SurePayroll is an Online payroll for small businesses by SurePayroll, Inc. (subsidiary of Paychex). This profile pulls together SurePayroll's ratings across the major review sites, its company and funding details, leadership, features, pricing, and the latest news, with every external source cited at the bottom.
About SurePayroll, Inc. (subsidiary of Paychex)
SurePayroll is an online payroll service built specifically for small businesses with typically 1-10 employees. Founded in 2000 in Glenview, Illinois, SurePayroll was one of the early web-based payroll services before Paychex acquired it in 2011. Post-acquisition, it has continued to operate as a distinct, lower-cost brand targeting the micro and small business segment that Paychex's main platform does not reach as efficiently. The platform handles payroll tax calculations, federal and state filings, direct deposits, and year-end W-2 and 1099 processing through a straightforward self-service interface. SurePayroll also offers a nanny payroll product for household employers, which is a fairly unique differentiator in the market.
| Category | Online payroll for small businesses |
| Company | SurePayroll, Inc. (subsidiary of Paychex) |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Glenview, Illinois, US |
| Industry | Financial Services · Online payroll for small businesses |
| Team size | ~300 (SurePayroll; parent Paychex ~16,000) |
| Ownership | Private subsidiary of Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX; acquired 2011) |
| Founder / CEO | Ron Becht (founder, 2000) |
| Specialties | Payroll processing, automatic tax filing, direct deposit, nanny payroll, household employer payroll, W-2 and 1099 filing |
| Website | surepayroll.com |
Find SurePayroll on: Crunchbase · LinkedIn · G2 · Capterra
SurePayroll ratings across the web
Aggregated from the major review platforms. Each links to the source.
Also rated: TrustRadius 7.4/10 (90).
Rating breakdown
Per-category scores from Capterra SurePayroll (~260 reviews).
Who uses SurePayroll
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What people say about SurePayroll
Our synthesis across ~350 G2 reviews at 4.0/5 and ~260 Capterra reviews at 4.2/5, plus TrustRadius. No fabricated quotes, this is the consistent pattern across reviews and third-party analyses.
Most praised
- Price is the most cited positive; at roughly $19.99/mo plus $4 per employee, SurePayroll is one of the more affordable full-service payroll options for teams under 10
- Setup is genuinely fast; reviewers regularly say the first payroll run is complete within a few hours of signing up, with guided prompts walking through each step
- The nanny and household employer payroll product draws strong praise from that specific niche, offering a cleaner experience than trying to run household payroll through a business-focused tool
Most cited complaints
- Customer support quality is the most common complaint; phone wait times can stretch and some reviewers report being transferred multiple times without resolution
- Limited HR functionality: SurePayroll covers payroll and not much else; no onboarding tools, no PTO management, and no benefits administration
- Some reviewers report unexpected pricing increases at renewal and frustration with the difficulty of canceling or switching platforms
What we found testing it
What's great
- Multi-state costs a flat $9.99/mo no matter how many states, which beats every per-state and per-tier model here for a scattered remote team
- A purpose-built household employer plan for nanny and caregiver payroll, the only one in this comparison
- AutoPayroll runs on schedule without a weekly click once it is configured
Watch-outs
- 4.0/5 on G2 from 3,042 reviews, with phone waits of 45+ minutes as the dominant complaint
- No digital onboarding tools, so every new hire is manual data entry done by the owner
- The $7 per employee rate crosses above Gusto and OnPay at 40 people, $309/mo against $289/mo
SurePayroll funding & ownership
| Round | Amount | Date | Lead investor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed / early funding | Undisclosed | 2000-2010 | Private investors |
| Acquisition | Undisclosed | 2011 | Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) |
Low risk. SurePayroll is fully backed by Paychex, one of the largest and most financially stable payroll companies in the US. The Paychex parent has approximately $5.3 billion in annual revenue and is a dividend-paying public company. SurePayroll's brand and platform continue to be maintained as a low-cost entry point into the Paychex ecosystem. The main strategic risk is that Paychex could someday retire the SurePayroll brand and migrate customers upmarket to Paychex Flex, but there is no current indication of that.
SurePayroll features & integrations
Security & compliance
| Standard | Availability |
|---|---|
| GDPR | Yes |
| HIPAA | No |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes |
| SSO / SAML | No |
Integrations: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, Wave Accounting, Freshbooks, AccountEdge, Time Doctor, When I Work, ZipRecruiter, and Paychex HR (parent platform).
SurePayroll leadership
SurePayroll pricing
| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Service | ~$19.99/mo + $4/employee/mo | Small businesses wanting automatic federal and state payroll tax filing included |
| Self Service | Lower base fee + $4/employee/mo | Small businesses comfortable handling state tax filings themselves in exchange for a lower monthly cost |
| Nanny / Household | ~$49.99/mo (one household employee) | Household employers paying a nanny, housekeeper, or caregiver |
The catch: SurePayroll's advertised starting price is approximately $19.99/mo base plus $4 per employee per month for its Full Service plan, which includes automatic tax filing. A Self Service plan with a lower base fee exists for employers who want to handle state tax filings themselves. The nanny payroll product has its own pricing, typically around $49.99/mo for one household employee. Published prices are promotional and renewal rates may differ, so confirm the post-promotion price in writing before committing.
SurePayroll alternatives & where it appears
Featured in our guides
SurePayroll product changelog
What SurePayroll has actually shipped, summarized from its own release notes and dated. Not auto-generated, updated as part of our freshness checks.
- June 10, 2026
Mobile payroll approval on iOS and Android
SurePayroll added the ability to review and approve payroll runs directly from the mobile app, reducing the need to log in via desktop for routine payroll approvals.
Source - March 25, 2026
1099-NEC e-filing workflow update
Updated 1099-NEC filing workflow now handles multiple EINs in a single filing session, a frequently requested feature from clients with multiple business entities.
Source - December 15, 2025
2025 tax table updates
Federal and all-state tax tables updated in SurePayroll ahead of the 2026 tax year, with automatic calculation recalibration for all active accounts.
Source
Latest SurePayroll news
Auto-pulled from Google News, refreshed on each deploy. Headlines link to the source.
- 10 Best Nanny Payroll Services Of 2026 - ForbesWed, 02 Sep 2026
- Patriot Software vs SurePayroll - 2026 Comparison - Software AdviceTue, 07 Apr 2026
- Best Payroll Service for Household Employers - Business News DailyWed, 22 Apr 2026
- SurePayroll Review 2026: Features, Pros And Cons - ForbesThu, 15 Jan 2026
- Surepayroll Central Serverpitpoint Detail - Oma ErtoMon, 10 Aug 2026
- SurePayroll Review - PCMagFri, 05 May 2023
SurePayroll FAQs
How much does SurePayroll cost?
SurePayroll's Full Service plan starts at approximately $19.99 per month plus $4 per employee per month and includes automatic federal and state payroll tax filing. A Self Service plan with a lower base fee handles calculations but leaves state filings to the employer. Household payroll is separately priced at around $49.99/mo. Promotional rates apply for new accounts; confirm the renewal price before signing up.
Is SurePayroll owned by Paychex?
Yes. Paychex acquired SurePayroll in 2011. SurePayroll continues to operate as a distinct brand and platform targeting the micro-business and household employer segment, while Paychex Flex serves larger SMBs and mid-market companies.
Does SurePayroll file payroll taxes automatically?
Yes, on the Full Service plan. SurePayroll calculates, deposits, and files federal and state payroll taxes, and handles year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC distribution and filing. On the Self Service plan, only federal taxes are fully managed; state tax deposits and filings are the employer's responsibility.
Does SurePayroll offer nanny payroll?
Yes. SurePayroll's household payroll product is one of the more established in the market, handling the specific tax and compliance requirements for nanny, caregiver, and housekeeper employers. It covers Schedule H, state household employment taxes, and W-2 issuance.
Who is SurePayroll best for?
SurePayroll is best for solo business owners and micro-teams of 1-10 employees who want a no-frills payroll service at a low monthly cost. It is also a strong option for household employers who need nanny payroll. If you need HR tools, benefits, or PTO management alongside payroll, Gusto or Paychex Flex are better fits.
Sources
Every external figure on this page traces to a public source, last collected on the dates shown.
- G2: SurePayroll reviews — rating 4.0/5, ~350 reviews (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Capterra: SurePayroll — rating 4.2/5, ~260 reviews, sub-scores, demographics (accessed 2026-08-30)
- TrustRadius: SurePayroll — score 7.4/10, ~90 reviews (accessed 2026-08-30)
- SurePayroll pricing page — Full Service vs. Self Service pricing confirmed (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Crunchbase: SurePayroll — founding, Paychex acquisition 2011 (accessed 2026-08-30)
- LinkedIn: SurePayroll company page — employee count, HQ, specialties (accessed 2026-08-30)
- Paychex: SurePayroll acquisition announcement — 2011 acquisition, SurePayroll brand continuity (accessed 2026-08-30)