All Comparisons

Payrollix vs OnPay

OnPay is one of the better single-business payroll platforms — transparent $49 + $6/employee pricing, accountant-friendly support, and a clean UX that most reviewers prefer to QuickBooks. They do offer a Partner discount for accountants (10% at 1–2 clients, 15% at 3–49, 20% at 50+), which we'll honor in the math below. Even with the 20% partner discount, the per-company base structure compounds across a multi-client book.

Pricing Comparison

Payrollix

$12/client/mo flat ($10 annual). 5 employees included; $2/mo each beyond that.

OnPay

$49/mo base + $6/employee per company. Accountant Partner: 20% off at 50+ clients = $39.20 base + $6/emp.

50 clients × 6 employees on OnPay Partner (20% off): $39.20×50 + $6×6×50 = $1,960 + $1,800 = $3,760/mo. Payrollix: ~$700/mo. Annual delta: ~$36,700.

Feature Comparison

FeaturePayrollixOnPay
Per-client flat pricing$12/client$49 base × N clients (20% off at 50+ via Partner)
Multi-client dashboardNativeOnPay Partner portal
IRS e-filingDirect MeF (ETIN 12374)Via OnPay
W-2 / 1099 generationBatch + 4-year S3 archiveIncluded
50-state tax filing
Direct deposit (ACH)MoovIncluded
Same-day ACHAgency+ plans
Geofencing time trackingBuilt-inIntegrations only (When I Work, QB Time)
Mobile app (iOS + Android)Employee + client portalsWeb-responsive only
Dedicated client portalShared with employee view
Benefits marketplaceRoadmapIntegrated (health, 401(k), workers' comp, FSA, HSA)
Workers' comp pay-as-you-goRoadmapIntegrated
Embedded 401(k) administrationIntegrated (Guideline, Vestwell, others)
HR moduleRoadmap$15 base + $2/employee add-on
Time in market / brandNew (2025)Founded 2007; well-regarded in accounting circles
QuickBooks / Xero integrationBidirectional
Odoo / FreshBooks / Wave / SageNative
Onboarding packet (8655 + state POAs)One e-sign sessionPiecemeal
API accessAgency+Limited

Why Choose Payrollix

Flat $12/client — no per-company base to multiply across the book
In-house IRS MeF transmitter; we own the e-file pipeline end-to-end
iOS + Android apps for both employees and clients (OnPay is web-only)
Geofencing time tracking included, no third-party tool required
Onboarding packet bundles Form 8655 + per-state POAs into one e-sign
Designed bureau-first; OnPay Partner is bolted onto a single-co product

OnPay Limitations

Per-company base × N clients math, even after the 20% Partner discount
No native mobile apps — employees and clients use mobile web
No dedicated client portal separate from the employee experience
Time tracking requires a third-party integration ($+)
HR features are a paid add-on ($15 + $2/employee)
Onboarding state POAs collected piecemeal, not bundled
Honest concession: OnPay's reputation for clean UX and U.S.-based support is genuinely well-earned

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