Best Free Payroll Software for Small Businesses (2026)
As of November 4, 2026, none of Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Software, QuickBooks Workforce/Payroll, Wave Payroll, or ADP RUN publishes a permanent $0 full-service payroll plan for ongoing W-2 runs. “Free” usually means free setup until first payroll (Gusto), a first-month or multi-month promo (OnPay, ADP), or a low paid plan such as Patriot Basic at $17/month + $4 per worker paid. Confirm every figure on the vendor page for your country before you hire.
What “free payroll” actually means in 2026 for Gusto, OnPay, Patriot, QuickBooks Payroll, Wave Payroll, and ADP RUN — with USD list prices checked on vendor pages November 4, 2026.
- Permanent free full-service payroll for ongoing W-2 employees is not what these six vendors publish on their US pricing pages as of November 4, 2026.
- Gusto Simple lists $49/month + $6 per person; OnPay Payroll Essentials lists $49 base + $6/worker; Wave US full-access payroll lists $40 + $6 per active employee.
- Patriot Basic Payroll lists $17/month + $4 per worker paid — among the lowest published paid floors here — with Full Service at $37 + $5.
- UK, Australia, and Canada often need different products or regional pages; Wave publishes separate Canadian payroll pricing, while most US tools above are US-first.
If you are searching “free payroll software,” you are usually hunting for a way to pay a first employee without another monthly bill. I opened the public pricing and product pages for Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Software, QuickBooks Payroll / Workforce, Wave Payroll, and ADP RUN on November 4, 2026. The short version: none of them lists a permanent $0 full-service payroll plan for ongoing W-2 runs. What they do offer is free setup, free first month, multi-month promos, or a low paid floor.
This guide is for US list prices unless noted. UK VAT, Australian GST, and Canadian GST/HST (and different local products) still need a check on the regional page. It is not tax or employment-law advice — payroll mistakes are expensive; confirm filings with a preparer when you are unsure.
After payroll is under control, many owners still need clean client invoices. For a one-off PDF, use the free invoice generator. For ongoing bills, see best free invoicing software and the QuickBooks Free plan guide.
What does “free payroll” mean on vendor pages?
Vendors stretch the word “free” in three ways:
- Free until you run payroll — Gusto’s free-setup page says you can create an account and explore features without paying until you run payroll.
- Free first month / promo months — OnPay advertises a free first month on its costs page; ADP RUN advertises up to six months free for eligible new customers; Patriot shows 30 days free plus 50% off for three months on its pricing page (promotions expire).
- Free adjacent product, paid payroll — Wave Starter stays $0 for books and invoices; payroll is a separate paid subscription.
If a page only says “Get pricing,” treat the monthly cost as unconfirmed until you have a written quote.
How do Gusto, OnPay, Patriot, QuickBooks, Wave, and ADP RUN compare?
| Tool | Permanent free full-service payroll? | Published recurring price (checked Nov 4, 2026) | “Free” angle on the vendor page | Notes for US / UK / AU / CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | No | Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22 | Free account / features until you run payroll | US-focused; Simple is single-state |
| OnPay | No | Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker | First month free (new customers) | Multi-state included on Essentials per costs page |
| Patriot Software | No | Basic $17/mo + $4/worker paid; Full Service $37 + $5 | 30 days free + 50% off for 3 months (promo) | Full Service adds $12/mo per extra state |
| QuickBooks Payroll / Workforce | No | Bundles on payroll pricing page, e.g. Workforce + Simple Start $88 then $44/mo promo + $6.50/employee (50% off 3 months) | Buy-now promos; no permanent $0 payroll | US bundle prices; confirm Canada/UK/AU Intuit pages separately |
| Wave Payroll | No | US full-access $40 + $6/active employee (+ $6/contractor paid); Canada $25 CAD + $6 | Starter books/invoicing are free; payroll is paid | Canada available except Quebec; not a UK/AU payroll product |
| ADP RUN | No public list price | Quote-based Essential / Enhanced / Complete / HR Pro | Up to 6 months free for eligible new SB customers | US small-business RUN; confirm after-promo price |
Sources: Gusto pricing, Gusto free setup, OnPay costs, Patriot pricing, QuickBooks payroll pricing, Wave payroll, Wave full-access help, ADP RUN packages, ADP RUN.
Gusto — free until first payroll, then paid plans
Pros: Clear published tiers on the pricing page; unlimited payroll runs on every plan; tax filings and payments included in the plan descriptions.
Cons: No permanent free plan. Simple is positioned for one state. Per-person fees stack quickly as you hire.
Gusto Simple is $49/month + $6 per person, Plus $80 + $12, Premium $180 + $22, per gusto.com/product/pricing. The free payroll software setup page is explicit: you do not pay until you run payroll.
OnPay — transparent $49 + $6, first month free
Pros: Published calculator-style pricing; multi-state and year-end filings called out as included on the costs page; phone/chat/email support without a support paywall in their marketing copy.
Cons: Not free after month one. Per-worker fee applies to anyone included in a pay run in the lookback period (even $0 net, per OnPay’s billing FAQ).
OnPay’s costs & pricing page lists Payroll Essentials at $49 base + $6/worker per month, with a free first month for new customers.
Patriot Software — lowest published paid floor here
Pros: Basic Payroll at $17/month + $4 per worker paid is the cheapest recurring list price in this set. Full Service is $37 + $5 with tax filing help. Unlimited pay runs on the monthly model.
Cons: Basic is DIY-leaning compared with full-service peers. Full Service charges $12/month per additional state. Current site promos (30 days free + 50% off for three months) are not the ordinary price.
Figures from patriotsoftware.com/payroll/pricing.
QuickBooks Payroll / Workforce — bundles and promos, not $0
Pros: Tight link to QuickBooks books if you already live in Intuit’s products. Full-service tax filing language on the payroll pricing page. Same product family as the QuickBooks vs Wave vs FreshBooks comparison.
Cons: No permanent free payroll tier on the US payroll pricing page. Headline numbers are often bundled with QuickBooks Online plans and show temporary half-off pricing.
On quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing (checked November 4, 2026), Workforce Payroll + Simple Start showed $88 crossed to $44/mo + $6.50/employee/mo under a “Buy now & save 50% for 3 months” offer. Treat the post-promo total as the planning number.
Wave Payroll — free books, paid payroll (US and Canada)
Pros: If you already use Wave for invoices and books, payroll sits in the same login. US and Canada prices are published. Limited-access pause pricing exists when you are not running payroll.
Cons: Starter does not include payroll. US full-access is $40 + $6 per active employee (+ $6 per contractor paid). Canada is $25 CAD + $6, all provinces/territories except Quebec, per Wave’s payroll page.
See waveapps.com/payroll and the full-access pricing help article (updated October 27, 2026 on Wave’s help center).
ADP RUN — promo months, quote-based packages
Pros: Mature tax filing brand; packages page lists Essential through HR Pro feature sets; product page advertises up to 6 months free for eligible new small-business payroll customers.
Cons: RUN package prices are not listed as public monthly dollars on the packages page — each column says Get pricing. You cannot desk-verify a post-promo RUN rate from the page alone.
ADP’s marketing also points some small shops to Roll by ADP at $39/month + $5 per employee with three months free on rollbyadp.com/pricing — a separate product from classic RUN. Do not mix the two when you compare quotes.
Which should a freelancer or tiny team pick?
- Need the lowest published ongoing US price and can handle more DIY tax work: start with Patriot Basic, then price Full Service if you want filings done for you.
- Want published full-service pricing without a sales call: shortlist OnPay, Gusto Simple, and Wave (if you already bookkeep there).
- Already on QuickBooks Online: price Workforce on Intuit’s payroll page — do not assume Free QBO includes payroll (QuickBooks Free plan guide).
- Chasing a long promo: read ADP’s eligibility fine print, then get the written post-promo RUN (or Roll) price in writing.
- UK / AU / CA: use the local vendor page. Wave helps many Canadian shops; UK/AU readers should open regional Intuit/Xero/ADP pages rather than forcing a US-only tool.
Paying people is only half the stack. When you invoice clients the same week, keep fees honest with the free invoicing software guide. For the rest of your stack, a cheap CRM keeps the pipeline out of your payroll tool. For a single PDF without software signup, use the invoice generator.
Prices checked on vendor pages November 4, 2026. Promotions expire. Always confirm at checkout for your country and entity type.
How we score
Desk scores are editorial. They summarize how useful the vendor’s own pricing and help pages were for a solo small business (US, UK, AU, or CA) on the date in this guide. They are not customer star ratings, lab benchmarks, or paid placements. Read the full process on our methodology / how we check prices page.
See a price or feature that has changed? Send a correction. Guides are updated from the vendor’s page, not from memory. How we check prices.
FAQ
Is there truly free payroll software for a US small business in 2026?
Not as a permanent full-service W-2 plan among Gusto, OnPay, Patriot, QuickBooks Payroll, Wave Payroll, or ADP RUN, based on their public pages checked November 4, 2026. Vendors advertise free setup, free first month, or multi-month promos — then a monthly base fee plus a per-worker charge.
Which option is cheapest once you are past the promo?
Among published list prices checked that day, Patriot Basic Payroll at $17/month + $4 per worker paid is the lowest recurring floor. Wave’s US full-access payroll is $40 + $6 per active employee. Gusto Simple and OnPay Essentials both list $49 base + $6 per person/worker.
Does Wave’s free Starter plan include payroll?
No. Wave Starter is free for bookkeeping and invoicing. Payroll is a separate paid subscription on Wave’s payroll page ($40 USD base + $6 per active employee in the US; $25 CAD + $6 in Canada, excluding Quebec).
What about UK, Australia, and Canada?
These six brands are mostly US products. Wave publishes Canadian payroll pricing. UK and Australian shops typically need local vendors (for example Xero Payroll or regional ADP/Intuit pages) — confirm local tax filing and currency on that country’s site.
Is ADP RUN free for six months?
ADP’s RUN product page advertises up to six months free for eligible new small-business payroll customers. RUN package prices themselves are quote-based on the packages page. Confirm eligibility and the price after the promo with ADP before you rely on it.
Sources
About the editorial team
BizHacks Daily is written by Faizan Nawaz, a marketing manager and freelance marketer. Guides are desk-checked against each vendor’s own pricing or help page on the date stated in the article — not against other review sites.
There is no invented newsroom roster and no made-up survey results. Desk scores summarise how clear a vendor’s public pages were for a solo shop on check day. They are not customer star ratings, lab tests, or paid placements. Corrections come from the vendor page when a figure changes — send one if you spot a stale number. Full process: methodology / how we check prices.
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