United States · 1-4 employees
Cheapest payroll + HR providers for 1-4 employees, United States (2026 prices)
For a team of about 3, the lowest published monthly cost we hold is Gusto at $67 a month, which is $22.33 per employee per month.
The ordering is monthly cost at 3 employees and nothing else. No vendor pays to appear here or to be placed higher.
| Vendor | Plan and its published condition | Monthly at 3 | Who it fits | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Simple Month-to-month, cancel anytime | $67 $22.33/employee | the lowest published bill at exactly this size | Figures checked 2026-09-27 See official pricing |
| Homebase | Basic + Payroll Combined figure: Basic at $0/month per location and Payroll add-on (on top of any plan) at $49/month plus $6 per person. | $67 $22.33/employee | $0/month above the cheapest here | Figures checked 2026-09-27 See official pricing |
| Paycor | Basic For businesses with under 50 employees; published list price before promotion | $114 $38.00/employee | teams that will be materially larger in a year | Figures checked 2026-10-03 See official pricing |
| None of these yet | — | — | your headcount is about to change, or you have not counted contractors and part-time staff | Run your own number first |
Where the ordering changes
- If you drop below 1 people, Gusto moves up — it carries the smallest fixed fee ($49).
- If you pass 9 people, Paycor moves up — its per-employee fee is the lowest here at $5.00.
- If none of that applies cleanly, do not pick from this page. Put your real headcount into the calculator and read the two closest vendors' own pages before deciding.
No other adjustment is applied. We do not add estimated tax-filing fees, discounts, or promotional pricing. The full method is at Method.
What is not on this page
Anything that is not a published price. We have not used these products. Vendors that do not publish prices are excluded entirely, which is not the same as saying they are expensive — several of the largest names in this market quote only on request, and they may well come in below anything listed above. The full list shows which ones those are.
Related
- Gusto in full
- Gusto against Homebase
- The calculator, with your own headcount
- Where the money actually goes
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated: 2026-10-03. Sources: vendor pricing pages only. Figures checked between 2026-08-20 and 2026-10-03. 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.