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OnPay Software Review and Pricing
OnPay is an easy-to-use payroll provider that also makes it simple to manage basic HR tasks and benefits administration. We reviewed OnPay’s features.
Table of Contents
- OnPay provides a higher level of customer service and support than many competitors.
- The payroll software is well designed, making it easy to access payroll data and manage employee benefits.
- It offers more payroll and HR features at a lower price than Gusto and Paychex.
- User reviews show just how solid OnPay is. The software averages 4.8 out of five stars among more than 700 reviews on Capterra, G2 and TrustPilot.
- Users rate OnPay’s employee mobile app less favorably than what ADP offers, and OnPay does not offer an employer-side mobile app.
- OnPay does not have native time-tracking capabilities.
- OnPay has fewer third-party software integrations than competitors.
Small business payroll services should be easy to use yet capable of handling complex tasks and providing valuable insights. OnPay stands out among rivals with user-friendly payroll and HR features, including time and attendance and accounting integrations, benefits administration with guidance from licensed brokers, document storage and an HR resource library. Entrepreneurs can process unlimited payroll runs and manage multiple pay rates across state lines for a reasonable monthly fee without purchasing add-ons or more expensive plans. An inclusive subscription and knowledgeable customer support agents are why we chose OnPay as the best payroll software for small companies.
3dcart Editor's Rating:
8.7 / 10
- Pricing
- 9/10
- Customer service
- 9.7/10
- Third-party integrations
- 9.2/10
- User interface
- 9.5/10
- Added HR tools
- 9.4/10
Why We Chose OnPay as the Best for Small Businesses
It’s rare to find full-service payroll solutions at an affordable price point, as many providers lock payroll and HR features behind upper-tier plans or require users to pay for add-ons. OnPay keeps it simple with one inclusive subscription packed with every tool small business owners or HR professionals need. This makes OnPay stand out from its competitors, many of whom offer multiple subscription tiers or require quotes for price details. OnPay also allows unlimited payroll runs and multiple pay schedules, another feature we appreciated.
OnPay handles federal, state and local tax filing backed by an error-free guarantee. With OnPay, you can pay employees in all 50 states without additional cost. In comparison, Gusto offers multistate payroll processing on Plus and Premium plans only. [See our Gusto review] OnPay is also licensed for benefits administration in all 50 states and has an in-house team of experts that work with you to select the right health insurance and retirement plans.
Nor will you find hidden fees for integrations. In fact, OnPay offers help setting up or customizing your time-tracking or accounting software integrations. It syncs with well-known tools like QuickBooks Online, Xero, When I Work, Deputy and QuickBooks Time, although it offers fewer third-party software integrations than competitors. Also, the payroll service provides a dedicated onboarding representative and a customer support phone line available from 9 a.m to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays, with another option to submit a support ticket. We appreciate this extra level of care, as it genuinely sets OnPay apart from rivals.
When testing the software, we were impressed with OnPay’s advanced capabilities. The custom report designer and dashboard simplified payroll reporting. The HR suite centralizes personnel files and has a vacation calendar, which makes reviewing time off convenient. Indeed, OnPay’s feature-rich subscription, ease of use and customer service make it the best online payroll service for small businesses.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is a critical factor when choosing online payroll software. Using the software should be easy for both the employer and employee. For our OnPay review, we assessed the payroll process, employee benefits management and employee portal. The system’s simple user interface is one reason we chose OnPay as the best payroll software for small companies. When testing the platform, we found OnPay’s dashboard to be straightforward, with a left navigation bar for switching between payroll processing, tax filings, HR tools, employees and reports. Whereas rivals try to pack everything on the main screen, OnPay displays your team across the top and your tiles below.
When testing the software, we liked how we could customize our dashboard view, which Paychex allows, but most payroll services don’t. Running payroll was easy. Simply click the Payroll tab, choose which employees to pay and enter their hours. These fields will auto-populate if you’ve connected OnPay to third-party time-tracking apps.
OnPay retains payroll data for salaried employees, so you won’t need to re-enter this information. It also syncs to your employee benefits plans and automatically deducts the correct amounts from payroll.
The software lets you view payroll summaries or expand each section to see detailed information. After reviewing the payroll details, it’s time to submit it. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about payroll or tax errors. We appreciate the proactive alerts, which prevent processing until you resolve payroll discrepancies.
While OnPay’s platform is optimized for mobile, allowing employers to run payroll on the go, there is no dedicated app for employers. However, there is an employee-centric mobile app with a variety of useful employee self-service features.
Creating employee profiles and inviting them to use the mobile app or online portal was also easy. Both provide lifetime access to paystubs and tax information. We found it helpful that after you’ve run payroll, the software sends an email to employees, letting them know when they will receive their payments.
OnPay Features
OnPay’s payroll and HR tools help employers focus on critical business activities while automating, delegating and tracking essential functions. Unlike other payroll services with several pricing tiers, OnPay includes all the following features in its subscription.
Full-Service Payroll Processing
Most payroll services automatically calculate employee wages, taxes and deductions. But OnPay adds features typically found only on rivals’ higher-tier plans. It supports multistate payroll and multiple pay rates, ideal for companies with remote workers or staff that float between roles. Also, you can pay W-2 and 1099 team members from the same dashboard and set up different pay schedules with unlimited payroll runs for one monthly fee.
Tax Filing and Withholdings
As with other full-service payroll providers, OnPay computes payroll taxes and withholds the correct amounts. It submits payments to federal, state and local agencies. It also helps you pay annual payroll taxes and handles tax form 941 for quarterly payroll taxes. We appreciate that OnPay will withhold federal and state unemployment insurance payments and process company contributions. Plus, it takes just two clicks to deduct garnishments.
Employee Payments and Self-Service Options
Although most payroll software supports paper checks (an exception is Justworks) and direct deposit, just over half of providers offer prepaid debit cards, called payroll cards. [See our Justworks review] So we were impressed that OnPay provides direct deposit alternatives. Staff can set up bank accounts through the employee portal and select direct deposit, paycards or physical checks.
The mobile app provides a variety of employee self-service options, including lifetime access to paystubs and documents for personal taxes. Employees can review their withholdings, view PTO accruals and request time off, and download W-2s and 1099s. With OnPay’s self-onboarding tools, new hires can enter their personal information, sign offer letters, sign important documents like W-4s and I-9s, and set up their own direct deposit. We appreciate these useful features that help lift the time burden off of busy people managers.
Payroll Reports
Many payroll systems offer basic payroll reporting functions, but we found OnPay’s report dashboard extremely user-friendly. It shows summaries and payroll data per pay schedule. The report menu includes 15 standard reports, including earnings summary, employee summary and retirement listing, with convenient shortcuts to popular reports from the dashboard. You can also customize your own payroll reports. OnPay’s dynamic report designer lets you add or remove over 50 data points, set up filters and arrange columns. We especially liked how we could create custom views for different departments. [Looking for more data visualization tools? See our Rippling review to learn about its automation and reporting capabilities.]
HR Tools
Not all full-service payroll platforms include HR features with all subscriptions, but OnPay provides many tools for new and existing employees alike, as well as HR compliance. Aside from new-hire reporting, OnPay stores documents online and lets you assign tasks to new hires and employees to track progress. The platform helps you stay on top of compliance with custom personnel checklists. You can even set expiration dates to receive reminders when certifications come due, and compliance alerts will let you know if employees haven’t completed important tasks. With OnPay’s direct messaging feature, you can document important employee communications. Also, the HR resource library has hundreds of templates and guides.
OnPay also features robust PTO management features, allowing you to easily approve and track your employees’ time off. The platform allows you to build a custom PTO policy, and automatically calculates your workers’ vacation accruals. You can even choose up to three different accrual tiers so employees can accrue time off at different rates, depending on things like seniority or employee type. It’s easy for employees to request time off, and managers will receive the request via email so they can quickly approve it. The data syncs directly to payroll, and a convenient calendar feature shows when your employees are working, and when they’re not.
We like how OnPay has grown in recent years in this area. No longer is OnPay solely about payroll processing.
Employee Benefits
Whereas some payroll services charge integration fees for workers’ compensation plans, disability insurance or 401(k) retirement plans, OnPay clients pay only plan premiums. We like how OnPay offers comparison charts to see cost and benefit details, and you can easily add a new payroll deduction in the OnPay platform.
Teams can enroll in benefits programs through OnPay via the web platform or mobile app instead of a third-party website. We appreciated the employee self-service options, where employees can view plans, add dependents, and elect or waive coverage. Employers can view progress and manage health insurance plans right from the dashboard.
OnPay can help you choose an insurance plan with its team of licensed brokers, or you can choose an outside broker. If you want to stay with your existing plan, you can administer it through the OnPay platform and sync it to payroll. We appreciate that OnPay doesn’t charge extra to integrate your existing broker, something not all competitors can claim.
OnPay Pricing
OnPay costs about the same as other full-service payroll systems, with the main difference being that you get all features and capabilities in a single subscription. For example, our review of ADP found that it offers seven packages, and Gusto has three main tiers. Competitors like iSolved and Rippling require clients to purchase individual modules, which can increase monthly costs.
OnPay’s base service fee is $49 monthly plus $6 per employee. Gusto’s monthly fee for their base plan is identical yet does not support multistate payroll processing or paid time off (PTO) management. On the other hand, Square’s base plan starts at $35 per month and $6 per person, but you’ll pay extra to administer health insurance, retirement plans and worker’s compensation.
Unlike with ADP, employers are not charged per payroll run. Nor will you pay additional costs for tax filing unless you want OnPay to mail annual tax forms to employees. We appreciate that OnPay pricing remains the same even if your pay schedule changes or you run payroll for bonuses. We also appreciate that OnPay is transparent about its pricing, making it stand out from competitors who require custom quotes. For benefits administration services, OnPay does not charge a participant fee. Your company and employees pay plan premiums only for health insurance or retirement benefits.
Implementation and Onboarding
Many payroll systems have self-guided implementation processes, which puts the burden of entering payroll data and transferring records onto business owners or HR staff. However, OnPay assigns a dedicated onboarding representative to new accounts. They assist with account setup, so most of the information is already there when you open your payroll software.
We also appreciate OnPay’s assistance for clients that migrate from another payroll service. Switching takes just a few days, according to OnPay. It adds employee information and prior wages to the software, so you only need to enter some basic company details. OnPay’s hands-on assistance extends to integrating your accounting and time-tracking software, making each step of deployment seamless.
Moreover, OnPay is among the few payroll solutions offering a one-month free trial. This gives you a chance to complete a pay run or several before committing. Independent review data ranks OnPay higher for ease of setup than Gusto, Paychex Flex and QuickBooks Payroll.
Customer Service
Paying your employees correctly and on time is a critical aspect of running a business. Which is why having top-notch customer support available from your payroll partner is essential. Although OnPay does not offer round-the-clock customer support like ADP or Paychex, we were pleased with the quality level and options. Clients can contact OnPay’s U.S.-based team via phone or chat between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET on weekdays. Support is also available via e-mail and live chat, or you can submit a support ticket.
OnPay customer service agents receive extensive payroll training and can answer software, HR and payroll questions. Indeed, our OnPay review found that users rate OnPay’s support quality higher than that of many rivals, including Gusto and Paychex. Like most payroll services, OnPay has a robust knowledge base, with tutorials and guides to help software users troubleshoot common concerns. We were glad many articles had GIFs and images to help us visualize the process and quickly resolve our issue.
Limitations
OnPay is a complete payroll solution suitable for businesses with 10 or hundreds of employees. While it provides many paperless payroll benefits, it may not be a fit for all organizations. Two drawbacks are the lack of a dedicated mobile app for employers and lower user ratings on its employee apps. OnPay’s online portal is mobile-responsive so that you can process payroll on various devices. But if mobile apps are a vital feature, see our Paychex review, which offers solutions for HR professionals and employees.
OnPay is also limited when it comes to integrations, with capabilities to pull in just a handful of third-party apps. This could be a challenge for businesses who work with multiple third-party services already and want to access the services all in one platform. By contrast, Rippling supports 600+ integrations.
We also wished OnPay had native time-tracking and scheduling tools. Larger organizations may prefer an all-in-one platform like TriNet (formerly known as Zenefits). Check out our review of TriNet to explore its features and pricing.
Methodology
To find the best payroll provider for small businesses, we assessed dozens of platforms based on ease of use, reporting tools, HR and payroll features, and third-party integrations. Our evaluation involved interacting with sales representatives and customer support agents. We examined various costs and looked for payroll services offering free trials. In addition, we considered user reviews and the overall value owners could derive from the software.
OnPay FAQ
Bottom Line
We recommend OnPay for …
- Small business owners looking for robust payroll and HR tools at an affordable price.
- Companies in niche industries with unique payroll needs.
- Organizations that want to automate or delegate some payroll and HR tasks.
We don’t recommend OnPay for …
- Leaders that want highly rated mobile apps for employees and HR staff.
- Businesses who already work with multiple third-party services and are looking for payroll and HR software with extensive integration support.
- Companies seeking software with native time-tracking capabilities.
Erin Donaghue contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.