Best US payroll and HR services (October 2026)

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Run payroll, taxes and benefits for employees in the United States. Most charge a monthly base fee plus a fee per person.

The ranking

1. 1

   Gusto

   by Gusto

   Lowest entry price

   Full-service US payroll with automatic tax filing, benefits and HR tools for small businesses.

   Contractor paymentsBenefits administrationHR tools

   Pros

   • Contractor payments
   • Benefits administration

   Cons

   • No drawbacks found in our data

   Visit GustoGusto vs OnPayGusto vs JustworksGusto vs Rippling

   Pricing details · Alternatives

   80/100

   From USD 49 per month + USD 6 per person

   Checked 2026-10-12 · source
2. 2

   Justworks

   by Justworks

   Most complete feature set

   US payroll or full PEO with access to large-company health benefits for small teams.

   Contractor paymentsBenefits administrationHR tools

   Pros

   • Contractor payments
   • Benefits administration

   Cons

   • Contractors USD 8 (US) or USD 39 (international) per month when paid

   Visit JustworksGusto vs JustworksOnPay vs Justworks

   Pricing details · Alternatives

   80/100

   From USD 50 per month + USD 8 per employee

   Checked 2026-10-12 · source
3. 3

   OnPay

   by OnPay

   Lowest entry price

   Simple US payroll with one plan, free benefits integration and optional HR tools.

   Contractor payments: check on siteBenefits administrationHR tools

   Pros

   • Benefits administration
   • HR tools
   • One month free

   Cons

   • Contractor payments: check on OnPay's site
   • Prices from OnPay's accountant pricing page; its footer says pricing starts at USD 55 a month

   Visit OnPayGusto vs OnPayOnPay vs Justworks

   Pricing details · Alternatives

   77/100

   From USD 49 per month + USD 6 per worker

   Checked 2026-10-12 · source
4. 4

   Rippling

   by Rippling

   Best for custom or high-volume needs

   HR, payroll, IT and finance platform where you buy only the modules you need.

   Contractor payments: check on siteBenefits administrationHR tools

   Pros

   • Benefits administration
   • HR tools

   Cons

   • Contractor payments: check on Rippling's site
   • Prices on request only

   Visit RipplingGusto vs Rippling

   Alternatives

   25/100

   Price on request

   Checked 2026-10-12 · source

Compare all in a table

Entry price is the cheapest paid plan, converted to USD where the vendor prices in another currency. Usage-based prices are not compared.

What to check

Score: features 30, free plan or trial 20, pricing transparency 25, entry price value 25. Commissions are never part of it. Full method.

Questions