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The OnPay Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about OnPay in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

OnPay

The Insider’s Guide

US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among payroll services, read from OnPay’s own pages.

Made by OnPay, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.6GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from OnPay’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on OnPay’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.6

GPA, above 16 of the 18 other payroll services we grade

OnPay is a full-service payroll service for US businesses. One base plan pays W-2 employees and 1099 contractors in any of the 50 states, files federal, state and local taxes and includes benefits administration. HR tools, time tracking, compliance resources and live HR support are add-ons, cheaper when bought as one of its bundles.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about OnPay, taken from its own pages and our grades.

  1. 1

    Best for small US firms that want a clear price and benefits

    Time tracking and HR tools are add-ons, so hourly teams pay more.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $49 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid.

  3. 3

    You can try it first

    First month free

  4. 4

    It runs on 3 platforms

    Web, iOS and Android.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    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.

  7. 7

    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.

  8. 8

    A 2.6 GPA, above 16 of 18

    That is against the other payroll services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace OnPay you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

OnPay at a glance

Pricing
Free trial, from $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid
Free plan
No
Free trial
First month free
Runs on
Web, iOS, Android
Made by
OnPay, LLC
Category
Payroll
Our grade
2.6 GPA, good
Store rating
4.8 on the App Store, 689 ratings

The report card

Best for small US firms that want a clear price and benefits

OnPay is the straightforward one: one payroll plan at a price on the page, every state included, and health benefits handled by its own agents. It's $79 a month for five people, and the first month is free. Time tracking and HR tools are add-ons, so hourly teams pay more.

ToolGPA report cardOnPayGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCPayroll Essentials is $49 a month plus $6 a worker, $79 for five, the same as Gusto and just under the middle of this category. Benefits administration and onboarding are in that price rather than sold on top.
Free plan and trialCThe first month is free. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether you need a card to start.
FeaturesBPays employees and contractors in all 50 states, files taxes under an error-free guarantee, onboards new hires with e-signatures, syncs to QuickBooks Online or Xero and sets up health plans with in-house agents. Time and HR are add-ons.
Ease of useB4.83 from 689 App Store ratings, short of the 1,000 an A needs. New hires onboard themselves and sign their I-9s and W-4s online.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Vestwell, JazzHR, NEXT Insurance and TurboTax. No desktop app.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.6

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who OnPay is for

  • Great if you want to know the price without talking to a salesperson
  • Handy when you pay employees and contractors across several states
  • Good for owners who want health plans set up where payroll runs

Who it is not for

  • 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

Good to know

Good for

  • Small US businesses that want to know the price without a sales call
  • Teams paying employees and contractors in several states
  • Owners who want benefits handled in the same place as payroll

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$49

A month to start

OnPay is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid.

Benefits administration and onboarding are in that price rather than sold on top.
From our grade for value for money

  • 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.

Trying it first

First month free

Read from onpay.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

3

Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android

US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: time tracking, reports, payroll.

Web, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Vestwell, JazzHR, NEXT Insurance and TurboTax.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
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.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

  • QuickBooks Online
  • Xero
  • Vestwell
  • JazzHR
  • NEXT Insurance
  • TurboTax
  • Middesk
  • MainStreet

OnPay is made by OnPay, LLC.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

16/18

Other payroll services it is graded above

OnPay's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 16 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 1.

It stands best on features (B, above 6 of 18) and worst on value for money (C, above 1).

Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 9 of the 13 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 19 payroll services we grade, cut by the letter each got. OnPay’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 18
  • CFree plan and trialAbove 15 of 18
  • BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18
  • BEase of useAbove 5 of 18
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 14 payroll services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. OnPay is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessOnPayDeelSquare PayrollRoll by ADPPaycor

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace OnPay you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 16 of the 18 other payroll services we grade. It costs $588 a year.

What you could make

  • Time tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
  • A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, Xero and Vestwell among them.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. OnPay’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Gusto, QuickBooks Workforce, Patriot Payroll, Square Payroll and RUN Powered by ADP

The 5 tools OnPay is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is OnPay free?

No, OnPay is a paid product, but you can try it first. First month free.

How much does OnPay cost?

OnPay lists 4 plans. Payroll Essentials: $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid.

What platforms does OnPay work on?

OnPay is available on Web, iOS and Android.

How is OnPay rated?

OnPay's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 689 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does OnPay have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. OnPay is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Does OnPay have a macOS app?

No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. OnPay is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Is OnPay open source?

OnPay is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

What does OnPay integrate with?

OnPay's listing names QuickBooks Online, Xero, Vestwell, JazzHR, NEXT Insurance, TurboTax, Middesk and MainStreet.

Who makes OnPay?

OnPay is made by OnPay, LLC.

What are the alternatives to OnPay?

The closest alternatives to OnPay in our directory are Gusto, QuickBooks Workforce, Patriot Payroll, Square Payroll and RUN Powered by ADP.

How does OnPay compare with other payroll services?

OnPay's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 16 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 1.

Is OnPay good value for money?

ToolGPA grades OnPay C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 9 of the 13 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of OnPay?

To replace OnPay you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from OnPay’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OnPay's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by OnPay, LLC. Prices change, so check onpay.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,858

Tools graded, in 46 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 1,858

    tools graded

  • 46

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "OnPay: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/onpay

Know someone choosing between payroll services?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/onpay/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded payroll services after OnPay, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what OnPay’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. OnPay is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by OnPay, LLC. Prices and plans change: check onpay.com before you buy.