How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest honest stack is Wave: free accounting plus Wave Payroll ($40/month + $6/employee in the US), all in one login.
- QuickBooks Online plus QuickBooks Payroll is the default for US small businesses, but you pay for both: the accounting plans plus $50/month + $6.50/employee for payroll.
- Zoho Books has a genuinely free accounting plan, and Zoho Payroll plugs straight into it, which makes Zoho the value pick for tiny teams.
- Payroll-first tools like Gusto, OnPay and Rippling do not replace your books: they sync with QuickBooks, Xero or FreshBooks, so budget for both sides.
The best payroll and accounting software
Should you buy payroll and accounting from one vendor, or pick the best of each and connect them? There is no universally right answer, but there is a wrong way to shop: comparing only the accounting price while forgetting the payroll subscription that lands on top of it. A "$25 a month" accounting plan plus a "$49 plus $6 per employee" payroll plan is really a $100-plus stack for a small team.
The nine tools below cover every honest way to run both sides. Some do accounting and payroll natively under one roof. Some are accounting platforms with a payroll add-on or a same-family payroll product. And three are payroll specialists whose whole pitch is how cleanly they sync with your books. Each write-up shows the combined picture, so you can compare totals, not headlines.
Starting priceSee website (accounting plans) + $50/month + $6.50/employee/month (QuickBooks Payroll Core)
Free planFree trial (30 days, per reviewers)
QuickBooks is the default answer for a reason: it is the only mainstream option where accounting, payroll, payments and time tracking all come from Intuit and share one login. Add QuickBooks Payroll Core ($50 per month plus $6.50 per employee) to any Online plan and paychecks, tax filings and journal entries happen in one system. For a business already paying for QuickBooks Online, the payroll add-on is the path of least resistance.
The catch is the stacked bill. Accounting plans are priced separately from payroll, and Intuit raises list prices often, with promos that expire. A 10-person company on a mid-tier plan plus Core payroll is well past $200 a month before add-ons. If you are not already on QuickBooks, do the full-stack math against Xero or Wave before assuming it is the cheapest route.
What we like- Deepest US small-business accounting feature set with payroll, payments and time tracking from the same vendor
- 800-plus integrations and an accountant network that already knows the product
- Payroll entries post straight to the ledger with no sync to babysit
Watch out for- You pay for two subscriptions, and list prices have risen repeatedly
- The interface carries years of accumulated features, which new users find dense
#2
Xero
Best for: Small businesses that want clean accounting with payroll where available
Visit xero.com
Starting price$25/month (Early), $55/month (Growing), $90/month (Established)
Free planNo
Xero is the design-led alternative to QuickBooks, and its pricing page is refreshingly direct: Early at $25, Growing at $55 and Established at $90 per month, with a discounted intro for the first six months. The accounting itself is the draw: fast bank reconciliation, solid invoicing, project tracking on higher plans, and an AI assistant for cash-flow questions. Where Xero offers payroll, it sits inside the same product.
The honest limitation is geography. Xero's payroll coverage in the US does not match QuickBooks or Gusto, so most American teams run Xero for the books and a separate payroll provider, connected by integration. That combination works well and is extremely common, but it means two vendors and two bills. Price the pair, not just Xero.
What we like- Published prices with no quote process: $25, $55 and $90 per month for the three plans
- Strong bank reconciliation and a clean interface reviewers consistently praise
- 20-plus hours a month of admin savings claimed from bill automation
Watch out for- US payroll availability is limited by state, so many American businesses pair Xero with Gusto or OnPay instead
- The Early plan caps invoices and bills tightly
#3
FreshBooks
Best for: Freelancers and service businesses that bill for time and need payroll on the side
Visit freshbooks.com
Starting priceSee website (advertises $1/month for the first year)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
FreshBooks is built for people who sell hours, not products. Time tracking, project budgets and invoicing are the core loop, and the Gusto integration on its homepage shows exactly how the company expects you to handle payroll: connect Gusto and let the specialists run paychecks. FreshBooks also sells its own payroll add-on, but the Gusto route is the one most accountants recommend.
Watch the plan ladder. Lite is cheap but limited to 5 billable clients and lacks real double-entry accounting; Plus is where FreshBooks becomes a genuine accounting product. Add payroll on top and a two-person service business lands near $100 a month. If you sell services and invoice constantly, the workflow is worth it. If you sell products or carry inventory, start with QuickBooks or Xero instead.
What we like- Best-in-class invoicing and time tracking for service work, with hours flowing straight onto invoices
- Gusto integration shown on its own homepage for payroll
- 30-day free trial with no credit card required
Watch out for- Real accounting depth (general ledger, balance sheet) starts on the Plus plan, not Lite
- Lite caps you at 5 billable clients, which forces upgrades fast
#4
Zoho Books
Best for: Tiny businesses and startups that want a free accounting plan with a payroll path
Visit zoho.com
Starting price$0 (Free plan); paid plans $15 to $240/month per organization
Free planYes (free plan for small businesses)
Zoho Books is the value play done right. The free plan covers real accounting for very small businesses, and paid tiers are priced per organization (not per user) from $15 Standard to $240 Ultimate, all published on the pricing page. When you hire, Zoho Payroll connects directly to Books, so payroll journal entries flow into the ledger without a third-party sync.
The catch is that "Zoho everything" is the model. Books plus Payroll plus the rest of the Zoho suite is coherent and cheap, but mixing Zoho with outside tools is less smooth than the QuickBooks or Xero integration ecosystems. For a new business watching every dollar, the free Books plan plus Zoho Payroll later is one of the lowest-cost legitimate stacks available.
What we like- A genuinely free accounting plan, not just a trial
- Paid plans run $15 to $240 per organization per month with published prices
- Zoho Payroll integrates directly for a one-vendor stack
Watch out for- Zoho Payroll is a separate subscription with its own per-employee fees
- The ecosystem rewards going all-in on Zoho, which is a commitment
#5
Wave
Best for: Freelancers and micro-businesses that want free accounting with optional payroll
Visit waveapps.com
Starting priceFree (accounting Starter plan); Wave Payroll $40/month + $6/employee (US full-service)
Free planYes (free accounting plan)
Wave's pitch is the simplest on this list: the accounting is free, and you only pay when you add payroll. Wave Payroll at $40 per month plus $6 per active employee (US full-service states) runs inside the same account as your free books, so a three-person business gets invoicing, accounting and full-service payroll for under $60 a month. Nothing else here touches that price.
The tradeoffs are scope and geography. Payroll is US and Canada only, and automated tax filing covers a subset of states; everyone else files themselves. There is no inventory, no project accounting, and support is email-first. If you are a freelancer or a tiny team with simple books, Wave is the obvious starting point. Outgrow it and move to Xero or QuickBooks, not the other way around.
What we like- Core accounting and invoicing are free, which no other tool here matches
- Wave Payroll plugs into the same login at $40 plus $6 per employee in the US
- Simple enough for owners with no bookkeeping background
Watch out for- Payroll tax filing service covers a limited set of states, with self-service elsewhere
- No inventory management and thin reporting next to QuickBooks or Xero
#6
Patriot Software
Best for: Very small US businesses that want accounting and payroll from one budget vendor
Visit patriotsoftware.com
Starting price$20/month (Accounting Basic) + $37/month + $5/worker (Full Service Payroll)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Patriot is the rare vendor that publishes every price and sells both sides natively. Accounting Basic at $20 per month handles invoicing, bills and reconciliation; Full Service Payroll at $37 plus $5 per worker covers federal, state and local filings. A 10-person company pays $20 plus $87 for the full stack: $107 a month with no quote process and no surprise fees. The pricing page even shows current promos openly.
The honest catch is scope. Patriot is built for simple American small businesses: no inventory, no multi-currency, basic reporting. If your needs fit in that box, it is the cheapest full-service combo here by a clear margin. If you outgrow the box, you will migrate to QuickBooks or Xero eventually, so be realistic about your trajectory.
What we like- Transparent published prices for both products: accounting from $20, full-service payroll from $37 plus $5 per worker
- Free US-based support and a 30-day trial on everything
- You pay payroll fees only for workers actually paid
Watch out for- No inventory management and no multi-currency, so product sellers and international businesses should look elsewhere
- The interface is plain next to modern cloud competitors
#7
Gusto
Best for: Small businesses that want great payroll synced to QuickBooks, Xero or FreshBooks
Visit gusto.com
Starting price$49/month + $6/employee/month (Simple plan)
Free planNo
Gusto belongs on this list as the payroll half of the most popular combo in small business: Gusto for paychecks, QuickBooks or Xero for books. At $49 plus $6 per employee on Simple, with unlimited runs and full-service tax filing, it is the most recommended payroll product in its class, and the accounting integrations mean payroll journal entries land in your ledger without manual work.
Do not mistake it for a combo product. Gusto does not do invoicing, bill pay or reconciliation, so the real comparison is Gusto-plus-accounting versus an all-in-one like QuickBooks or Patriot. For many businesses that math still wins, because each side is best in class. Just make sure you budget both subscriptions before you decide.
What we like- Published, predictable pricing with unlimited payroll runs
- Syncs payroll data to QuickBooks, Xero and FreshBooks automatically
- Full-service tax filing on every plan
Watch out for- It is payroll plus HR, not accounting: you still need and pay for a separate accounting product
- Per-employee fees add up as headcount grows
#8
OnPay
Best for: US small businesses that want one simple payroll price paired with their accounting
Visit onpay.com
Starting price$49/month + $6/worker/month (single plan)
Free planFirst month free
OnPay is Gusto's simpler rival and the pairing logic is identical: OnPay runs payroll at $49 plus $6 per worker with every tax filing included, and the QuickBooks and Xero integrations push the accounting entries across automatically. There is one plan, no upsell tiers, and the first month is free, which makes the total-stack math easy to model.
The same caveat applies: this is half a stack. OnPay plus Xero Growing ($55) is about $110 a month before headcount fees, which you should compare against QuickBooks Online plus payroll or Patriot's $107 all-in. OnPay wins on simplicity and support reputation; it loses if you wanted a single vendor and a single bill.
What we like- One flat price with unlimited runs and all tax filings included
- Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero for clean bookkeeping
- First month free and no tier puzzles
Watch out for- US-only, so international teams are out
- Like Gusto, it covers the payroll side only and needs a separate accounting product
#9
Rippling
Best for: Startups that want payroll, HR and IT unified alongside their accounting
Visit rippling.com
Starting price$35/month + $12/employee/month (payroll starting point)
Free planNo
Rippling is the everything platform that happens to do payroll very well. The pitch is the single employee record: a new hire, a raise or a termination updates payroll, benefits, IT access and the accounting sync from one change. Payroll starts at $35 plus $12 per employee, with unlimited runs and automatic filings, and it connects to the major accounting platforms.
The catch is the stack. That payroll price layers onto Rippling's platform fees and any HR or IT modules you add, so a 10-person setup costs meaningfully more than Gusto or OnPay for the same headcount. Rippling makes sense when you also want HR and IT unified; if you only need payroll plus accounting, the specialists above are cheaper and simpler.
What we like- One employee record drives payroll, HR, benefits and IT, with accounting syncs to QuickBooks, Xero and others
- Unlimited pay runs and automatic tax filing
- Scales from startup to enterprise without switching vendors
Watch out for- The payroll price sits on top of core platform fees, so the real total is higher than the headline
- Most configurations need a sales quote, which slows comparison
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 QuickBooks Online | US small businesses that want accounting and payroll from one vendor | See website (accounting plans) + $50/month + $6.50/employee/month (QuickBooks Payroll Core) | Free trial (30 days, per reviewers) |
| Xero | Small businesses that want clean accounting with payroll where available | $25/month (Early), $55/month (Growing), $90/month (Established) | No |
| FreshBooks | Freelancers and service businesses that bill for time and need payroll on the side | See website (advertises $1/month for the first year) | Free trial (30 days) |
| Zoho Books | Tiny businesses and startups that want a free accounting plan with a payroll path | $0 (Free plan); paid plans $15 to $240/month per organization | Yes (free plan for small businesses) |
| Wave | Freelancers and micro-businesses that want free accounting with optional payroll | Free (accounting Starter plan); Wave Payroll $40/month + $6/employee (US full-service) | Yes (free accounting plan) |
| Patriot Software | Very small US businesses that want accounting and payroll from one budget vendor | $20/month (Accounting Basic) + $37/month + $5/worker (Full Service Payroll) | Free trial (30 days) |
| Gusto | Small businesses that want great payroll synced to QuickBooks, Xero or FreshBooks | $49/month + $6/employee/month (Simple plan) | No |
| OnPay | US small businesses that want one simple payroll price paired with their accounting | $49/month + $6/worker/month (single plan) | First month free |
| Rippling | Startups that want payroll, HR and IT unified alongside their accounting | $35/month + $12/employee/month (payroll starting point) | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
One vendor or two: how to combine payroll and accounting
There are three honest architectures, and the right one depends on your size. The all-in-one route (QuickBooks Online plus payroll, Patriot, Wave plus payroll) gives you one login, one bill and no sync to break. It is the best choice under about 10 employees, where simplicity beats best-in-class features.
The best-of-breed route (Xero plus Gusto, FreshBooks plus Gusto, QuickBooks plus OnPay) gives you the strongest product on each side with an integration between them. This wins from roughly 10 to 100 employees, because the payroll and accounting products each earn their keep, and the syncs are mature enough to trust.
The platform route (Rippling) makes sense when HR and IT join the picture. Do not buy it for payroll alone. Whatever you choose, model the total: accounting subscription plus payroll base fee plus per-employee fees at your real headcount, for month 12, not month 1. Promo prices expire, and the cheapest headline is rarely the cheapest year.
The real cost math: stack the subscriptions before you compare
Payroll pricing punishes anyone who compares base fees. Work the per-employee math at your headcount: a 10-person team pays $109 a month on Gusto Simple and OnPay, $100 on Wave Payroll (US full-service), $87 on Patriot Full Service, and roughly $155 on Rippling before platform fees. Then add the accounting side: $0 on Wave or Zoho's free plan, $20 on Patriot, $25 to $90 on Xero, and whatever QuickBooks quotes you that quarter.
Then add what the base prices exclude. Year-end filings, multi-state payroll, contractor payments and benefits administration are the usual extras. Gusto and OnPay include filings on every plan; Wave's automated filing covers limited states; Patriot charges per additional state. And watch the accounting promos: FreshBooks' $1 first year and Xero's discounted first six months are real savings, but budget from the list price that follows.
How we chose
We started with the searches buyers run: payroll and accounting software, accounting software with payroll, and small business payroll software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own homepage and pricing page, confirmed it genuinely covers both payroll and accounting (natively or through a first-party add-on or integration), and checked public reviews on G2 and Capterra plus practitioner discussion on Reddit. Prices come only from vendor pages: where a vendor publishes nothing or prices conflict, we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run payroll inside my accounting software?
Sometimes. QuickBooks Online plus QuickBooks Payroll, Patriot, and Wave plus Wave Payroll are true single-vendor stacks. Xero and FreshBooks handle payroll through add-ons or integrations like Gusto, which works well but means two subscriptions. Decide whether one bill matters more than best-in-class payroll.
Is it cheaper to bundle payroll and accounting with one vendor?
Usually, but not always. Patriot's $20 accounting plus $87 payroll for 10 people ($107 total) beats most combos. Wave's free accounting plus $100 payroll is close behind. But Xero plus Gusto can beat QuickBooks Online plus QuickBooks Payroll at some headcounts. Model your real headcount instead of trusting the headline.
Do I still need an accountant if I use this software?
For most small businesses, yes, at tax time at least. The software handles day-to-day books and paychecks; an accountant handles tax strategy, entity structure and the annual return. Every tool here either includes accountant access or integrates with your accountant's workflow.
Which is best for a freelancer with no employees?
Wave or Zoho Books. Both have genuinely free accounting plans, and neither charges you for payroll you do not need. Add payroll only when you hire your first employee. QuickBooks and Xero are overkill until then.
How hard is it to switch payroll providers mid-year?
Easier than most owners fear, especially with the transparent vendors here. Gusto, OnPay, Patriot and Wave all offer guided migration, and the switch is cleanest on month-to-month plans with no contracts. Avoid switching in December: year-end filings are simpler when one provider owns the full year.
Does payroll software handle contractor payments too?
Yes, all nine handle contractors, but the details differ. Gusto, OnPay and Patriot include 1099 contractors in normal payroll runs. Wave charges $6 per paid contractor per month. QuickBooks Payroll handles contractors with 1099 e-filing built in. If contractors outnumber employees, price that line specifically.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://quickbooks.intuit.com
- https://www.xero.com
- https://www.freshbooks.com
- https://www.zoho.com/books
- https://www.waveapps.com
- https://www.patriotsoftware.com/
- https://gusto.com
- https://onpay.com
- https://www.rippling.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.