Best Payroll Software 2026
Payroll software calculates pay and withholding, files and pays payroll taxes, and pays employees and contractors. The real differences are how prices are published, which plan covers multi-state payroll, and whether you can buy without a sales call.
We checked each vendor's own US pricing page on October 13, 2026. Gusto is the only one with full published pricing (Simple $49/month + $6 per person to Premium $180/month + $22 per person, month-to-month). Paychex lists a starting price of $65 + $8 per employee; ADP Workforce Now, Paylocity, HiBob and SAP SuccessFactors sell by quote. Rankings weigh price transparency, payroll and tax-filing coverage, and fit for small and mid-sized US employers.
The best HR Software tools in 2026 are Gusto ($49–$180/mo), Paychex (custom pricing), and ADP Workforce Now (custom pricing). ADP Workforce Now (positioned for 50–999 employees) and Paylocity suit companies that want payroll inside a broader HR suite, but both are quote-only.
ADP Workforce Now (positioned for 50–999 employees) and Paylocity suit companies that want payroll inside a broader HR suite, but both are quote-only.
Compare the top 3 side-by-side
Drag the seat slider, lock a tier per product, see Vendr median pricing and hidden costs for Gusto, Paychex, ADP Workforce Now.
Our Rankings
Gusto
Gusto: Gusto has 4 paid plans costing $49–$180/mo.- Cheapest paid
- Simple — $49/month + $6/month per person (month-to-month, no contract)
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- Month-to-month with no contract and free account setup
- Unlimited payrolls plus tax filings and payments on every plan
Paychex
Paychex offers unlimited payroll processing with automatic payroll tax filing and the option to work with a dedicated payroll specialist, across Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete packages.- Cheapest paid
- Not published per package — Paychex lists "Starting at $65 + $8 per employee" (billing period not stated); Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete are by request
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- Option to work with a dedicated payroll specialist
- Unlimited payroll processing with automatic tax calculation, filing and payment
- Package prices are by request only
- No free plan or self-serve trial advertised
ADP Workforce Now
ADP Workforce Now bundles payroll and HR in its Select package, adds benefits administration in Plus and time and attendance in Premium, and ADP positions it for employers with 50–999 employees. All three packages are priced by quote.- Cheapest paid
- Not published — Select, Plus and Premium are all quote-only
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- Payroll and HR in one suite on every package
- Plus and Premium add benefits administration and time & attendance
- Separate enterprise edition for 1,000+ employees
- No published prices for any package
- Built for 50–999 employees — heavy for very small payrolls
- No free plan or trial; pricing requires a sales contact
Paylocity
Paylocity's payroll module runs 30+ automated payroll audits, handles tax filings and supports global payroll in 100+ countries, and it can be bundled with expense management and AP automation. Pricing is quote-only, by employee count and modules.- Cheapest paid
- Not published — quote by employee count and modules
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- 30+ payroll audits with automatic alerts and on-time tax filings
- Global payroll support for 100+ countries
- Optional expense management, corporate cards and AP automation
- No published prices — quote through a sales form
- Final price depends on which modules you add
- No free plan or trial; demos only
HiBob
HiBob is primarily an HR platform, but it offers native US and UK payroll as a module on top of Core HR, so HR changes flow straight into payroll. It fits buyers who want the HRIS first; pricing is a custom per-employee quote.- Cheapest paid
- Not published — custom per-employee quote (Core HR plus modules)
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- Native US and UK payroll module
- Payroll Hub connects payroll workflows with HR data
- Core HR included in every subscription
- No published prices — custom quote per employee
- Payroll is an add-on module, not the core product
- Pricing page is a demo-request form; no self-serve trial
SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors is an enterprise HCM suite (HCM Base and HCM Premium) with localization in 100+ countries; both packages are price upon request with 1–5 year contracts. SAP's HCM pricing page does not list payroll among either package's capabilities, so it ranks last for a payroll-first buyer.- Cheapest paid
- Not published — HCM Base and HCM Premium are price upon request (1–5 year contracts)
- Verified
- 2026-10-13 · vendor source
- Localization for 100+ countries and territories
- Compensation planning and performance management in the Base package
- Joule Base AI included at no additional cost
- Price upon request for every package
- Contract duration of 1 to 5 years with auto-renewal
- Payroll not listed in the HCM Base or Premium package descriptions
Evaluation Criteria
- price
- features
- ease of use
- tax filing
How We Picked These
We evaluated 6 products and ranked the top 6 (last researched 2026-10-13).
Total cost including hidden fees, implementation, and support
Depth and breadth of core functionality for this use case
Learning curve, setup time, and user experience
API access, native integrations, and ecosystem
Documentation, training resources, and customer service responsiveness
Frequently Asked Questions
01 What's included in payroll software?
Payroll software handles wage calculations, tax withholding and filing, direct deposit, W-2/1099 generation, and compliance. Premium tiers add benefits administration and HR features.
02 Can small businesses do payroll themselves?
Yes, but payroll software automates withholding calculations and tax filings, which lowers the risk of late-filing penalties. Gusto's Simple plan, for example, costs $49/month + $6 per person and includes tax filings and payments.
03 Do payroll providers charge per payroll run?
Gusto includes unlimited payrolls on every plan and says it does not charge extra for off-cycle payrolls. Paychex also lists unlimited payroll processing. For quote-based vendors, ask whether the quote is per employee per month or per payroll run.