Quick answer
- Small business payroll: published US list prices start at $49 a month plus $6 per person (Gusto Simple, OnPay) and run to $180 plus $22 per person (Gusto Premium). Patriot Software starts lower, at $17 plus $4 per worker for its Basic plan.
- PEO: Justworks lists $79 per employee a month for PEO Basic and $124 for PEO Plus. Most other PEOs quote.
- Global hiring: employer of record services from Deel and Remote list at $599 per employee a month.
- Talent tools: Lattice lists $10 to $13 per seat a month with a $4,000 annual minimum; Workable's recruiting plans run $299 to $599 a month.
- All-in-one HR suites and enterprise HCM (Rippling, Keka HR, BambooHR, Paylocity, Paycom, ADP, UKG, Workday) are quote-based. Get at least three written quotes.
HR software cost estimator
Enter your headcount and pick what you want to price. The estimate uses only published US list prices we verified, so it's a floor-to-ceiling range for tools that publish prices, not a guess at quote-based platforms.
Patriot Software Basic up to Gusto Premium list prices, before any discount. OnPay and Gusto Simple are both $49 plus $6 per person.
Based only on published US list prices we verified in October and November 2026 (see the table below). Quote-based suites aren't included. Taxes, benefits premiums, and one-time fees are extra. Get real quotes for your exact setup.
Published HR software prices for 2027 (US list prices)
These are the US list prices we could confirm from vendor pages or dated third-party price trackers in October and November 2026. List prices change, and promotions come and go, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with the vendor before you budget. Every number links to its source.
| Product | Starting price | What the price covers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GustoPayroll first | From $49/mo + $6/person | Simple $49 + $6 per person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22 a month. Gusto kept these prices when it repackaged plans on October 1, 2026. | UsagePricing, Gusto plan changes, September 2026 |
| OnPayPayroll first | $49/mo + $6/person | One plan: $49 base plus $6 for each employee or contractor paid in the month. Tax filings in all 50 states included; mailed year-end forms cost $10 each. | OnPay Help Center, OnPay pricing |
| Patriot SoftwarePayroll first | From $17/mo + $4/worker | Basic Payroll $17 a month + $4 per worker; Full Service Payroll $37 a month + $5 per worker. | Patriot Software, Patriot vs Gusto comparison (prices as of July 30, 2026) |
| JustworksPEO | PEO from $79/employee/mo | Payroll $50 a month + $8 per employee; PEO Basic $79 and PEO Plus $124 per employee a month; EOR $599 per employee a month. | South, Justworks pricing 2026 |
| DeelGlobal hiring and EOR | EOR $599/employee/mo | Employer of record $599 per employee a month (month-to-month); contractors $49 each a month; global payroll from $29 per employee a month. | CostBench, Deel vs Remote pricing |
| RemoteGlobal hiring and EOR | EOR $599/employee/mo | Employer of record cut from $699 to $599 per employee a month in October 2026; contractor management $29 a month. | PricingSaaS, Remote pricing change, October 2026 |
| LatticeRecruiting and talent | From $10/person/mo | Foundations $13 and Performance $10 per seat a month after the July 2026 increase; Engagement $4; $4,000 annual minimum. | UsagePricing, Lattice price change, July 2026 |
| HomebaseHourly and frontline teams | Free; paid from $30/mo | Basic free for up to 10 employees at one location; Essentials $30, Plus $70, All-in-One $120 a month (per location). | CostBench, Homebase pricing (verified October 28, 2026) |
| WorkableRecruiting and talent | $299 to $599/mo | Free, Standard, and Premier plans since February 2026; paid plans run from $299 to $599 a month. | CostBench, Workable plan change, February 2026 |
Notice the pattern: payroll and talent tools for smaller companies publish prices; platforms that sell to mid-sized and large employers mostly don't. That isn't secrecy for its own sake. Their price depends on headcount, modules, states, and service levels, and they expect to negotiate.
Quote-only HR software: what to know
Most of the platforms mid-sized and large US employers shortlist don't publish prices. For these, the only reliable number is a written quote for your headcount and modules, which is why we suggest getting three. G2 ratings are included so you can weigh price against what users say; they come from G2 product comparison pages checked November 5, 2026.
| Platform | Best for | G2 rating (reviews) | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rippling | All-in-one HR, IT, and payroll that scales | 4.8 (13,000+) | Our review |
| Keka HR | Modern all-in-one HR and payroll for growing US companies | 4.4 (2,200+) | Rankings |
| BambooHR | Easy core HR for growing small businesses | 4.4 (6,100+) | Our review |
| Paylocity | Mid-market HR and payroll with built-in engagement | 4.4 (6,100+) | Our review |
| Paycom | Single-database HR and payroll with employee self-service | 4.6 (6,900+) | Our review |
| ADP Workforce Now | Mid-market HR and payroll with deep compliance support | 4.2 (4,300+) | Our review |
| HiBob | Modern HRIS for culture-focused, global teams | 4.5 (2,600+) | Our review |
| UKG Pro | HCM plus workforce management for large hourly teams | 4.3 (2,200+) | Our review |
| Dayforce | Continuous payroll for complex hourly workforces | 4.2 (960+) | Our review |
| Workday HCM | Enterprise HCM with strong reporting | 4.1 (1,600+) | Our review |
| TriNet | Industry-specific PEO for growing companies | 4.2 (1,900+) | A to Z list |
| Insperity | High-touch PEO with dedicated HR specialists | 4.3 (420+) | A to Z list |
| Greenhouse | Structured hiring with interview scorecards | 4.4 (3,900+) | Our review |
| Culture Amp | Engagement surveys backed by people science | 4.5 (1,600+) | Our review |
Buying a suite? Look at how the vendor counts employees (active only, or including terminated and seasonal), what's in the base bundle, and whether payroll for each new state is included. Treat the first quote as an opening number: quote-based vendors expect to negotiate, especially against a competing written quote.
How HR software is priced: the eight models you'll see
Two quotes for the same headcount can look wildly different because they use different pricing models. Convert every quote to a total annual cost for the same scope before you compare.
| Pricing model | How it works | Where you'll see it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per employee per month (PEPM) | A fixed amount for each employee on the system each month. | Most HRIS, HR suites, and PEOs | Minimum headcounts and how part-time and terminated employees are counted. |
| Base fee plus per person | A monthly platform fee plus a smaller charge per person paid. | Small business payroll (Gusto, OnPay, Patriot) | Whether contractors and one-time payees count as people. |
| Per module or bundle | Core HR is the entry price; payroll, time, benefits, and talent are priced as add-ons or tiers. | All-in-one platforms and mid-market suites | The bundle you'll need in year two, not just year one. |
| Per seat for talent tools | A price per employee covered by performance, engagement, or learning. | Lattice, Culture Amp, 15Five, Leapsome | Annual minimums, such as Lattice's $4,000. |
| Per location or per plan | A flat monthly fee per site or plan level. | Scheduling and hourly workforce tools (Homebase, When I Work) | Locations with very different headcounts. |
| Per job or per plan for recruiting | A monthly plan based on hiring volume or open roles. | Applicant tracking systems (Workable, JazzHR, Breezy) | Overage charges when you hire more than planned. |
| Percentage of payroll or PEPM for PEOs | A bundled service fee for co-employment, sometimes quoted as a percentage of gross wages. | PEOs (Justworks, TriNet, Insperity, ADP TotalSource) | What's included: workers' comp, state unemployment, HR advice. |
| Per employee per month for EOR | A flat monthly fee per worker employed abroad, plus that country's employer costs. | Deel, Remote, Oyster, G-P | Deposits, currency fees, and offboarding costs. |
New to the terms? Our glossary explains PEOs, employers of record, HRIS, and HCM suites in plain English.
Worked example: what a 40-person US company pays
Here's the list-price math for a 40-employee company paying everyone through payroll each month, using the published prices above. PEO figures cover the PEO's service fee only; health premiums are separate.
| Option | Monthly formula | Monthly list price | Annual list price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Software Full Service | $37 + $5 x 40 | $237 | $2,844 |
| OnPay | $49 + $6 x 40 | $289 | $3,468 |
| Gusto Simple | $49 + $6 x 40 | $289 | $3,468 |
| Gusto Plus | $80 + $12 x 40 | $560 | $6,720 |
| Gusto Premium | $180 + $22 x 40 | $1,060 | $12,720 |
| Justworks PEO Basic | $79 x 40 | $3,160 | $37,920 |
| Justworks PEO Plus | $124 x 40 | $4,960 | $59,520 |
The spread is wide for a reason. Patriot and OnPay cover payroll and tax filing. Gusto's higher plans add HR tools, time tracking, and compliance features. A PEO adds co-employment, HR advisers, benefits administration, and often workers' compensation. Compare what you'd otherwise pay for those pieces, including your own time, before deciding the cheapest line is the best value.
Three-year total cost of ownership
Price every finalist on the same three-year worksheet. It's the fairest way to compare a cheap subscription with a big implementation fee against a pricier subscription with free setup.
| Subscription, year 1 | Your quoted price after any first-year discount |
|---|---|
| Subscription, years 2 and 3 | Year 1 plus the renewal cap you negotiated, or plus 7% a year if there is no cap |
| Implementation and migration | One-time fee, if any |
| Internal time | Hours from HR, payroll, finance, and IT during setup, at loaded hourly cost |
| Parallel run | At least one payroll run on both systems before go-live |
| Integrations | Connector fees, API access, or a consultant |
| Add-ons you'll need by year 2 | Recruiting, performance, learning, or extra states |
| Exit cost | Data export and overlap months when you eventually leave |
Put the software in context, too. Private US employers spent an average of $46.89 per hour worked on employee compensation in June 2026, with 30% of that going to benefits (BLS, employer compensation costs, June 2026). Even a premium HR platform is a small slice of total people costs, so accuracy, compliance, and time saved usually matter more than a few dollars per employee. Our employee cost calculator shows the full cost of each hire.
HR software pricing by company size
| Company size | What most companies buy | What pricing looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Under 50 employees | Published-price payroll, sometimes a PEO for benefits | Low hundreds of dollars a month at list price for payroll; PEO fees per employee are higher but include more |
| 50 to 249 | All-in-one HR and payroll or a PEO | Mostly quote-based; ask at least three vendors and compare per-employee totals |
| 250 to 999 | Mid-market HCM suites | Quote-based; implementation fees and modules matter as much as PEPM |
| 1,000+ | Enterprise HCM with an implementation partner | Quote-based; partner fees and internal project time often rival year-one subscription |
For the specific platforms that fit each size, see our best HR software of 2027, the lists for small business and enterprise, and category guides for payroll, PEOs, and HRIS.
How to negotiate HR software pricing
- Get three written quotes for the same scope. Same headcount, same modules, same states. A competing quote is the strongest lever you have.
- Ask for a multi-year price with a renewal cap. A two- or three-year term in exchange for a capped increase protects your year-two budget.
- Time it. Vendors with quarterly targets are most flexible in the last two weeks of a quarter and the last month of their fiscal year.
- Trade modules for price. Start with what you need in year one and lock in the current price for add-ons you may buy later.
- Ask for implementation credits. Setup fees are often easier to waive than the subscription price.
- Read the headcount clause. Make sure the price can come down if headcount drops, not just up when you hire.
Benefits are usually the bigger number. KFF puts the average family premium at $26,993 in 2025, up 6% in a year (KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey). If a PEO or benefits platform can lower that, it can outweigh any software discount.
HR software pricing FAQ
How much does HR software cost per employee?
Why don't most HR software vendors publish prices?
What is PEPM pricing?
What hidden costs come with HR software?
Is a PEO more expensive than HR software?
How can I negotiate a lower price on HR software?
How much does HR software cost for a small business?
Does HR software pricing include benefits premiums?
How we researched these prices
We checked every published price against the vendor's own pricing or help pages where we could reach them, and otherwise against dated third-party price trackers that record vendor price changes, and we link each source. Prices were checked in October and November 2026 for US customers, before tax and discounts. We don't list prices for quote-based vendors because a number we can't verify would mislead you. G2 ratings come from G2 product comparison pages checked November 5, 2026. HRTally doesn't take payment for placement on this page; see how we make money and our editorial standards.
Sources
- BLS, employer compensation costs, June 2026
- KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey
- TrustRadius survey of 1,862 B2B technology buyers, January 2026 (via MarketingProfs)
- Capterra survey of 3,500+ businesses, November 2024
- UsagePricing, Gusto plan changes, September 2026
- OnPay Help Center, OnPay pricing
- Patriot Software, Patriot vs Gusto comparison (prices as of July 30, 2026)
- South, Justworks pricing 2026
- CostBench, Deel vs Remote pricing
- PricingSaaS, Remote pricing change, October 2026
- UsagePricing, Lattice price change, July 2026
- CostBench, Homebase pricing (verified October 28, 2026)
- CostBench, Workable plan change, February 2026
- G2 product comparison pages (ratings)
Written by the HRTally Research Team
Our guides are written and reviewed by people with hands-on US HR, payroll, and HR technology experience. Legal and tax facts are checked against primary sources, such as the Department of Labor, IRS, EEOC, and USCIS, and linked at the end of each guide. Vendors never review or pay for our editorial content.