Best Payroll Software 2026
Quick Take
Payroll software compared on price, tax filing capabilities, benefits administration, and ease of running payroll. All prices verified as of 2025.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
| # | Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | Small to mid-size businesses | $Custom/mo | 6.6/10 |
| 2 | Rippling | Growing companies needing HR + IT | $8/mo | 7.6/10 |
| 3 | Patriot Software | Budget payroll | $17/mo | 7.4/10 |
| 4 | QuickBooks Online | QBO users | $30/mo | 8.6/10 |
1. Gusto | Small to mid-size businesses
Full-service payroll, benefits, and HR for small to mid-size businesses. Gusto handles payroll tax filings, W-2s, 1099s, health insurance, 401(k), and onboarding. The Simple plan at $40/mo + $6/person is competitive. The UI is excellent and the payroll processing is reliable.
Our take: The best overall payroll platform for SMBs. Full-service tax filing, excellent UI, solid benefits integration. $40/mo + $6/person is competitive.
Gusto Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | Custom | — |
| Simple | $40 | — |
| Plus | $80 | — |
2. Rippling | Growing companies needing HR + IT
HR + IT + Finance unified platform. Rippling lets you run payroll, manage benefits, provision laptops, and handle expense management from one system. The modular pricing starts at $8/user/mo but adds up as you stack modules. The employee lifecycle automation is genuinely impressive.
Our take: Unified HR, IT, and payroll platform. More powerful than Gusto but more complex. Worth it if you need device management and app provisioning alongside payroll.
Rippling Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Core Platform | $8 | — |
3. Patriot Software | Budget payroll
Budget-friendly payroll and accounting built for small businesses. Patriot won't win any feature comparisons against QBO, but at $20/mo for accounting it does the basics well. The payroll module starting at $17/mo is genuinely competitive.
Our take: Full-service payroll at $37/mo + $4/employee. Less polished than Gusto but significantly cheaper for small teams.
Patriot Software Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll Basic | $17 | — |
| Accounting Basic | $20 | — |
| Accounting Premium | $30 | — |
| Payroll Full Service | $37 | — |
4. QuickBooks Online | QBO users
The 800-pound gorilla of SMB accounting. QuickBooks Online dominates market share for a reason. deep integrations, solid reporting, and an ecosystem of accountants who know it inside out. The pricing creep over the past few years is real, though.
Our take: QuickBooks Payroll integrates natively with QBO. Convenient if you're already in the Intuit ecosystem but pricey as a standalone payroll solution.
QuickBooks Online Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Start | $30 | $18/mo |
| Essentials | $60 | $36/mo |
| Plus | $90 | $54/mo |
| Advanced | $200 | $120/mo |
How We Ranked These Tools
Evaluated on payroll-specific features: tax filing accuracy, direct deposit speed, benefits integration, employee self-service, and HR features. Weighted toward reliability — payroll errors are expensive.
Read our full scoring methodology for details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if payroll software files taxes wrong?
Most payroll providers (Gusto, Rippling, Patriot) include tax penalty protection — they'll pay penalties caused by their filing errors. Always verify this guarantee before choosing a provider.