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LeadChange Group

OnPay vs Patriot Payroll

OnPay7.6/10

Patriot Payroll8.7/10

Scored in Payroll Software

The short answer

Patriot Payroll is the lower-priced of the two: Basic Payroll costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker and Full Service, which files and deposits taxes, $37 plus $5. OnPay costs $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with multi-state payroll, W-2s and 1099s included.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 13 sources, most recently checked

OnPay

Starting price
$49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)1
Best for
Small businesses that want payroll with taxes and year-end forms included

Choose OnPay if

  • You pay workers in several states: OnPay’s price includes multi-state payroll; Patriot adds $12 a month per extra state.
  • You want benefits administration where you pay only the premiums.
  • You want phone support until 8 p.m. ET on weekdays.
  • You want live HR support from the payroll vendor ($65 a month add-on).

OnPay plans and pricesOnPay alternatives

Patriot Payroll

Starting price
$37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)2
Best for
US small businesses that want payroll at a low published price

Choose Patriot Payroll if

  • You want the lowest published price: $17 a month plus $4 per worker.
  • You want penalties from Patriot’s own errors covered (Full Service).
  • You run several businesses: one umbrella login covers them.
  • You need up to 25 pay rates per employee.

Patriot Payroll pricingPatriot Payroll alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

OnPay wins 1Patriot Payroll wins 13 ties

OnPay vs Patriot Payroll by dimension
DimensionOnPayPatriot Payroll
PricingPatriot lists Basic Payroll at $17 a month plus $4 per worker and Full Service at $37 plus $5. OnPay lists $49 plus $6, with W-2s, 1099s and multi-state payroll included.$49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)$37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)
CapabilitiesBoth run unlimited payrolls, pay contractors and sell HR and time tracking as add-ons. OnPay adds benefits administration and live HR support; Patriot adds a separate accounting product. Yes110 of 12 core capabilities9 of 12 core capabilities
IntegrationsOnPay lists 9 integrations, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, JazzHR and TurboTax. Patriot connects to QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT. 9 marketplace listings (our count, Nov 4, 2026)39 native7 documented
Fit and supportOnPay serves small and mid-size businesses, with phone support from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Patriot serves small businesses, with phone, email and chat support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Small businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses, mid-market companiesSmall businesses
SecurityBoth state SOC 2 Type II. Yes5SOC 2SOC 2

OnPay or Patriot Payroll: what matters most to you?

We match on verified product facts for this need, never on who pays us.

Key differences

Where OnPay and Patriot Payroll differ (3)
AttributeOnPayPatriot Payroll
Best forSmall businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses6
Founded2011420027
HeadquartersAtlanta, Georgia8Canton, Ohio, US9
Show 9 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (9)
AttributeOnPayPatriot Payroll
Pricing modelBase fee + per employee1Base fee + per employee2
Price transparencyPublished1Published2
Free trial102
Contract termMonthly11Monthly2
SOC 2 Type II512
Support channelsPhone, email, chat1Phone, email, chat2
Automatic tax filing12
Contractor payments12
OwnershipPrivate4Private12

Price by headcount

  • OnPay Payroll Essentials$49/mo base1 + $6/employee/mo1
  • Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll$37/mo base2 + $5/employee/mo2
Estimated list price per month by scenario
EmployeesOnPay Payroll EssentialsPatriot Payroll Full Service Payroll
10$109/mo$87/mo (lowest)
50$349/mo$287/mo (lowest)
200$1,249/mo$1,037/mo (lowest)

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Patriot lists Basic Payroll at $17 a month plus $4 per worker and Full Service at $37 plus $5. OnPay lists $49 plus $6, with W-2s, 1099s and multi-state payroll included.

Capabilities. Both run unlimited payrolls, pay contractors and sell HR and time tracking as add-ons. OnPay adds benefits administration and live HR support; Patriot adds a separate accounting product.

Integrations. OnPay lists 9 integrations, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, JazzHR and TurboTax. Patriot connects to QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT.

Fit and support. OnPay serves small and mid-size businesses, with phone support from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Patriot serves small businesses, with phone, email and chat support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Security. Both state SOC 2 Type II.

Neither one?

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.5/10).

From $50/mo + $7/employee/mo13

QuickBooks Payroll review

Frequently asked questions

How much is OnPay per month compared with Patriot?

OnPay costs $49 a month plus $6 per worker, so 10 workers cost $109 a month. Patriot’s Full Service costs $37 plus $5, $87 for 10 workers, and Basic Payroll, where you file taxes yourself, $17 plus $4, or $57.

Is OnPay trustworthy?

OnPay has run payroll since 2011 from Atlanta and states SOC 2 Type II. It offers an accuracy guarantee on payroll and tax filings. Patriot, founded in 2002 in Canton, Ohio, also states SOC 2 Type II.

Which plan files my payroll taxes, OnPay or Patriot?

OnPay’s single payroll plan includes federal, state and local tax filings. At Patriot, Full Service files and deposits federal, state and most local taxes and includes year-end forms such as the 940, 941 and W-2; on Basic Payroll you file and deposit them yourself.

What do OnPay and Patriot charge for extra states?

OnPay includes multi-state payroll in its price. Patriot’s Full Service charges $12 a month for each additional state filed, so workers in three states add $24 a month.

Do OnPay and Patriot offer employee benefits?

OnPay runs benefits administration for medical, dental, vision, life, disability, HSA, FSA, commuter and 401(k) plans; you pay only the premiums. Patriot offers 401(k) through Vestwell, a health benefits integration and pay-as-you-go workers' comp through ERGO NEXT.

Can I try OnPay or Patriot for free?

Both offer a free trial, and neither charges a setup fee. OnPay also migrates your payroll data at no cost, and Patriot offers free setup assistance or a self-service setup wizard.

Is OnPay cheaper than Patriot Payroll?

No, at list price: for 25 employees Patriot Payroll comes to $162 a month and OnPay to $199 on their lowest published plans, before add-ons. Patriot Payroll pricing lists every plan.

Do OnPay and Patriot Payroll offer a free trial?

Yes, both list a free trial.

Who are OnPay’s biggest competitors?

OnPay ranks #5 of 15 in our payroll software ranking. Besides Patriot Payroll, the highest-scored are QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, and Square Payroll. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: OnPay alternatives.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    36 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 4, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

OnPay or Patriot Payroll? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices.

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OnPay vs Patriot Payroll

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Sources

The 13 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “Unlimited pay runs and schedules”
  2. Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.” “Our payroll is a flat monthly fee + per worker paid fee. Run as many payrolls as you need. We'll bill you in arrears each month.”
  3. OnPay onpay.com/app-directory“QuickBooks Online”
  4. Hypepotamus hypepotamus.com/startup-news/onpay-atlanta-raises-100-million“The funds will be used to further its mission of supporting small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) across the United States, according to a press release.” “OnPay, a payroll and HR platform founded in 2011, announced it had raised over $100 million in a combination of a $63 million Series B round and a debt facility.”
  5. OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
  6. Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/payroll“Many reviews consider Patriot Payroll the best payroll software for small business thanks to its affordability, usability, and customer support.”
  7. Built In builtinla.com/company/patriot-software-llc“Year Founded: 2002”
  8. OnPay (press release, Business Wire, Jan. 2020) businesswire.com/news/home/20200120005034/en“The company, headquartered in Atlanta, provides payroll, HR, and benefits services to more than 10,000 clients across the United States.”
  9. Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/blog/press/patriot-software-10000-customers“Patriot Software, located in Canton Ohio, provides online payroll and accounting software for small businesses.”
  10. OnPay onpay.com“Get one month free”
  11. OnPay onpay.com/terms-of-service“The Service will continue until such time as Client or Service Bureau gives thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, unless termination is for cause.”
  12. Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/about“As a SOC 2 Type II compliant organization, we follow rigorous data protection standards and adhere to all required federal privacy, anti-fraud, and security regulations.” “He said that we could service our customers better if we stayed private.”
  13. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“WORKFORCE PAYROLL Pay your team and get payroll taxes done for you. $50 + $7/employee”

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.