Payroll · 1-5 employees
Best Payroll for 1-5 employees Trades Shops (2026)
For trades shops with 1-5 employees, compare the monthly base fee, the per-person fee and whether tax filing is included. Every service on this page publishes its prices: Patriot from $17/mo plus $4 per worker (you file taxes) or $37/mo plus $5 per worker with tax filing in one state; Square Payroll at $35/mo plus $6 per person paid, or $6 per contractor with no base fee and no tax filings for 1099-only crews; Gusto Simple and OnPay at $49/mo plus $6 per person; and Hourly.io from $80/mo plus $12 per active user, with pay-as-you-go workers' comp in the same app.
Online or specialty payroll with a published price, no warning
4Gusto
Online payroll with automatic federal, state and local tax filing, contractor payments and published prices for every plan
From $49/mo + $6/person (Simple)
Best for: Trade shops with W-2 employees, 1099 subcontractors or both that want online payroll with automatic tax filing and published prices, especially if they already use QuickBooks Online, Xero, Jobber or Housecall Pro
OnPay
One-plan online payroll at $49/mo plus $6 per person, with QuickBooks and Xero sync and optional pay-as-you-go workers' comp
$49/mo base + $6/person
Best for: Small trade shops that want one published payroll price, QuickBooks or Xero sync and an optional pay-as-you-go workers' comp policy, and that can live without a direct field-service app integration
Patriot Payroll
Low-cost online payroll from Canton, Ohio: $37/mo plus $5 per worker with full tax filing, or $17/mo plus $4 per worker if you file taxes yourself
From $17/mo + $4/worker (Basic, you file taxes)
Best for: Very small trade shops that want low-cost payroll with full tax filing, use QuickBooks Online or Patriot Accounting, and pay crews in one state
Hourly.io
Payroll plus pay-as-you-go workers' comp in one app, with GPS time tracking and job costing on every plan
From $80/mo + $12/active user (Gold, four-day direct deposit)
Best for: Trade shops paying hourly field crews that want workers' comp premiums tied to each payroll run, with GPS time tracking and job costing in the same app
No warning: built-in payroll, HR suite or no published US price
1Square Payroll
Square's payroll for businesses already on Square: $35/mo plus $6 per person paid, or $6 per contractor with no base fee
$35/mo + $6/person paid (full-service payroll with tax filings)
Best for: Trade businesses already taking payments on Square, and 1099-only crews that want low-cost contractor payments without a base fee
Frequently asked
Which payroll service fits a 1-5 employees trades shop?
It depends on what you need besides payroll, such as tax filing in more than one state, workers' comp, time tracking or job costing. On this page, Gusto, OnPay, Patriot Payroll and Hourly.io are online or specialty payroll with a published starting price and no reputation warning, so you can compare costs before a sales call. We do not rank them against each other: compare published prices and plan limits before you choose.
What does payroll cost for 1-5 employees?
For 1-5 people at published list prices, before add-ons, extra states and promotions: Square Payroll $41-$65/mo ($35 plus $6 per person paid), Patriot Full Service $42-$62/mo ($37 plus $5 per worker, one state), Gusto Simple and OnPay $55-$79/mo ($49 plus $6 per person) and Hourly.io $92-$140/mo ($80 plus $12 per active user). Patriot Basic is $21-$37/mo ($17 plus $4 per worker) if you file payroll taxes yourself.
Do I really need payroll software at this size?
With W-2 employees, someone has to withhold, deposit and file payroll taxes and issue W-2s at year end. Full-service plans do the filing for you: Patriot Full Service is $37/mo plus $5 per worker in one state, and Gusto Simple and OnPay are $49/mo plus $6 per person. Patriot Basic ($17/mo plus $4 per worker) runs payroll but leaves tax deposits and filings to you.
What about my 1099 subcontractors?
Gusto's payroll plans pay W-2 employees, 1099 contractors or both, and OnPay includes year-end W-2 and 1099 forms in its price. For 1099-only crews, Square Payroll's contractor-only plan is $6 per contractor paid with no base fee but no tax filings or multistate payroll, and Gusto's Contractor Only plan is $35/mo plus $6 per contractor.