OnPay runs one core payroll plan at a flat base fee plus $6 per worker — with multi-state tax filing, W-2s, 1099s and phone support included and no per-state charge. Here's the real 2026 cost, and the extras that are no longer bundled.
OnPay has a single core plan, Payroll Essentials, at $49/month plus $6 per worker (minimum $55/month for one worker). That covers unlimited pay runs, automatic federal/state/local tax filing, multi-state payroll with no extra per-state fee, W-2s and 1099s, benefits administration and US-based phone support. It is no longer fully all-inclusive — the HR add-on is $15/month plus $2 per worker, Compliance Resources is $10/month and Live HR Support is $75/month. There is no permanent free plan, only a free first month and free setup. A 5-worker business pays about $79/month. Best for US teams of roughly 2-25 who want predictable pricing and a real person on the phone; larger or HR-heavy employers should compare Gusto, ADP Run and Paychex Flex.
OnPay is a US full-service payroll, HR and benefits platform built for small businesses — restaurants, farms, nonprofits, churches, clinics and professional services firms are its core audience. Instead of selling tiered packages, OnPay sells one package (Payroll Essentials) and a few optional add-ons, so the price is predictable from month one.
The pitch is the anti-quote: no sales call, no negotiated rate, no per-state surcharge for employing someone across a border. OnPay calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxes automatically, backs that with a tax accuracy guarantee, and gives you US-based support by phone, email and chat. It holds roughly 4.8/5 across several hundred reviews on Capterra and its own site — unusually consistent for payroll software, where billing complaints are common.
Where OnPay differs from the platform most small teams compare it to: Gusto bundles more HR polish and a slicker interface at a similar headline price, while OnPay's advantage is the flat structure, the multi-state inclusion and human support you can actually reach.
Verified from OnPay's official pricing pages and cross-checked against independent 2026 pricing reviews:
Payroll Essentials: ~$49/month base + ~$6 per worker — full-service payroll, unlimited pay runs, federal/state/local tax filing, multi-state payroll with no per-state fee, W-2s/1099s, onboarding, reporting, benefits administration and support
HR add-on: ~$15/month base + ~$2 per worker — PTO workflows, org charts, expanded onboarding, records management and HR tools
Compliance Resources: ~$10/month base fee — state compliance alerts and reference material
Live HR Support: ~$75/month base fee — HR experts, concierge support and document templates
Setup & migration: free — no implementation or integration fees; prior payroll data migrated at no charge
Free trial: first month free (30 days, starting after self-onboarding and bank verification)
Prices are USD, monthly. Because the per-worker charge applies once per billing period (not per pay run), running weekly payroll does not multiply it. Examples: 5 workers ≈ $49 + (5 × $6) = ~$79/month; 10 workers ≈ ~$109/month; 25 workers ≈ ~$199/month. Confirm current pricing on onpay.com — plans change.
The structural point, and the one we flagged in our Gusto review: per-person billing versus a flat monthly fee is the whole argument here. Gusto charges $49/month plus $6 per employee and adds a per-person cost on every plan tier; OnPay charges one base fee plus a low per-worker amount, and never charges more just because your workers live in two states. At 5 workers the two are nearly identical; at 25 workers OnPay's predictability starts to matter, and the multi-state inclusion saves real money.
No — there is no permanent free OnPay plan. OnPay advertises a free first month, which begins after you complete self-onboarding and verify your bank account, plus free setup and free employee-data migration. After that you pay the monthly base fee whether or not you run payroll. Full-service payroll costs money because OnPay files and pays taxes on your behalf. If you genuinely need free, you can:
Every figure in this review is one of three things: something we checked ourselves, something the vendor publishes, or a figure reported by a named third party. This log separates the three and dates the check, so you can judge how fresh the evidence is before you spend money.
| Check | Result on October 19, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Pricing page (onpay.com/pricing) | HTTP 200 — redirects to /payroll/software/accountants/pricing/ and shows $49, $55, $6 and $81. Matches this review. |
| Minimum charge | Confirmed: $55/month minimum for a single worker. |
| Free-tier claim | Confirmed absent: no permanent free plan, only the first month free. |
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | ~$49/month + ~$6 per worker (minimum $55/month) |
| HR add-on | ~$15/month + ~$2 per worker |
| Compliance Resources | ~$10/month base fee |
| Live HR Support | ~$75/month base fee |
| Setup and migration | Free — no implementation fee, prior payroll data migrated |
What we did not test: We tested the vendor's public pages, not the product inside a paid account. Every number below is dated, and anything we could not confirm on 19 October 2026 is labelled as an estimate.
These are the platforms to compare, depending on team shape and budget.
Best for: the friendliest payroll + benefits experience
Best for: established businesses that want a big-name provider
Best for: teams that want payroll plus optional full HR outsourcing
Best for: hourly and shift-based teams
Best for: businesses already using Square
| Platform | Free option | Starting price | Multi-state | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnPay | No (1 free month) | ~$49/mo + $6/worker | Included, no per-state fee | Predictable pricing, 2-25 workers |
| Gusto | No | ~$49/mo + $6/person | Plus tier only | Small teams wanting payroll + benefits |
| ADP Run | No | Quote-based | Yes | Established businesses, brand comfort |
| Paychex Flex | No | Quote-based | Yes | Payroll up to full HR outsourcing |
| Homebase | Yes (scheduling) | ~$0 / paid add-ons | Yes | Hourly, shift-based teams |
| Square Payroll | Contractors only | ~$35/mo + per-person | Yes | Square users, hourly staff |
OnPay sells a single core package, Payroll Essentials, at $49 per month plus $6 per worker paid during the billing period — so the minimum recurring cost is $55/month for one worker. Optional extras cost more: the HR add-on is $15/month plus $2 per worker, Compliance Resources is a $10/month base fee and Live HR Support is a $75/month base fee. Confirm current pricing on onpay.com.
No — OnPay has no permanent free plan. It advertises a free first month (a 30-day introductory period that starts after you complete self-onboarding and verify your bank account), plus free setup and free employee-data migration. If you need genuinely free software, run payroll manually with a free calculator, or keep your bookkeeping free with Wave or Zoho Books' free tier.
Full-service payroll with unlimited pay runs, automatic federal, state and local tax filing and payments, multi-state payroll at no extra per-state fee, 50-state tax compliance and state new-hire reporting, W-2 and 1099 preparation and filing, employee and contractor payments, onboarding tools, reporting, benefits administration and customer support by phone, email and chat.
No. Multi-state payroll is included in the core Payroll Essentials price, with no separate per-state registration fee — which is one of OnPay's clearest advantages, because many competitors charge more once you employ staff in a second state. You still have to give OnPay accurate state registrations and wage data, and employer-side state tax accounts may need to be set up.
Gusto (the friendliest payroll plus benefits platform, $49/month plus $6 per employee), ADP Run and Paychex Flex (enterprise-grade compliance with quote-based pricing), Homebase (free scheduling and time tracking for hourly teams) and Square Payroll (simple per-person pricing that syncs with Square's point of sale). For bookkeeping alongside payroll, Wave, Zoho Books and QuickBooks are the usual pairings.
Yes — OnPay is strongest at 2 to 25 workers, where its flat structure keeps costs predictable and its phone support is genuinely reachable. Sole proprietors paying only one or two contractors may find it hard to justify $55/month, while businesses above roughly 50 employees or those needing advanced HCM features often move to Gusto Plus, ADP or Paychex.
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