QUICK ANSWER
OnPay is one of the best values in small business payroll software in 2026 — offering full-service payroll tax filing, all 50 states, unlimited payroll runs, HR tools, and 1099 contractor support at $40/month + $6/employee with no feature tiers. If you’re looking for the most payroll capability per dollar, OnPay is the strongest option. It’s particularly well-suited for businesses that find Gusto’s HR upsells frustrating or that process payroll on Saturdays (OnPay offers Saturday customer support).
Key Takeaways
- OnPay has one plan — everything is included at $40/month + $6/employee — unlike Gusto (Simple, Plus, Premium tiers) or Rippling (modular pricing), OnPay’s single plan includes all features: full-service payroll, all states, 1099 contractors, HR tools, workers’ compensation integration, and accounting integrations.
- OnPay includes unlimited payroll runs at no extra charge — whether you run payroll once a month or daily, OnPay’s flat fee covers unlimited runs; Gusto includes unlimited runs too, but some competitors charge per run.
- OnPay’s customer support includes Saturday availability — for businesses that process payroll on Saturdays or need help outside standard business hours, OnPay’s Monday–Saturday phone and chat support is a meaningful advantage over Gusto’s Monday–Friday support.
- OnPay handles agricultural payroll (Form 943) — OnPay is one of the few small business payroll platforms that handles agricultural payroll tax requirements, making it the go-to choice for farms, orchards, and agricultural employers that most payroll platforms don’t fully support.
OnPay Features Review
Payroll Processing
OnPay processes payroll for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors on any pay schedule — weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly. Multiple pay schedules can run simultaneously (useful for businesses that pay hourly employees weekly and salaried employees biweekly). OnPay supports multiple pay rates per employee, tips (including tip credit calculations for restaurant businesses), garnishments, and reimbursements. The payroll approval workflow allows a review step before payroll is submitted, reducing errors from rushed processing.
Tax Filing and Compliance
OnPay handles full-service payroll tax compliance: calculates and withholds federal, state, and local income taxes; makes tax deposits on the correct schedule; files quarterly 941s and state equivalents; and generates W-2s and 1099s at year-end. OnPay covers all 50 states including complex local tax jurisdictions (Pennsylvania local tax, Ohio city income tax, New York City local tax). OnPay’s tax error guarantee means they’ll cover any penalties or interest resulting from filing or deposit errors attributable to OnPay’s calculations.
HR Tools
OnPay’s included HR features cover: digital employee onboarding (offer letters, I-9 and W-4 collection, direct deposit setup), an org chart and employee directory, PTO tracking and approval workflows, performance review templates, document storage, and an HR knowledge base with state-specific compliance guidance. These HR tools are included at the base plan price without upsell — a notable difference from Gusto, which adds HR capabilities at the Plus and Premium plan levels.
Benefits Administration
OnPay supports benefits administration through its platform: group health, dental, vision, 401(k), FSA, HSA, and COBRA administration. Benefits deductions sync automatically with payroll, ensuring premiums are correctly withheld each pay period. OnPay’s benefits brokerage can help small businesses set up group health plans if they don’t have an existing broker relationship.
Accounting Integrations
OnPay integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, and QuickBooks Desktop (via data export). After each payroll run, OnPay can automatically post a journal entry to your accounting software categorized by the expense accounts you specify. For businesses using QuickBooks Online or Xero, this eliminates the manual journal entry step that payroll requires in the bookkeeping workflow.
OnPay Pricing
OnPay charges $40/month base + $6/employee/month. For a business with 5 employees: $40 + (5 × $6) = $70/month. For 10 employees: $40 + (10 × $6) = $100/month. There are no feature tiers — all features are included regardless of business size. First-month free trial is available. OnPay charges an additional $6/month per active contractor (for 1099 processing), which is competitive with Gusto’s contractor pricing.
OnPay vs Gusto: Quick Comparison
| Feature | OnPay | Gusto Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $40 + $6/ee | $40 + $6/ee |
| Feature tiers | None (all-in) | 3 tiers (Simple/Plus/Premium) |
| HR tools included | Yes (all-in) | Basic (more at Plus/Premium) |
| Saturday support | Yes | No |
| Agricultural payroll | Yes (Form 943) | No |
| Next-day direct deposit | Available | Plus plan only |
Recommended Resources
QuickBooks Online for Beginners 2026 — covers how to set up OnPay’s QuickBooks Online integration to automatically post payroll journal entries, configure the payroll expense and liability accounts in QuickBooks, and reconcile payroll tax liabilities accurately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OnPay good for businesses with multiple states?
Yes — OnPay handles multi-state payroll at no additional per-state charge, which is a meaningful advantage over competitors that charge extra fees for payroll in additional states. OnPay covers all 50 states including complex multi-local tax jurisdictions. Businesses with remote employees in multiple states, or construction and transportation companies whose employees work across state lines, find OnPay’s all-inclusive multi-state handling particularly valuable versus platforms that charge $5–$10 extra per state per month.