Voucher / Worksheet
Payroll cost calculator: see what you will actually pay
Most calculators stop at base plus per-employee. This one folds in tax filing, time tracking, and multi-state, then sorts every provider by your true monthly bill.
Worksheet B / True monthly cost
Total cost calculator with add-ons
Most calculators stop at base plus per-employee. This one folds in tax filing, time tracking, and multi-state, then sorts every provider by your true monthly bill.
Inputs
Cheapest
$50
SurePayroll
Most expensive
$99
ADP Run Essential
Annual delta
$593
cheapest vs priciest
01SurePayroll
$50$625/yr
02Wave Payroll
$50$630/yr
03Patriot Full Service
$57$809/yr
04Paychex Flex Essentials
$64$803/yr
05Square Payroll
$65$780/yr
06Patriot Basic
$67$929/yr
07OnPay
$70$840/yr
08Gusto Simple
$70$840/yr
09Homebase Payroll
$70$840/yr
10QuickBooks Payroll Core
$75$900/yr
11ADP Run Essential
$99$1,218/yr
Estimated penalties: $6 per employee for time tracking, $12 per employee for multi-state. Annual figure adds W-2 processing for providers that bill it separately. Always confirm actual quotes from each vendor.
How to read it
Assumptions and notes
What is included
- · Base monthly fee per provider
- · Per-employee fee at your headcount
- · Tax filing add-on for self-service tiers
- · Multi-state penalty where not native
- · Time tracking penalty where not native
- · W-2 processing in the annual figure
What is not modelled
- · Negotiated discounts at ADP and Paychex
- · Setup or implementation fees (typically $0 to $200)
- · Benefits administration upcharges
- · Garnishment processing per garnishment
- · Off-cycle payroll run fees
- · Annual price escalators (typical 5 to 10 percent)
Always confirm pricing on the vendor's pricing page before purchasing. Estimates here are based on each vendor's published rates as of April 2026.
Pay Voucher / Action
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