OnPay vs Poppins Payroll (2026): which should you pick?

Pick OnPay if

• Fits if you want to know the price without talking to a salesperson
• Works for paying employees and contractors across several states

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you run an hourly team, as the time and HR bundle is $70 plus $10 a worker
• Not for you if you pay anyone outside the US, which its pages don't mention
• Tight if you want live HR advice, at $65 a month on top
• Watch out: health insurance, workers' comp and 401(k) premiums are paid on top of the subscription
• Watch out: there's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say if the free month needs a card

Pick Poppins Payroll if

• Fits if you pay one nanny or caregiver and want someone else to file the household taxes
• Makes sense if you manage payroll for a parent's carer and just want it handled

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you run a business, as the site does not pitch it as business payroll
• Pricey if you have several employees, at $10 more per head on top of $49
• Watch out: closing before quarter-end costs $49, and before December costs $110 for year-end filings
• Watch out: state registration fees, late payroll revisions and prior wages are billed on top
• Tight if you want a long free try, because the trial ends with the calendar month

OnPay

• Add-ons bought alone cost $15 plus $2 per worker (HR), $15 plus $4 per worker (Time Tracking), $10 (Compliance Resources) and $65 a month (Live HR Support).
• Runs payroll in all 50 US states at no extra charge per state; the pages read mention no other countries.
• Health insurance, workers' comp and 401(k) plans are paid at their premiums on top of the OnPay subscription.

Poppins Payroll

• Closing an account before the end of a quarter costs $49 for quarter-end filings, and before December $110 for year-end filings and documents.
• State registration fees, where a state charges them, are billed separately, as are non-standard services such as late payroll revisions and manual tax preparation.
• Built for household employers; the site does not present it as a payroll service for businesses.
• A bank account is required at sign-up and the plan renews monthly until canceled.

OnPay

Full-service payroll

Pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors by direct deposit, check or prepaid debit card, with unlimited pay runs and garnishment deductions.

Taxes in all 50 states

Files and pays federal, state and local taxes and year-end W-2s and 1099s, registers for state taxes, and backs its filings with an error-free guarantee.

Hiring and onboarding

Send offer letters for e-signature, have new hires sign I-9s and W-4s and onboard themselves, and file state new-hire reports automatically.

Accounting sync

Syncs the general ledger to QuickBooks Online or Xero after every pay run, with line items mapped to your chart of accounts.

Benefits administration

Health, dental and vision plans chosen with licensed in-house agents, with open enrollment and payroll deductions; you pay only the premiums.

Time Tracking add-on

Time clocks for each worksite, overtime and break rules, supervisor approval and approved hours sent straight to payroll.

Poppins Payroll

Employer setup

Registers the household as an employer with the IRS, sets up federal and state tax accounts where possible and files new-hire paperwork with the state.

Payroll on your schedule

Weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly pay, subject to state rules, paid by direct deposit or by the employer's own check.

Tax filings

Files federal, state and local payroll taxes online where possible, with year-end Schedule H and W-2 documents for active customers.

Leave tracking

Tracks PTO and sick time once the employer sets the policies.

Prior wages

Can record payments made outside Poppins and file the related taxes, for an additional fee.

OnPay

• Payroll Essentials$49

  per month, plus $6 per worker paid

  Full-service payroll and tax filing in all 50 states, onboarding with e-signatures, accounting sync, reports and benefits administration.

• Payroll, Time Tracking and HR$70

  per month, plus $10 per worker paid

  Bundle for hourly teams: Payroll Essentials with the Time Tracking and HR add-ons, against $79 plus $12 per worker bought separately.

• Payroll, HR and HR Support$120

  per month, plus $7 per worker paid

  Bundle for salaried teams: Payroll Essentials, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.

• Everything bundle$130

  per month, plus $10 per worker paid

  Payroll Essentials with Time Tracking, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.

Poppins Payroll

• Household payroll$49

  per month, plus $10 per additional employee

  The only plan. Covers employer tax account setup, new-hire reporting, direct deposit or your own checks, quarterly and year-end filings, and PTO and sick leave tracking.