Payroll software worth raving about

See why experts ⁠— and our clients ⁠— say OnPay is the best.

INDUSTRY REVIEWS

The experts have spoken

Media outlets and publications agree: OnPay gets top marks for setting a higher standard for small business payroll.

Best for Small
Businesses

FORBES

Best for Small
Businesses

CNBC

Best for Up to 100
Employees

PCMAG

Best for Small
Businesses

BUSINESS.COM

Best for Small
Businesses

THE ASCENT BY MOTLEY FOOL

“Easy to use, cloud-based payroll”

See why Forbes says: “OnPay is one of the best picks for payroll processing for small businesses. It’s an affordable option with a full feature set. It’s even a good pick for fast-growth companies because you won’t have to choose a higher-priced plan—only pay per new hire per month in addition to what you’re already paying.”

 

– Cassie Bottorff, Editor, Forbes Advisor

 

See the full Forbes review

“All of the payroll features your business could need”

“OnPay packs all of the payroll features you business could need into a simple platform at an affordable price.”

 

See the full CNBC review

 “A versatile solution”

“OnPay is one of the best payroll services, enabling managers to create comprehensive employee records and run unlimited payrolls each month.”

 

See the full PCMag review

“Transparent pricing, excellent customer support and user-friendly tools”

“With OnPay, you get access to all of the tools for the same price, and its cloud-hosted software is simple to use. Payroll can be complete in minutes, and the software’s interface is clearly labeled, making it easy to understand and learn.”

 

See the full Business.com review

“A top-notch payroll service”

Experts say: “OnPay is optimally designed for small businesses, though the application can scale up nicely for mid-sized businesses as well.” It’s just one of the reasons that OnPay was recognized among the best payroll software for small businesses in 2022 by The Ascent, a Motley Fool service.

 

See the full review from The Ascent

ONPAY CUSTOMER REVIEWS

5-star software and service

Thousands of small businesses count on OnPay to run payroll and simplify back office tasks. Read on for first-hand user reviews that OnPay clients have shared across software review sites.

OnPay
Rated 4.8 stars out of 5 in 880 reviews

from Capterra, G2, and TrustPilot.

Try OnPay’s top-rated payroll

Updated as of June 6, 2023

OnPay reviews from clients

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORT

“Every time I have a question, there's someone available. The entire support staff is extremely knowledgeable but when I have a question they don't immediately have an answer to, they say that & then get back to me. I can't ask for more!”

– Heather M.

EASY TO USE

“Processing varied payrolls has been a breeze, including special payments and withholdings. Ease and speed of use is key, matched by the simple fact that it works the way you hope it would work.”

– Doug S.

EMPLOYEE SELF-SERVICE

“OnPay uploads general ledger entries to QuickBooks, our 401(k), and easily allows employees to make their own changes and view their payroll history. It notifies them when the direct deposit has been done. So far, the support has been great.“

– Janice M.

EASY TO SWITCH

“The usability is the best I've seen. OnPay is proof that payroll doesn't need to be stressful. They made the transition from one payroll platform to theirs easy and seamless.”

– Sara E.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATIONS

“The best part about OnPay for us is not only the ease of use, but the ability to set up [payroll] so it maps to Quickbooks Online ⁠— so we don't have to make any adjustments later.”

– David P.

ACCURACY GUARANTEED

"The chat function at OnPay helps me get payroll right. With the crazy rules around FFCRA, OnPay was there to help me get everything sorted out before submitting payroll, avoiding costly mistakes. They are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly."

– Martin

SIMPLE PAYROLL

“Their online platform is easy to use and navigate. I was looking for a payroll service that takes care of all of our tax filings, and OnPay provides everything I need.”

– Susan N.

RUN PAYROLL IN MINUTES

“OnPay has been a huge time saver! The platform is extremely user-friendly and easy to use. I’m able to do my payroll and onboarding in minutes. We’re incredibly happy with OnPay!”

– Vanessa T.

TIME SAVING

"OnPay is simple, accurate, and cost-efficient for payroll processing and handling taxes. It saves me time and money versus doing it myself or asking my CPA or accountant to do it."

– Bill G.

INTEGRATED WORKERS' COMP

“We also implemented a workers’ comp system that integrates seamlessly with OnPay. There's no annual deposit or reconciliation at the end of the year because it's all handled week by week.”

– Steve H.

REPORTING MADE EASY

"Reporting has been easy to use. I also like their price structure of a base then as you go with the number of employees you have since my business is highly part-time and seasonal."

– Denise

INTEGRATED 401(K)

"I have been using OnPay since January, and it is a great alternative to bigger payroll companies. I was able to set up my 401(k) and medical deductions right through the portal. It also calculates your company 401(k) match."

– Tari M.

EASY DIRECT DEPOSIT

I'm a one-man LLC and was kind of lost when it came to payroll and taxation issues. Thank goodness I found OnPay. They're like having an in-house payroll manager. I get email reminders of when to visit the website and run my semi-month payroll. I could issue myself a check, as my agency's only employee, but OnPay conveniently makes an ACH deposit."

– Jeff D.

FREE EXPERT SETUP

"The price was also reasonable with a one-month free trial and no implementation fees. I was looking for a payroll service that takes care of all of our tax filings, and OnPay provides everything I needed."

– Susan N.

RELIABLE SUPPORT

"OnPay offered us the most comprehensive package, and they've proven themselves time and again with customer service. We've had state tax issues that OnPay has navigated us through, and for every issue we've had, they've quickly replied and resolved the matter."

– Myron P.

ACCESSIBLE FROM ANYWHERE

"We searched high and low for a reasonably-priced payroll solution that would be easy to use, accessible from anywhere, and that would file all the necessary State and Federal payroll reports for us. We eventually found OnPay, and it has been excellent. We couldn't be happier with the software."

– Mary M.

MAKES PAYROLL A BREEZE

"My overall experience has been excellent, and its consistently accurate and smooth functioning has given me a very high level of confidence that I have no worries about payroll issues. Processing varied payrolls has been a breeze, including special payments and withholdings."

– Doug S.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORT

"I like that OnPay takes care of all my tax filings. I love the freedom of not worrying about them. If you have any questions, the online chat option is amazing, and they're always quick to reply."

– Dawn V.

RESPONSIVE SUPPORT

"I have been working with OnPay for over six years now. They answer questions fast and help with any issue. They have a very knowledgeable staff and are always helping solve your issue or at least guiding you in the right direction. They are still nimble enough to make changes or customize your experience."

– Dominique F.

SYNC TO QUICKBOOKS

"The best part about OnPay for us is the ability to map items to Quickbooks Online, so we don't have to make any adjustments later. We also really like that liabilities are always balanced. We struggled with other software because there were always odd amounts of payroll liabilities hanging in the account all the time."

– David P.

RESPONSIVE SUPPORT

"I have been working with OnPay for over six years now. They answer questions fast and help with any issue. They have a very knowledgeable staff and are always helping solve your issue or at least guiding you in the right direction. They are still nimble enough to make changes or customize your experience."

– Dominique F.

AUTOMATED TAX FILINGS

I don't have to be a payroll expert to use OnPay. It automatically files employment docs (like new hire forms and quarterly payroll tax returns). As a California business, I also like that it automates sick pay accrual for my part-time employees."

– Meghann S.

SYNC TO QUICKBOOKS

"The best part about OnPay for us is the ability to map items to Quickbooks Online, so we don't have to make any adjustments later. We also really like that liabilities are always balanced. We struggled with other software because there were always odd amounts of payroll liabilities hanging in the account all the time."

– David P.

EASY TAX COMPLIANCE

"I like the ease of being able to enter weekly employee times, and OnPay takes care of everything else. I don't have to worry about quarterly or annual payroll tax reporting at all. I have never had any major issues and only had a few questions during setup and initial use."

– Jay T.

SCALES AS YOU GROW

"We love OnPay. We switched from another provider last year, and it was so much better. Their customer service is the best of any business I've ever worked with. Their technology is top-notch as well. They have accommodated our growth at every step."

– Mark K.

FAST AND FLEXIBLE

"OnPay is extremely easy to use, extremely fast, and flexible. We use it weekly to handle our payroll needs. We pay staff by performance, so pay tends to change each week slightly. We simply set the number of hours they worked, and their pay is calculated instantly with proper deductions and all the complicated bits handled automatically."

– Steve H.

ACCURATE TAXES

"I have done payroll for years, and OnPay takes the difficulty out of payroll! They handle all of the standardized Federal and State Reporting. Even during the pandemic, they were set up and ready to go for PPP and ERTC assistance. I confirmed the IRS requirements were met and just forwarded the reports to our CPAs."

– Dana S.

SEAMLESS ONBOARDING

"The onboarding process has been easy with OnPay entering all of our employees, their deductions, previous checks, etc for us. My dedicated representative has been very patient and kind during the whole process and has answered all of my questions."

– Administrator in Medical Devices

UNLIMITED PAY RUNS

"I like the fact that you can modify employee information, add/subtract new employees, and make changes in the middle of running a payroll. It is also helpful to have the ability to run as many payroll runs as needed. For instance, if you have an employee that forgot to add to their timesheet, you can go back and generate another payroll for that one employee with no additional charges."

– Mike G.

MULTI-STATE PAYROLL

"OnPay has made doing payroll enjoyable. They are quick to answer questions or concerns. They do the filings for multiple states for the same price. They will even do the year-end reports like W-2s and W-3s. The ease of use is exceptional."

– Raquel A.

PAY BY DIRECT DEPOSIT

"Direct deposit for our employees is fantastic. Also, the reporting and automated tax filings are huge pluses. And if I mess up, OnPay is there for me!""

– Suzan A.

EASY DIY PAYROLL

"OnPay is my favorite DIY (do-it-yourself) payroll provider. Support is solid. The pricing is great, and it's beautiful and really easy to work with."

– OnPay client

CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURES

"OnPay is really easy to use. It has enabled us to categorize different departments of our organization in an easy and hassle-free way. The tool is really quick in terms of responsiveness which I really admire. OnPay has always been really helpful throughout we have been a customer. All our payroll-related queries are resolved with OnPay. All in all, this is one of my essential products for our company."

– Emir H.

GREAT FLEXIBILITY

"Very flexible full-service payroll solution. Great setup flexibility and OnPay handles all payroll tax filings and payments in a timely fashion."

– Chet King

INTEGRATED TIMESHEETS

"Running payroll with OnPay takes me less than 15 minutes. It integrates with Deputy, which we use for timesheet management, so we avoid data entry and the need to proactively ""export"" anything from Deputy."

– Audrey L.

AFFORDABLE PRICING

"OnPay integrates with my accounting software, so everything flows smoothly, and whenever I have questions, they answer within 24 hours. On top of it all, their pricing can't be beat! I am very satisfied."

– Jose P.

ANY PAY SCHEDULE

"I have enjoyed using it [OnPay] overall. It speeds up payroll and alerts us with warnings when employees' pay varies since we have an employer with flexible schedules."

– Bethany C.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

"We switched to OnPay, and the transition was very smooth. The staff guided us along the way. They were very available for any specific issues and questions. Our payroll service using OnPay has been nearly flawless."

– John V.

COST SAVING

"OnPay was simple to switch to, saving us over $150 a month! I like everything about OnPay - including the simple interface to enter payroll. And it alerts me if I made a mistake."

– Angela J.

EASY TO PAY COMMISSIONS

"Thanks to OnPay, I can now run all of my commissions once a week, which is considerably more convenient for both my clients and my team. After a lot of research, I settled on OnPay, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. It was smooth sailing all the way through the transfer they facilitated for me in the middle of last year."

– Sara B.

COST SAVINGS

"OnPay was simple to switch to, saving us over $150 a month! I like everything about OnPay - including the simple interface to enter payroll. And it alerts me if I made a mistake."

– Anjela J.

GREAT FLEXIBILITY

"Very flexible full-service payroll solution. Great setup flexibility and OnPay handles all payroll tax filings and payments in a timely fashion."

– Chet King

EMPLOYEE INVITES

"OnPay sends invitations so employees and contractors can onboard themselves; it is easy to change pay rates or benefits for employees, and it's so great that OnPay handles all of my tax payments to four different states; end-of-year reporting is so simple, and employees can log in and see their forms without admin help."

– Laura S.

DOCUMENT STORAGE

"OnPay is a good online payroll service. I like the recordkeeping and access to all taxes and payroll."

– Dr. Arthur A.

ACCOUNTANT REVIEWS

Accountant-approved, too

“I will always recommend OnPay wholeheartedly — and I’m a bookkeeper who’s handled payroll for several companies using many services. OnPay is hands-down my favorite! Their reporting features are sublime. Their included HR functionality is fantastic. Everything is customizable in a variety of ways. They even have an integration with QuickBooks.”

— Heather M.

INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC REVIEWS

Loved by business owners in every industry

NONPROFITS

"It literally takes me two minutes per week to review and approve payroll. When I opened our account, customer service walked me through the steps, I felt confident enough to get the ball rolling after that."

– Sayydah G., Pastoralist Child Foundation

DENTAL OFFICES

"Payroll can be customized to the way you want it to be. It's a great value, and I can run payroll anytime at no additional cost."

– Joanne, Tony Kuo, DDS, APC

CHURCHES AND CLERGIES

"OnPay is very simple, and the customer support is very good. They make everything easier for you. The price is reasonable and definitely worth it. You don't have to worry about taxes being paid, they handle all that for you. Year-end statements are done promptly and accurately."

– Lynn T., God's Glory Non Denomination Corp

FARMS

"As ranchers, our lives are Always busy and on the go. OnPay allows me to do payroll wherever I am at. I don’t have to worry if it’s done right because OnPay does it for me!"

– Melissa B., Bringhurst Cattle Company Incorporated

ENTREPRENEURS

"As a first-time business owner with no experience in running payroll or managing employees, OnPay made everything easy. The platform is very organized and simple to use. OnPay is very responsive and quick to get in contact if you have any questions or need help."

– Karien V., Smart Scholars LLC

RETAIL

"OnPay is very user-friendly and offers a lot of resources to help with payroll and tracking employee changes, garnishments, and deductions. It gives me the flexibility to do payroll how I need to, and it's easy to make changes to payroll in real time."

– Vanessa K., Foxtail Coffee Company

DOCTOR'S OFFICE

"It's very easy to use and saves me a lot of time and mistakes calculating payroll taxes, 401k and health benefits."

– Durga Y., Healthy Eyes PLLC

GYMS

"I have found OnPay to be an easy-to-use, inexpensive yet highly valuable way to process payroll. I wanted a system where I could print checks in-house vs. having to pay to have them mailed to us. I love that I can run extra payrolls during the month at no additional cost."

– Renee C., Phoenix Fitness & Martial Arts

FINANCIAL SERVICES

"With OnPay, scheduling, entry, and taxation for multiple jurisdictions are all handled automatically by the system. I just have to upload the information once, and monitoring is a snap!"

– Brent A., Templar Financial Services Inc

LAW PRACTICE

"Easy to set up and get started, great customer support, very affordable. I have no dislikes so far. Everything has been great!"

– Administer at Law practice

MANUFACTURING

"OnPay takes the complexity out of payroll tracking and processing, and it allows us to focus on our core business. We're happy with the service."

– Michael P., Syntégra

LET’S DO THIS

It’s easy to get started

Try OnPay out yourself to see how easy payroll and HR can be. To get started, just share a few basic details about your business. Our team of pros will set everything up and import your employees’ information for you.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

FAQs about OnPay’s ratings and reviews

  • Does OnPay pay publications for “best of” rankings or awards?

    No! All of the reviews from expert publications are conducted independently, and every platform has its own evaluation criteria. All of the awards we have earned have been granted based on the assessment of independent reviewers.

  • What do companies use OnPay for?

    OnPay is a cloud-based full-service payroll app that can run payroll according to a preset schedule, automatically disburse wages, and calculate and withhold taxes and filing tax forms. And beyond that, small businesses can use OnPay to simplify onboarding, employee management, and even benefits administration.

  • Is OnPay a legitimate company?

    We’re not only legit, OnPay is a top-rated payroll software company, recently earning both a PCMag Editors’ Choice and a Forbes Advisor’s “best of 2023” recognition. We work with thousands of small businesses and accountants throughout the US.

  • How many customers does OnPay have?

    Over 20,000 businesses — and growing — work with the OnPay team across the United States. Our clients represent almost every industry you can imagine, including non-profits, dental offices, agriculture, and physicians — just to name a few.

  • Who owns OnPay payroll?

    Jesse Burgess is the founder and CEO of OnPay. He built the company on the foundation of a long-standing payroll business, pivoting the focus towards offering online payroll services. With the aim of building the best-in-class payroll app for small businesses, OnPay was born.

  • Are OnPay reviews a good source to trust when choosing a provider?

    Over 60% of businesses use online reviews to guide their decision-making before purchasing software, according to research by Gartner. It can be reassuring to know buyers with similar needs have had a good experience — so we hope these resources are helpful during your payroll software search.

  • How much does it cost to run payroll with OnPay?

    It’s a single monthly fee of $40, plus $6 per worker each for pretty much everything OnPay does. No pricing tiers, no sneaky add-ons.