Payroll Dad
Pick your provider
PatriotCheap, simpleADPQuote-only, bigPaychexQuote-only, hands-onQuickBooksBundled with booksOnPaySame price, one stateRipplingThe big toolboxSquareLives by the registerWaveBooks in WaveNo payroll yetFirst hireBy handSpreadsheets & EFTPS
Bigger HR suites, PEOs and restaurant payroll
PaycorBig suite, now PaychexPaylocityQuote-only, mid-sizePaycomQuote-only, well likedJustworksFlat rate, multi-stateSurePayrollCheapest, plus extrasHeartlandNow called AurisToastTips from the POS
All fifteen at a glance
| From | In a word | The short version |
|---|---|---|
| Patriot Software | Cheap, simple | Patriot is cheap and friendly. Here's what Gusto costs more for, what you get, and how to move without a single double-filed 941. |
| ADP RUN | Quote-only, big | ADP is the big name. Gusto puts its prices on a web page. Here's what moves, what doesn't, and why January makes it easy. |
| Paychex Flex | Quote-only, hands-on | Paychex can grow with you all the way to a PEO. If you're a small team that wants simple, published pricing, here's how to move. |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Bundled with books | You don't have to leave QuickBooks to leave QuickBooks Payroll. Keep your books where they are. Move payroll. |
| OnPay | Same price, one state | Same starting price. Different strengths. Here's the straight comparison, and how to move cleanly if Gusto fits better. |
| Rippling | The big toolbox | Rippling is a big toolbox. Some small teams only use the hammer. Here's how to tell, and how to move. |
| Square Payroll | Lives by the register | Square Payroll is cheap and lives next to your register. If you've outgrown the register, here's what changes. |
| Wave Payroll | Books in Wave | Wave is great when your books live in Wave. Here's what changes if payroll moves to Gusto. |
| Paycor | Big suite, now Paychex | Paycor is a big HR suite, now part of Paychex. If you mostly need payroll for a small team, here's the honest math and how to move. |
| Paylocity | Quote-only, mid-size | Paylocity is a big HR, payroll and spend platform. For a small team that mostly runs payroll, here's what changes and how to move cleanly. |
| Paycom | Quote-only, well liked | Paycom's reviewers mostly like it. If you're a small team that wants a price on a page and a lighter system, here's the honest picture. |
| Justworks | Flat rate, multi-state | Justworks has a payroll plan and a PEO. This page is about the payroll plan. One state? Gusto's cheaper. Several? Justworks is. Here's the math. |
| SurePayroll | Cheapest, plus extras | SurePayroll, a Paychex company, is one of the cheapest full-service payrolls around. Here's when the extras add up, and when to stay. |
| Heartland Payroll (now Auris) | Now called Auris | Heartland Payroll changed owners and names. If the rebrand has you shopping, here's what Gusto costs, what Auris does better, and how to move. |
| Toast Payroll | Tips from the POS | Toast Payroll's superpower is the POS: tips and hours flow straight in. If that's working, stay. If payroll is the sore spot, here's the move. |
When to switch
A first payday in January 2027 is the easiest. Here's why, with dates.
Not on the list?
Xero Payroll in the US is powered by Gusto, so there's nothing to switch. ADP Workforce Now is ADP's midsized platform (ADP puts midsized at 50–999 employees). If that's you, line up Gusto's prices next to your ADP renewal quote and compare.1
Sources, checked Oct 31, 2026
Every number on this page comes from one of these pages. Prices change; if a vendor updates its page, theirs wins.