Roundup · Payroll prices checked on official pages, 18–19 October 2026
Best Accounting Software with Payroll 2026: Included vs Add-on, by Country
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Quick answer
Whether payroll is included depends more on your country than on the brand. In Australia and New Zealand, Xero bundles payroll into its plans, and MYOB charges A$3/NZ$3 per employee. In the UK, Sage Accounting includes payroll on every business plan, and Xero from Grow. In the US and Canada, payroll is almost always a separate charge: a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee. For 5 US employees, the cheapest combinations we found were Zoho Books + Zoho Payroll and Wave + Wave Payroll.
All prices are regular list prices before tax and intro discounts, from each provider’s official pricing page. Worked totals are our own calculations. For the full field, see the best accounting software for small business by country.
Payroll included or extra? Tool by tool
| Software | How payroll is priced |
|---|---|
| Xero (AU) | Included: Ignite 1 person, Grow 2, Comprehensive 5, Ultimate 10 / 20 / 50 |
| Xero (NZ) | Optional on Ignite (NZ$4/person); included for 1 / 5 / 10 people on Grow / Comprehensive / Ultimate, then NZ$4 (NZ$2 on Ultimate) per extra person |
| Xero (UK) | Optional on Ignite (£1.50/person); included for 1 / 5 / 10 people on Grow / Comprehensive / Ultimate, then £1.50 (£1 on Ultimate) per extra person |
| Xero (US) | Add-on: Xero Payroll powered by Gusto, $36/month + $6 per person |
| Sage Accounting (UK) | Included: 1 employee on Start and Standard, 5 on Plus, then £1.85 per employee a month |
| MYOB (AU, NZ) | $3/month per employee (AU Lite and NZ Lite up to 2 employees) |
| QuickBooks (US) | Bundles: Workforce Payroll + Simple Start from $88/month + a per-employee fee |
| QuickBooks (CA) | Standalone: Payroll Core C$30 + C$5/employee, Premium C$55 + C$8, Elite C$80 + C$15 |
| Zoho Books + Zoho Payroll (US) | Separate product: Standard $29/month + $5/employee, Professional $49 + $7 (billed annually) |
| FreshBooks (US) | Add-on: $40/month + $6 per user. Canada: partner (PaymentEvolution) |
| Wave (US, CA) | Add-on: $40 (US) or C$25 base + $6 per employee + $6 per contractor paid |
United States: cost for 5 employees
US payroll means federal and state tax filing, direct deposit and W-2s, which is why every provider charges for it separately. Here’s what accounting plus payroll costs for a 5-employee business, at regular list prices:
| Combination | Our calculation | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Books Standard + Zoho Payroll Standard | $15 + $29 + 5 × $5 (both billed annually) | $69 |
| Wave Pro + Wave Payroll | $19 + $40 + 5 × $6 | $89 |
| FreshBooks Plus + FreshBooks Payroll | $43 + $40 + 5 × $6 | $113 |
| QuickBooks Workforce Payroll + Simple Start | $88 + 5 × $6.50–$7 | $120.50–$123 |
| Xero Growing + Xero Payroll (Gusto) | $59 + $36 + 5 × $6 | $125 |
Excludes contractors, card fees and intro discounts. QuickBooks showed different per-employee fees ($6.50 or $7) on two visits the same day. Zoho Books monthly billing would add $5.
Price isn’t the only factor. Zoho Payroll Standard covers single-state payroll in all 50 states (multi-state needs Professional), and Wave’s tax service excludes 1099 filings. QuickBooks bundles HR tools, benefits and, on its Premium tier, time tracking. If you have staff in several states or pay contractors, compare those details first. See our QuickBooks, Wave and Zoho Books reviews.
Try Zoho Books free (partner link, opens in a new tab) See FreshBooks’ offer (partner link, opens in a new tab)
United Kingdom
The UK is where bundled payroll is most common. For 5 employees, at regular prices excluding VAT:
- Xero Grow: £39 + 4 × £1.50 = £45 a month
- Sage Standard: £43 + 4 × £1.85 = £50.40 a month
- Xero Comprehensive: £55, with 5 people included
- Sage Plus: £59, with 5 employees included, plus unlimited users and inventory
For a single employee, Xero Ignite with optional payroll (£18 + £1.50 = £19.50) and Sage Start (£20, payroll included) cost about the same. Sage’s payroll covers pension auto-enrolment, HMRC submissions and payslips. See our Sage review and UK guide.
Australia and New Zealand
In Australia, every Xero plan includes payroll and automated superannuation: 1 person on Ignite (A$37), 2 on Grow (A$78), 5 on Comprehensive (A$107), and 10, 20 or 50 on Ultimate. MYOB charges A$3 a month per employee on Lite and Pro, so 5 employees on MYOB Business Pro cost A$70 + 5 × A$3 = A$85 a month, against A$107 for Xero Comprehensive. MYOB’s Australian pricing page notes that the prices of MYOB Business Payroll Only and its per-user Payroll premium feature change from 1 November 2026, so recheck before you buy.
In New Zealand, 5 employees cost NZ$117 a month on Xero Comprehensive (5 included). On MYOB Pro it’s NZ$585 a year plus NZ$3 a month per employee, about NZ$63.75 a month. MYOB’s NZ payroll includes automated payday filing and PAYE and KiwiSaver calculations. More in our Australia and New Zealand guides.
See Xero’s current offer (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Canada
QuickBooks sells payroll on its own in Canada: Payroll Core is C$30 a month + C$5 per employee, with or without an accounting plan. Wave Payroll is C$25 + C$6 per employee + C$6 per contractor paid, and isn’t available in Quebec. For 5 employees, that’s C$55 a month either way, before the accounting plan. Note that QuickBooks Lite doesn’t support payroll.
See our Canada guide.
What to check before you choose
- Contractors: Wave charges per contractor paid, and Wave’s US tax service excludes 1099 filings.
- Multiple states or provinces: Zoho Payroll Standard is single-state, and Wave Payroll isn’t available in Quebec.
- Local compliance: pension auto-enrolment (UK), superannuation (AU), payday filing and KiwiSaver (NZ), and CRA remittances and T4s (Canada).
- Who runs payroll: a person running payroll may need their own login, so check user limits (see our how to choose checklist).
- Discount fine print: QuickBooks’ US intro discount doesn’t apply to per-employee fees.
FAQ
Which accounting software includes payroll for free?
None in the US. In the UK, Sage Accounting includes payroll for 1 employee from its £20 Start plan, and Xero from Grow (£39). In Australia, every Xero plan includes payroll, starting with 1 person on Ignite (A$37).
What is the cheapest accounting software with payroll in the US?
At regular prices, Zoho Books Standard plus Zoho Payroll Standard came to $69 a month for 5 employees (billed annually) in our calculation, and Wave Pro plus Wave Payroll to $89. Check state coverage and contractor needs before choosing.
Does QuickBooks include payroll?
No. In the US, payroll is sold as QuickBooks Workforce bundles, from $88 a month with Simple Start plus a per-employee fee. In Canada, QuickBooks Payroll starts at C$30 a month plus C$5 per employee.
Does Xero include payroll?
It depends on the country. In Australia, payroll is included on every plan. In the UK and New Zealand, it’s included from Grow (optional per person on Ignite). In the US, it’s Xero Payroll powered by Gusto, at $36 a month plus $6 per person.
