Voucher / Crossover
Cheapest payroll by team size: 1 to 50 employees
The cheapest provider changes with headcount. This page maps the crossover points so you know which provider wins at your size, and what you sacrifice to get there.
Quick Answer
Patriot Basic stays cheapest at 1 to 3 employees if you handle taxes. OnPay takes over at 4 to 25 with tax filing and multi-state included. At 26+, OnPay still wins on price but QuickBooks or Gusto Plus may be worth the upgrade for time tracking, benefits, and multi-state on a single platform.
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Cheapest at every common headcount
| Provider | 1 ee | 3 ee | 5 ee | 10 ee | 15 ee | 25 ee | 50 ee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Basic | $51 | $59 | $67 | $87 | $107 | $147 | $247 |
| Wave Payroll | $26 | $38 | $50 | $80 | $110 | $170 | $320 |
| SurePayroll | $34 | $42 | $50 | $70 | $90 | $130 | $230 |
| Patriot Full Service | $41 | $49 | $57 | $77 | $97 | $137 | $237 |
| OnPay | $46 | $58 | $70 | $100 | $130 | $190 | $340 |
| Gusto Simple | $46 | $58 | $70 | $100 | $130 | $190 | $340 |
| Square Payroll | $41 | $53 | $65 | $95 | $125 | $185 | $335 |
| QuickBooks Payroll Core | $51 | $63 | $75 | $105 | $135 | $195 | $345 |
| Homebase Payroll | $46 | $58 | $70 | $100 | $130 | $190 | $340 |
| Paychex Flex Essentials | $44 | $54 | $64 | $89 | $114 | $164 | $289 |
| ADP Run Essential | $83 | $91 | $99 | $119 | $139 | $179 | $279 |
Green cell = cheapest at that headcount. Tax-filing add-ons included for self-service tiers.
Tier guides
What to keep and what to sacrifice at each size
Micro (1 to 3)
Cheapest: Patriot Basic
Runner-up: Wave Payroll
- What you keep
- Lowest sticker. Self-service tax filing only on Patriot Basic.
- What you sacrifice
- You file federal and state taxes yourself, or pay $30/mo to add it.
- Watch out for
- If you forget a state quarterly deposit, the IRS late-deposit penalty (2 to 15 percent) wipes out months of savings.
Small (4 to 10)
Cheapest: OnPay or Gusto Simple
Runner-up: Patriot Full Service
- What you keep
- Tax filing and W-2s included on OnPay and Gusto. Patriot still has the lower base if you have one state.
- What you sacrifice
- OnPay does not have native time tracking. Gusto Simple is single-state only.
- Watch out for
- Gusto Simple charges Plus tier ($80 + $12) for multi-state. OnPay includes multi-state in the base $40 + $6.
Growing (11 to 25)
Cheapest: OnPay
Runner-up: Square Payroll or QuickBooks Core
- What you keep
- OnPay holds the price line and includes multi-state. Square is friendly for hourly staff.
- What you sacrifice
- Per-employee fees compound. Add-ons (benefits, time tracking) start to matter at this scale.
- Watch out for
- Year-end W-2 fees at $5 to $25 per employee can add hundreds. Always confirm if W-2s are included in base.
Mid-size (26 to 50)
Cheapest: OnPay or QuickBooks Core
Runner-up: Gusto Plus or ADP Run
- What you keep
- Per-employee fees still dominate. The cheapest base loses to the cheapest per-ee fee at this scale.
- What you sacrifice
- Most cheap providers do not include benefits administration or HR support at this size.
- Watch out for
- ADP and Paychex quotes scale with negotiation. Get three quotes, push for setup-fee waiver.
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