10 Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses in the US (2026)

ADP sells two small-business payroll options. RUN Powered by ADP comes in four quoted packages for businesses of 1 to 49 people and, with your authorization, calculates and files federal, state and local payroll taxes and e-files W-2s and 1099s; a recent promotion offered new clients up to six months of free payroll. Roll by ADP is a mobile, chat-driven app with a published $59 monthly base fee and $7 for each employee, unlimited payroll runs, same-day and next-day direct deposit, payroll in all 50 states and payments to both employees and contractors, with no long-term contract. Best for: RUN for owners who want a sales rep and bundled HR, and Roll for those happy to run payroll from a phone.

QuickBooks Payroll became part of QuickBooks Workforce in May 2026, when Intuit renamed its plans and added an AI Payroll Agent that checks time data and runs payroll. Workforce Payroll has a $50 monthly base fee and $7 per employee, Premium $88 and $13, and Elite $134 and $17, with no annual contract, and new customers were being offered 50% off the base fee for three months. Payroll taxes are calculated, filed and paid for you, 1099s are e-filed and W-2s are delivered through an employee portal. Direct deposit arrives the next day if you run payroll by 5 p.m., or the same day on Premium and Elite if you run it by 7 a.m., and only Elite covers payroll tax penalties and interest, up to $25,000 a year. Best for: businesses whose books already live in QuickBooks Online.

Paychex, which closed its acquisition of Paycor, valued at about $4.1 billion, in April 2025, sells Paychex Flex payroll in four packages (Basic, Foundations, Advanced, Complete) priced by quote; Flex calculates, withholds and files federal, state and local taxes, produces W-2s and 1099s and connects to QuickBooks and Xero. For the smallest employers, its SurePayroll brand publishes prices: Full Service runs $29 monthly with $7 per employee and files and deposits taxes for you, a self-filing plan runs $20 and $4, each additional state adds $9.99 a month, and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms are billed once a year at $50 plus $5 per form. Best for: employers that want a large provider, either with a dedicated rep through Flex or at a low published price through SurePayroll.

OnPay, based in Atlanta, keeps payroll pricing to one plan with a $49 monthly base fee and $6 for each worker, and it includes payroll in all 50 states at no extra cost, unlimited pay runs and free setup and migration from your previous provider. It files and pays federal, state and local taxes, produces W-2s and 1099s, and can pay staff by direct deposit, paper check or debit card. Optional add-ons cover HR tools ($15 monthly, plus $2 for each worker) and time tracking ($15 monthly, plus $4 for each worker). New customers get the first month free, and payroll syncs with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero. Best for: employers with workers in several states who want one predictable price.

Square Payroll’s full-service plan has a $35 monthly base fee and $6 for each person paid; it files federal and state taxes, including state unemployment tax, and supports multi-state payroll, automatic payroll and off-cycle payments, while a contractor-only plan costs $6 per person with no base fee. Timecards flow in from Square point-of-sale and the Square Team app, and payroll syncs with QuickBooks Online. Standard direct deposit takes four business days, but full-service customers can switch on two-day or next-day deposit, and workers who take their pay through Cash App receive it instantly. Paper W-2 or 1099 copies cost $3 per person a year. Best for: restaurants and shops that already ring up sales and clock in staff on Square.

Patriot Payroll is one of the least expensive payroll services: Basic Payroll has a $17 monthly base fee and $4 for every worker paid if you file taxes yourself, while Full Service Payroll ($37 base, $5 per worker) comes with federal, state and local taxes filed and deposited for you and W-2s and 1099s included. New customers were getting 30 days free plus 50% off for three months, and there is no contract. Direct deposit is free on a four-day schedule, or two days for qualifying customers, and Patriot says it covers penalties and interest caused by its own errors. Payroll in each additional state costs $12 a month, and it integrates with QuickBooks Online and Desktop. Best for: very small, single-state employers watching every dollar.

Justworks, the New York company better known for its PEO, also sells a standalone Payroll plan with a $50 monthly base and $8 per employee, available in all 50 states, with US contractors at $8 each only in months you pay them and time tracking at $8 per employee. It handles employer payroll tax filings and W-2 and 1099 filings, but payroll runs on a four-business-day timeline, with submissions due by 2 p.m. Eastern on the processing date and one combined debit for pay and taxes. Companies that later want benefits through a PEO can move to Justworks’ PEO plans, which require at least two W-2 employees. Best for: US-only teams, including contractor-heavy businesses, that can plan pay runs a few days ahead.

Homebase, known for its free scheduling and time-clock app for hourly teams, offers a payroll add-on that turns those timesheets into paychecks. It carries a $49 monthly base fee and $6 for each employee paid on any plan, including the free Basic plan, or a $29 base for teams of five or fewer, and new customers were being offered six months free. Taxes are calculated, filed and paid automatically in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with W-2s, 1099s and amendments included. New accounts start with three-day direct deposit for their first 10 payrolls, move to two-day after 10 runs and three months, and can then add next-day pay. Best for: hourly, shift-based teams that already schedule and clock in with Homebase.

Wave Payroll comes from Wave Financial, which H&R Block bought in 2019, and plugs into Wave’s free accounting software. It has a $40 monthly base fee, $6 for each active employee and $6 for each contractor paid, and since April 2025 its tax service has covered all 50 states at one price. Wave pays and files federal and state payroll taxes, generates W-2, W-3 and 1099-NEC forms and includes unlimited free direct deposits, but it does not file 1099s for you. Payroll must be approved three business days before payday, by 3 p.m. Eastern, and Wave says it can’t guarantee expedited payroll. Best for: micro-businesses that already keep their books in Wave.