Paychex alternatives: payroll that posts its fees
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The highest-scoring Paychex alternatives are Patriot Software and Gusto, both 69 out of 100 in our October 2026 scores: Patriot Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker and Gusto Simple $49 plus $6 per person, on their pricing pages (checked October 16, 2026). Paychex, which scores 25, publishes no price for any of its four payroll packages.
For 10 employees those posted prices come to $87 and $109 a month, so you can hold your Paychex invoice against a real number.
Our picks at a glance ranked by published score out of 100
- 1OnPayFewest add-on charges$109 a month67See pricing
- 2Patriot SoftwareLowest posted price$87 a month69See pricing
- 3GustoBest if you hate registering state accounts$109 a month69See pricing
On this page
Paychex today: what is known about the price
- Published price
- NoneBasic, Foundations, Advanced, Complete: Request Pricing
- Old list price
- $39 + $5 per employeeRetired Flex Essentials plan, not a current offer
- Current promo
- Payroll fees waived to April 2027Needs a one-year agreement; ends Oct 31, 2026
- Our score
- 25/100Rank 10 of 15 payroll providers
Paychex sells four payroll packages and prices all of them by quote (product pages checked October 16, 2026). The $39 a month plus $5 per employee figure that review sites still repeat belonged to the retired Paychex Flex Essentials plan; Gusto's competitor guide (August 2, 2026) also calls it historical. The only crowd-sourced figure we found is Costbench's median of about $10,800 a year from four buyer reports (data checked June 14, 2026), which it says is not official pricing, and four reports is too small a sample to plan a budget on.
The current Paychex promotion has strings. From October 12 to October 31, 2026 (unless extended), new clients with 1 to 250 employees on Foundations, Advanced, Complete or certain Flex bundles can get payroll fees waived through April 2027, up to six months. It needs a one-year service agreement, covers the payroll component only, and Paychex can recover the value of the free months if you leave within the year. Setup, delivery, 401(k) and time and attendance fees still apply.
Our Paychex pricing breakdown has each package and the add-ons buyers report.
Why people leave Paychex
Paychex rates 4.1 on G2 from 1,748 reviews and 1.7 on Trustpilot from 858 reviews covering all Paychex products (both seen October 16, 2026). Fees are the theme that repeats most:
| Reason | How often | What reviewers report |
|---|---|---|
| A fee for almost every action | Very common | A charge even for submitting payroll (Trustpilot, Oct 5, 2026). Others cite a fee that rose from $56 to $80, $500 to $600 per payroll, and about $1,200 to fix year-end returns (Trustpilot page 8, Apr and May 2026; ConsumerAffairs, Apr and Aug 2025) |
| Price jumps after a sales call | Several | A bill that went from about $57 to almost $400 a month (ConsumerAffairs, Aug 12, 2025) |
| Billing after canceling | Very common | Bills arriving after a confirmed cancellation (Trustpilot, Oct 13, 2026, three reviews); billing 3 and 9 months later and a six-month cancellation (ConsumerAffairs; Trustpilot, Oct 5, 2026) |
| Services turned on without approval | Several | A 401(k) plan activated without sign-off, a $2,340 setup fee plus $160 a month, and over $1,800 to shut down an unused plan (ConsumerAffairs, May, Sep and Nov 2025); a $1,500 cancellation fee plus a $2,000 setup fee (Trustpilot page 8, May 5, 2026) |
| Tax filing errors | Several | An IRS notice after a payroll error with interest left unpaid (Trustpilot, Oct 6, 2026); quarterly reports not filed and a state lien notice (ConsumerAffairs, Oct 31, 2025) |
| Sales pressure | Several | Frequent calls to sell more services (Trustpilot, Sep 27, 2026) |
Sources: Trustpilot reviews of Paychex (pages 1 and 8) and ConsumerAffairs Paychex reviews page 3, read Oct 16, 2026.
Paychex also publishes no tax filing guarantee terms on the pages we read, and it expects you to register your own state tax accounts and give Paychex the agency ID numbers.
Paychex alternatives ranked by score
Paychex scores 25 out of 100: 0 of 25 on price because nothing is published, 5 of 20 on tax filing, 3 of 15 on exit terms. Every other provider in our October 2026 payroll scores, in order, with the trade against Paychex. The scoring rules are in our scoring method.
| Provider | Score | Published price (monthly) | Fee model | What you gain over Paychex | What you lose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Patriot Software | 69 | $37 + $5 per worker (Full Service) | Base + per worker paid | A posted price with 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 filing included; no contract; billed only for days used if you cancel | An assigned specialist; published support hours |
| 2. Gusto | 69 | $49 + $6 per person (Simple) | Base + per person | Published prices, published penalty terms, and state accounts registered for you | A direct phone line (Gusto uses callbacks) |
| 3. OnPay | 67 | $49 + $6 per worker | One plan, base + per worker | W-2s, 1099s and every state and local filing in one price; no implementation fees | Self-serve cancel (30 days' written notice) |
| 4. Wave Payroll | 64 | $40 + $6 per employee + $6 per contractor | Base + per person paid | $100 for 10 with free accounting; cancel any time | Phone support; HR and 401(k) add-ons |
| 5. SurePayroll (a Paychex company) | 56 | $29 or $39 + $7 per worker | Base + per worker | A posted price and published phone hours | You stay with a Paychex business; year-end forms cost $50 + $5 per form |
| 6. Square Payroll | 55 | $35 + $6 per person | Base + per person paid | Low posted price and POS timecard import | Published exit terms and multi-state detail |
| 7. QuickBooks Payroll | 52 | $88 + $6.50 per employee | Base (with accounting) + per employee | Accounting in the same bill; no annual contract | You still register new states yourself |
| 8. Justworks Payroll | 42 | $50 + $8 per employee | Base + per employee | A posted price and a PEO at $79 or $124 per employee | Published tax guarantee and exit terms |
| 9. ADP RUN | 32 | Quote only (estimate $79 + $4) | Quote | A published penalty guarantee in its terms | Still quote only; 30 days' written notice to cancel |
| 10. Rippling | 21 | Quote only (from $8 per employee + a base fee) | Modules + base | HR, IT and devices in one system | Still quote only, with no published terms |
Source: provider pricing pages and terms, checked Oct 16, 2026; scores from HRPricing.com, Oct 17, 2026.
SurePayroll is owned by Paychex. It publishes a price and has a household plan, but if Paychex's billing practices are why you are leaving, it keeps you inside the same company.
Posted prices for 5, 10 and 25 employees
Since Paychex will not post a number, compare your Paychex invoice against these list prices. Set your last monthly payroll invoice beside the column closest to your headcount.
| Plan | Price formula | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paychex Flex (current plans) | Quote only | Quote | Quote | Quote |
| Paychex Flex Essentials (retired, for reference) | $39 + $5 x employees | $64 | $89 | $164 |
| Patriot Full Service | $37 + $5 x workers | $62 | $87 | $162 |
| Square Payroll | $35 + $6 x people | $65 | $95 | $185 |
| Wave Payroll | $40 + $6 x employees | $70 | $100 | $190 |
| Gusto Simple | $49 + $6 x people | $79 | $109 | $199 |
| OnPay | $49 + $6 x workers | $79 | $109 | $199 |
| SurePayroll (higher $39 base) | $39 + $7 x workers | $74 | $109 | $214 |
| Justworks Payroll | $50 + $8 x employees | $90 | $130 | $250 |
| QuickBooks Workforce Payroll + Simple Start | $88 + $6.50 x employees | $120.50 | $153 | $250.50 |
Sources: provider pricing pages checked Oct 16, 2026. Flex Essentials figure from Fit Small Business (May 29, 2026) and Gusto's guide (Aug 2, 2026), which calls it historical.
What Paychex reviewers keep paying for, these providers price in the open: OnPay includes W-2s, 1099s and all filings; Patriot includes 940, 941, W-2 and W-3; SurePayroll charges $50 + $5 per form at year end; Square charges $3 per mailed paper form. Employer taxes are the same everywhere, so the employee cost calculator gives the rest of the bill. For a full budget, read how much payroll costs.
Three Paychex alternatives that publish their fees
OnPay
The fee list is one line: $49 a month + $6 per worker, with W-2s, 1099s, year-end filings and federal, state and local taxes included, in every state you need. No implementation or integration fees, and data migration at no charge. Reviewers moving from ADP praised the lack of surprise fees (Trustpilot, May 2026). Watch out: 30 days' written notice to cancel. See the OnPay review.
How the score adds up
- Price23/25
- Tax filing15/20
- Features12/20
- Contract and exit7/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record5/10
Patriot Software
Full Service is $37 + $5 per worker, so $87 for 10, with no contract and billing in arrears only for days your account was active. After you leave, you can still download reports, 941s, W-2s and 1099s. Watch out: the guarantee is named but its terms are not published. See the Patriot review.
How the score adds up
- Price25/25
- Tax filing10/20
- Features8/20
- Contract and exit15/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record6/10
Gusto
Paychex makes you register each state account yourself. Gusto will do it for you, and it publishes its penalty terms: Sec. 11 of its payroll terms reimburses penalties from Gusto's late remittance if you report the notice 30 days before the response date. Simple is $49 + $6 per person. Head to head: Gusto vs Paychex.
How the score adds up
- Price23/25
- Tax filing14/20
- Features10/20
- Contract and exit12/15
- Support9/10
- Complaints record1/10
If you are torn between the two big names, ADP vs Paychex covers it; one small-business forum reply rated Paychex fairly priced with better support than ADP. For a larger HR suite, see Paylocity vs Paychex.
Read your Paychex paperwork before you give notice
Paychex publishes no cancellation terms, so your service agreement decides what leaving costs. Check four things:
- Promotion clawback. If you joined on a free-months offer with a one-year agreement, Paychex can recover the value of those months when you leave early.
- Separate 401(k) and HR agreements. Reviewers describe setup fees and an over-$1,800 cost to shut down a retirement plan (ConsumerAffairs, 2025). A 401(k) plan has its own provider agreement and must be moved or closed on its own timeline, not with your last payroll.
- Notice period. Gusto's guide (August 2026) says Paychex has no public notice period and points you to your agreement. Send notice in writing and keep proof.
- Paychex PEO clients. The same guide reports a transition fee and an early termination fee based on headcount and days left. Read the Paychex PEO review before you plan an exit.
How to switch from Paychex mid-year
- Pull every report you will need first. Paychex publishes no access period for former clients. Gusto's guide says former clients get W-2s printed and shipped, which is not the same as online access. Download payroll journals, tax liability reports, filed 941s and state wage reports for every 2026 quarter.
- Choose a switch date at a quarter start. That gives each Form 941 a single filer. Q3 2026's is due November 2, 2026 and Q4's February 1, 2027. Switching mid-quarter means loading the quarter's Paychex payrolls into the new system.
- Agree in writing who files the 2026 W-2s. They are due February 1, 2027. The usual way is for the new provider to file one full-year W-2 per employee from the totals you load. Get written confirmation that Paychex will not also issue W-2s for its months, or employees receive two forms for the same job.
- Load year-to-date wages. Your EIN is unchanged, so the $184,500 Social Security wage base and $7,000 FUTA base count Paychex wages too.
- Give the new provider your state account numbers. Paychex required you to register them, so you hold them already. Confirm the new provider files each quarterly wage report; missed reports after a switch can lift your unemployment rate a lot (one owner reported 0.8% to 12.75%, Hacker News, Aug 2026). Current ranges: 2026 SUTA rates.
- Watch the bank account for three months. Billing after cancellation is the most repeated Paychex complaint. Dispute any debit after your final invoice and keep the cancellation confirmation.
The filing rules behind each step are in employer payroll taxes explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is cheaper than Paychex for small business payroll?
How much does Paychex cost per month?
Is SurePayroll the same company as Paychex?
How do I cancel Paychex payroll?
Can I get my W-2s after leaving Paychex?
Is ADP better than Paychex?
Sources (30)
- Paychex: Paychex small business payroll (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Paychex: Compare payroll solutions (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Paychex: Tax agency resolution (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto (a Paychex competitor): Paychex pricing guide (Aug 2, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto (a Paychex competitor): How to cancel Paychex (Aug 2, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Fit Small Business: Paychex Flex review (updated May 29, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Costbench: Paychex Flex buyer-reported cost (data checked Jun 14, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Paychex reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Paychex reviews, page 8 (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- ConsumerAffairs: Paychex reviews, page 3 (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- G2: Paychex Flex reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Footballguys forums: Best payroll for small business (thread, 2022 to 2025) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Patriot Software: Patriot payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Patriot Software: Canceling Patriot software and record access (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Gusto pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Gusto payroll terms (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Let Gusto help you with state tax registration (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- OnPay: OnPay pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- OnPay: OnPay terms of service (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: OnPay reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Wave: Wave Payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Square: Square Payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- SurePayroll: SurePayroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Intuit QuickBooks: QuickBooks Payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Justworks: Justworks pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: RUN Powered by ADP (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Tech.co: ADP pricing guide (updated Jan 7, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Rippling: Rippling pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Hacker News: Comment on SUTA rate after switching payroll providers (Aug 17, 2026) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- IRS: Employment tax due dates (checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.