Payroll, PEO and EOR prices, compared

Real, dated prices for payroll software, PEOs and employer of record services, ranked by published scores, with official payroll tax data behind every number.

  • 43providers scored
  • 51states and DC
  • 52countries with verified costs
  • Oct 16, 2026prices last checked

What does it cost to hire in another country?

Pick a country to see the employer's mandatory costs on a USD 40,000 salary.

Employer contributions on top of salary0%
EOR fee per month (published range)$199 to $699
See the full cost breakdown for India

Payroll software

You run payroll; the software files the taxes.

$87 to $400

a month for 10 employees, published prices

  1. Patriot Software69
  2. Gusto69
  3. OnPay67

PEO

Payroll, benefits and HR compliance handled for you, as a co-employer.

$79 to $125

per employee per month, published prices

  1. Justworks67
  2. TriNet50
  3. ADP TotalSource44

Employer of record

Hire abroad without opening a company there.

$199 to $699

per employee per month, published prices

  1. Multiplier79
  2. Oyster64
  3. Remote62

Which one do you need?

Most businesses need exactly one of these. Start with where your people work and how much HR you want to hand off.

Your situationWhat fitsWhy
All your employees are in the US and you can handle HR yourselfPayroll softwareCheapest option. It pays people and files federal, state and local payroll taxes.
US employees, and you want better benefits and HR compliance off your plateA PEOThe PEO becomes a co-employer, so small teams can get large-group benefits.
You want to hire someone in another country without setting up a company thereAn employer of recordThe EOR is the legal employer abroad and runs local payroll, contracts and contributions.
You pay freelancers or contractors, not employeesContractor paymentsNo payroll taxes to withhold, but you still file 1099s for US contractors.

Tools and data

Free tools built on the same official data our pages use.

Popular comparisons

  • Gusto vs ADPPublished Gusto prices against ADP RUN estimates, with costs for 5, 10 and 25 employees.
  • ADP vs PaychexTwo quote-only giants compared on estimates, promotions, guarantees and how hard they are to leave.
  • Gusto vs QuickBooksPayroll-only Gusto against QuickBooks' bundled payroll and accounting, priced for 5, 10 and 25 employees.
  • Gusto vs RipplingGusto's posted prices against Rippling's $8 floor and modules, for 5, 10 and 25 employees.
  • Deel vs RipplingDeel's posted EOR, contractor and US PEO prices against Rippling's quote-only EOR and platform.
  • Deel vs RemoteSame $599 headline, different terms: deposits, FX, renewals, entity ownership and real India and Brazil costs.
  • PEO vs EORCo-employment in the US or sole employment abroad, with costs side by side.
  • PEO vs payrollFees at 5, 15 and 40 employees, co-employment and the break-even number.
  • Justworks vs TriNetA posted $79 to $124 PEO fee against TriNet's quote, minimum headcount and longer support hours.
  • W2 vs 1099The three tests that decide it, the cost gap on a $60,000 worker, and what happens if you guess wrong.
  • OnPay vs GustoSame $49 plus $6 entry price; different multi-state, cancellation and add-on terms.
  • TriNet vs InsperityTwo quote-only PEOs: TriNet's per-employee fee against Insperity's fixed HR charge and $425 credit.

See all comparisons

How we keep this honest

Every price has a date

Prices come from each provider's own pricing page, with the date we checked it. Estimates from other sites are labeled as estimates. Editorial policy

Rankings follow published scores

Each provider gets a score out of 100 from its published prices, terms and documented complaints. The list order always matches the scores. How we score

Commissions never count

Some providers pay us when you sign up. That is never an input to a score, and we say so on every page with a provider button. How we make money

Frequently asked questions

How much does payroll cost for a small business?
Payroll services with published prices cost $17 to $203 a month plus $4 to $22 per person paid, according to the pricing pages of 10 providers checked October 16, 2026. For 10 employees, full-service plans that file your taxes cost $87 a month (Patriot Full Service) to $400 (Gusto Premium). ADP, Paychex and Rippling quote only.
What is the difference between payroll, a PEO and an EOR?
A payroll service pays your staff and files taxes while you stay the only employer. A PEO co-employs your US staff and adds group benefits, workers' comp and HR, for $79 to $125 per employee per month at published prices. An employer of record is the sole legal employer, usually in a country where you have no entity, for $199 to $699 per employee per month (pricing pages checked October 16, 2026).
How does HRPricing rank providers?
Each provider gets a score out of 100 from published criteria: for payroll, price and cost for 10 employees (25 points), tax filing and guarantee (20), features (20), contract and exit terms (15), support (10) and documented complaints (10). PEO and EOR scores use their own weights. Rankings follow the score, and commissions are not an input.
Is HRPricing paid by the providers it compares?
Some providers pay HRPricing a commission when a reader signs up or books a sales call through a link on the site. The commission never changes a provider's score, rank or position in a list, and pages with paid links carry a disclosure at the top.