[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/business-taxes\/onpay-review\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/business-taxes\/onpay-review\/","headline":"OnPay Review 2026: Pricing, Pros and Cons By a CPA","name":"OnPay Review 2026: Pricing, Pros and Cons By a CPA","description":"As a CPA, payroll is one of those things I refuse to let a...","datePublished":"2026-08-15","dateModified":"2026-08-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/#Person","name":"Logan Allec, CPA","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/","identifier":4,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Money Done Right","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","width":488,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Reporting-Federal-Payroll-Tax-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Reporting-Federal-Payroll-Tax-scaled.jpg","height":1707,"width":2560},"url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/business-taxes\/onpay-review\/","about":["Business Taxes"],"wordCount":1306,"articleBody":"As a CPA, payroll is one of those things I refuse to let a small business owner wing. Between federal tax deposits, quarterly Form 941 filings, state registrations, and year-end W-2s and 1099s, “doing payroll by hand” is one of the fastest ways I know to rack up completely avoidable IRS penalties.I’ve already reviewed Gusto \u2014 the payroll software I personally use \u2014 here on Money Done Right. But Gusto isn’t the right fit for every business, and the provider I recommend most often as an alternative is OnPay, especially for small businesses with employees in more than one state.So here’s my full OnPay review: what it does, what it costs, where it shines, and where I’d think twice.P.S.: OnPay has a referral offer going \u2014 sign up through my OnPay link and you’ll get a $100 referral reward when you start running payroll!Table of ContentsToggleWhat Is OnPay?What Does OnPay Do?How Much Does OnPay Cost?How to Get the OnPay $100 BonusOnPay Pros and ConsOnPay vs. GustoOnPay Review: The Bottom LineWhat Is OnPay?OnPay is an online payroll service built for small businesses. While a lot of payroll companies have grown into sprawling HR platforms \u2014 recruiting, performance reviews, even laptop provisioning \u2014 OnPay has stayed deliberately payroll-first: it runs your payroll, files your payroll taxes, and handles the compliance paperwork that comes with having employees, without pushing you into higher-priced tiers to get core features.That focus is exactly why I like it for a very specific kind of business owner, which I’ll get into below.What Does OnPay Do?Runs Your PayrollThe core of OnPay is full-service payroll: you enter or approve your team’s hours and pay, and OnPay calculates wages, withholdings, and employer taxes, then pays your employees. Payroll runs are unlimited \u2014 there’s no per-run fee, so paying a mid-cycle bonus doesn’t cost you extra.Files Your Payroll TaxesOnPay remits your payroll taxes and files your federal, state, and local payroll tax returns for you. This is the part of payroll software that actually keeps you out of trouble with the IRS and your state \u2014 and it’s included in OnPay’s one plan, not reserved for a premium tier.Issues Your W-2s and 1099sAt year end, OnPay prepares and files W-2s for your employees and 1099s for your contractors. Contractor payments are supported all year long, too, so you’re not cobbling together a separate system for your 1099 workers.Covers HR Basics and BenefitsOnPay includes employee self-onboarding, PTO tracking, an org chart, and document storage, plus health insurance and 401(k) options through partner integrations and workers’ compensation coverage. I’d call the HR side “useful basics” \u2014 more on that in the cons.How Much Does OnPay Cost?OnPay’s pricing is about as simple as it gets in the payroll world: one plan, $49 per month plus $6 per worker per month. (Pricing verified August 2026 \u2014 payroll pricing changes, so always confirm current pricing on OnPay’s site before signing up.)OnPay PricingThe One PlanMonthly Base Fee$49Monthly Per-Worker Fee$6Payroll RunsUnlimitedMulti-State PayrollIncludedFederal, State, and Local Tax FilingsIncludedW-2 and 1099 FilingsIncludedEmployee Self-OnboardingIncludedFor comparison, that $49 + $6 is the same sticker price as Gusto’s entry-level Simple plan \u2014 but as I’ll explain below, what’s included for that price is not the same.How to Get the OnPay $100 BonusOnPay offers a $100 referral reward to new customers who sign up through a referral link and start running payroll. Claiming it is simple:Sign up for OnPay through my OnPay referral link.Finish setting up your account.Start running payroll \u2014 once you do, you’ll receive your $100 referral reward.Full disclosure: I may also receive a commission if you sign up through my link, at no additional cost to you \u2014 but the $100 is yours either way.OnPay Pros and ConsOnPay Pro #1: One flat plan with everything included.My favorite thing about OnPay is that there is no plan matrix. Full-service payroll, all the tax filings, multi-state support, W-2s, 1099s \u2014 it’s all in the one $49 + $6 plan. You never have to puzzle over which tier a feature is hiding in, because there is no other tier.OnPay Pro #2: Multi-state payroll at no extra cost.If you have employees in two or three states \u2014 remote employees, most commonly \u2014 this is where OnPay earns its keep. Multi-state payroll is simply included. With Gusto, by contrast, the $49 Simple plan covers a single state, and running multi-state payroll means stepping up to the $80-per-month Plus plan.OnPay Pro #3: It handles specialty payrolls most providers fumble.OnPay supports the kinds of payroll that a lot of mainstream providers handle poorly or not at all: farms and agricultural employers (including Form 943 filings), restaurants with tipped employees and tip credits, and nonprofits and clergy with their own payroll quirks. If your business is in one of those buckets, OnPay belongs on your short list, period.OnPay Con #1: The HR side is basic.You get onboarding, PTO tracking, an org chart, and document storage \u2014 and that’s about it. If you want a true HR platform with performance management, deep reporting, and a polished employee app, OnPay isn’t trying to be that, and you’ll feel the difference compared to Gusto’s higher tiers or a dedicated HR suite.OnPay Con #2: Time tracking requires an integration.There’s no built-in time clock \u2014 hourly teams will connect a partner time-tracking tool. It works fine, but it’s one more moving piece compared to providers with native time tracking.OnPay Con #3: Benefits availability depends on your state.OnPay’s health insurance and other benefits run through partner brokers, and what’s available varies by state. If benefits are a big part of why you’re shopping for payroll software, confirm what’s actually offered in your state before you commit.OnPay vs. GustoSince I use Gusto for my own payroll, this is the comparison readers ask me about most. My honest short version:Choose Gusto if you want the most polished experience for you and your employees, built-in time tracking (on its Plus plan), and the deepest benefits ecosystem. That polish is a big part of why I’ve stuck with it for my own businesses. Read my full Gusto review \u2014 and if Gusto is the better fit for you, use my Gusto link to get a $100 gift card after your first payroll.Choose OnPay if you want one flat price with everything included \u2014 especially if you’re multi-state. $49 + $6 at OnPay buys multi-state payroll that would require Gusto’s $80 + $12 Plus plan.Want to go deeper? I run an entire payroll software review site called PayrollSignal, where I’ve published side-by-side comparisons of 25+ payroll providers \u2014 including a full Gusto vs. OnPay breakdown \u2014 plus a free two-minute quiz that matches your business with the right provider based on your workers, states, and priorities. No email required.OnPay Review: The Bottom LineOnPay is one of the easiest payroll recommendations I make: full-service payroll with every tax filing included, multi-state support at no extra cost, and one transparent price \u2014 $49 per month plus $6 per worker. It’s my go-to Gusto alternative for small businesses that want payroll done right without paying for HR features they’ll never use, and my first call for farms, restaurants, nonprofits, and multi-state teams.Ready to try it? Sign up for OnPay through my link here and get your $100 referral reward when you start running payroll.Still not sure whether OnPay fits your specific situation? Leave me a detailed comment below \u2014 tell me about your employees, contractors, states, and what you need out of payroll, and I’ll give you my honest take on whether OnPay (or something else) is the right fit for your business."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Taxes","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Business Taxes","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/\/business-taxes\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"OnPay Review 2026: Pricing, Pros and Cons By a CPA","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/taxes\/business-taxes\/onpay-review\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]