ADP Workforce Now
Comprehensive HR and payroll platform for mid-sized businesses with integrated payroll, benefits, talent management, and compliance tools.
OnPay
Website: onpay.com
OnPay at a glance
- Best for
- Firms offering payroll as a service to small clients
- Pricing model
- Flat base fee plus per-employee monthly charge
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Regions
- United States
- Key integrations
- QuickBooks Online, Xero, QuickBooks Desktop
Last reviewed . Pricing and features change frequently — confirm current details with the vendor.
OnPay is a full-service online payroll platform for small US businesses, covering automated tax filing, direct deposit, and built-in HR tools for employee records and benefits.
How accounting firms use it
The platform is built with firms in mind rather than adapted for them. A partner dashboard covers all client payrolls from one login, and firms can run pay runs on a client’s behalf or supervise clients running their own. Partner pricing and revenue share options let payroll be structured either as a billable service or as a referral.
Flat, all-inclusive pricing matters more than it might appear. When every feature sits in one plan, a firm can quote payroll services without checking which tier a given client needs, and without a client’s cost changing because they added a second pay schedule.
Key features
Payroll handles salaried, hourly, and contractor payments across multiple schedules, with federal, state, and local tax calculation, filing, and payment included. Year-end W-2 and 1099 processing carries no separate charge.
Specialised payroll types are handled natively: agricultural payroll with Form 943, clergy payroll with housing allowance treatment, restaurant tip credits, and nonprofit arrangements. Platforms aimed at general small business typically require workarounds for these.
HR tools cover employee records, onboarding, PTO tracking, and document storage, with benefits administration available through integrated brokers. Payroll journals sync to QuickBooks and Xero.
Who it’s best for
Small US businesses and the firms serving them, particularly practices running payroll as a service line where predictable per-client cost matters. It is also a strong fit for firms with agricultural, church, restaurant, or nonprofit clients.
Clients wanting a larger benefits marketplace or a broader app ecosystem usually prefer Gusto. Those growing into mid-market HR requirements move to Paychex Flex or ADP Workforce Now, and highly cost-sensitive clients may prefer Patriot Payroll.
OnPay FAQ
- Does OnPay have a multi-client dashboard for accountants?
- Yes. A partner dashboard covers all client payrolls from one login, with the firm able to run pay runs on a client's behalf or leave the client to run them. Partner pricing and revenue share arrangements are available, so payroll can be billed as a service line or referred.
- How is it priced?
- A single flat base fee plus a per-employee monthly charge, with all features included rather than tiered. There is no separate charge for tax filing, multiple pay schedules, or year-end forms, which makes cost predictable when quoting payroll services across a client base.
- Does it handle specialised payroll types?
- Yes, and this is an area where it goes further than most small-business platforms. Agricultural payroll with Form 943, church and clergy payroll with housing allowance handling, restaurant tip credit, and nonprofit payroll are supported natively rather than requiring workarounds.
- How does it compare to Gusto?
- Both target US small businesses with accountant partner programs. Gusto has a larger benefits marketplace, more polished onboarding, and a wider integration ecosystem. OnPay is usually cheaper at a given headcount because everything sits in one flat plan, and handles specialised payroll types like agriculture and clergy more directly.
OnPay Alternatives
Other payroll tools for accounting firms, ordered by how much of OnPay's functionality they cover.
BambooHR
HR and payroll software helping growing companies manage workforce processes, automated HR, payroll, and employee self-service.
ClockOn
ClockOn is an Australian workforce management platform combining rostering, time and attendance, award interpretation, and STP payroll in one system.
Deel
Global payroll and compliance platform for hiring and paying employees and contractors in 150+ countries with local tax compliance.
Gusto
Cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform that simplifies payroll and HR management for small to medium-sized businesses.