The best payroll for solo S-corps and small teams, scored on evidence
This is an AI-compiled independent report: our research system read the pricing pages, legal terms, review platforms, and Reddit threads — hundreds of sources — so you don't spend a weekend doing it. Ten payroll services, six weighted criteria, every subscore backed by a cited source or a verbatim user report. No hand-tuned rankings; the score is computed.
Researched with Claude 
Where ChatGPT users compare payroll ✓ Human-owned methodology Start here: Gusto
If you're a one-person S-corp, Gusto is the pick we give friends — and what we run our own payroll on. It has tooling nobody else in this table has: a built-in reasonable-salary estimator, correct 2%-shareholder health insurance handling, and payroll that runs itself on AutoPilot. New customers get a $100 gift card after their first paid payroll via referral link.
Try Gusto — $100 gift card via this link Read the full review →| # | Service | PR Score | Solo S-corp cost | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ |  Gusto Editors' pick for solo S-corps | 8.5 | $55/mo | Solo S-corp owners | Review → |
| 1 |  OnPay | 8.6 | $55/mo | Best overall | Review → |
| 3 |  Patriot Payroll | 8.4 | $42/mo | Best budget pick | Review → |
| 4 |  SurePayroll | 7.4 | $36/mo | Cheapest full-service | Review → |
| 5 |  Square Payroll | 7.4 | $41/mo | Square sellers & hourly teams | Review → |
| 6 |  QuickBooks Payroll | 7.1 | $56.50/mo | QuickBooks Online users | Review → |
| 7 |  Wave Payroll | 6.9 | $46/mo | Wave Accounting users | Review → |
| 8 |  ADP RUN | 6.8 | $83/mo | 24/7 support & scaling teams | Review → |
| 9 |  Paychex Flex | 6.4 | $44/mo | Solo 401(k) bundle | Review → |
| 10 |  Rippling | 5.7 | $57/mo | 10+ teams wanting HR+IT in one | Review → |
★ Our editors' pick is pinned to the top; it ranks #2 by PR Score (8.5 vs OnPay's 8.6) and is chosen for its S-corp-specific tooling — how picks work. Numbered rows are ordered strictly by PR Score. Solo S-corp cost = list price for one owner-employee on the cheapest full-service tier, before promos. Quote-only providers (ADP, Paychex, Rippling) shown at the best third-party-reported estimate.
How the top three split
OnPay (8.6) took our top overall score on the strength of the best support reputation in the category (it ranked #1 on G2's Summer 2026 payroll index, ahead of Gusto) and full-service filing with multi-state included. Its weaknesses are a 4-day default direct deposit and no employer mobile app.
Gusto is the better product for solo S-corp owners specifically — the reasonable-salary estimator and S-corp tax handling are unique in this class — and the most polished software overall. It costs the same as OnPay and has raised prices three years running, with a support reputation that has slipped since 2024.
Patriot does full-service payroll for roughly half the price of either, with US phone support that actually answers. You give up benefits administration and some polish; at $42/month (or $21 on the current promo) many owner-only businesses won't care.
What we got right that other sites still have wrong
- OnPay costs $49 + $6 since May 2025 — most comparison sites still list the old $40 base.
- Wave files taxes in all 50 states since April 2025 — the "14 tax-service states" limitation you'll read elsewhere is obsolete (though the migration that fixed it caused a genuine 2025 reliability crisis — details in the review).
- QuickBooks Payroll is now "QuickBooks Workforce" after a 2026 rebrand and a July 2026 price increase; local tax filing is still manual on its base tier.
- Quote-based pricing has receipts: we document ADP's 3-8% annual creep and Paychex's promo ratchet with first-hand user reports.
FAQ
Do I really need payroll software for a one-person S-corp?
If you've elected S-corp status, the IRS expects you to pay yourself a reasonable W-2 salary — which means real payroll: withholding, quarterly Form 941, annual W-2, state filings. Software that files those automatically costs $36–56/month; a single missed filing penalty usually costs more.
What's the cheapest full-service payroll for one person?
SurePayroll at $36/month (about $41 all-in after its year-end filing fee), then Square Payroll at $41 and Patriot at $42. All three file federal and state taxes for you.
How are these ratings calculated?
Six weighted criteria, each scored 0–10 from cited evidence — official pricing pages, review-site data, and verbatim user reports. The weighted total is computed at build time; nobody edits a final score by hand. Full details on the methodology page.