Search for a pay stub generator and you'll find dozens of near-identical sites and several "best of" lists that score them. We haven't paid for and tested every service, so this comparison doesn't rank or rate anyone. It lists what each one publishes about price and features on its own site, read on 4 October 2026, and the questions an employer should ask before using any of them, PayDocs included.
Published prices and features
| 123PayStubs | SecurePayStubs | StubCreator | FormPros | Wix (free tool) | PayDocs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per pay stub | $3.99 from the second stub | $4.99 | $4.99 from the second stub | Subscription: $39.99 a month or $96 a year | Free | $4.99 per PDF once checkout opens; less in packs of 4 or 12 |
| Free first stub | Yes | Yes, with a code | Yes, once a year | Not stated | Every stub is free | Preview free; no free PDF |
| Add-on fees | Yes: e.g. advanced withholding $1, extra earnings or deductions $2, deposit slip $1 | None ("no extra cost for add-ons") | Not stated on the pricing page | Covered by the subscription | None | None |
| Tax calculation | Yes: federal and state withholding | Yes, including multi-state | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page | No: you type each deduction | PayDocs works out federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and supported state taxes for 2026 pay dates (see what we calculate) |
| Year-to-date totals | Yes | Yes | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page | Yes | Yes |
| Layouts | 30+ templates | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page | Part of a wider form library | One | Six |
| Corrections | Unlimited corrections | Corrections any time | Not stated on the pricing page | Not stated on the pricing page | Re-make it free | Free for 30 days |
Checked October 4, 2026. From 123paystubs.com/pricing, securepaystubs.com/pricing, stubcreator.com/pricing, formpros.com/pricing and wix.com/tools/pay-stub-generator. FormPros also mentions pay-as-you-go without a price on that page. "Not stated" means the page we read didn't say, not that the feature is missing.
Two other big names, ThePayStubs and PayStubsNow, weren't included: ThePayStubs showed no price on its home page, and PayStubsNow's site sat behind a browser check our reader couldn't pass. Free generators from Shopify, Wix and Wave are compared in more detail in a separate post.
PayDocs compared: dated side-by-side pages PayDocs vs 123PayStubs PayDocs vs StubCreator Pay stub templates
What to compare before you pick one
- Tax year and state. A generator that calculates withholding should say which year's IRS rules it uses (Publication 15-T for 2026) and which states it covers. A stub with last year's tables or a missing state tax is wrong, however clean it looks.
- Year-to-date totals. Every stub after the first should carry year-to-date gross, taxes and net pay forward. Check how the site handles the second and later stubs.
- Price model. Per-stub pricing suits a few employees paid on a regular schedule. A subscription only pays off if you also use the other forms it bundles.
- Add-ons. A $3.99 headline can grow with paid extras for extra earnings lines or advanced withholding. Price the stub you actually need.
- Corrections. Mistakes happen. Look for free corrections for the same employee and pay period.
- Who it's for. A trustworthy tool talks to employers and the self-employed paid through payroll, and says plainly it isn't a payroll service and doesn't file taxes.
Free generators: what you give up
Free tools from website and accounting companies are real options for a one-off stub. Wix's tool, for example, asks for annual salary and pay frequency, lets you add each addition and deduction by hand, shows year-to-date figures and prints a line saying the stub was made with the Wix Pay Stub Generator. Wix's own terms on the page say it is a pay stub maker, not a payroll service, and that the business is responsible for meeting state requirements.
The trade-off is the arithmetic. Without tax calculation you need the correct federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for each paycheck from somewhere else, such as IRS Publication 15-T or a paycheck calculator, before you type it in.
Where pay stubs are required
There's no federal law requiring employers to give pay stubs, but many states require a written or electronic statement of earnings and deductions each payday, and some list what it must show. A generator helps you meet that requirement for people you employ. It doesn't replace the other employer jobs: withholding and depositing payroll taxes, filing Forms 941 and 940, and giving W-2s after the year ends.
Where PayDocs fits, including its limits
PayDocs is built for small employers, household employers and owners on payroll. You fill in the pay period and watch the stub build in a live preview, in one of six layouts, before paying anything. PayDocs works out federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and supported state taxes for 2026 pay dates (see what we calculate); every line stays editable. Previewing is free and the PDF price is $4.99 per stub once checkout opens, with packs of 4 and 12 whose credits never expire. Corrections for the same employer, employee and pay period are free for 30 days.
Its limits: no local or city taxes, no direct deposit, no tax filing and no payroll service. 123PayStubs lists more templates and a lower per-stub headline price. A PayDocs document records pay you made; it is not proof of income, and PayDocs doesn't verify anyone's earnings.
Questions
Which pay stub generator is cheapest?
Of the paid generators we checked on 4 October 2026, 123PayStubs had the lowest headline price at $3.99 per stub after a free first stub, though add-ons cost extra. Wix, Shopify and Wave offer free tools that don't calculate taxes.
Do pay stub generators calculate taxes?
Many paid ones do, for federal and state withholding; free tools usually don't. Check which tax year and which states a generator covers before relying on its figures.
Why doesn't this comparison rate the generators?
We haven't paid for and tested each service, so a score would be invented. The table lists only what each site publishes, with the date we read it.
Is a pay stub generator the same as payroll software?
No. A generator produces the document. Payroll software or a payroll service also pays employees, deposits payroll taxes and files returns.
Sources
- 123PayStubs: Pricing
- SecurePayStubs: Pricing
- StubCreator: Pricing
- FormPros: Pricing
- Wix: Free pay stub generator
- IRS: Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
Sources checked October 4, 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
