Top 10 Payroll Services for Businesses with 1-10 Employees (2026)
Last updated October 11, 2026. Ranked by our scoring system against the published rubric and reviewed by an editor.
Quick answer: the top 10
| Rank | Product | Score /10 | Best for | Cost at 5 employees/mo (list price) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | 8.5 | micro-businesses that want payroll plus benefits and HR in one | $79/mo ($49 + 5×$6) [GU1] |
| 2 | Patriot Payroll | 8.3 | the lowest-cost full-service payroll for micro-businesses | $62/mo ($37 + 5×$5) [PT1] |
| 3 | OnPay | 8.0 | flat, simple full-service pricing | $79/mo ($49 + 5×$6) [ON1] |
| 4 | QuickBooks Payroll | 7.7 | businesses already on QuickBooks Online | $85/mo ($50 + 5×$7) [QP1] |
| 5 | Square Payroll | 7.6 | Square POS businesses | $65/mo ($35 + 5×$6) [SQ1] |
| 6 | Justworks (Payroll) | 7.6 | teams that may move to a PEO later | $90/mo ($50 + 5×$8) [JW1] |
| 7 | SurePayroll | 7.6 | predictable flat pricing with unlimited runs | $64/mo ($29 + 5×$7) [SP1] |
| 8 | ADP RUN | 7.5 | owners who want a big-brand provider with phone support | Price on request [AD1] |
| 9 | Rippling | 7.2 | companies wanting payroll plus IT and device management | Price on request [RP1] |
| 10 | Paycor | 6.5 | businesses planning to grow past 10 people | $124/mo ($99 + 5×$5) (third-party) [PC2] |
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How we ranked them (method and rubric)
- Candidates: 12 products compared for this list. Rippling is quote-only according to a third-party source, and Justworks' PEO tiers are a different product, so this list scores its Payroll plan.
- Core-job requirement: the service must natively run payroll and file and deposit payroll taxes (full-service). Patriot Basic is self-file, so we scored Patriot Full Service. All 12 pass.
- Evaluation: Desk research only. Every product was researched, not hands-on tested. How the scores are calculated is on the methodology page.
- Reviews: G2 and Capterra ratings checked 2026-10-11 [VR]. How those ratings become a score is on the methodology page. Some listings were matched by name (for example, "RUN Powered by ADP" for ADP RUN and "Patriot Software" for Patriot Payroll).
- Typical user, for pricing: a US business with 5 W-2 employees in one state, paying twice a month.
Weights (standard SaaS rubric, unchanged)
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Features & fit (full-service payroll for 1-10 employees) | 25% |
| Pricing & value | 20% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| Review sentiment | 15% |
| Integrations | 10% |
| Support & reliability | 10% |
| Security & compliance | 5% |
Features checklist: ★automatic federal/state tax filing & deposits · ★direct deposit · ★W-2/1099 year-end forms · ★employee self-service · unlimited pay runs · contractor payments · benefits/401(k) · time tracking · HR tools · multi-state
Per-criterion scores
| Product | Features | Price | Ease | Reviews | Integrations | Support | Security | Overall | Evaluated via | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8.1 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Patriot Payroll | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9.1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8.3 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| OnPay | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9.0 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8.0 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| QuickBooks Payroll | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7.5 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7.7 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Square Payroll | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8.4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7.6 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Justworks (Payroll) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7.6 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| SurePayroll | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6.3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7.6 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| ADP RUN | 9 | 4 | 8 | 8.2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Rippling | 9 | 3 | 7 | 9.0 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7.2 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Paycor | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5.0† | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Wave Payroll | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6.5 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
| Paychex Flex | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5.0† | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6.2 | desk research | 2026-10-11 |
† = no usable review data, so a neutral 5.0 was applied.
Ranked 11th or lower (eligible but outside the top 10): Wave Payroll (6.5), Paychex Flex (6.2).
The top 10 in detail
1. Gusto: 8.5/10
Best for: micro-businesses that want payroll plus benefits and HR in one. · Official site: https://gusto.com
- Pricing: Simple $49/mo + $6/person. Plus $80 + $12. Premium $180 + $22. Contractors are charged only in months they're paid. Price from third-party source [GU1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $49 + 5 × $6 = $79/mo on Simple [GU1].
- Pros: very large review base [R1]; benefits and HR built in
- Cons: higher tiers get pricey [GU1]
- Reviews: G2 4.63/5 from 13,261 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/gusto/reviews; Capterra 4.6/5 from 4,229 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/131882/Gusto/. Weighted average 4.62 from 17,490 reviews [VR]
- Score: 8.5
2. Patriot Payroll: 8.3/10
Best for: the lowest-cost full-service payroll for micro-businesses. · Official site: https://www.patriotsoftware.com
- Pricing: Full Service Payroll $37/mo + $5 per worker paid. Basic (self-file) $17 + $4. Currently 30 days free + 50% off for 3 months. Extra states $12/mo [PT1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $37 + 5 × $5 = $62/mo at list price [PT1].
- Pros: lowest list price among full-service options [PT1]; G2 4.8 [R1]
- Cons: each additional state filing costs $12/mo [PT1]
- Reviews: G2 4.82/5 from 614 reviews (*company card, so the count may cover the whole vendor; treat with caution): https://www.g2.com/products/patriot-software/reviews (Patriot Software, matched by name). Weighted average 4.82 from 614 reviews [VR]
- Score: 8.3
3. OnPay: 8.0/10
Best for: flat, simple full-service pricing. · Official site: https://onpay.com
- Pricing: Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker, as shown on OnPay's partner pricing calculator. The page also says 'pricing starts at $55 per month'. HR add-ons from $15 + $2/worker [ON1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $49 + 5 × $6 = $79/mo (calculator figures) [ON1].
- Pros: simple per-worker pricing [ON1]
- Cons: two different starting prices on one page [ON1]
- Reviews: G2 4.8/5 from 413 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/onpay/reviews; Capterra 4.8/5 from 469 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/167109/OnPay/. Weighted average 4.80 from 882 reviews [VR]
- Score: 8.0
4. QuickBooks Payroll: 7.7/10
Best for: businesses already on QuickBooks Online. · Official site: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/
- Pricing: Workforce Payroll $50/mo + $7/employee. Premium $88 + $13. Elite $134 + $17. Price from third-party source [QP1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $50 + 5 × $7 = $85/mo [QP1].
- Pros: tight QuickBooks integration
- Cons: Price not published on the vendor page
- Reviews: Capterra 4.5/5 from 996 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/174981/QuickBooks/ (QuickBooks listing; may cover more than payroll). Weighted average 4.50 from 996 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.7
5. Square Payroll: 7.6/10
Best for: Square POS businesses. · Official site: https://squareup.com/us/en/payroll
- Pricing: Full-service $35/mo + $6/person paid. Contractor-only $6/person [SQ1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $35 + 5 × $6 = $65/mo [SQ1].
- Pros: low price; contractor-only option [SQ1]
- Cons: G2 4.41 from 74 reviews
- Reviews: G2 4.23/5 from 31 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/square-payroll/reviews; Capterra 4.7/5 from 622 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/170266/Square-Payroll/. Weighted average 4.68 from 653 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.6
6. Justworks (Payroll): 7.6/10
Best for: teams that may move to a PEO later. · Official site: https://www.justworks.com
- Pricing: Payroll $8/employee/mo + $50 base. PEO Basic $79 and PEO Plus $124 per employee/mo [JW1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $50 + 5 × $8 = $90/mo [JW1].
- Pros: clear upgrade path to a PEO [JW1]
- Reviews: G2 4.6/5 from 1,120 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/justworks/reviews; Capterra 4.6/5 from 741 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/223913/Justworks/. Weighted average 4.60 from 1,861 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.6
7. SurePayroll: 7.6/10
Best for: predictable flat pricing with unlimited runs. · Official site: https://www.surepayroll.com
- Pricing: Starting at $29/mo + $7/worker. Multi-state $9.99/mo. Year-end W-2 and 1099 forms billed annually ($50 + $5/form). A $39/mo plan is also shown [SP1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $29 + 5 × $7 = $64/mo, plus year-end fees [SP1].
- Pros: low list price [SP1]
- Cons: year-end forms cost extra [SP1]; G2 4.4 [R1]
- Reviews: G2 4.35/5 from 528 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/surepayroll/reviews; Capterra 4.1/5 from 307 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/225706/SurePayroll/. Weighted average 4.26 from 835 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.6
8. ADP RUN: 7.5/10
Best for: owners who want a big-brand provider with phone support. · Official site: https://www.adp.com
- Pricing: No public list price; tailored quotes [AD1]. Third-party estimates (about $79 + $4/employee) are not vendor figures [AD2].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): Price on request.
- Pros: very large review base [R1]
- Cons: quote-only [AD1]
- Reviews: G2 4.65/5 from 6,415 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/run-powered-by-adp/reviews (RUN Powered by ADP); Capterra 4.6/5 from 1,569 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/185859/RUN/. Weighted average 4.64 from 7,984 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.5
9. Rippling: 7.2/10
Best for: companies wanting payroll plus IT and device management. · Official site: https://www.rippling.com
- Pricing: Price on request [RP1]. A third-party source says the $8/user price was withdrawn on 2026-09-06 [AD2].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): Price on request.
- Pros: broad platform
- Cons: quote-only; likely more than a 5-person firm needs
- Reviews: G2 4.76/5 from 11,961 reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/rippling/reviews; Capterra 4.9/5 from 4,885 reviews: https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/. Weighted average 4.80 from 16,846 reviews [VR]
- Score: 7.2
10. Paycor: 6.5/10
Best for: businesses planning to grow past 10 people. · Official site: https://www.paycor.com
- Pricing: Price from third-party source [PC2]: Basic $99 + $5/employee, rising to $199 + $12. Not published on the vendor page [PC1].
- Monthly cost at 5 employees (calculated from list prices): $99 + 5 × $5 = $124/mo (third-party figures) [PC2].
- Pros: scales to HCM
- Cons: Price not published on the vendor page
- Reviews: Not included in the 2026-10-11 G2 and Capterra check, so a neutral score was applied.
- Score: 6.5
FAQ
What's the cheapest full-service payroll for 5 employees? At list prices, Patriot Full Service works out to $62/mo, SurePayroll $64 and Square Payroll $65 [PT1][SP1][SQ1].
Gusto or OnPay? Both work out to $79/mo at 5 employees on their entry plans, using the figures cited above [GU1][ON1].
How often is this list updated? Prices and ratings are re-checked at least every 90 days. See the changelog.
Sources (all checked 2026-10-11)
- [PT1] Patriot payroll pricing: https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/pricing/
- [GU1] Gusto pricing (third-party summary): https://gusto.com/product/pricing
- [ON1] OnPay pricing: https://onpay.com/pricing
- [SP1] SurePayroll pricing: https://www.surepayroll.com/pricing
- [QP1] QuickBooks Payroll pricing (third-party summary): https://quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/
- [SQ1] Square Payroll pricing: https://squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing
- [WP1] Wave Payroll: https://www.waveapps.com/payroll
- [JW1] Justworks pricing: https://www.justworks.com/pricing
- [PC1] Paycor pricing: https://www.paycor.com/pricing/
- [PC2] Seatbill quote-only payroll article (third-party): https://seatbill.com/payroll-pricing/article-55
- [AD1] ADP RUN packages: https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/payroll/payroll-for-1-49-employees/payroll-packages.aspx
- [AD2] Third-party estimates: https://mypaycal.org/en/payroll-software/adp-vs-paychex ; https://seatbill.com/payroll-pricing/article-55
- [PX1] Paychex small business payroll: https://www.paychex.com/payroll/small-business-payroll
- [RP1] Rippling pricing: https://www.rippling.com/pricing
- [R1] G2 comparison pages: https://www.g2.com/compare/gusto-vs-run-powered-by-adp ; https://www.g2.com/compare/gusto-vs-patriot-payroll ; https://www.g2.com/compare/run-powered-by-adp-vs-square-payroll ; https://www.g2.com/compare/gusto-vs-surepayroll
- [VR] G2 and Capterra ratings, browser-verified 2026-10-11. Per-product URLs are given in each entry. Source notes: G2 and Capterra ratings and the rest of the ratings we checked.
Changelog
- 2026-10-11: Replaced the secondary review data with browser-verified G2 and Capterra ratings, using a review-count-weighted average, a 20-review minimum and a neutral score when no source qualifies. Re-scored. Top-5 rank changes: OnPay #5 → #3; QuickBooks Payroll entered at #4; Square Payroll entered at #5 (SurePayroll and ADP RUN dropped out).
- 2026-10-11: First published.