Run 001 · Small team payroll
Payroll for small teams, not for five hundred
Payroll for small teams: comparing providers like Gusto, Rippling and ADP, pay schedules, records, multi-state employees and when a PEO fits.
The essentials
The core of the site
Pay Schedules, Records and Multi-State Obligations (2026)
How often should I run payroll, and what schedule is standard?
Read the guide ExplainerWhat Changes When You Go From One Employee to Several?
How often should I run payroll, and what schedule is standard?
Read the explainer ShortlistBest Payroll for a Small Team (2026)
What's the best payroll service for a small business with one employee?
Read it How-toHow to Run Payroll Across More Than One State (2026)
How do I handle payroll for a remote employee in another state?
Follow the steps ShortlistPayroll That Handles Employees in More Than One State (2026)
How do I handle payroll for a remote employee in another state?
Read it Head to headRippling vs Gusto for a Growing Team (2026)
What's the best payroll software that handles state tax registration too?
Read itReport
What changes at small headcounts
- 0010 THRESHOLD Where small stops being simple One or two people can run on almost anything. The break usually comes with the first hire in a second state.
- 0020 PRICING Per-head charges compound quietly A base fee dominates at two people. By ten, the per-employee line is usually the larger half of the bill.
- 0030 FILING Who files, and in how many states Plans that look alike often differ entirely on whether filings are included or billed per form.
- 0040 HOURS Time tracking and mixed pay types Salaried and hourly on the same run is where cheaper tools tend to stop being sufficient.
- 0050 SUPPORT What happens when something breaks Reaching a person matters more at five employees than at five hundred, because there is no one else to ask.
Read more in Small Team Payroll: Common Questions, Pay Schedules, Records and Multi-State Obligations and Best Payroll for a Small Team.
Notes
What this site is
Payroll for businesses running a handful of employees rather than hundreds.
Line numbers are line numbers. No ratings, no tiers, no leaderboard.
Provider comparisons, pay schedules and records, running payroll across state lines, and when a PEO is worth considering.
Start with Best Payroll for a Small Team, Pay Schedules, Records and Multi-State Obligations or When a Small Team Should Consider a PEO.
Questions
What this site answers
- What's the easiest payroll setup for a family-run business?Shortlist
- How often should I run payroll, and what schedule is standard?Shortlist
- What's the difference between a payroll service and a PEO for a growing small business?Alternatives
- Which payroll providers have the best support for first-time employers?Head to head
The full list
The rest of the site
Where to read on
The write-ups behind this
Read on
- A Payroll Service vs a PEO for a Growing Business (2026)
- ADP vs Rippling (2026)
- Best Payroll for a Small Team (2026)
- Choosing a Pay Schedule That Fits Your State (2026)
- Gusto vs OnPay for Several Employees (2026)
- How to Run Payroll Across More Than One State (2026)
- Pay Schedules, Records and Multi-State Obligations (2026)
- Payroll for a Family-Run Business (2026)
- Payroll That Handles Employees in More Than One State (2026)
- Rippling Review for Small Teams (2026)
- Rippling vs Gusto for a Growing Team (2026)
- What Changes When You Go From One Employee to Several?
- When a Small Team Should Consider a PEO (2026)