Last updated: October 2026

Best Paychex Alternatives for Payroll in 2026

Paychex publishes no rate, so no published figure exists to compare alternatives against.

Who should stick with Paychex

If your only complaint is price, negotiate before migrating.

1. Gusto: best for companies under 50 who want modern software

The Simple plan at $49 per month plus $6 per employee handles payroll, tax filing, W-2 preparation, new hire reporting, and employee self-service but is limited to single-state payroll. The Plus plan at $80 plus $12 per employee adds multi-state support, next-day direct deposit and time tracking.

For a 20-person company, Gusto Plus costs $320 per month and Gusto Simple costs $169. Whether you save by switching depends entirely on what your Paychex quote says. What does not depend on the quote is transparency. Gusto publishes its pricing.

Gusto also doesn't charge for off-cycle payroll runs. Every correction check, bonus run, or termination payout processes at no extra cost.

2. ADP RUN: best for companies that want the same service model

A platform that handles basic payroll and multi-jurisdiction payroll on every package. ADP RUN is quote-based like Paychex and publishes no rate, so the only number that applies is the one you negotiate.

When you outgrow ADP RUN, you migrate to ADP Workforce Now within the same company. The contract changes with the upgrade. ADP Workforce Now is sold by quote, and those agreements can run several years with price increases written in. That makes the cost predictable for the term, so ask for the length, the renewal terms and any scheduled increases in writing before signing. RUN is different: ADP's own page says no contract is required and service can be terminated at any time.

3. OnPay: best for straightforward payroll at a predictable price

OnPay charges $49 per month plus $6 per employee. One payroll plan. No tiers, no per-run charges. Payroll processing, tax filing, benefits administration, multi-state payroll, W-2 and 1099 filing and contractor payments all come standard. HR tools beyond hiring and onboarding are a separate add-on at $15 base plus $2 per worker. OnPay includes multi-state at the base price, unlike Gusto which requires the $80 Plus plan for employers in more than one state.

For a 30-person company, OnPay costs $229 per month. What OnPay offers is a published rate and no pricing complexity to negotiate around.

4. Rippling: payroll as one product on a required platform

Rippling’s pricing page asks what services you need and answers with a custom quote. Payroll is one of the HR, Finance and IT products Rippling sells separately, each bought alongside the core, required Rippling Platform. As with Paychex, the number that applies is the one in your quote.

5. SurePayroll: a published rate from a Paychex company

SurePayroll’s pricing calculator prices its Full Service plan at $29 a month plus $7 per worker, though its pages also show a $39 base. The first state is included, and multi-state payroll is $9.99 a month flat, with a separate fee for areas that require local taxes. Switching to SurePayroll does not leave Paychex. Paychex completed its acquisition of SurePayroll in February 2011, and SurePayroll’s site identifies it as a Paychex company.

How to switch without payroll disruption

Switch at the start of a quarter. Download your year-to-date payroll reports from Paychex, including gross wages, tax withholdings, and deposit history for every employee. Give your new provider those numbers before your first payroll run with them. Run one parallel cycle where you process through both systems and verify the net checks match. Cancel Paychex after your new provider successfully files the first quarterly Form 941. Keep your Paychex login active until you've confirmed all W-2 data transferred correctly at year-end. Compare all your options on our payroll provider hub.

This is not legal or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for your specific situation.