Compare payroll services (2026)
Six providers cover most US small businesses. Gusto, OnPay and QuickBooks publish prices ($49 to $50 per month plus $6 to $7 per employee at the entry tier as of November 2026); ADP, Paychex and Rippling quote. Use the table to see every provider at your headcount, then open any head-to-head page.
| Provider (entry plan) | Base / mo | Per employee | 1 emp. | 5 emp. | 10 emp. | 25 emp. | 50 emp. | 100 emp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADP — Essential (quote; est.) | $79 | $5 | $84* | $104* | $129* | $204* | $329* | $579* |
| Paychex — Flex Essentials (higher tiers quoted) | $39 | $5 | $44 | $64 | $89 | $164 | $289 | $539 |
| Gusto — Simple | $49 | $6 | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 | $649 |
| OnPay — Payroll Essentials | $49 | $6 | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 | $649 |
| QuickBooks Payroll — Workforce Payroll (Core) | $50 | $7 | $57 | $85 | $120 | $225 | $400 | $750 |
| Rippling — Platform (required) (higher tiers quoted) | $40 | $8 | $48 | $80 | $120 | $240 | $440 | $840 |
* Estimate for quote-only providers based on publicly reported quotes; ADP bills per pay run so a weekly payroll costs more. Prices are list prices before promotions.
Features
| Feature | ADP | Paychex | Gusto | OnPay | QuickBooks Payroll | Rippling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal & state tax filing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited payroll runs | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-state payroll | Yes | Yes | Plus+ | Yes | add-on | Yes |
| 1099 contractors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health benefits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HR tools | Yes | Yes | Yes | add-on | Premium+ | Yes |
| Time tracking | add-on | add-on | Plus+ | add-on | Premium+ | add-on |
| Same-day deposit | add-on | add-on | No | No | Premium+ | Yes |
| PEO option | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Head-to-head comparisons
- ADP vs Paychex
- ADP vs Gusto
- ADP vs OnPay
- ADP vs QuickBooks Payroll
- ADP vs Rippling
- Paychex vs Gusto
- Paychex vs OnPay
- Paychex vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Paychex vs Rippling
- Gusto vs OnPay
- Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll
- Gusto vs Rippling
- OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll
- OnPay vs Rippling
- QuickBooks Payroll vs Rippling
Provider reviews
- ADP pricing and review
- Paychex pricing and review
- Gusto pricing and review
- OnPay pricing and review
- QuickBooks Payroll pricing and review
- Rippling pricing and review
Get quotes from the providers that fit your business
Tell us your headcount once. Matching providers send real quotes, usually within a business day. You compare and choose.
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- Up to 4 providers, you pick which
- Prices verified November 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which payroll providers do you compare?
ADP (RUN), Paychex (Flex), Gusto, OnPay, QuickBooks Payroll (Workforce) and Rippling. Together they serve the large majority of US small businesses that outsource payroll.
Why are some prices marked as estimates?
ADP, Rippling and the upper Paychex tiers do not publish prices. Our estimates come from quotes reported publicly by customers and review sites and are labeled clearly. Request a quote for your real number.