record (EOR) services give businesses access to certified professionals and even whole teams for outsourced hiring and payroll.

Pricing

Justworks offers three paid plans, including its Payroll, PEO Basic, and PEO Plus plans. Here is a brief overview of each:

• Payroll: This plan is $50 per month, plus $8 per employee per month. It provides basic features, such as payroll for all employees across multiple states, multiple pay rates, and contractor payments.
• PEO Basic: This plan is $59 per employee per month and offers compliance, support, and HR tools.
• PEO Plus: At $109 per employee per month, this plan adds HR and benefits solutions to the PEO Basic plan.

Justworks pros and cons

Why I chose Justworks

I chose Justworks because it offers small businesses ample support for scaling their operations and promoting growth. Its PEO plans offer 24/7 customer support via Slack, email, phone, and chat. In these plans, you can access certified HR consultants, harassment prevention and inclusion training, an HR resource center, compliance support, and benefits administration support. And, if you plan to hire abroad, you can even hire Justworks to handle all hiring and payroll processing for you via its EOR services. This is especially helpful if you’re handling a startup and need more hand-holding with your first payroll or if your payroll is too complex that you need professionals to advise on best practices.

Homebase: Best for best cheap payroll and workforce management tools

Our rating: 4.2 out of 5

Homebase is primarily a workforce management tool. It allows you to source and onboard employees, schedule shifts, manage labor costs and tasks, communicate with their team, and track employee time and wages via time tracking tools and point of sale (POS) integration. In addition to these workforce management tools, it also comes with robust payroll software that can be added onto its workforce management plans.

Pricing

Homebase offers four plans ranging from free to $80 per month, plus some add-on plans. Here is an overview of each:

• Basic: As Homebase’s free plan, you get basic scheduling and time tracking tools, employee management tools, integrations, and help center and email support. You can also add payroll tools to this plan.
• Essentials: For $20 per month, this comes with all the tools of the free plan plus live chat and phone support, more advanced time tracking and scheduling tools, payroll integration, and team communication tools.
• Plus: This plan is $48 per month and it comes with everything in the Essentials plan plus additional tools like hiring, retention and performance, time off, employee onboarding, department management, and personnel permissions.
• All-in-one: At $80 per month, this plan gives you everything in the Plus plan with added tools for employee onboarding, HR, compliance, labor cost management, and business insights tools.
• Payroll add-on: This add-on plan costs $39 per month, plus $6 per employee per month. It allows you to calculate employees’ wages, make direct deposit payroll payments, and automatically file your payroll taxes.

Homebase pros and cons

Why I chose Homebase

I chose Homebase because it meets the needs of a common use case in ways other tools on this list cannot. Specifically, Homebase offers all the tools you need to pay and manage an in-store workforce, such as for a retail or restaurant business. It offers time tracking, scheduling, and POS integrations, in addition to robust payroll software. Together, these tools help you schedule, track, and manage a workforce, their wages, and even their tips. It even offers team communication tools employees can use to easily fill open shifts and swap shifts among coworkers as needed.

Deel: Best for outsourcing payroll

Our rating: 4.1 out of 5

Deel is a Global People platform that offers all the tools you need to manage and pay a global workforce. It includes onboarding, hiring, tax management, invoice management, HR software, and payroll software. Notably, companies can outsource their global payroll needs to Deel to avoid having to set up entities in foreign countries when hiring abroad.

Pricing

Deel offers two payroll plans, one for U.S.-based and one for global payroll processing.

• Deel US Payroll: This plan is $19 per employee per month. It offers instant calculations, registration support in all 50 U.S. states, automated tax filing and payment remittance, new hire filings, and 24/7 compliance and payroll support.
• Deel Payroll: Starting at $29 per employee per month, this plan allows you to pay employees globally through your own internationally-based entities.

In addition to offering payroll software options, Deel offers EOR services starting at $499 per month. It allows you to outsource hiring and paying employees across the globe without having to set up a business entity in each country.

Deel: pros and cons

Why I chose Deel

I chose Deel because it offers services that allow small businesses to outsource payroll processes that may be too complex for internal management. It can also save companies money and headaches if they wish to hire international employees.

For example, you can process hiring and payroll entirely through Deel. This saves your company from having to set up an entity in each country for foreign hiring and payroll purposes. It also comes with local legal experts in over 200 countries, giving you peace of mind that your company will remain compliant when hiring and processing payroll abroad.

Patriot Payroll: Best for paying contractors

Our rating: 4.1 out of 5

Patriot offers a straightforward payroll processing software that starts at a very affordable $17 per month, plus $4 per user per month. This comes with robust payroll processing tools for employees and contractors, federal and state tax filings; year-end payroll tax filings; and a tax filing accuracy guarantee. Plus, you can add on Patriot’s time and attendance and HR software tools.

Pricing

Patriot Payroll offers two plans:

• Basic Payroll: Starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per contractor or employee for its basic payroll software plan. It includes robust payroll processing tools.
• Full Service Payroll: Patriot’s Full Services payroll plan is $37 per month, plus $4 per contractor per month. It provides all Basic Payroll plan tools, plus tax management and filing tools and services.

Patriot Payroll pros and cons

Why I chose Patriot Payroll

Patriot Payroll is a great option for companies looking for robust payroll processing tools for under $20 per month. It is also a platform you can grow into as it offers add-ons to your plan, including tools to handle payroll taxes, employee time and attendance, and HR needs. It also comes with robust accounting tools for companies that need to process invoices, accept credit card payments, and pay vendors, such as manufacturing companies.

Onpay: Best for multi-state payroll

Our rating: 4.1 out of 5

In addition to payroll software, OnPay offers HR and benefits administration tools. It stands out by providing robust payroll features for U.S.-based businesses, even offering unlimited pay runs in all 50 U.S. states in every plan.

Pricing

OnPay offers one all-inclusive plan for $40 per month, plus $6 per employee per month. The plan includes:

• Unlimited pay runs and schedules
• Federal, state, and local tax filings
• The ability to pay workers in all 50 U.S. states
• Phone, chat, and email support
• A small selection of integration options, such as time-tracking tools
• The ability to pay contractors
• Direct deposit
• Industry-specific solutions
• HR tools
• Benefits administration tools.

Onpay pros and cons

Why I chose OnPay

I chose OnPay because it uniquely offers affordable and robust payroll features for multi-regional U.S.-based companies. Such features include unlimited pay runs and pay schedules, the ability to pay workers in as many states as you need at no extra cost, and automated tax filings on the local, state, and federal level. While some providers request additional fees for multi-state payroll, OnPay’s single plan is all-inclusive at just $40 per month, plus $6 per employee per month.

RUN Powered by ADP: Best for growing mid-sized businesses

Our rating: 4.0 out of 5

RUN Powered by ADP offers all the tools you need to grow. For example, it has four plans that range from basic payroll to advanced HR and payroll tools. It also comes with alerts to help you ensure you are always in compliance. These help you manage the increasingly complex needs of a growing business. Even its most basic plan offers multi-jurisdiction and multi-company management to help your business grow.

Pricing

RUN has four plans, which include payroll-related tools and other add-on complementary HR tools. Here is a rundown of each:

• Essential Payroll: This plan offers basic payroll, tax management, and compliance tools. Even with this basic plan, you can manage multiple company entities.
• Enhanced Payroll: The Enhanced Payroll plan offers all the tools within the Essentials Payroll plan, plus state unemployment insurance (SUI) management tools, job costing, and a feature that lets you post job postings on ZipRecruiter.
• Complete Payroll and HR Plus: Here, you get all the features of the first two tiers, plus HR tools to help you set up your HR department and policies. It also includes an HR HelpDesk, an employee handbook wizard, salary benchmarks, HR tracking, HR forms and documents, and HR training and toolkits.
• HR Pro Payroll and HR: This plan offers the most advanced payroll and HR tools, including everything in the previous plans. It further offers an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), a learning management system, sexual harassment and prevention training, and legal assistance.

To learn pricing on each plan, you must request a custom quote available through the RUN pricing page.

RUN Powered by ADP pros and cons

Why I chose RUN Powered by ADP

I primarily chose RUN for its growth tools. It has four plans and you can start with an Essentials Payroll with strict payroll, tax management, and compliance tools. Even with just this plan, you already get tools to manage multi-jurisdictional and multi-company payrolls. From there, you can upgrade as you need to an enhanced payroll plan all the way up to an enhanced HR and payroll plan. Its higher-tiered plans include legal assistance and a proactive HR support team to help you navigate company growth and its previously unchartered territories.

Notably, RUN also offers AI-assisted error flagging to ensure you aren’t making mistakes as your company’s needs become more complex. Further, its automation help you scale so you can focus on the tasks that really need your attention. For example, the platform handles all of your federal, state, and local payroll taxes and you can set recurring payroll on autopilot. Finally, it automatically updates to adhere to federal and state tax laws and HR regulations in all states where you do business, so your automations are always in compliance.

QuickBooks Payroll: Best for 10 employees or fewer

Our rating: 3.9 out of 5

Historically, QuickBooks was primarily an accounting and bookkeeping tool. However, it has added bundled payroll plans that include its more traditional bookkeeping features in addition to health benefits, and some accounting features. Overall, it is best for small companies with either salaried or hourly workers across the board.

Pricing

QuickBooks Payroll offers three bundled payroll and accounting tool plans that range from $85 to $184 per month. It further offers strictly payroll plans that start at $50 per month and range up to $130 per month. Here is an overview of each:

• Payroll Core + Simple Start: For $85 per month, plus $6 per person per month, you get basic accounting tools with auto payroll and next-day direct deposit capabilities.
• Payroll Core + Essentials: At $115 per month, plus $6 per person per month, this plan gives you tools to pay your team, track billable hours, and pay your company bills.
• Payroll Premium + Plus: At $184 per month, plus $9 per employee per month, this plan gives you all the tools of the previous tiers, plus features to track projects and products, and manage your company’s HR and benefits administration needs.
• Payroll Core: For $50 per month, plus $6 per employee per month, you get access to tools for managing your payroll taxes and paying your employees automatically.
• Payroll Premium: This plan is $85 per month, plus $9 per employee per month and it allows you to track employee time and access QuickBooks Payroll’s HR support center, in addition to paying your employees.
• Payroll Elite: Starting at $130 per month, plus $11 per person per month, you get all the tools in the Payroll Premium plan plus a personal HR advisor, expert setup, and tax penalty protection.

QuickBooks Payroll pros and cons

Why I chose QuickBooks Payroll

I chose QuickBooks Payroll because it offers a great mixture of tools for very small companies needing to combine their accounting and bookkeeping activities with payroll to continually stay apprised of their companies’ financial standing. In addition, it is a great option for micro businesses that already use QuickBooks products, such as its accounting tools.

I specifically called it out as a tool for very small companies because it only offers the ability to pay salaried workers or hourly workers. Most mid-sized businesses have a mixture of both salaried and hourly workers but many startups only have one or the other.

Square Payroll: Best for restaurant and retail businesses

Our rating: 3.7 out of 5

Square Payroll allows you to automate payroll for both employees and contractors. Because it also allows you to connect your in-store point-of-sale (POS) system and sync your employee timecard data, it is a great option for restaurants or retail stores.

Pricing

Square Payroll starts at $35 per month, plus $6 per employee or contractor. Seasonal companies that aren’t paying employees regularly also don’t have to pay the monthly price. Its payroll plan offers all key features, including:

• Unlimited pay runs per month
• Check, direct deposit, or Cash App payments
• Auto payroll
• Off-cycle payments
• Multistate payroll
• Multiple pay rates
• A Square team app
• Employee self-onboarding
• Time tracking tools
• Scheduling tools
• Automated management tools
• Compliance alerts

Square Payroll pros and cons

Why I chose Square Payroll

I chose Square Payroll because it uniquely offers tools to help small brick-and-mortar businesses, like restaurants and retail businesses, manage their payroll. For example, it helps you manage tips and employee time cards as it automatically syncs to payroll for accuracy and compliance. It also allows you to connect your Square Payroll software to your Square POS products to manage payroll from your POS dashboard easily.

Learn more about Square Payroll

• Square Payroll Review: Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons
• Square Payroll vs Hourly: Which Software Is Better for Your Business?