Software directory
Best Payroll Software: 12 tools compared for 2026
Payroll software calculates employee pay, withholds and files payroll taxes, and issues paychecks or direct deposits. Most platforms also handle contractor payments, year-end forms such as W-2 and 1099, and sync with accounting and time tracking tools.
- Tools compared
- 12
- Publish prices
- 5 of 12
- Free plan or trial
- 1 of 12
- Median G2 rating
- 4.5
Payroll Software at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Pricing model | Starting price | G2 rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gusto | Small US businesses of 1 to a few dozen people wanting simple setup. | base fee plus per person | $49/month plus $6 per person (Simple) | 4.6 (9,000 reviews) |
 Paycom | Mid-size US employers that want one database for payroll, HR, time and talent. | custom | Contact sales | 4.5 (6,244 reviews) |
 Paylocity | Mid-size US employers that want payroll, HR, time and benefits in one platform. | custom | Contact sales | 4.4 (6,080 reviews) |
 ADP Run | Small businesses wanting a large provider with tax filing and add-on HR/benefits. | base fee plus per employee | Contact sales | 4.6 (5,122 reviews) |
 TriNet | Small and mid size employers wanting benefits and compliance outsourced. | per user | Contact sales | 4.2 (1,944 reviews) |
 Paychex Flex | Mid-size employers wanting a full-service provider with HR and benefits options. | base fee plus per employee | Contact sales | 4.1 (1,724 reviews) |
 Paycor | US employers with roughly 10 to 1,000 staff that want payroll and HR from one vendor. | custom | Contact sales | 3.9 (1,363 reviews) |
 Justworks | Small US companies that want a PEO with benefits and compliance handled for them. | per user | $50/month base plus $8 per employee (Payroll plan) | 4.6 (1,126 reviews) |
 Rippling | Companies already running payroll and HR on Rippling that want app access tied to employee records. | per employee | $8 per employee per month plus monthly base fee | 4.7 (1,116 reviews) |
 Patriot Payroll | Very small businesses watching cost. | base fee plus per worker | $17/month + $4 per worker (Basic) | 4.8 (603 reviews) |
 QuickBooks Payroll | Businesses already on QuickBooks Online. | base fee plus per employee | $44/month + $6.50 per employee (Payroll + Simple Start, 50% promo for 3 months shown; list $88) | 4.4 (501 reviews) |
 OnPay | Small businesses and accounting-firm partners. | base fee plus per worker | $49/month + $6 per worker | 4.8 (406 reviews) |
Prices as published by each vendor on October 24, 2026. "Contact sales" means no public price. G2 ratings read on the same day.
Security and contract checklist for payroll software
| Tool | SAML SSO | SCIM provisioning | Audit logs | Data residency | Contract | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Reportedly available by contacting support (third-party source); not verified on gusto.com. | Reportedly not offered (third-party) | Not published | Not published | Monthly pricing; cancellation terms not verified. | Not published |
| Paycom | SAML 2.0 offered; plan not published. | Not supported with Okta per third-party guide (unverified) | Not published | Not published | Not published. | Not published |
| Paylocity | Okta lists SAML SSO; plan requirement not published. | Okta lists SCIM provisioning; plan not published. | Not published | Not published | Not published. | G2 reviewers rate support as a main weakness. |
| Paycor | Okta lists SAML SSO and SCIM for Paycor; plan requirement not published. | Listed by Okta; plan not published. | Not published | Not published | Not published; promo is a 6-month discount. | Phone sales line shown on pricing page: 513-338-0399. |
| Patriot Payroll | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Free trial; contract terms not verified. | Strong support scores on G2 (9.7) |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Monthly billing implied; contract terms not verified. | Expert product support listed in all bundles. |
| OnPay | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not specified on pricing page. | Phone, chat and email; Live HR Support is an add-on. |
Which plan includes SSO, SCIM and audit logs often decides the real price. "Not published" means the vendor's public pages do not say; ask before you sign.
How to compare payroll software
- Pricing model. Base fee plus per-employee fees vary widely, and add-ons such as state filing or HR can change the real cost.
- Target company size. Solo and micro-business tools differ a lot from platforms built for 100 to 1,000 employees.
- Tax filing and compliance. Automatic federal, state and local filing with penalty protection is the main reason to buy.
- Multi-state payroll. Teams with remote staff need support for several state tax regimes and registrations.
- Accounting integrations. Sync with QuickBooks, Xero or NetSuite avoids double entry of journal entries.
- Time tracking and PTO. Built-in hours and leave data feeds payroll directly and cuts errors.
- Benefits administration. Deductions for health, 401(k) and other plans must flow into payroll correctly.
- Contractor and 1099 payments. Many SMBs mix employees and contractors and need both handled in one place.
| Tool | Pricing model | Target company size | Tax filing and compliance | Multi-state payroll | Accounting integrations | Time tracking and PTO | Benefits administration | Contractor and 1099 payments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Base fee plus per-person fee per plan. | Small businesses (about 84% of G2 reviews) | Automatic federal, state and local filing on all plans. | Plus and Premium; Simple is single-state. | Not verified | Plus adds time tracking and PTO. | Not verified | Contractor Only plan $35 + $6 per contractor. |
| Paycom | Quote only; per payroll plus per employee fees. | Mid-market; about 39,200 clients per 10-K summary. | Included. | Not verified | Not verified | Included. | Benefits module. | Not verified |
| Paylocity | Quote only; per employee per month plus modules. | Mid-size (about 44,400 clients FY2026) | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Time and labor module. | Benefits administration module. | Not verified |
| ADP Run | Quote; base plus per employee, higher cost with weekly runs. | Small businesses. | Tax filing in all tiers per vendor positioning; details not verified. | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Benefits, retirement, health insurance, workers comp as add-ons. | Not verified |
| TriNet | Quote based per employee per month. | Small to mid size business. | Handled by TriNet as co-employer (PEO model) | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Benefits via PEO group plans, billed separately. | Not verified |
| Paychex Flex | Quote; base plus per employee. | Small to enterprise. | Not verified | Not verified | QuickBooks sync may cost extra on lower tiers (third-party) | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| Paycor | Quote only; per employee per month plus base fee reported by third parties; promo of about 50% off first 6 months reported. | Small to mid-size, plus upmarket push after Paychex deal. | Included in payroll product (not verified in detail) | Not verified | Not verified | Time and attendance module. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Justworks | Flat per employee per month; Payroll plan has $50 base fee. | Small business. | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Time Tracking add-on. | Benefits included via PEO co-employment. | $8 per active contractor per month on Payroll plan. |
| Rippling | Per employee per month, modular, custom quote. | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Time & Attendance and Scheduling listed as products. | Benefits Administration and PEO listed as products. | Contractors, Contractor of Record, Global Contractors listed as products. |
| Patriot Payroll | Base plus per worker, contractors count. | Up to 500 employees (press kit) | Full Service handles federal, state and local deposits and filings. | Not verified | Patriot Accounting; QuickBooks integration reported as manual. | Time & Attendance add-on. | Free 401(k) and workers' comp integrations (Wise review) | 1099 contractors paid by direct deposit or check; $4 per contractor paid. |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Base plus per employee, bundled with accounting. | Small businesses. | Full-service payroll calculates, files and pays payroll taxes. | Not verified | Native QuickBooks bookkeeping bundle. | Scheduling in all bundles; time tracking with Premium and Elite. | Access to Allstate health, Vestwell 401(k), Next workers' comp, Mineral HR advisor; limited availability, extra fees. | 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC e-filing for unlimited forms, contractor management. |
| OnPay | Base plus per worker. | Small business (97.7% of G2 reviews) | Federal, state and local filings included. | Pay workers in any number of states, no extra fee. | Not verified. | Time tracking add-on $15 + $4 per worker. | Health, workers comp and 401(k) as add-ons, pay only premiums. | 1099 forms included; contractor pricing not listed. |
The 12 tools in detail
Gusto
Small-business payroll platform that bundles tax filing, benefits and basic HR tools, priced as a base fee plus a per-person fee.
- Starting price
- $49/month plus $6 per person (Simple)
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per person
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (9,000 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Base fee plus per-person fee per plan.
- Target company size
- Small businesses (about 84% of G2 reviews)
- Tax filing and compliance
- Automatic federal, state and local filing on all plans.
- Multi-state payroll
- Plus and Premium; Simple is single-state.
Choose it if
- Small US businesses of 1 to a few dozen people wanting simple setup.
- Companies that pay a mix of W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Skip it if
- Large enterprises needing SCIM or deep identity controls.
- Companies that need global payroll.
Worth knowing
- Multi-state payroll only starts on Plus ($80 + $12)
- Simple's price excludes benefits costs and add-ons.
- SAML SSO is not self-service: reportedly enabled via Gusto support, and SCIM is reportedly unavailable (third-party Stitchflow)
Paycom
Single-database HCM and payroll platform for mid-size US employers, quote-based and billed per payroll run.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- custom
- G2 rating
- 4.5 (6,244 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote only; per payroll plus per employee fees.
- Target company size
- Mid-market; about 39,200 clients per 10-K summary.
- Tax filing and compliance
- Included.
- Time tracking and PTO
- Included.
Choose it if
- Mid-size US employers that want one database for payroll, HR, time and talent.
- IT teams that need SAML 2.0 and strong security attestations.
Skip it if
- Small teams that want public prices.
- Buyers who dislike per-payroll-run fee structures.
Worth knowing
- Paycom bills per payroll run plus per employee, so PEPM quotes understate or hide the structure.
- Implementation fees are generally 10 to 30% of annualized value (10-K)
- Revenue retention 91% in 2025.
Paylocity
Cloud HCM suite covering payroll, HR, time, benefits and talent for mid-size US employers, sold by quote only.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- custom
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (6,080 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote only; per employee per month plus modules.
- Target company size
- Mid-size (about 44,400 clients FY2026)
- Time tracking and PTO
- Time and labor module.
- Benefits administration
- Benefits administration module.
Choose it if
- Mid-size US employers that want payroll, HR, time and benefits in one platform.
- Teams that want a large pool of Okta/SSO-ready integrations.
Skip it if
- Small teams that need transparent per-employee pricing.
- Buyers who need responsive support, a top G2 complaint theme.
Worth knowing
- Fiscal 2026 (year to 2026-06-30): revenue $1.771B, about 44,400 clients, per the company's results release.
- Okta's Paylocity listing (updated 2026-07-02) shows SAML, OIDC and SCIM with group push and deactivation.
- Implementation fees reported at 10 to 20% of annual software fees (third party), so budget year one separately.
ADP Run
ADP's payroll and HR platform for small businesses, sold through quotes in four tiers.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per employee
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (5,122 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote; base plus per employee, higher cost with weekly runs.
- Target company size
- Small businesses.
- Tax filing and compliance
- Tax filing in all tiers per vendor positioning; details not verified.
- Benefits administration
- Benefits, retirement, health insurance, workers comp as add-ons.
Choose it if
- Small businesses wanting a large provider with tax filing and add-on HR/benefits.
- Employers who want guided support and tiered service.
Skip it if
- Buyers who need published prices.
- Very small teams sensitive to add-on and weekly-run cost.
Worth knowing
- No public price; estimate $79/month + $4 per employee is third-party.
- Weekly payroll can nearly double annual cost versus biweekly at the same per-run rate.
- Roll by ADP is the only ADP payroll with a published price ($39 + $5 per person)
TriNet
Professional employer organization that bundles payroll, benefits, compliance and HR software under co-employment.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.2 (1,944 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote based per employee per month.
- Target company size
- Small to mid size business.
- Tax filing and compliance
- Handled by TriNet as co-employer (PEO model)
- Benefits administration
- Benefits via PEO group plans, billed separately.
Choose it if
- Small and mid size employers wanting benefits and compliance outsourced.
- Companies without an in house HR team.
Skip it if
- Companies wanting software only without co-employment.
- Price sensitive teams (reviews cite high fees)
Worth knowing
- Co-employment: TriNet becomes employer of record for tax and benefits purposes.
- Fee is per employee and excludes benefits premiums, wages, payroll tax and workers comp.
- Minimum worksite employee count exists but is not published.
Paychex Flex
Paychex's tiered payroll and HR platform for small to mid-size businesses, priced by quote.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per employee
- G2 rating
- 4.1 (1,724 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote; base plus per employee.
- Target company size
- Small to enterprise.
- Accounting integrations
- QuickBooks sync may cost extra on lower tiers (third-party)
Choose it if
- Mid-size employers wanting a full-service provider with HR and benefits options.
- Teams that accept negotiated quotes.
Skip it if
- Buyers wanting transparent pricing.
- Teams worried about annual-contract exit fees.
Worth knowing
- No public price; entry estimate $39 + $5 per employee is third-party and may be withdrawn.
- Contracts reportedly annual with early termination fees (unverified)
- Prices are described as negotiable.
Paycor
HCM suite with payroll, HR, time and talent modules aimed at small and mid-size US employers, now owned by Paychex.
- Starting price
- Contact sales
- Pricing model
- custom
- G2 rating
- 3.9 (1,363 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Quote only; per employee per month plus base fee reported by third parties; promo of about 50% off first 6 months reported.
- Target company size
- Small to mid-size, plus upmarket push after Paychex deal.
- Tax filing and compliance
- Included in payroll product (not verified in detail)
- Time tracking and PTO
- Time and attendance module.
Choose it if
- US employers with roughly 10 to 1,000 staff that want payroll and HR from one vendor.
- Teams that value a broad module list and will negotiate a quote.
Skip it if
- Buyers who need public list prices to compare before talking to sales.
- Teams that need guaranteed vendor independence, since the owner changed in 2025.
Worth knowing
- Paychex completed the Paycor acquisition on 2025-04-14 (all cash, $22.50 per share, about $4.1B enterprise value); expect roadmap and contract changes.
- Public pricing page was removed in 2025 per Pin; every deal is now quoted.
- New customers are reported to get about 50% off the first 6 months, so year-two cost is the number to negotiate.
Justworks
PEO and payroll platform for small US businesses that bundles HR, benefits and payroll under co-employment, or payroll only.
- Starting price
- $50/month base plus $8 per employee (Payroll plan)
- Pricing model
- per user
- G2 rating
- 4.6 (1,126 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Flat per employee per month; Payroll plan has $50 base fee.
- Target company size
- Small business.
- Time tracking and PTO
- Time Tracking add-on.
- Benefits administration
- Benefits included via PEO co-employment.
Choose it if
- Small US companies that want a PEO with benefits and compliance handled for them.
- Startups needing a single per-employee price.
Skip it if
- Companies that want to keep their own benefits broker and plans.
- Teams outside the US.
Worth knowing
- PEO plans mean co-employment: Justworks becomes co-employer for payroll tax and benefits.
- Payroll plan starts at $58/month for one employee ($50 base + $8)
- Plus plan price reportedly rose from $99 to $109.
Rippling
HR, payroll, IT and spend suite whose app management handles SSO, provisioning and offboarding for employee apps.
- Starting price
- $8 per employee per month plus monthly base fee
- Pricing model
- per employee
- G2 rating
- 4.7 (1,116 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Per employee per month, modular, custom quote.
- Time tracking and PTO
- Time & Attendance and Scheduling listed as products.
- Benefits administration
- Benefits Administration and PEO listed as products.
- Contractor and 1099 payments
- Contractors, Contractor of Record, Global Contractors listed as products.
Choose it if
- Companies already running payroll and HR on Rippling that want app access tied to employee records.
- Teams wanting automatic account provisioning and offboarding.
Skip it if
- Teams needing discovery of unmanaged or shadow SaaS.
- Buyers who want standalone SaaS spend or license optimization.
Worth knowing
- The $8 per employee price is the suite entry point, not a SaaS management price; IT and spend modules are quoted separately.
- No evidence found that Rippling discovers unsanctioned apps; it manages apps routed through its own SSO.
- G2 reviews Rippling IT and Rippling Spend as separate products, so one rating does not cover both.
Patriot Payroll
Low-cost small business payroll from Patriot Software, in Basic and Full Service tiers.
- Starting price
- $17/month + $4 per worker (Basic)
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per worker
- G2 rating
- 4.8 (603 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Base plus per worker, contractors count.
- Target company size
- Up to 500 employees (press kit)
- Tax filing and compliance
- Full Service handles federal, state and local deposits and filings.
- Accounting integrations
- Patriot Accounting; QuickBooks integration reported as manual.
Choose it if
- Very small businesses watching cost.
- Employers who want Full Service tax filing at a low base fee.
Skip it if
- Teams wanting seamless QuickBooks sync (reviewers report manual entry)
- Larger or complex multi-state employers.
Worth knowing
- Per-worker fee billed once per month regardless of pay runs.
- Contractors are billed like employees ($4 each)
- Full Service $37 + $5 per worker; 10 employees about $87/month per Patriot.
QuickBooks Payroll
Intuit's payroll sold as bundles with QuickBooks accounting, with tax filing and 1099 e-filing included.
Rebranded: Now marketed as QuickBooks Workforce (Payroll bundles); G2 page titled QuickBooks Workforce.
- Starting price
- $44/month + $6.50 per employee (Payroll + Simple Start, 50% promo for 3 months shown; list $88)
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per employee
- G2 rating
- 4.4 (501 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Base plus per employee, bundled with accounting.
- Target company size
- Small businesses.
- Tax filing and compliance
- Full-service payroll calculates, files and pays payroll taxes.
- Accounting integrations
- Native QuickBooks bookkeeping bundle.
Choose it if
- Businesses already on QuickBooks Online.
- Employers wanting payroll bundled with bookkeeping.
Skip it if
- Teams that need Elite pricing in public.
- Buyers wanting benefits admin included.
Worth knowing
- Pricing page now sells payroll+accounting bundles named Workforce, not the old Core/Premium/Elite lineup.
- Listed prices are 50% off for 3 months; list is double.
- Same-day direct deposit requires the Essentials bundle or above.
OnPay
Small-business payroll with one flat plan, unlimited pay runs and all-state tax filing included.
- Starting price
- $49/month + $6 per worker
- Pricing model
- base fee plus per worker
- G2 rating
- 4.8 (406 reviews)
- Pricing model
- Base plus per worker.
- Target company size
- Small business (97.7% of G2 reviews)
- Tax filing and compliance
- Federal, state and local filings included.
- Multi-state payroll
- Pay workers in any number of states, no extra fee.
Choose it if
- Small businesses and accounting-firm partners.
- Multi-state small teams needing included filings.
Skip it if
- Teams needing deep third-party integrations.
- Larger employers.
Worth knowing
- Single published price: $49 + $6 per worker with unlimited runs.
- Multi-state included at no extra fee.
- No implementation or integration fees.
Frequently asked questions
What is payroll software?
Payroll software calculates employee pay, withholds and files payroll taxes, and issues paychecks or direct deposits. Most platforms also handle contractor payments, year-end forms such as W-2 and 1099, and sync with accounting and time tracking tools.
Which payroll software publish their pricing?
5 of the 12 tools we compared publish prices: Gusto ($49/month plus $6 per person (Simple)); Justworks ($50/month base plus $8 per employee (Payroll plan)); Patriot Payroll ($17/month + $4 per worker (Basic)); QuickBooks Payroll ($44/month + $6.50 per employee (Payroll + Simple Start, 50% promo for 3 months shown; list $88)); OnPay ($49/month + $6 per worker). The others quote on request, so ask for a written quote that names the seat or spend basis, the term and the renewal uplift.
Which payroll software have a free plan or free trial?
Patriot Payroll (free trial), according to the vendors' sites on October 24, 2026.
Which payroll software include SSO below the enterprise plan?
Gusto (Reportedly available by contacting support (third-party source); not verified on gusto.com); Paycom (SAML 2.0 offered; plan not published); Paylocity (Okta lists SAML SSO; plan requirement not published); Paycor (Okta lists SAML SSO and SCIM for Paycor; plan requirement not published). The other tools either reserve SAML SSO for their enterprise tier or do not say on their public pages.
Which payroll software are rated highest on G2?
Among tools with at least 20 G2 reviews: Patriot Payroll 4.8 from 603 reviews, OnPay 4.8 from 406 reviews, Rippling 4.7 from 1116 reviews. Ratings were read on October 24, 2026; small review counts move quickly, so read recent reviews from companies your size.