US payroll software and services, compared
Reviews and comparisons of payroll services for small US employers, including Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Payroll, Square, OnPay and Patriot, and of free pay stub generators. Prices and features are read from each provider's own public pages on the date stated in the post, and no post rates or scores a product. Several posts also cover the cases where a small employer does not need a full payroll service at all.
Posts for the United States
15 posts, newest first
Accounting software with payroll: do you need both in one?QuickBooks, Xero and Wave with payroll, by published October 2026 price: what the bundle adds, what it costs a month, and when separate tools work.
ADP for a small business: pricing, what you get, when it's too muchRUN Powered by ADP for a small business: the four packages, what Essential includes, why there's no price on the page, the 3-month offer and the limits.
Best payroll for startups (2026), and when you don't need it yetGusto, Square, QuickBooks, Justworks, Rippling and ADP for a startup, by published 2026 price, plus when founders don't need payroll software yet.
Gusto review for a 1–3 person business (2026)A Gusto payroll review for very small employers: what Simple and Plus include, the cost for one to three people, key add-ons and who should skip it.
QuickBooks Payroll review for 1–5 employees (2026)QuickBooks Workforce payroll for one to five employees: the three plans, what each costs at list price, the offer terms and when it's worth it.
Square Payroll vs OnPay vs Patriot for 1–5 employees (2026)Square Payroll, OnPay and Patriot compared from their own pricing pages: monthly cost for 1 to 5 employees, states, year-end forms and who each one suits.
ADP vs Paychex for a small business (and when you need neither)ADP RUN and Paychex Flex compared from their own pages: packages, what's included, how pricing works, and when a small employer needs neither.
Best pay stub generators in the United States (2026), compared123PayStubs, SecurePayStubs, StubCreator, FormPros, Wix and PayDocs compared on published prices, tax calculation and year-to-date totals.
Cheap payroll service for 2–10 employees: 2026 prices comparedWhat Square, Wave, Gusto and QuickBooks payroll cost for 2, 5 and 10 employees on their own pricing pages, the fees that add up, and when DIY is cheaper.
Cheapest Payroll for One Employee (2026): Services vs Doing It YourselfWhat full-service payroll costs for a single employee at Square, Wave, Gusto and QuickBooks, and what running payroll for one person yourself involves.
Free Payroll Software in 2026: What's Actually Free, and Where Pay Stubs FitWhat free payroll software in the US really covers, from ad-supported Payroll4Free to the IRS's and SSA's own free tools, and where a pay stub tool fits.
Gusto pricing in 2026, and cheaper options for 1–3 employeesGusto's 2026 plans and add-on fees from its own pricing page, what they cost for one to three employees, and cheaper routes for very small employers.
Best payroll for small business (2026), and when a pay stub tool is enoughGusto, QuickBooks, Square Payroll and ADP compared on published prices, plus what you still do yourself if a pay stub tool is all you need.
QuickBooks Payroll vs Gusto for 1–5 employees (2026 prices)QuickBooks Payroll and Gusto compared on their live 2026 prices and plans, with the monthly cost worked out for one, three and five employees.
Shopify, Wix and Wave free pay stub generators compared, and alternativesWhat the free pay stub generators from Shopify, Wix and Wave ask for, what they calculate and what they leave to you, checked live on 4 October 2026.
Guides and tools on this topic
Guides
How to do payroll for a small business How to make a pay stub
Tools
PayDocs compared with other pay stub makers Pay stub generator Pay stub templates Payroll register template