OnPay vs SurePayroll
For 5 employees in one state, SurePayroll costs $768 a year and OnPay $948, so SurePayroll is $180 less. For a single-state team, SurePayroll costs less up to 19 employees; they cost the same at 20 employees; OnPay costs less from 21 to 50 employees. Enter your own team below for your exact numbers.
What each would cost you per year
Annual totals from each provider’s published prices, for a team paid every other week that wants its federal and state payroll taxes filed for it.
| Your team | OnPay | SurePayroll | Lower cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | $49/month + $6 per employee/month | from $29/month + from $7 per employee/month | |
| 1 employee | $660 | $432 1 | SurePayroll, $228 less |
| 5 employees | $948 | $768 1 | SurePayroll, $180 less |
| 10 employees | $1,308 | $1,188 1 | SurePayroll, $120 less |
| 25 employees | $2,388 | $2,448 1 | OnPay, $60 less |
| 5 employees in 2 states | $948 | $887.88 1 | SurePayroll, $60.12 less |
| 5 employees + 3 contractors | $1,164 | $1,020 2 | SurePayroll, $144 less |
- Medium confidence: SurePayroll doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms, so this total doesn’t include it. Your actual cost may be higher. At least one figure is a "starting at" price, so the real cost may be higher.
- Medium confidence: SurePayroll doesn’t say what it charges for W-2 forms or 1099 forms, so this total doesn’t include them. Your actual cost may be higher. At least one figure is a "starting at" price, so the real cost may be higher.
Which one fits your business
- Paying people in a second state? That adds nothing with OnPay and $119.88 a year with SurePayroll.
- Paying 3 contractors as well? That adds $216 a year with OnPay and $252 a year with SurePayroll.
- Time tracking? SurePayroll offers it as an add-on; OnPay’s site doesn’t say.
- Local tax filing? OnPay includes it; SurePayroll’s site doesn’t say.
Feature comparison
| OnPay | SurePayroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Files federal and state payroll taxes for you | Included | Included |
| Employees in more than one state | Included | Add-on, $9.99/month |
| 1099 contractor payments | Included | Included |
| Time tracking | Not stated on OnPay's pricing page | Add-on, $3 per employee/month |
Run your own numbers
Filled in with the 5-person, 2-state team from the table above. Change anything, then see both totals.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, OnPay or SurePayroll?
For 5 employees in one state, SurePayroll costs $768 a year and OnPay $948, so SurePayroll is $180 less. For a single-state team, SurePayroll costs less up to 19 employees; they cost the same at 20 employees; OnPay costs less from 21 to 50 employees. The table on this page also shows 1, 10 and 25 employees, a second state and contractors.
Do OnPay and SurePayroll both handle multi-state payroll?
OnPay: yes, on OnPay Payroll. SurePayroll: yes, on Small Business Payroll.