Affordable small business payroll

Prices in USD, before discounts and optional add-ons. Sources: official pricing pages for www.patriotsoftware.comwww.surepayroll.comsquareup.com and published comparisons for Gusto and OnPay.www.patriotsoftware.com+1

Why Patriot wins on cost

• Tax filing included: Federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and deposits are covered in Full Service.
• Year-end tax filings included: Federal Forms 940 and 941, plus W-2/W-3 filing, have no additional filing fee.
• Unlimited payroll runs: The per-worker charge applies monthly, not each time you run payroll.
• Watch the fine print: Patriot files W-2s but does not mail paper copies to employees; you can distribute them electronically or print them yourself. Additional states cost $12/month per state.www.patriotsoftware.com+3

Official pricing:Patriot Software Payroll

One manufacturing-specific consideration

If employees work different shifts, earn overtime, receive shift differentials, or clock into jobs for labor-cost tracking, confirm the platform handles those workflows without expensive add-ons. The cheapest payroll subscription isn't necessarily the cheapest overall solution if you need separate timekeeping software.

My recommendation: Start with Patriot Full Service. Square Payroll is worth comparing if you already use Square, while SurePayroll deserves a closer look if you have very few employees and want a simple setup.

To calculate the actual lowest annual cost for your shop, how many employees do you pay, and are they all in one state? I can compare the recurring fees and year-end costs for your exact headcount.

My picks

1. Patriot Full Service Payroll — best price

At $37/month + $5 per worker, Patriot is particularly attractive for a tiny shop. Full Service includes federal, state and local tax filings/deposits, and year-end payroll tax filings at no additional fee. It also handles W-2 filing and 1099 filing, although there are some responsibilities around initiating 1099 filings and distributing forms.www.patriotsoftware.com+1

For example, 3 employees = about $52/month ($624/year) before any optional add-ons.

2. Square Payroll — especially good for a retail shop

Square is $35/month + $6 per person, with automated federal and state tax payments/filings. It generates and files W-2s and 1099-NECs and supports multiple tax jurisdictions.squareup.com

For 3 employees, that's $53/month ($636/year)—almost identical to Patriot. If you already use Square for your shop's POS, I'd seriously consider this one because keeping sales and payroll in the same ecosystem can simplify things.

3. Gusto — easiest, but costs more

Gusto Simple is $49/month + $6/person and includes tax filings/payments. That's roughly $67/month for 3 employees, or $804/year.gusto.com

It's only about $180/year more than Patriot for three employees, so the extra cost may be worthwhile if you value a particularly polished employee/payroll experience.

4. OnPay — strong alternative

OnPay is also $49 + $6/worker and includes federal, state and local filings, W-2s, 1099s and year-end filings. Unlike some competitors, its base plan supports employees in multiple states without an additional state fee.onpay.com

Bottom line

For a small single-location shop, I'd rank them:

Patriot → Square → Gusto → OnPay

• Absolute lowest cost: Patriot
• Already use Square POS: Square Payroll
• Want the easiest/polished experience: Gusto
• Need multistate payroll: OnPay or Patriot

One important distinction: make sure you're buying the full-service tier. The cheaper/basic versions of some payroll products calculate taxes but leave you responsible for actually filing and paying them. Patriot explicitly distinguishes this: Basic Payroll leaves filing/remittance to you, while Full Service handles it.www.patriotsoftware.com+1

If you tell me how many employees you have (and whether they're W-2 employees or contractors), I can calculate the actual annual cost of the 3 cheapest options for your shop.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• How many employees do you have?
• Are they salaried, hourly, or a mix of both?
• Do you need support for health benefits and workers' comp down the road?

Quick comparison

*Before optional add-ons and assuming all 10 employees are paid during the month.

My practical take: If you're mainly looking for affordable and reliable payroll, I'd start with Patriot. If ease of use and HR features matter more, Gusto is worth the extra cost. If you already run your business through Square, Square Payroll can be especially convenient.

If you tell me how many employees you have, what state(s) they're in, whether they're hourly or salaried, and whether you use QuickBooks/Square, I can narrow it down and calculate your approximate monthly cost.