Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Clair vs OnPay

Clair logo

Clair

Payroll

On demand pay advances funded by a partner bank with no fee to the employee

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OnPay logo

OnPay

Payroll

Single-plan United States payroll with unlimited pay runs and support for awkward tax situations other providers avoid

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clair advance limits start around $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays, so it covers a shift level cash gap and not a genuine emergency.; OnPay onPay operates only in the United States, so the first international hire means a second payroll vendor and a separate compliance model.
  • They diverge on capability: Clair covers Embedded enrolment, OnPay covers Single plan.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clair and OnPay actually diverge.

Attributes where Clair and OnPay differ
AttributeClairOnPay
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Clair

  • Embedded enrolment
  • Bank issued advances
  • Clair spending account and card
  • Free standard delivery
  • Instant delivery option
  • Progressive limits
  • Automatic repayment
  • No interest or late fees

Only in OnPay

  • Single plan
  • Tax filing and payment
  • Vertical payroll support
  • Benefits brokerage
  • Workers compensation
  • Contractor payments
  • Basic HR tools
  • Accounting integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Clair

  • A restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contractnot OnPay
  • A small business on QuickBooks Payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll productnot OnPay
  • An employer that wants a fee free option to be the default rather than a paid upgradenot OnPay
  • A shift based operator using early pay access as a shift fill incentive without changing payroll timingnot OnPay

OnPay

  • A farm running agricultural payroll that needs Form 943 rather than the standard quarterly filingnot Clair
  • A church or nonprofit with clergy compensation rules that mainstream providers decline to handlenot Clair
  • A restaurant group needing tip credit and minimum wage make-up calculated correctly each pay periodnot Clair
  • A small business that wants one price for payroll rather than a tiered plan it has to keep upgradingnot Clair

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Clair

  • Advance limits start around $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays, so it covers a shift level cash gap and not a genuine emergency.
  • Instant delivery to an existing bank account costs the employee $4.99, so the free path in practice means opening a Clair account and card that the employee did not previously want.
  • The business depends on interchange from the Clair spending account, which means the design nudges workers to move their pay to a new account rather than keep their existing bank.
  • Availability is tied to payroll and scheduling partners, so an employer on an unsupported payroll system cannot buy Clair directly.
  • Advances are issued by Pathward, N.A. rather than Clair, so the terms and eligibility rules for the product ultimately sit with a bank that the employer has no contract with.

OnPay

  • OnPay operates only in the United States, so the first international hire means a second payroll vendor and a separate compliance model.
  • There is no native mobile application, only a responsive web interface, which employers with field or shift-based staff notice immediately.
  • The HR functionality is administrative and does not replace an HRIS, so performance, learning and any real workflow automation need another product.
  • Time and attendance is handled through integrations rather than natively, meaning hours arrive from a third-party system that has to be reconciled when it disagrees with payroll.
  • Reporting is functional but limited, and companies that want cost analysis by department, project or location generally export to a spreadsheet rather than build it in the product.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clair

On request
  • Clair on demand pay$undefined/year
    • No published employer cost; delivered through payroll and scheduling partners
    • Standard one to three business day advances are free to the employee
    • Instant transfer to an external bank account costs $4.99

OnPay

On request
  • OnPay$undefined/month
    • One published plan combining a flat monthly base fee with a per person charge
    • No feature tiers, upgrades or add-on modules
    • Unlimited pay runs and multi-state filing included

Which should you pick?

Choose Clair if

  • You need embedded enrolment.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bank issued advances.
Clair review

Choose OnPay if

  • You need single plan.
  • You also want tax filing and payment.
OnPay review

Questions people ask

Is Clair or OnPay better?
Neither clearly leads. Clair starts at On request and OnPay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clair or OnPay?
Clair starts at On request and OnPay at On request.
Does Clair or OnPay run on more platforms?
Clair runs on Web, iOS, Android. OnPay runs on Web.
What is Clair best used for?
Clair is most often used for a restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contract, a small business on quickbooks payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll product, an employer that wants a fee free option to be the default rather than a paid upgrade, a shift based operator using early pay access as a shift fill incentive without changing payroll timing. Of those, a restaurant group already on 7shifts wanting on demand pay without adding another vendor contract and a small business on quickbooks payroll enabling early wage access inside its existing payroll product are not what OnPay is typically brought in for.
What can Clair do that OnPay cannot?
Clair covers Embedded enrolment, Bank issued advances, Clair spending account and card, Free standard delivery. OnPay covers Single plan, Tax filing and payment, Vertical payroll support, Benefits brokerage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clair: Does the employee pay a fee?

Not for standard one to three business day advances, and not for instant access into the Clair spending account. Instant transfer to an outside bank account costs $4.99.

OnPay: How is OnPay priced?

As a single published plan with a flat monthly base fee plus a charge per person paid, with no feature tiers. Contractors are charged at the same per person rate as employees.

Clair: How much can an employee advance?

Up to about $100 per advance and roughly $200 between paydays to start, with limits rising after consistent repayment.

OnPay: Does it handle payroll outside the United States?

No. It is US-only, in all fifty states, including multi-state filing at no extra cost.

Clair: Can I buy Clair if I do not use a partner payroll system?

Generally no. It is distributed through payroll and scheduling platforms such as Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll and 7shifts.

OnPay: Why do farms and churches use it?

It supports Form 943 agricultural filing, clergy housing allowance and Social Security exemption rules, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit payroll, which several larger providers do not.

OnPay: Is there a mobile app?

No. Employers and employees use a responsive web interface, which is a genuine gap for shift-based workforces.

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