Gym payroll · September 20, 2026
Best payroll software for gyms (2026)
Coaches, front desk, and a payday that files. A class-booking OS is not a substitute for tax deposits.
By Gregory GreensteinUpdated September 20, 2026Affiliate disclosure
Gym payroll is hourly plus a fight about whether the yoga teacher is a contractor. The job is: hours or class rates become a check, withhold, file, and not surprise the floor on Friday. Mindbody-class studio software may include or sit next to payday — confirm the live package. We rank payroll products here, not class-pack merchandising.
Gusto publishes a bill. Homebase wins when the schedule is the leak. Square wins when the front desk already lives in Square. ADP RUN is a quote for boards that want the brand. Paychex is the other quote — see Paychex vs ADP rather than a fifth row.
Salon payroll is the sibling if you are booths and tips. Retail payroll is the sibling if you sell merch and have associates, not coaches. Healthcare-practice payroll if you are PT with a clinic, not a box gym.
Prices as of September 21, 2026. Classification of coaches is a legal question. This is not wage-and-hour or tax advice. We are not your accountant.
The short list
Public list prices as of September 20, 2026. Promos change. Confirm on the vendor page before you buy.
| # | Product | Best for | Public starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gusto | Studios that want published pricing without a class-OS lock-in | Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state. | 8.4 |
| 2 | Homebase | Gyms whose actual leak is the schedule, then payday | Scheduling plans are published on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a free tier plus paid location plans; a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid. | 8.2 |
| 3 | Square Payroll | Studios already taking cards and class packs on Square | Full-service $35/mo + $6 per person paid that month. Contractor-only $6 per contractor paid, no base fee. | 8.1 |
| 4 | ADP RUN | Multi-location groups whose CPA or broker already lives in ADP | Quote-only. Packages are Essential, Enhanced, Complete, and HR Pro. | 7.4 |
01
Gusto
Studios that want published pricing without a class-OS lock-in
Public pricing: Simple $49/mo + $6/person; Plus $80 + $12; Premium $180 + $22. Contractor Only $35 + $6. Simple is single-state.
Gusto public pricing (gusto.com/product/pricing), reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
Hours already live on Square. Square Payroll is the narrower buy. Or the schedule is the weekly fire — Homebase.
Why it ranks
- A owner can estimate ten coaches on a napkin.
- Full-service US filings, with 1099s if coaches are contractors — classification is on you.
- Benefits sit next to payday when you hire a salaried GM.
- Pairs with QBO and Xero, where many studio books already live.
Watch-outs
- Simple is single-state. A second box in another state usually means Plus.
- Not a class scheduler. Mindbody or your booking OS is a different job.
- You will export hours from somewhere. That export is the failure mode.
- Do not buy Premium for a 8-person studio.
02
Homebase
Gyms whose actual leak is the schedule, then payday
Public pricing: Scheduling plans are published on joinhomebase.com/pricing (a free tier plus paid location plans; a $120/mo plan appears on the public card). Payroll add-on $39/mo + $6 per employee paid.
Homebase official pricing (joinhomebase.com/pricing), reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You already have a schedule that works and only need tax filing. Homebase is a labor app that added payroll.
Why it ranks
- The schedule is where studios bleed overtime and no-shows. Payroll that sits on that schedule is the point.
- Hourly front desk already lives in Homebase for availability and swap.
- Payroll add-on math is public: $39 + $6 PEPM.
- Better default than a generic HRIS for a 20-person hourly mix.
Watch-outs
- Budget scheduling + payroll, not payroll alone.
- Location-priced plans add up at a second studio.
- Tax filing still needs clean setup.
- Coach 1099 vs W-2 is still counsel.
03
Square Payroll
Studios already taking cards and class packs on Square
Public pricing: Full-service $35/mo + $6 per person paid that month. Contractor-only $6 per contractor paid, no base fee.
Square Payroll pricing (squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing), reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You are not on Square and do not plan to be. Compare Gusto without dragging in a new POS.
Why it ranks
- Hours can come from Square Team instead of a third timesheet.
- Published math next to Gusto — $35 + $6 vs $49 + $6.
- Same login family as the front-desk card and Appointments.
- Contractor-only is honest if coaches are 1099s — still a classification question.
Watch-outs
- Per-person fees apply in months you pay them. Seasonal coaches still show up.
- Multi-state and multi-EIN limits exist.
- Benefits are partner add-ons, not the $35.
- If Mindbody is the OS, do not dual-stack Square just for a $14 base-fee delta.
04
ADP RUN
Multi-location groups whose CPA or broker already lives in ADP
Public pricing: Quote-only. Packages are Essential, Enhanced, Complete, and HR Pro.
ADP RUN pages, reviewed September 21, 2026.
Skip if
You do not have a written quote. Brand is not a rate card.
Why it ranks
- Lenders and some franchise systems already know the logo.
- A path into broader HCM if you actually become a group.
- Filings and garnishments are why the brand exists.
- See Gusto vs ADP RUN for the published fork.
Watch-outs
- No napkin. No comparison.
- Implementation is a project a single box often regrets.
- Not a class-booking OS.
- Paychex is the other quote — get both in writing. See Paychex vs ADP.
How we picked
The job is US studio payday: mixed coaches and desk, filings, a time source people will use. We scored published pricing, schedule adjacency, and quote friction. Mindbody stays off as a studio OS unless you treat payroll as a line on their quote. AI programming tools stay on Aiacent.
Twelve people paid in a month: Square Payroll $35 + $72 = $107. Gusto Simple $49 + $72 = $121 (one state). Homebase payroll $39 + $72 = $111 plus scheduling. ADP is a quote. If coaches are 1099, Gusto Contractor Only is $35 + $6 each — still a classification question, not a savings plan.
Who should skip this page
- PT clinics — healthcare-practice payroll.
- Retail-only merch shops — retail payroll.
- Franchisees required onto a corporate HCM.
- Owners with no W-2s yet. Open banking and a ledger first.