SFDIFY
Corporate payroll services calculate pay, withhold and file federal, state and local payroll taxes, and prepare year-end W-2s and 1099s on your behalf [1, 2]. If you want published prices, OnPay starts at $49 base + $6 per worker per month with multi-state payroll included [2], and Gusto starts at $49/mo + $7/mo per person for payroll in one state [3]. ADP, Paychex and Paylocity quote prices on request [4, 1, 5], and Rippling lists only a starting price of $8 per employee per month plus a base fee [6]; those four suit companies that want more hands-on service or a broader HR suite.
What corporate payroll services handle
Whether a vendor calls it outsourced payroll services, managed payroll services or full-service payroll, expect it to cover:
- Tax calculation, deposits and filings. Paychex says it "automatically calculates, deducts, and remits payroll taxes on your behalf, including federal, state, and local obligations" [1].
- Year-end forms. W-2s for employees and 1099s for contractors; OnPay's base plan, for example, includes "End-of-year filings, W-2s, and 1099s" [2].
- Multi-state payroll. Paychex manages taxes "for every state where your employees work" [1].
- Wage garnishments. Child support and creditor orders come with deadlines and calculation rules. Some providers process the whole order; others only calculate the deduction.
Providers differ mainly in which plan includes each item, and whether their staff or you do the work.
Payroll outsourcing services: self-serve, full-service or PEO
Self-serve payroll software. You enter hours and approve each run; the software calculates pay, moves the money and files the taxes. Gusto says it did not build its product for "payroll professionals" and instead "made it for regular people" [7].
Full-service or managed payroll. The provider's staff take on more of the work. Paychex offers three support levels, ending with "dedicated assigned payroll specialists" [1]. ADP, Paychex and Paylocity mostly sell this way, through a sales call and a quote.
PEO (professional employer organization). A PEO bundles payroll with benefits, HR and compliance. Paychex describes its PEO as "An all-in-one HR solution helps you manage employee benefits, HR, payroll, and compliance" [8]. Our PEO vs EOR guide explains how co-employment changes the picture.
How we chose
We compared ADP, Paychex, Paylocity, Rippling, Gusto and OnPay on target company size, published pricing, what payroll plans include (taxes, garnishments, multi-state pay, year-end forms) and support. Everything comes from the vendors' own product and pricing pages, checked on 2026-11-08. We did not test the products hands-on and do not score them. Gusto is an SFDIFY affiliate partner; that did not change its position or what we say about it.
Corporate payroll services compared
| Product | Best for | Starting price | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADP (RUN / Workforce Now) | 1-49 employees on RUN, 50-1000+ on Workforce Now [9] | Pricing on request [4] | Wage garnishment processing in RUN Enhanced [4] |
| Paychex Flex | Companies that want an assigned payroll specialist or a PEO | Pricing on request [1] | Support up to "dedicated assigned payroll specialists" [1] |
| Paylocity | Growing and midsize companies, including global staff | Pricing on request [5] | Garnishment Managed Services team [10] |
| Rippling | Companies that want payroll, HR and IT on one platform | From $8 per employee per month plus a base fee [6] | Global payroll for employees and contractors [11] |
| Gusto | Small US teams that want self-serve payroll | $49/mo + $7/mo per person (Simple) [3] | Multi-state payroll starts on Plus [3] |
| OnPay | Small businesses that want flat, published full-service pricing | $49 base + $6/worker per month [2] | Multi-state payroll at "No additional cost" [2] |
ADP — RUN for small teams, Workforce Now for midsized companies
ADP sells two separate payroll products by company size: RUN Powered by ADP for small businesses and ADP Workforce Now, which it positions for "50-1000+ employees" [9].
Verified features: RUN "automatically calculates payroll taxes and can file federal, state and local payroll taxes on your behalf with proper authorization" [4]. Its Essential package includes "24/7 live payroll support", and Enhanced adds "Wage garnishment processing" [4]. For staff abroad, Workforce Now supports compliance requirements "in over 140 countries" [9].
Pricing: RUN comes in four packages (Essential Payroll, Enhanced Payroll, Complete Payroll & HR+ and HR Pro), each with a "Get Pricing" button instead of a price [4]. Workforce Now has three packages, Select, Plus and Premium, also priced on request [9].
Strengths: One vendor from a handful of employees to 1,000+, with 24/7 support from the entry package.
Limitations: No published prices. Garnishment processing is not in the entry RUN package [4], and because RUN and Workforce Now are separate products, ask what a later move between them involves.
Best fit: US companies that want an established payroll provider and expect to grow past 50 employees.
Paychex — service tiers up to a dedicated payroll specialist
Paychex runs payroll on its Paychex Flex platform, with packages from basic payroll to "A full-service suite of HR, payroll, workforce and talent management tools" [1]. It also sells a PEO for companies that want HR and benefits outsourced too [8].
Verified features: Paychex says "Tax filings are handled as part of the service" [1] and manages payroll taxes "for every state where your employees work" [1]. Support comes in three levels: "self-service online access, on-demand support with available representatives, and dedicated assigned payroll specialists" [1].
Pricing: No prices are published; the payroll page offers "Get Your Free Quote" and "Request Pricing" [1]. A current promotion for new clients with 1-250 employees requires "a one-year service agreement" [1].
Strengths: A clear path from software-only payroll to a named specialist, plus a PEO option.
Limitations: Quote-only pricing, and Paychex says its payroll is "primarily designed to support U.S.-based employees and contractors" [1], so it is a weaker fit for international teams.
Best fit: US small and midsize companies that want a person, not just software, behind their payroll.
Paylocity — managed garnishments for growing teams
Paylocity sells payroll inside a wider HR, finance and IT platform and splits its market into small business (1-99 employees), midsize (100-499) and enterprise (500+) [10].
Verified features: Its Garnishment Managed Services team "can handle every step of the garnishment process on your behalf" [10]. Global payroll gives "real-time access to aggregated payroll data across 100+ countries" [10].
Pricing: Paylocity does not publish prices. Its pricing page promises a solution "priced for your budget" and asks you to request pricing [5].
Strengths: Managed garnishments, and domestic and global employees in one system.
Limitations: No public pricing, and extras such as Recruiting and Learning (LMS) are "optional add-ons" [5], so the quote grows with each module.
Best fit: Companies with roughly 50 to several hundred employees, hourly staff or frequent garnishments.
Rippling — payroll inside an HR, IT and finance platform
Rippling offers "global HR, Payroll, IT, and Finance in one place" [12]. Payroll is one module, fed by the same employee records.
Verified features: Rippling's global payroll lets you pay employees and contractors "no matter where they work" [11]. If you switch mid-year, Rippling "can import and analyze year-to-date payroll data from your previous provider" [6].
Pricing: "Rippling plans start at $8 per employee per month, with a monthly base fee" [6]. Payroll pricing depends on headcount and the products you choose, with a custom quote on request [6].
Strengths: One employee record drives payroll, HR changes and app access, cutting double entry.
Limitations: The $8 figure is a floor, not a typical bill, and you only see a total after a quote [6]. Rippling's payroll page focuses on software automation rather than assigned specialists, so check what service level your quote includes.
Best fit: Fast-growing, distributed companies that want payroll and IT administration in the same system.
Gusto — self-serve payroll with prices on the page
Gusto is small-business payroll software that says it will "file them with all the right government agencies every time you run payroll" [7].
Verified features: Every plan includes "Unlimited payrolls per month" and "Tax filings and payments" [3]. Premium adds "A named advisor as you scale" [3], the closest Gusto gets to a managed service.
Pricing: Simple is $49/mo + $7/mo per person to "Run basic payroll in one state" [3]. Plus is $99/mo + $12/mo per person and adds multi-state payroll [3]. Premium is $179/mo + $22/mo per person and adds "Premium Account Support" [3]. Gusto lists "No contracts. Free account setup. Switch or cancel anytime." [3]. Our Gusto pricing breakdown covers the add-ons.
Strengths: Real prices on the page, no contract, and a low starting cost for a small team in one state.
Limitations: Gusto is weaker than ADP, Paychex or Paylocity if you want someone else to do the work: it is built for you to run payroll yourself [7], and human support runs "weekdays 6am–6pm MST" [7]. Multi-state payroll requires Plus [3], and state tax registration is a paid add-on with "Pricing varies by state" [3]. Outside the US, the pricing page offers global contractor payments as an add-on [3], not payroll for foreign employees.
Best fit: US small businesses comfortable running payroll themselves that want predictable, published pricing.
OnPay — full-service payroll at a flat published price
OnPay sells one base payroll plan, Payroll Essentials, with HR and time tracking as add-ons [2].
Verified features: Payroll Essentials covers "Garnishment deductions", "Automatic state tax registrations" and "End-of-year filings, W-2s, and 1099s" [2]. Multi-state payroll comes at "No additional cost — pay in as many states as you need" [2].
Pricing: "$49 base + $6/worker per month" [2]. The HR add-on is "+ $15 base and $2/worker per month" [2].
Strengths: Of the two published-price options, OnPay includes more in the base plan: multi-state pay and state tax registrations are upgrades or add-ons at Gusto [3]. OnPay also promises "No support paywalls" [13].
Limitations: Support runs "9am – 8pm weekdays" [2], not around the clock, and the pricing page we checked lists only US payroll. HR tools beyond the basics cost extra [2].
Best fit: US small businesses with staff in several states that want full-service payroll without a sales process.
How to choose a corporate payroll service
Start with headcount, locations and how much work you want to hand off.
- Under 50 people, US only, happy to run payroll yourself: Gusto or OnPay. OnPay is the better pick if you already have staff in several states [2].
- You want a person responsible for payroll: Paychex or ADP. Paychex lists assigned specialists as its top support level [1].
- 50 to 500 employees, garnishments or hourly staff: get quotes from Paylocity and ADP Workforce Now at your current and expected headcount.
- International employees: Rippling, Paylocity and ADP Workforce Now support global payroll [11, 10, 9]. To hire abroad without a local entity, also compare employer of record services.
- Benefits and HR outsourced too: consider a PEO such as Paychex's [8].
Before you sign, get in writing the monthly price at your headcount, which tasks (garnishments, state registrations, amendments) are included, and how year-to-date data moves over mid-year. If your other systems need payroll data a provider cannot export cleanly, a custom integration or CRM build can close the gap.
FAQ
How much do outsourced payroll services cost?
Two of the six publish full prices: OnPay is $49 base + $6/worker per month [2], and Gusto starts at $49/mo + $7/mo per person [3]. Rippling starts at $8 per employee per month plus a monthly base fee [6]. ADP, Paychex and Paylocity quote on request [4, 1, 5].
What is the difference between managed payroll services and payroll software?
With payroll software you run payroll yourself and the software files the taxes. Managed payroll services add people who do part of the work, such as Paychex's dedicated assigned payroll specialists [1] or Paylocity's team that handles garnishments on your behalf [10].
Should I outsource payroll services to a PEO?
Only if you also want benefits, HR and compliance handled. Paychex describes its PEO as an all-in-one HR solution for employee benefits, HR, payroll and compliance [8]. If you only need payroll and tax filing, a payroll provider is simpler.
Can payroll outsourcing services handle employees in several states?
Yes. OnPay includes multi-state payroll at no additional cost [2], Gusto includes it from the Plus plan [3], and Paychex manages taxes for every state where your employees work [1].
Our recommendation
For a small US company happy to run payroll itself, start with OnPay or Gusto: OnPay includes multi-state payroll in its base plan, and Gusto lets you start small in one state with no contract. If you want a specialist responsible for payroll, get quotes from Paychex and ADP. Past about 50 employees, or with garnishments, hourly staff or employees abroad, compare Paylocity, ADP Workforce Now and Rippling.
Sources
- Payroll Services Made Easy | Paychex — checked 2026-11-08
- OnPay Pricing Starts at $55 Per Month | Get Your First Month Free — checked 2026-11-08
- Gusto Pricing, Plans & Fees (2026) | How Much Does Gusto Cost? — checked 2026-11-08
- RUN Powered by ADP® Payroll Software | ADP — checked 2026-11-08
- Paylocity Pricing | Paylocity for HR, Finance, and IT — checked 2026-11-08
- The platform for companies that want to grow faster (Rippling pricing) — checked 2026-11-08
- Payroll Software & Services for Small Businesses | Gusto — checked 2026-11-08
- Small Business Payroll Services Trusted by ~840,000+ Clients — checked 2026-11-08
- Workforce Now® All-In-One HR Software | ADP — checked 2026-11-08
- Payroll Software Designed for Every Business | Paylocity — checked 2026-11-08
- Your Business Is Complex. Payroll Software Shouldn’t Be. | Rippling — checked 2026-11-08
- Rippling: Workforce Management System | HR, IT, Finance — checked 2026-11-08
- OnPay | Top-Rated Payroll Services, HR and More — checked 2026-11-08
