OnPay pricing: $49/mo base, $6/worker, one payroll plan with add-ons, and how it compares to Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll
OnPay's pricing page is still one of the few in payroll software that shows you the price. Payroll Essentials costs $49 per month plus $6 per worker, and it covers full-service payroll, tax filing, multi-state payroll, and benefits administration. HR tools and time tracking are now paid add-ons, sold alone or in bundles, so the all-in price depends on what you need. For a product category where Paychex requires a sales conversation and ADP sends you through a quoting process, OnPay's pricing transparency is a real competitive advantage.
This pricing breakdown pulls directly from OnPay's published pricing page, checked September 2026. The numbers are straightforward, but the comparison against competitors shows where the real value lies and where the simplicity has trade-offs. Even with its HR and time tracking add-ons, OnPay's feature set is narrower than what Gusto or Rippling offer at their higher tiers.
OnPay pricing overview: what the $49 plus $6 per worker plan actually includes
How much does OnPay cost?
OnPay costs $49 per month plus $6 per worker for Payroll Essentials, its single payroll plan. Optional add-ons raise the price: HR is $15 plus $2 per worker and time tracking is $15 plus $4 per worker, or bundles run $70 to $130 per month plus $7 to $10 per worker. The first month is free.
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: OnPay pricing page, OnPay accountant partner pricing.
OnPay charges $49 per month as a base fee plus $6 per worker per month for Payroll Essentials. A 10-worker company pays $109 per month. A 25-worker company pays $199 per month. A 50-worker company pays $349 per month. A 100-worker company pays $649 per month. On top of that, you choose add-ons: HR at $15 per month plus $2 per worker, time tracking at $15 plus $4 per worker, compliance resources at $10 per month, and live HR support at $65 per month. The math stays linear and predictable.
The one-plan-plus-add-ons approach is still simpler than competitors' tiers. Gusto offers three plans from $49 to $180 in base fees, with next-day direct deposit and time tracking on the Plus tier. QuickBooks Payroll offers three plans from $50 to $134 in base fees, with same-day deposit and time tracking reserved for Premium. OnPay includes multi-state payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, and automated tax filing in Payroll Essentials, and lets you add only the HR or time tracking features you need. Bundles cut the add-on cost: Hourly Employees at $70 plus $10 per worker, Salaried Employees at $120 plus $7, and Growing Businesses at $130 plus $10.
New customers get their first month free, plus free onboarding support and data migration, which means you can run real payrolls with your actual business data before paying. The combination of published pricing and a free first month shows confidence in the product. OnPay does not need a sales team to close the deal.
Where the pricing model becomes less attractive is at scale. OnPay does not publish volume discounts. The $6 per worker rate stays flat whether you have 10 workers or 200. At 100 workers, Payroll Essentials costs $649 per month, and the Growing Businesses bundle costs $1,130 per month, which puts OnPay in the same range as platforms that offer significantly more HR functionality. The linear pricing that feels simple at 25 workers starts to feel expensive at 100+ when compared to Rippling or Paylocity on a per-feature-per-dollar basis.
| Plan | Price | Billing unit | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | $49/mo + $6 per worker/mo | per month, plus per worker paid in the billing period | Full-service payroll with unlimited runs, multi-state tax filings, W-2s and 1099s, onboarding, reporting and benefits administration. |
| Hourly Employees bundle | $70/mo + $10 per worker/mo | per month, plus per worker | Payroll Essentials plus time tracking and HR tools. |
| Salaried Employees bundle | $120/mo + $7 per worker/mo | per month, plus per worker | Payroll Essentials plus HR tools, compliance resources and live HR support. |
| Growing Businesses bundle | $130/mo + $10 per worker/mo | per month, plus per worker | All OnPay products: payroll, HR, time tracking, compliance resources and live HR support. |
| Add-ons (a la carte) | HR $15/mo + $2/worker; Time Tracking $15/mo + $4/worker; Compliance Resources $10/mo; Live HR Support $65/mo | per month, some plus per worker | Individual add-ons on top of Payroll Essentials; health, workers' comp and 401(k) cost only the plan premiums. |
What OnPay costs for 10, 50 and 200 employees
| Plan | 10 employees | 50 employees | 200 employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | $109/mo | $349/mo | $1,249/mo |
| Hourly Employees bundle | $170/mo | $570/mo | $2,070/mo |
| Salaried Employees bundle | $190/mo | $470/mo | $1,520/mo |
| Growing Businesses bundle | $230/mo | $630/mo | $2,130/mo |
Monthly cost in USD before tax, add-ons and implementation fees. “n/a” means the plan does not serve that headcount or the vendor does not publish a figure for it.
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: OnPay pricing page, OnPay accountant partner pricing.
OnPay pricing overview: what the $49 plus $6 per worker plan actually includes
OnPay has one payroll plan, so the guidance comes down to add-ons. Start with Payroll Essentials if you need reliable payroll, automated tax filing, and basic benefits administration. Add time tracking if you have hourly workers, and HR if you want PTO management, workflows, and document tools. If you need two or more add-ons, price the bundles, which are cheaper than buying add-ons one by one. If you need applicant tracking, performance management, or advanced workforce analytics, OnPay does not provide them at any price.
For businesses with 1 to 50 employees, OnPay's pricing is almost always competitive. At $49 plus $6 per worker, Payroll Essentials matches Gusto Simple and undercuts QuickBooks Payroll, and the Hourly Employees bundle ($70 plus $10 per worker) costs less than Gusto Plus. For businesses approaching 100 employees, compare OnPay's total cost against Gusto Plus and Rippling, which offer broader HR capabilities at a comparable per-employee cost at that scale.
OnPay Payroll Essentials and add-ons: what each includes and where it fits
Payroll Essentials covers payroll processing for salaried and hourly employees, automated federal, state, and local tax filing with a tax guarantee, benefits administration including health insurance shopping through licensed brokers, 401(k) plan administration, employee onboarding with digital document collection, multi-state payroll support in all 50 states, W-2 and 1099 preparation and filing, employee self-service portal, direct deposit with next-day processing, and integrations with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and FreshBooks. PTO management and HR workflows come with the HR add-on, and time tracking is a separate add-on. OnPay does not offer same-day direct deposit, applicant tracking, performance management, engagement surveys, or advanced workforce analytics. The feature set is comprehensive for payroll but limited for HR.
How OnPay pricing compares to Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, and Paychex
OnPay vs Gusto on price: one plan with add-ons versus tiered plans
OnPay Payroll Essentials at $49 plus $6 per worker matches Gusto Simple at $49 plus $6 per person on headline price: $199 per month for 25 people. The gap opens when you need more. Gusto puts next-day direct deposit, time tracking, and PTO policies on Plus ($80 plus $12, or $380 per month for 25 people). OnPay includes next-day deposit in Payroll Essentials and sells HR and time tracking in its Hourly Employees bundle ($70 plus $10 per worker, or $320 per month for 25 people). That makes OnPay the better value for businesses that do not need Gusto's HR features like applicant tracking and performance reviews.
OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll on price: add-ons versus ecosystem
OnPay Payroll Essentials costs $49 plus $6 per worker. QuickBooks Payroll's entry plan costs $50 plus $7 per employee and lacks same-day deposit, time tracking, and HR support. QuickBooks Payroll Premium at $88 plus $13 per employee includes those features. For a 25-employee company, OnPay's Hourly Employees bundle (payroll, HR, and time tracking) costs $320 per month while QuickBooks Payroll Premium costs $413 per month, a $93 monthly difference or $1,116 per year. The gap narrows if you assign dollar value to QuickBooks Payroll's native accounting integration, which saves 1 to 2 hours per pay cycle for QuickBooks users. For non-QuickBooks businesses, OnPay is the clear value winner.
OnPay vs Paychex on price: transparency versus the quote-based model
OnPay publishes every number on its pricing page. Paychex no longer lists prices and requires a sales conversation, making direct comparison difficult. Its last published plan, Flex Essentials, cost $39 per month plus $5 per employee, but tax filing, benefits administration, and HR features often require higher Paychex packages or add-ons. The total cost of a comparable Paychex package typically exceeds OnPay's price, with the added friction of opaque pricing. OnPay's advantage is knowing exactly what you will pay before you talk to anyone.
OnPay pricing buyer checklist: what to verify before switching payroll providers
Run a full payroll cycle in your free first month with your actual employee data
Do not evaluate OnPay based on the setup wizard alone. Import your employee data, configure tax settings for every state where you have employees, and process at least one complete payroll run during the free first month. Compare the tax calculations against your current provider to catch discrepancies. The free month is the most meaningful evaluation tool OnPay offers, so use it.
Test the multi-state tax handling before committing
If you have employees in multiple states, verify that OnPay has registered your business with the appropriate state tax agencies and that withholding calculations are correct for each state. Multi-state compliance is one of OnPay's strengths, but confirm it works for your specific state combination during the free first month.
Evaluate the benefits administration if you plan to offer health insurance
Connect with OnPay's licensed brokers early to understand the plan options, costs, and enrollment process. If you already have a benefits carrier, confirm the integration and deduction automation work before migrating payroll. The benefits shopping experience is guided and does not assume prior expertise.
Compare the total cost of OnPay plus separate HR tools against all-in-one platforms
OnPay excels at payroll but lacks HR depth. If you also need an ATS, performance management, or engagement tools, price out those separate tools and add them to OnPay's cost. Then compare the total against Gusto Plus or Rippling's all-in pricing. The answer depends on which HR features you actually use versus which you think you might need.
Assess the reporting against your accounting and compliance needs
OnPay's reporting covers payroll summaries, tax liability reports, and deduction breakdowns. If you need custom report builders, workforce analytics dashboards, or departmental cost analysis, test the reporting during your free first month. The reports are adequate for basic needs but limited for analytical use cases.
OnPay pricing should be evaluated in the context of team size, operating complexity, and the commercial metric that makes cost rise over time.
Buyers should use this page to understand more than the headline price. The real decision usually depends on implementation scope, support level, add-on exposure, and whether the pricing model still makes sense once the team grows.
- Clarify whether cost scales by employee count, recruiter seats, payroll runs, locations, or another metric.
- Confirm what implementation, premium support, compliance, or service add-ons do to total spend.
- Model pricing against the actual team size and operating complexity expected over the next 12 months.
Is OnPay worth the price?
OnPay's pricing is among the most transparent in the small business payroll market. Payroll Essentials at $49 plus $6 per worker, with clearly priced HR and time tracking add-ons, avoids the tier-comparison headache that Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll create. For businesses with 1 to 50 employees that need reliable payroll, automated tax filing, and basic HR tools, OnPay delivers strong value per dollar, especially once you compare its bundles against Gusto Plus or QuickBooks Payroll Premium. The limitation is what OnPay does not do: no applicant tracking, no performance management, no advanced analytics. Growing businesses may need to add separate tools or eventually migrate to a broader platform. If payroll simplicity and pricing transparency are your top criteria, OnPay is the right choice. If you need payroll plus HR in one platform, Gusto or Rippling will serve you better at a higher price.
Frequently asked questions about OnPay pricing and costs
How much does OnPay cost per employee per month?
OnPay charges $49 per month plus $6 per worker for Payroll Essentials, its one payroll plan. That covers full-service payroll, federal, state, and local tax filing, multi-state payroll, W-2s and 1099s, onboarding, and benefits administration. HR tools ($15 per month plus $2 per worker), time tracking ($15 plus $4 per worker), compliance resources ($10 per month), and live HR support ($65 per month) are optional add-ons. A 25-worker company pays $199 per month on Payroll Essentials alone.
Does OnPay have multiple pricing plans?
OnPay has one payroll plan, Payroll Essentials, plus optional add-ons and bundles. The add-ons are HR, time tracking, compliance resources, and live HR support. The bundles combine them at a discount: Hourly Employees ($70 per month plus $10 per worker), Salaried Employees ($120 plus $7 per worker), and Growing Businesses ($130 plus $10 per worker). This is simpler than Gusto's and QuickBooks Payroll's tiers, but it is no longer a single all-inclusive price.
Is OnPay cheaper than Gusto?
On payroll alone, no. OnPay Payroll Essentials at $49 per month plus $6 per worker costs the same as Gusto Simple at $49 plus $6 per person: $199 per month for a 25-person company. The difference shows up when you add features. OnPay's Hourly Employees bundle (payroll, HR, and time tracking) costs $70 plus $10 per worker, or $320 per month for 25 people. Gusto Plus, which adds time tracking, next-day deposit, and PTO policies, costs $80 plus $12, or $380 per month. OnPay is cheaper once you need those extras.
Does OnPay charge for tax filing?
No. Federal, state, and local tax filing is included in OnPay's Payroll Essentials price at no additional charge. This includes quarterly tax filings, annual W-2 and 1099 preparation, new-hire reporting, and multi-state tax compliance. OnPay also provides a tax accuracy guarantee: they resolve issues and pay penalties if the error was theirs.
Is there a free trial for OnPay?
OnPay does not advertise a separate free trial. Instead, new customers get their first month free, along with free onboarding support and data migration. Use that first month to set up your business, add employees, and run a real payroll before the paid billing starts.
How does OnPay pricing compare to QuickBooks Payroll?
OnPay Payroll Essentials costs $49 plus $6 per worker. QuickBooks Payroll's entry plan (formerly Core) costs $50 plus $7 per employee but lacks same-day deposit, time tracking, and HR support, which require Premium at $88 plus $13 per employee. For a 25-employee company, OnPay costs $199 per month, or $320 with the Hourly Employees bundle that adds HR and time tracking, while QuickBooks Payroll Premium costs $413 per month. QuickBooks Payroll's advantage is the native QuickBooks accounting integration, which OnPay cannot replicate.