Payroll Software Cost Calculator 2026
Enter your team size and see the real monthly total across all 10 providers side by side. Includes the Gusto March 2026 price hike.
Enter Your Team Details
Full-time and part-time W-2 workers
Freelancers and independent contractors
Affects Patriot multi-state fee
Quick presets:
Best overall match
$79/month
Gusto Simple
Full-service, native QBO/Xero sync, benefits marketplace, 50-state filing included.
Try Gusto free| Provider | Monthly total | Annual total | Effective per worker | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CheapestPatriot Basic* | $37 | $444 | $7.40 | *Self-service tax filing |
| Wave (self-service state) | $50 | $600 | $10.00 | Self-service filing in 36 states |
| Cheapest full-servicePatriot Full-Service | $62 | $744 | $12.40 | Full-service (taxes filed for you) |
| Paychex Flex (est.) | $64 | $768 | $12.80 | Estimate; actual quotes vary |
| Square (W-2) | $65 | $780 | $13.00 | |
| Wave (tax-service state) | $70 | $840 | $14.00 | Full-service in 14 states |
| OnPay | $70 | $840 | $14.00 | Unified W-2 + 1099 pricing |
| Rippling (est.) | $75 | $900 | $15.00 | Estimate; modular pricing varies |
| Top PickGusto Simple | $79 | $948 | $15.80 | March 2026 price (was $40) |
| QuickBooks Core | $80 | $960 | $16.00 | Best for QBO users |
| ADP RUN (est.) | $99 | $1188 | $19.80 | Estimate; actual quotes vary |
| QuickBooks Premium | $130 | $1560 | $26.00 | With same-day deposit |
| Gusto Plus | $140 | $1680 | $28.00 | With benefits + HR tools |
| QuickBooks Elite | $185 | $2220 | $37.00 | With tax penalty protection |
| Justworks (PEO) | $295 | $3540 | $59.00 | All-in per-employee PEO pricing |
Monthly total = base fee + (per-employee fee x employees) + (per-contractor fee x contractors) + multi-state fees. Last verified April 2026. ADP, Paychex, and Rippling figures are estimates; get a quote for exact pricing.
Why Effective Cost Per Worker Matters
Most payroll providers advertise the per-employee fee ($4 to $12/month) in large print and hide the base monthly fee in the details. For small teams, the base fee is the dominant cost. At 3 employees on Gusto Simple, the all-in monthly cost is $67 ($49 base + $18 employee fees), which is $22.33 per worker, not the advertised $6.
The effective cost per worker converges toward the advertised per-employee fee only at large headcounts. At 25 employees on Gusto Simple, the effective cost is $7.96 per worker ($49 + $150 = $199 divided by 25). The table below shows the convergence at common team sizes.
| Provider | 1 emp | 3 emp | 5 emp | 10 emp | 25 emp | Advertised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Basic | $21.00 | $9.67 | $7.40 | $5.70 | $4.68 | $4/emp |
| Patriot Full-Service | $42.00 | $17.33 | $12.40 | $8.70 | $6.48 | $5/emp |
| OnPay | $46.00 | $19.33 | $14.00 | $10.00 | $7.60 | $6/emp |
| Gusto SimpleTop Pick | $55.00 | $22.33 | $15.80 | $10.90 | $7.96 | $6/emp |
| QuickBooks Core | $56.00 | $22.67 | $16.00 | $11.00 | $8.00 | $6/emp |
| QuickBooks Premium | $94.00 | $37.33 | $26.00 | $17.50 | $12.40 | $9/emp |
Effective cost per worker = (base + per-employee fee x headcount) / headcount. Last verified April 2026.
Calculator FAQ
Why does the calculator show different totals from the vendor's site?
Does this include annual discounts?
Are state filing fees included?
What about off-cycle run fees?
See also: full-service vs self-service payroll explained | cheapest payroll options
What does payroll actually cost per employee? See the detailed breakdown at payrollservicecost.com.