Payroll services

Everything below links to the page it comes from, and says when we checked it.

Work out the cost for your headcount

Every service here charges a monthly base fee plus a fee for each person you pay, so the headline price only holds for a tiny team. For five employees at the regular price:

• Patriot Basic Payroll: $17 + 5 x $4 = $37 a month, and you file the taxes yourself.
• SurePayroll No Tax Filing: $20 + 5 x $4 = $40, and you file the taxes yourself.
• Paychex Flex Essentials: $39 + 5 x $5 = $64, before tax filing and year-end form fees it doesn't publish.
• Square Payroll: $35 + 5 x $6 = $65.
• Gusto Simple: $49 + 5 x $6 = $79, for payroll in one state.
• OnPay: $49 + 5 x $6 = $79.
• QuickBooks Workforce Payroll: $50 + 5 x $7 = $85.

Each extra person adds $4 to $7 a month. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Who files the payroll taxes

Check this before the price, because it changes what the price buys.

• Gusto and OnPay file federal, state and local payroll taxes and year-end W-2s and 1099s on the entry plan.
• Paychex Flex Essentials files federal, state and "identified local" taxes, but says additional fees may apply, and W-2s and 1099s cost extra. It doesn't say how much.
• QuickBooks Workforce Payroll files federal and state taxes only; certain local taxes are on Premium and Elite. Square Payroll files federal and state taxes, and none of its pages says it files local ones.
• Patriot Basic Payroll and SurePayroll No Tax Filing leave the filing to you: you file and deposit the taxes yourself. Their full-service plans cost more: Patriot Full Service Payroll is $37 + 5 x $5 = $62 a month for five, and SurePayroll Full Service is $29 + 5 x $7 = $64, with a separate fee in areas with local taxes.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Add the fees that come on top

• More than one state: Gusto Simple is single-state, so paying in more states means Plus at $80 + $12 a person, $140 a month for five. QuickBooks charges $12 a month for each extra state, as does Patriot Full Service. SurePayroll charges $9.99 a month. OnPay lets you pay workers in as many states as you need, and Square includes multistate payroll.
• Year-end forms: SurePayroll bills W-2s and 1099-NECs once a year at $50 plus $5 a form, $75 for five employees. OnPay charges $10 a form only if it mails them, and Square $3 a person a year to mail paper copies.
• Paying contractors by direct deposit on QuickBooks Workforce Payroll costs $7 a month per contractor payment.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

If you run construction or trade crews

Pay-as-you-go workers' comp, where premiums follow each payroll, is sold through Gusto (from $14 a month), OnPay, Patriot, Paychex, QuickBooks and Square. For prevailing-wage jobs, QuickBooks is the only one whose pages say you can create the WH-347 certified payroll report in its software, and that article lists Premium and Elite. Labour cost by project is on Gusto Plus and Premium. Our ranking for construction and trades counts these features. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

How the ranking weighs them

The monthly cost for five employees counts for 35% of the score. Tax filing and what the entry plan includes count 20% each, a tax accuracy guarantee and support 10% each, and a free trial 5%. We score the cheapest plan that pays W-2 employees, at the regular price. The formula behind each criterion is on how we score payroll services.

Frequently asked questions

How much does payroll cost for one employee?

The base fee plus one per-person fee: $21 a month on Patriot Basic, $24 on SurePayroll No Tax Filing, $41 on Square, $44 on Paychex Flex Essentials before its extra fees, $55 on Gusto Simple and OnPay, and $57 on QuickBooks Workforce Payroll. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Can I try a payroll service for free?

• OnPay: your first month is free.
• Patriot: 30 days free, then 50% off for 3 months.
• QuickBooks takes 50% off the base fee for 3 months. Its terms also describe a 30-day trial, but per-employee fees are still charged: $35 in the first month for five.
• Gusto and Paychex charge nothing until your first payroll, which is not a free trial.
• SurePayroll's six free months needed you to sign up by September 30, 2026, so that offer has ended.
• We didn't find a free trial for Square Payroll.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Who pays the penalty if the payroll company makes a tax mistake?

Gusto, OnPay and Square say they pay penalties caused by their own filing errors. Patriot guarantees tax filing on Full Service only. QuickBooks reimburses penalties up to $25,000 a year on Workforce Elite only. We didn't find a penalty guarantee from Paychex or SurePayroll. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Can I pay contractors through payroll?

Yes, on all seven entry plans. Gusto, OnPay and Square charge the per-person fee for a contractor in months you pay them. Paychex charges extra for 1099 forms, and Patriot Basic charges nominal fees to e-file them. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

How fast do employees get paid?

• QuickBooks Workforce Payroll includes next-day direct deposit if you run payroll by 5:00 PM.
• Square pays next business day when payroll comes from your Square balance.
• Gusto sells next-day pay on Simple for $15 a month plus $3 a person.
• SurePayroll and Patriot offer free 2-day direct deposit; Patriot's is for qualified customers.
• OnPay takes 2 to 4 days, set after a risk assessment.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

What support comes with the entry plan?

Patriot offers phone, email or chat, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. Square answers the phone Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Gusto Simple and QuickBooks offer phone and chat during business hours. OnPay offers phone, email and chat, SurePayroll live phone and chat, and Paychex live chat or a call for Flex clients. Checked Sep 27, 2026.