The SurePayroll Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SurePayroll 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.
SurePayroll
The Insider’s Guide
Online payroll for small US businesses and household employers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among payroll services, read from SurePayroll’s own pages.
Made by SurePayroll, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from SurePayroll’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SurePayroll’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
2.4
GPA, above 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade
SurePayroll is an online payroll service for small US businesses, solo owners and families who employ nannies or caregivers. It pays employees and contractors, and on its Full Service plan files and deposits payroll taxes. SurePayroll is a Paychex company and also sells 401(k) plans, workers' comp and health insurance.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about SurePayroll, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Year-end forms, extra states and accounting sync all cost extra.
- 1
Best for tiny businesses and families paying a nanny
SurePayroll is simple, cheap payroll from a Paychex company, with apps for owners and staff and a separate plan for families paying a nanny.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 4
Unlimited and automatic payroll
Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and payroll can be scheduled to run on its own on the chosen pay dates.
- 5
Tax filing on Full Service
Full Service calculates, files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes and gives access to Forms 940, 941, W-2 and 1099.
- 6
Free 2-day direct deposit
Direct deposit with a two-day lead time is included, and pay stubs and reports stay available online at any hour.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 18
That is against the other payroll services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace SurePayroll 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.
SurePayroll at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $20 per month, plus $4 per employee
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- SurePayroll, Inc.
- Category
- Payroll
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 6,141 ratings
The report card
Best for tiny businesses and families paying a nanny
SurePayroll is simple, cheap payroll from a Paychex company, with apps for owners and staff and a separate plan for families paying a nanny. It's $40 a month for five if you file the taxes, $64 if it does. Year-end forms, extra states and accounting sync all cost extra.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | No Tax Filing is $20 a month plus $4 an employee, $40 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Full Service, which files taxes, is $64 for five. Year-end forms add $50 plus $5 a form, and multi-state is $9.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan or trial. New customers get every other month free in their first year, which is a good deal, but it's a discount on a paid plan, not a trial. |
| Features | C | Payroll done fully: unlimited and automatic runs, employees and contractors together, tax filing on Full Service and a household plan for nannies. A smaller job, though, with no HR tools beyond paid employment-law help. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.7 from about 6,100 App Store ratings for the employer app, where owners run payroll and check reports. Staff get their own app for pay stubs. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with apps for owners and for staff. No desktop app, and accounting sync is a $4.99-a-month add-on rather than built in. |
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 SurePayroll is for
- Great if you pay a nanny or caregiver and want the household taxes handled
- Handy when you want to run payroll from your phone
- Good for a handful of staff in one state, where the first state is included
Who it is not for
- Tight if you work across several states or local tax areas, as both cost extra
- Skip it if add-ons annoy you: year-end forms, multi-state, accounting sync and time import are all charged
- Too light for teams that want HR tools, as there are none beyond paid legal help
Good to know
Good for
- Small US businesses with a handful of employees
- Families paying a nanny, caregiver or housekeeper
- Owners who want to run payroll from a phone
Worth knowing
- Runs US payroll; the first state is included, multi-state payroll is $9.99 a month and local taxes carry a separate fee.
- Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed once a year at $50 plus $5 per form.
- Accounting sync is $4.99 a month, time clock import from $5 a month plus $3 per employee, and employment law help from $30 a month.
- Household employers buy a separate Nanny & Household plan at $39 a month, including one employee, marked down from $45.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start
SurePayroll is a paid product, starting at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
New customers get every other month free in their first year, which is a good deal, but it's a discount on a paid plan, not a trial.
No Tax Filing
$20
per month, plus $4 per employee
The Full Service features, except that you file and deposit all payroll taxes yourself.
Full Service
$29
per month, plus $7 per employee
Payroll taxes filed and deposited, unlimited payroll runs, free 2-day direct deposit and W-2 and 1099 workers. The first state is included.
Read from surepayroll.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
Every other month free for the first year
New customers get every alternating month free during their first 12 months, which SurePayroll advertises as 6 free months. Terms apply.
Stated on surepayroll.com
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
Online payroll for small US businesses and household employers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, payroll.
A smaller job, though, with no HR tools beyond paid employment-law help.
- Unlimited and automatic payroll
- Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and payroll can be scheduled to run on its own on the chosen pay dates.
- Tax filing on Full Service
- Full Service calculates, files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes and gives access to Forms 940, 941, W-2 and 1099.
- Free 2-day direct deposit
- Direct deposit with a two-day lead time is included, and pay stubs and reports stay available online at any hour.
- Employees and contractors
- W-2 employees and 1099 contractors are paid in the same payroll, with multiple pay rates, bonuses and new hire reporting.
- Employer and employee apps
- Owners run payroll and review reports from the SurePayroll app, and employees see their own pay stubs and account details in theirs.
- Household payroll
- A separate Nanny & Household plan files household payroll taxes and prepares Schedule H and W-2 forms for families.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
SurePayroll is made by SurePayroll, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/18
Other payroll services it is graded above
SurePayroll's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 2 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 19 payroll services we grade, cut by the letter each got. SurePayroll’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 13 of 18
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 18
- AEase of useAbove 9 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. SurePayroll is the marked dot.
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 SurePayroll 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 costs $240 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this 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.
What this rests on. SurePayroll’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
Patriot Payroll, Gusto, Paychex Flex, OnPay and Roll by ADP
The 5 tools SurePayroll is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Patriot Payroll
Free trial · from $17/mo
Low-cost online payroll for small US businesses.
- Only SurePayroll lists iOS and Android apps.
- Patriot Payroll also covers time tracking.
- 2.4GPA
Gusto
From $49/mo
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff.
- SurePayroll also covers reports.
- Gusto also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
Paychex Flex
Paid
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote.
- 2.6GPA
OnPay
Free trial · from $49/mo
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons.
- OnPay also covers time tracking.
- 2.8GPA
Roll by ADP
Free trial · from $39/mo
Chat-based payroll app for very small US businesses.
- SurePayroll also covers reports.
- Roll by ADP also covers time tracking.
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 SurePayroll free?
No. SurePayroll is a paid product, starting at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
How much does SurePayroll cost?
SurePayroll lists 2 plans. No Tax Filing: $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
What platforms does SurePayroll work on?
SurePayroll is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does SurePayroll offer any discounts?
SurePayroll publicly lists the following: Every other month free for the first year.
How is SurePayroll rated?
SurePayroll's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6,141 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does SurePayroll have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. SurePayroll is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does SurePayroll have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. SurePayroll is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is SurePayroll open source?
SurePayroll is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Who makes SurePayroll?
SurePayroll is made by SurePayroll, Inc.
What are the alternatives to SurePayroll?
The closest alternatives to SurePayroll in our directory are Patriot Payroll, Gusto, Paychex Flex, OnPay and Roll by ADP.
How does SurePayroll compare with other payroll services?
SurePayroll's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.
Is SurePayroll good value for money?
ToolGPA grades SurePayroll B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 2 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of SurePayroll?
To replace SurePayroll 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 SurePayroll’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 SurePayroll'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 SurePayroll, Inc. Prices change, so check surepayroll.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
- SurePayroll, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/surepayroll
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
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, "SurePayroll: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/surepayroll
Know someone choosing between payroll services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/surepayroll/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded payroll services after SurePayroll, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Payroll Insider's GuideEvery one of the 19 payroll services we grade, compared
- Roll by ADP Insider's GuideChat-based payroll app for very small US businesses2.8 GPA
- OnPay Insider's GuideUS payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons2.6 GPA
- Patriot Payroll Insider's GuideLow-cost online payroll for small US businesses2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what SurePayroll’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. SurePayroll is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SurePayroll, Inc. Prices and plans change: check surepayroll.com before you buy.