OnPay is an affordable solution for small businesses looking to add standalone payroll software.
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Expert Contributor
Last updated onUpdated
REVIEWED BY
Expert Contributor
| Total Rating | 4.2 |
|---|---|
| Pricing3.0 | |
| Ease Of Use4.5 | |
| Features4.4 | |
| Customer Service4.1 | |
| User Reviews4.7 | |
Payroll Processing Time
2-4 DaysPricing Range
$40/month + $6/month per personBusiness Size
Small to mid-sized businesses (1-500 employees)
Table of Contents
OnPay is among the best payroll software services for small to mid-sized businesses paying 5-500 employees. OnPay offers unlimited payroll processing, payroll tax support, benefits administration, time tracking integrations, reporting, and an affordable price point.
| Pricing3.0 |
|---|
| Software Plans 3.8 |
| Pricing Transparency 5.0 |
| Pricing Customization 2.5 |
OnPay’s 3/5 star pricing rating was boosted by its pricing transparency, affordability, and feature-rich pricing plan. However, the software lacks a free trial, multiple subscription options, and plan customization options.
| OnPay Plans | Price | When To Use |
|---|---|---|
| OnPay Monthly Plan | $40/month + $6/month per person | If you need essential payroll and basic HR features for up to 500+ employees |
OnPay’s only pricing plan starts at $40/month + $6/month per person. As users get access to all available features for one price, OnPay has earned its spot as one of the cheapest payroll services. OnPay customers don’t have to worry about long-term contracts and may cancel services at any time with at least 30 days written notice.
OnPay offers a non-interactive demo that shows some of what OnPay looks like once you get inside the software. Additionally, OnPay runs promotions for new customers that may help keep prices down.
OnPay’s monthly pricing is $40/month + $6/month per person and includes the following features:
| OnPay Extra Costs | Price |
|---|---|
| Insufficient Funds Fee | Undisclosed |
| Print & Mail W-2s and 1099s | Undisclosed |
| Benefits Premiums/Services Fees | Varies |
OnPay charges a fee for insufficient funds when processing payroll and a fee for the service of printing and mailing annual employee forms on behalf of your business. Otherwise, you can expect the sticker price to match what you’ll actually be paying every month.
| Ease Of Use4.5 |
|---|
| Set Up 4.3 |
| Software Reliability 4.0 |
| Everyday Use 5.0 |
| Integrations 4.5 |
OnPay is one of the most easy-to-use payroll services available and earned an impressive 4.5/5 star rating in the ease of use category. OnPay performed well on nearly every ease of use metric but could improve by offering an API, simplifying setup and onboarding, and making its software more reliable.
OnPay stops just short of offering new users a fully-fledged interactive demo, so there are limited opportunities to trial the software before you use it. However, OnPay’s interface is modern and easy to navigate.
Critiques of OnPay’s ease of use include its general lack of customization options and challenges handling less common payroll situations. However, most small business owners should find OnPay very easy to use — even those who are completely new to outsourcing payroll.
| Features4.4 |
|---|
| Payroll Processing 4.4 |
| Employee Management & PTO 5.0 |
| Time Tracking 2.0 |
| Payroll Tax Support 4.8 |
| Reporting & Tax Forms 5.0 |
| Onboarding & HR 4.9 |
| Benefits Administration 4.7 |
| Niche Features 3.0 |
OnPay Home Dashboard
With a 4.4/5 star rating in the features category, there’s not a lot that OnPay can’t do for your business. OnPay’s most significant point losses stem from its lack of built-in time tracking, automated payroll processing, and some niche nice-to-have features, such as access to HR professionals and geolocation for time tracking.
However, OnPay’s features are focused on getting your employees paid, including unlimited payroll processing, multistate payroll runs, lifetime employee accounts, and full tax support. Additionally, OnPay boasts basic HR functions, including benefits administration, onboarding, PTO management, org charts, and workers’ compensation insurance administration.
Compared to other payroll services, such as Gusto or QuickBooks Online Payroll, OnPay falls short as a comprehensive payroll software solution because it lacks built-in time tracking solutions. However, OnPay does offer useful integrations with time-tracking software, such as QuickBooks Time, Deputy, and When I Work.
Here’s a more in-depth look at the features OnPay offers:
OnPay Payroll Dashboard
While there have been some complaints about OnPay’s ability to handle very complex payroll needs, OnPay is capable of handling payroll processing for most small to mid-sized businesses. OnPay’s payroll processing features include:
OnPay PTO Dashboard
OnPay boasts an impressive selection of employee management features and streamlines the process of managing time off requests. Here’s a look at OnPay’s employee management and PTO features:
OnPay’s Time Tracking Integrations
OnPay does not support built-in time tracking, but does offer integrations with QuickBooks Time, Deputy, and When I Work to sync attendance data with payroll.
OnPay Tax Support
OnPay offers payroll tax support at the federal, state, and local levels, including automatic tax calculation, filing, and payment on your business’s behalf. Here’s a look at OnPay’s additional payroll tax support features:
OnPay Reports Dashboard
OnPay offers built-in payroll reports and a customizable report builder for businesses that need an in-depth look at their payroll data.
OnPay Onboarding Dashboard
Despite being a payroll-focused software, OnPay’s HR and onboarding features cover all the basics and should suit the needs of small businesses needing minimal HR support. OnPay’s onboarding and HR features include:
OnPay Benefits Deductions
OnPay’s benefits administration features are on par with leading payroll service providers and include all basic benefits options. Here’s a look at what OnPay’s benefits administration features offer:
| Customer Service4.1 |
|---|
| Personal Support 3.2 |
| Self-Service 5.0 |
OnPay’s customer service performs well with a 4.1/5 star rating. However, the software has room for improvement in the personal support department, as OnPay doesn’t offer personalized software training and could extend its live support hours to weekends. However, OnPay does offer access to an extensive knowledge base and video tutorials.
OnPay’s customer support can be reached by phone from 9 AM – 8 PM ET from Monday to Friday, via in-app chat, and by mail.
Here’s a full breakdown of OnPay’s customer support options:
| OnPay Customer Service | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| Support Tickets | |
| Live Chat | |
| Dedicated Support Representative | |
| Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
| Videos & Tutorials | |
| Company Blog | |
| Social Media |
Ultimately, OnPay’s customer service is generally well-received by customers, though some customers noted issues during implementation and some negative interactions with customer service. In my experience, customer service reps were generally helpful and quick to answer calls.
OnPay integrates with 14 apps, including: When I Work, Deputy, QuickBooks Time, Guideline, Vestwell, Mineral, PosterElite, Magnify, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero.
Although OnPay’s integrations include some of the most popular software options on the market, its selection is very limited compared to other top payroll software with hundreds of integrations.
| User Reviews4.7 |
|---|
| Customer Feedback 5.0 |
| Review Site Aggregate 4.6 |
OnPay’s notable 4.7/5 star rating in the reviews category is fueled by the fact that OnPay’s reviews are generally positive across the board. Out of a combined 920+ reviews across G2, TrustPilot, and GetApp, OnPay earned a 4.6/5 star rating. The vast majority of users were happy with the service’s ease of use, functionality, and customer service.
On average, 2.8% of the reviews were negative and cited bad experiences with payroll tax filing and customer service. Overall, it seems that most of OnPay’s customers have had a positive experience with the service.
OnPay is secure and has no history of data breaches. According to its privacy policy, OnPay utilizes the following security protocols:
| OnPay Review Summary | |
|---|---|
| Pricing Range | $40/month + $6/month per person |
| Choose If You Need |
|
Ultimately, we think OnPay is an affordable option for small to mid-sized businesses looking for a reliable payroll service with full tax support.
While you won’t get the benefit of utilizing a comprehensive HRIS software or native integration within a suite of business tools (think: QuickBooks), you’ll find that OnPay’s attention to essential payroll functionality and basic HR tools make it a strong standalone payroll online payroll service.
However, if your business does have more complex payroll needs, you may consider outsourcing payroll completely by utilizing the services of one of the best PEO companies, which will handle all payroll heavy lifting for your business.
We research, evaluate, and test each payroll software app that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate granular ratings.
Our exhaustive, 76-point rubric guides the star rating of each payroll provider we review, examining pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. Each section is weighted differently.
When rating payroll software, we are looking for very specific qualities. The speed and cost of payroll runs and the availability of tax filing services are given high weight, as are the quality and availability of accounting, time-tracking, HR integrations, and user onboarding services. We also look for the presence of client and employee portals, benefits administration, PTO and time management tools, and many more vital features.
Learn more about how we rate payroll software providers.
Free Trial: Try A Top Pick For Payroll
Gusto  |
|---|
Gusto is an all-in-one people platform that simplifies payroll many human resources tasks. Get Started.
Free Trial: Try A Top Pick For Payroll
Gusto |
|---|
Gusto is an all-in-one people platform that simplifies payroll many human resources tasks. Get Started.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
Our reviewers like ADP Payroll for its advanced employee management, strong payroll features, and great customer support. For a limited time, get three months free.
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