OnPay pricing in 2026 starts at $49 per month plus $6 per worker on Payroll Essentials. That base plan covers unlimited pay runs, federal/state/local tax filings, multi-state payroll, W-2s and 1099s, hiring/onboarding tools, and benefits administration without a separate multi-state surcharge. Optional add-ons stack on top: HR at $15 + $2/worker, Time Tracking at $15 + $4/worker, Compliance Resources at $10, and Live HR Support at $65. Your true monthly bill is base + per-worker fees for anyone included in a pay run during the lookback period, plus any add-ons or bundles you enable.
Research note: Educational guide only. Not tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. This page may include affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through our Gusto partner link, at no extra cost to you. OnPay figures below were checked against OnPay’s costs & pricing page and help-center pricing article on 2026-10-02. Competitor list prices are illustrative from public vendor pages the same day. Confirm live rates on each vendor before you buy.
OnPay plans and list prices (as of 2026-10-02)
Takeaway: OnPay sells one payroll base plan plus optional HR, time, and compliance add-ons — not a three-tier Simple/Plus/Premium ladder.
OnPay is full-service payroll software aimed at US small businesses that want published prices instead of a sales quote. As of 2026-10-02, OnPay lists:
| Product | List price (monthly) | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials (base) | $49 base + $6 per worker | Full-service payroll, tax filings, multi-state, W-2/1099, onboarding, benefits admin |
| HR add-on | $15 base + $2 per worker | PTO workflows, org chart, advanced onboarding, document/e-sign templates, equipment tracking |
| Time Tracking add-on | $15 base + $4 per worker | Time clocks, geofencing, overtime rules, timesheet approval synced into payroll |
| Compliance Resources | $10 base | State compliance alerts and HR document library |
| Live HR Support | $65 base | Concierge support from licensed HR experts |
Marketing pages still advertise a free first month and free setup/migration. Treat promo language as time-limited: confirm the current trial terms in checkout when you sign up. OnPay’s help center also notes an optional Direct Mail service for year-end W-2/1099 forms at $10 per form if you want OnPay to print and mail them (self-print from the portal is free).
What Payroll Essentials includes (and what still costs extra)
Takeaway: multi-state filings, unlimited runs, and year-end forms sit in the base price. HR depth and time clocks do not.
For buyers comparing this page to quote-only payroll vendors, the useful question is what OnPay stops charging for. Per OnPay’s public feature list on 2026-10-02, Payroll Essentials includes:
- Unlimited pay runs and schedules (including bonus/off-cycle runs)
- Federal, state, and local tax calculations, filings, and payments
- Multi-state payroll with no published per-state surcharge
- W-2 and 1099 workers in one system; year-end forms included (self-print)
- Direct deposit, check, or prepaid debit card payout options
- Hiring/onboarding helpers (new-hire reporting, offer letter, I-9/W-4 e-sign)
- Benefits administration tooling and licensed in-house benefits guidance (you still pay plan premiums to carriers)
- Accounting integrations and phone/chat/email support
You still pay separately for add-on HR workflows, native time tracking, compliance resource packs, and live HR concierge support. Health, dental, vision, and similar benefits premiums go to the carrier, not into the $49 base. In many states, SaaS subscriptions are subject to sales tax; OnPay’s help center says exempt buyers need a valid exemption certificate on file.
If you are still deciding whether you need payroll software at all (versus contractor-only payments), start with Do I need payroll for my LLC? and how to run payroll for your first employee before you model vendor fees. Contractor-heavy shops can also skim track contractor payments spreadsheet and ways to pay 1099 contractors without payroll software.
Bundles vs à la carte: when the calculator saves money
Takeaway: if you already know you need HR + time (or HR + live support), OnPay’s published bundles beat stacking every add-on at list price.
As of 2026-10-02, OnPay publishes three popular bundles with discounted monthly prices versus adding modules one by one:
| Bundle | Discounted list | Approx. à la carte stack | Included modules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll + Time + HR | $70 base + $10/worker | $79 base + $12/worker | Essentials, Time Tracking, HR |
| Payroll + HR + Compliance + Live HR | $120 base + $7/worker | $139 base + $8/worker | Essentials, HR, Compliance Resources, Live HR Support |
| Full stack (above + Time) | $130 base + $10/worker | $154 base + $12/worker | Essentials, Time, HR, Compliance, Live HR Support |
At 10 workers, Payroll + Time + HR is about $170/mo on the bundle ($70 + $100) versus roughly $199/mo if you add HR and Time at list rates on top of Essentials. That gap widens with headcount. If you only need Essentials this quarter, skip the bundle and avoid paying for idle modules.
True-cost scenarios: 1, 5, 10, and 25 workers
Takeaway: Essentials-only math is linear ($49 + $6 × workers), so small headcount stays cheap until you bolt on HR and time.
These scenarios use OnPay’s published formulas as of 2026-10-02. They exclude sales tax, benefit premiums, Direct Mail form fees, and temporary promos. “Workers” means employees or contractors included in at least one pay run in the billing lookback period.
| Workers paid | Essentials only | Essentials + HR | Essentials + HR + Time | Bundle PE+Time+HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $55 | $72 | $91 | $80 |
| 5 | $79 | $104 | $139 | $120 |
| 10 | $109 | $144 | $199 | $170 |
| 25 | $199 | $264 | $379 | $320 |
For a solo founder with one W-2 hire, $55/mo Essentials-only is the headline number that shows up in “cheapest full-service payroll” comparisons. That is why OnPay often appears next to Gusto Simple in micro-team roundups. See our cheapest payroll for one employee guide for the broader category view, and best payroll software for 1 to 5 employees if you are still shortlisting.
At 10 workers, Essentials-only is still $109/mo. Stacking HR and Time at list rates jumps that to about $199/mo; the PE+Time+HR bundle lands near $170/mo. If your team is hourly and multi-site, budget time tracking early. If you mainly need tax-correct payroll and light PTO tracking, Essentials alone may be enough longer than the sales page implies.
How OnPay billing and the per-worker lookback work
Takeaway: you pay the $6 fee once per worker per month, even if you pay them weekly — and inactive people still count if they appear on a run.
OnPay’s help center explains several details that change the true cost for messy months:
- Pay frequency does not multiply the fee. One employee paid weekly still counts as one worker for the month.
- Inclusion counts. Anyone included in a pay run during the lookback period triggers the per-worker fee, even if net pay is $0.
- Billing cadence. OnPay bills monthly; usage (per-worker) charges are based on payrolls processed in the previous billing period (lookback). Service periods often begin on the 1st or the 15th.
- Contractors count. 1099 workers included in a run are billed the same $6 per-person fee as W-2 employees.
- No cancel fee for pay runs (within the window OnPay documents — typically until 11:30 pm the business day before funds draft).
Practical tip: if you keep terminated employees or zero-pay placeholders on a run “just in case,” you can inflate the bill. Clean the roster before you process. For contractor-heavy teams, also compare whether you need full payroll at all. Our guide on paying contractors with Gusto and the tax compliance hub cover 1099 workflows separately from W-2 payroll. Classification questions belong in W-2 vs 1099 before you optimize software fees.
OnPay vs Gusto pricing at the same headcount
Takeaway: OnPay Essentials and Gusto Simple share the same $49 + $6 entry math, but feature gates (especially multi-state and time tracking) diverge fast.
Gusto is the natural comparison for US SMBs shopping published payroll prices. Public tiers checked on 2026-10-02 from gusto.com/product/pricing:
- Gusto Simple: $49/mo + $6 per person (positioned for single-state payroll and basic needs)
- Gusto Plus: $80/mo + $12 per person (multi-state, time tracking, richer HR tooling)
- Gusto Premium: $180/mo + $22 per person (dedicated support / advanced HR path)
| Scenario (10 workers) | Approx. monthly software fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OnPay Essentials | $109 | Multi-state included in base on OnPay’s public list |
| OnPay PE + Time + HR bundle | $170 | Bundle list price; check calculator |
| Gusto Simple | $109 | Same sticker math; confirm state/time limits on Simple |
| Gusto Plus | $200 | Typical path when you need multi-state + time tracking |
If you already lean Gusto for UX, benefits marketplace, or a longer HR roadmap, price parity at the entry tier does not automatically favor OnPay. Read Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto vs BambooHR, and Gusto vs Rippling for stack fit, then come back here for OnPay’s fee formula. For a side-by-side trial mindset, you can also start with Gusto and compare carts at the same headcount.
Who OnPay pricing fits (and who should look elsewhere)
Takeaway: OnPay fits owners who want transparent full-service payroll with multi-state included; skip it if you need enterprise HRIS quoting or bill-pay AP software.
OnPay’s pricing model tends to fit when:
- You want a published monthly formula, not a custom quote
- You pay workers in more than one state and do not want a higher “Plus” tier just for multi-state
- You need W-2 and 1099 in one payroll tool with year-end forms included
- Your HR needs are light-to-moderate and you can add modules later
Look elsewhere (or at least shortlist a second vendor) when:
- You need a deep HRIS / IT device stack (Rippling-style platforms — see Gusto vs Rippling)
- Your accounting already lives inside QuickBooks and you want native QBO payroll packaging
- You mainly need vendor bill pay / AP, not employee payroll (that is Melio / BILL territory — see Melio pricing)
- You want a single branded Gusto benefits and contractor experience and already prefer that ecosystem
Decision checklist before you subscribe:
- Count active W-2 + 1099 workers you will include on runs each month
- List every state where you already have (or expect) employees
- Decide if you need native time clocks this quarter or can use a separate tool
- Decide if PTO approvals / org charts are must-haves or nice-to-haves
- Ask whether an accountant needs collaborator access (OnPay markets accountant-friendly permissions)
- Run OnPay’s calculator and one Gusto cart side by side at the same headcount
- Confirm first-month promo, migration help, Direct Mail needs, and any SaaS sales tax
- Re-check list prices the week you buy — payroll vendors revise pages
Entities and terms used on this page
Takeaway: price comparisons only work when “worker,” “base plan,” and “add-on” mean the same thing on each vendor’s page.
- Payroll Essentials: OnPay’s single published base payroll plan ($49 + $6/worker as of 2026-10-02).
- Worker / per-person fee: An employee or contractor included in at least one pay run during OnPay’s lookback billing period.
- Multi-state payroll: Paying workers who live or work in more than one US state, with state/local withholding and filings handled in-product.
- Lookback period: The prior billing window OnPay uses to count which workers trigger the $6 fee on the next invoice.
- Full-service payroll: Software that calculates, files, and often remits payroll taxes (not DIY spreadsheet payroll).
- Benefits administration: Tools to enroll workers and deduct premiums; carrier premiums remain separate from software fees.
OnPay also markets an accuracy / error-free guarantee on tax filings. That is a vendor service promise, not a substitute for reviewing your own employee setup, state registrations, or classification decisions. If you are unsure whether a worker is W-2 or 1099, sort classification first — fee tables will not fix misclassification risk. Pair this pricing page with the new hire payroll checklist when you onboard someone. For IRS filing and deposit rules that sit outside any vendor’s sticker price, verify current guidance on IRS.gov (thresholds and due dates change; soft-check before you rely on a blog summary).
FAQ: OnPay pricing
How much does OnPay cost per month?
As of 2026-10-02, OnPay lists Payroll Essentials at $49/mo + $6 per worker. Add-ons and bundles raise the total. A one-worker Essentials-only bill is typically $55/mo before tax or promos.
Does OnPay charge per pay run?
No. OnPay’s public pricing includes unlimited pay runs on the base plan. The per-worker fee applies once per worker per month, not once per paycheck.
Are contractors billed the same as employees on OnPay?
Yes for the per-person fee: anyone included in a pay run during the lookback period — W-2 or 1099 — counts toward the $6/worker charge. Including a $0-pay contractor still counts.
Is multi-state payroll extra on OnPay?
OnPay’s public Essentials list includes multi-state payroll with no separate per-state surcharge. That packaging difference matters when you compare to vendors that put multi-state on a higher tier.
What is Live HR Support on OnPay, and what does it cost?
Live HR Support is an optional add-on listed at $65/mo (checked 2026-10-02) for concierge guidance from licensed HR experts. It is separate from phone/chat/email payroll support included in Essentials.
How does OnPay pricing compare to Gusto?
Entry stickers match: OnPay Essentials and Gusto Simple both list about $49 + $6. Gusto Plus ($80 + $12) is the usual comparison when you need multi-state and built-in time tracking on Gusto. Feature gates differ — compare carts, not logos. See Gusto vs QuickBooks Payroll for broader Gusto stack context.
Does OnPay offer a free trial or first month free?
OnPay’s marketing pages advertise a free first month and free setup/migration. Confirm the current offer in the signup flow — promotions change.
Next step: model your headcount, then pick a stack
Run OnPay’s public calculator at your real W-2 + 1099 count, then put the same headcount into a Gusto Simple or Plus cart. If transparent multi-state payroll is the main job, OnPay’s Essentials formula is easy to audit. If you want a broader benefits/HR path or already prefer Gusto’s product surface, compare Gusto plans next, then circle back to payroll comparisons and the payroll hub for fit — not just sticker price.