Finally, payroll that scales with your business.
No monthly fees. No contracts. One simple Platform Fee, only when you run payroll.
How our pricing works
No monthly fee · No contracts · Only pay fees when you run payroll · Fees scale with gross pay and employee count
If your bank rejects an ACH debit, Stripe charges a $4.00 return fee that is passed through at cost.
What you'll actually pay
Annual costs for common small-business payroll scenarios.
| Scenario | CheckMate Pay-per-run | Square $35/mo + $6/emp | Gusto $49/mo + $6/emp | QuickBooks $50/mo + $6.50/emp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Self-employed Paying yourself $6,000/mo, once a month | $291.63 /yr ($200.37 savings) | $492.00 /yr | $660.00 /yr | $678.00 /yr |
Housekeeper 1 employee at $600/mo, bi-weekly | $140.46 /yr ($351.54 savings) | $492.00 /yr | $660.00 /yr | $678.00 /yr |
Cafe 5 part-time employees, $3,000/mo total, semi-monthly | $582.31 /yr ($197.69 savings) | $780.00 /yr | $948.00 /yr | $990.00 /yr |
Seasonal Events 20 employees, $10k/mo, semi-monthly, 3-month season | $390.26 /yr ($74.74 savings) 3 active months | $465.00 * /yr | $2,028.00 /yr charged year-round | $2,160.00 /yr charged year-round |
Self-employed
Paying yourself $6,000/mo, once a month
Housekeeper
1 employee at $600/mo, bi-weekly
Cafe
5 part-time employees, $3,000/mo total, semi-monthly
Seasonal Events
20 employees, $10k/mo, semi-monthly, 3-month season
* Square's seasonal price is only this low if you remember to pause your account during off months. Gusto and QuickBooks do not offer account pausing. CheckMate never needs to be paused — you pay $0 in months you don't run payroll. Competitor pricing as of June 2026.
Estimate your cost
Enter your payroll details and see exactly what you'll pay.
Monthly breakdown (2 runs)
Employer taxes
Stripe costs
Estimates based on 6.2% SS, 1.45% Medicare, and 2026 single-filer federal brackets assuming evenly-distributed wages. Actual amounts vary by filing status, W-4 elections, and state.
Frequently asked questions
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