QuickBooks Payroll alternatives, ranked by what they actually cost
The cheapest published alternative to QuickBooks Payroll in this market is Patriot Software at $57 a month for 10 employees, against QuickBooks Payroll's $158.
Ordering below is by monthly cost at 10 employees and nothing else. No vendor has paid to appear or to be placed higher.
When QuickBooks Payroll is still the right answer
Cost is one column of several, and this site only holds that column. If you are already running QuickBooks Payroll and it works, the cost of switching payroll mid-year — re-entering year-to-date figures, re-filing, retraining whoever runs it — is real and is not on this page. A cheaper monthly figure has to clear that cost before it is a saving.
The alternatives, by published cost
| Vendor | Cheapest plan | At 10 employees | Who it fits | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Software | Basic Payroll | $57 $5.70/employee | teams wanting the lowest published monthly bill | Figures checked 2026-09-06 |
| Roll by ADP | Roll by ADP | $89 $8.90/employee | $69/month below QuickBooks Payroll | Figures checked 2026-09-06 |
| Square Payroll | Full-Service Payroll | $95 $9.50/employee | $63/month below QuickBooks Payroll | Figures checked 2026-09-06 |
| SurePayroll | Small Business Payroll | $99 $9.90/employee | $59/month below QuickBooks Payroll | Figures checked 2026-09-06 |
| Zoho Payroll | Standard | $99 $9.90/employee | $59/month below QuickBooks Payroll | Figures checked 2026-09-06 |
| Stay on QuickBooks Payroll | — | $158 | switching cost is not counted anywhere on this page | Its figures |
No other adjustment is applied. We do not add estimated tax-filing fees, discounts, or promotional pricing. The full method is at Method.
Related
- QuickBooks Payroll pricing in full
- QuickBooks Payroll against Patriot Software
- QuickBooks Payroll against Roll by ADP
- Compare all of them at your headcount
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated: 2026-09-06. Sources: vendor pricing pages only. Figures checked between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-06. I have not used these products. Nothing here is a personal test result.
Ranking method and formulas: Method. Listing position on this site is not for sale.
Corrections: contact form.