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Best Free OnPay Alternatives — 12 Tools Compared in 2026

Explore 12 alternatives to OnPay — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

12 top-rated free OnPay alternatives at a glance

Quick answer

Short on time? The best free alternatives to OnPay are SurePayroll, QuickBooks Payroll and Square Payroll. SurePayroll leads with a SpotScore of 9.2 and a 4.83★ rating. All 12 are compared on score, rating, and pricing below.

If OnPay is holding you back on price, features, or usability, you have real options. These 12 payroll software free alternatives are the strongest, ranked by SpotScore (real-user satisfaction and market presence combined), ratings, and pricing model. Our editors review each. Scan the table, then explore the detail for every pick.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
SurePayrollEfficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.9.2★★★★★ 4.83(1436)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
QuickBooks PayrollStreamline your payroll process with ease.9.2★★★★ 4.32(56)Freefrom $49/mosmall businesses
Square PayrollStreamline your payroll with ease.8.8★★★★★ 5(15)Freefrom $34 /User/Monthteams of all sizes
PaybooksEffortlessly manage payroll with Paybooks.8.5★★★★★ 4.7(3)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Based · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
ADP Payroll ServicesEfficient HR solutions at your fingertips.7.6Not yet ratedFreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
Patriot PayrollEfficiently streamline your payroll process.8.8★★★★★ 4.88(3151)FreeFree Trial · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
PaycorTransform your workforce with Paycor.9.6★★★★ 3.74(552)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
BambooHRStreamline your HR processes for better business results.9.8★★★★★ 4.75(1093)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes
GustoModern HR for Growing Businesses9.7★★★★ 4.36(947)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedsmall & mid-size businesses
HomebaseStreamline team collaboration with Homebase.9.7★★★★ 4.41(131)FreeFree Trial · Freemium · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
ZenefitsStreamline payroll and stay compliant with ease.9.5★★★★ 4.1(545)FreeFree Trial · Subscription · Quotation Basedsmall & mid-size businesses
factoHRStreamline HR management and focus on growth.9.3★★★★★ 4.5(10)FreeFree Trial · Quotation Basedteams of all sizes

9.2

SpotScore

SurePayroll - Payroll Software

SurePayroll

Efficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is SurePayroll?

SurePayroll is a cloud-based, Payroll Software with Time Tracking Service. The software can be accessed from any device and is hosted by SurePayroll in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center for fast processing and performance.It automates most employee related tasks including accurate and ...

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Free Trial·

SurePayroll offers custom pricing plan

9.2

SpotScore

QuickBooks Payroll - Payroll Software

QuickBooks Payroll

Streamline your payroll process with ease.

Best for: SMB teams

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What is QuickBooks Payroll?

QuickBooks Payroll makes it easy to stay on top of your HR needs. It’s payroll software that gives you the power to handle all the payroll processing you need, from modeling an employee’s paycheck to tracking deductions and taxes. Whether you need a few employees or thousands, QuickBooks ...

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Free TrialTry Free →

8.8

SpotScore

Square Payroll - Payroll Software

Square Payroll

Streamline your payroll with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Square Payroll?

Square Payroll is payroll software for small businesses and sole proprietors, particularly those already running payments or point-of-sale through Square's ecosystem. It automates pay runs, tax filings, and direct deposit, and pulls time tracking data directly from Square tools to eliminate ...

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Free TrialTry Free →

8.5

SpotScore

Paybooks - Payroll Software

Paybooks

Effortlessly manage payroll with Paybooks.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Paybooks?

Paybooks is payroll software for HR teams in mid-sized to large companies managing payroll across multiple business units or tax jurisdictions. It handles salary calculation, statutory compliance, and supports both cloud and on-premise deployment depending on IT policy. Setup requires ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Paybooks offers custom pricing plan

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7.6

SpotScore

ADP Payroll Services - Payroll Software

ADP Payroll Services

Efficient HR solutions at your fingertips.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is ADP Payroll Services?

ADP Payroll Services offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to help businesses of all sizes comply with payroll, taxes, and other HR regulations. The latest tools from ADP provide access to a live HR support team, a job description wizard, employee handbook guidelines, proactive ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

ADP Payroll Services offers custom pricing plan

8.8

SpotScore

Patriot Payroll - Payroll Software

Patriot Payroll

Editor’s Pick

Efficiently streamline your payroll process.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Patriot Payroll?

The Patriot's secure payroll solution is designed to lower the total cost of payroll administration, while helping you reduce your staffs' workload. With its fully integrated interface with Patriot's fund accounting and other core compliance solutions, Patriot Payroll Software automates the ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $14/Month

9.6

SpotScore

Paycor - HR Software

Paycor

Recommended

Transform your workforce with Paycor.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Paycor?

Paycor is a human capital management platform for mid-size businesses and nonprofits that need payroll processing, time tracking, benefits administration, and employee onboarding managed in a single system. It eliminates the need for separate payroll and HR tools by centralizing people ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Paycor offers custom pricing plan

9.8

SpotScore

BambooHR - HR Software

BambooHR

Streamline your HR processes for better business results.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is BambooHR?

BambooHR is an HR platform built for small and mid-sized businesses — typically 10 to 500 employees — covering employee records, onboarding, time-off tracking, and performance management in one system. It replaces fragmented spreadsheets and disconnected tools by centralizing all employee data ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

BambooHR offers custom pricing plan

9.7

SpotScore

Gusto - Payroll Software

Gusto

Modern HR for Growing Businesses

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

HIPAA
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What is Gusto?

Gusto is a comprehensive HR platform designed to help businesses of all sizes thrive. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling rapidly, Gusto provides the tools and guidance you need to grow and nurture your team. Trusted by over 300,000 businesses across the U.S., Gusto combines payroll, ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $49/user/month when monthly

9.7

SpotScore

Homebase - Employee Scheduling Software

Homebase

Streamline team collaboration with Homebase.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is Homebase?

Homebase is a comprehensive time-tracking software developed by experienced people managers to enhance team collaboration and efficiency. It simplifies employee time tracking, scheduling, and payroll management, reducing administrative workload. The platform allows users to generate insightful ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Starts from $0/ location / month when monthly, also offers free forever plan

9.5

SpotScore

Zenefits - Payroll Software

Zenefits

Streamline payroll and stay compliant with ease.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

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What is Zenefits?

Zenefits is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits administration platform for growing companies that want to consolidate onboarding, time-off tracking, payroll processing, and compliance management in a single system. It eliminates the common pattern of using separate tools for HR records, ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Zenefits offers custom pricing plan

9.3

SpotScore

factoHR - HR Software

factoHR

Streamline HR management and focus on growth.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

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What is factoHR?

FactoHR is a mobile-first, fully integrated HCM platform designed to empower businesses in building a high-performing workforce while streamlining HR operations. The solution offers a feature-rich mobile app, enabling employees to access their data and perform HR tasks anytime, anywhere, ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

factoHR offers custom pricing plan

Why each made the list

SurePayroll9.2Best for teams of all sizes

Payroll setup is quick, easy to use, and simplifies previously cumbersome tasks like tax deductions and filings.

Watch for: Occasional issues with missing payments or discrepancies that require follow-up.

QuickBooks Payroll9.2Best for small businesses

Automates tax filing, paycheck generation, and sends real-time notifications to reduce manual effort.

Watch for: Steeper pricing compared to alternative payroll systems, especially for smaller businesses or limited payroll needs.

Square Payroll8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Square Payroll integrates effortlessly with existing payroll providers, making it an ideal plug-and-play solution without the need for major system overhauls.

Watch for: While great for small businesses, it may lack some of the advanced reporting, analytics, or customization features needed by larger enterprises.

Paybooks8.5Best for teams of all sizes

Paybooks offers a robust suite of payroll functionalities that can handle end-to-end payroll processing, making it suitable for a wide range of organizational needs.

Watch for: Due to its high level of customization, setting up Paybooks to suit specific business structures and jurisdictions can be time-consuming without expert assistance.

ADP Payroll Services7.6Best for teams of all sizes

User-friendly interface, making it accessible even for non-technical users.

Watch for: Periodic customer service complaints regarding responsiveness and reliability.

Patriot Payroll8.8Best for teams of all sizes

Very user-friendly software, making tasks straightforward and efficient for startups and small businesses.

Watch for: Occasional learning curve during setup or for newcomers, though consistently offset by good support.

Paycor9.6Best for teams of all sizes

Covers payroll, recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and benefits administration in one platform.

Watch for: Customer service response times are consistently slow, with no assigned representatives and frequent case mismanagement.

BambooHR9.8Best for teams of all sizes

Automates HR processes including document signing, onboarding, and payroll.

Watch for: Lacks advanced features found in more comprehensive HRIS platforms.

Gusto9.7Best for small & mid-size businesses

Handles payroll processing and tax compliance without requiring accounting expertise.

Watch for: Occasional reports of errors in support communication or inconsistencies in handling complex account issues.

Homebase9.7Best for teams of all sizes

Streamlines scheduling processes, making it easy to set and manage employee schedules.

Watch for: Limited customization options in the free version, with some advanced functionalities restricted.

Zenefits9.5Best for small & mid-size businesses

Handles onboarding, offboarding, payroll, and benefits administration in one workflow, reducing paperwork.

Watch for: Customer support response times are slow, with limited availability during urgent situations.

factoHR9.3Best for teams of all sizes

Simplifies payroll and attendance management with features like punch in/out tracking and automated calculations.

Watch for: Limited mention of advanced or specialized features may reflect a lack of versatility for larger or complex organizations.

Why teams look for a OnPay alternative

Most teams that replace OnPay do it to get past issues like these:

  • While great for SMBs, larger companies might find customization options less robust for complex payroll needs.
  • OnPay focuses on payroll and may require additional tools for functions like recruitment or performance management.
  • As a cloud-based solution, internet connectivity is required, which might be a constraint in certain environments.

What to keep in mind choosing a OnPay alternative

Here's how these 12 payroll software free alternatives stack up on the numbers: 12 offer a free tier; paid plans run $34–$49, with Square Payroll the cheapest entry point; and Square Payroll is the highest rated at 5 across 15 reviews.

Our ranking method.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to OnPay are Square Payroll (5.0★), Patriot Payroll (4.9★), SurePayroll (4.8★). Compare all 12 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to OnPay, prioritize: Wage Garnishment, W-2 Preparation, Leave Tracking (Vacation), Self Service Portal, Multi-country, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

OnPay starts from $40 /Month. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply OnPay is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend shortlisting 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Picking the best OnPay alternative for your team

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — SurePayroll, QuickBooks Payroll and Square Payroll let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: Square Payroll has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: SurePayroll has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.2) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

How to switch from OnPay

Switching from OnPay goes smoother with a plan. Start by exporting your data and making sure the new tool imports it cleanly. Confirm the workflows you rely on still work, run a small pilot first, and keep OnPay running until everything's moved. Most options above let you test free before you commit.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].