Patriot Payroll sells Basic Payroll for $17 a month plus $4 per worker and Full Service, with tax filings, for $37 plus $5. Gusto's Simple plan, with tax filings included, costs $49 a month plus $6 per person.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Scorecard
Patriot Payroll wins 1Gusto wins 22 ties
Patriot Payroll vs Gusto by dimension
Dimension
Patriot Payroll
Gusto
PricingPatriot's Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker and Basic $17 plus $4. Gusto Simple costs $49 plus $6 per person. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $87 against $109 a month at list price. Patriot sells time and HR as add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each. Time & Attendance add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee, HR Software add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee, Each additional state filed (Full Service Payroll): $12 a month, 1099 e-filing (Basic Payroll): nominal fees1
$37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)
$49/mo + $6/employee/mo
CapabilitiesBoth run unlimited payrolls and pay contractors. Gusto includes benefits, hiring and onboarding, time and HR in its plans. Patriot keeps payroll at its core and adds time, HR and accounting as separate products. Yes2
9 of 12 core capabilities
11 of 12 core capabilities
IntegrationsGusto's App Directory lists 154 integrations, and Gusto documents a REST API and webhooks. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT. 1543
7 documented
8 documented (vendor says 154)
Fit and supportBoth are built for small US businesses. Patriot answers by phone, email and chat 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays; Gusto by phone, email and chat 6am to 6pm MST on weekdays, with a 24/7 help center. Small businesses4
Small businesses
Small businesses
SecurityBoth state SOC 2: Patriot names a SOC 2 Type II report. Gusto states SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports without naming the type, shared after a nondisclosure agreement, and offers single sign-on. Yes5
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's Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker and Basic $17 plus $4. Gusto Simple costs $49 plus $6 per person. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $87 against $109 a month at list price. Patriot sells time and HR as add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.
Capabilities. Both run unlimited payrolls and pay contractors. Gusto includes benefits, hiring and onboarding, time and HR in its plans. Patriot keeps payroll at its core and adds time, HR and accounting as separate products.
Integrations. Gusto's App Directory lists 154 integrations, and Gusto documents a REST API and webhooks. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT.
Fit and support. Both are built for small US businesses. Patriot answers by phone, email and chat 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays; Gusto by phone, email and chat 6am to 6pm MST on weekdays, with a 24/7 help center.
Security. Both state SOC 2: Patriot names a SOC 2 Type II report. Gusto states SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports without naming the type, shared after a nondisclosure agreement, and offers single sign-on.
Neither one?
QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.5/10).
Basic Payroll costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker, and Full Service, which files your payroll taxes, costs $37 plus $5. Each additional state on Full Service adds $12 a month.
Is Patriot Payroll cheaper than Gusto?
Yes, at list price. With tax filing included, Patriot Full Service at 10 employees comes to $87 a month and Gusto Simple to $109. Gusto's plans also include benefits and HR tools that Patriot sells separately.
What are the downsides of Gusto payroll compared with Patriot?
Gusto has a higher list price, $49 a month plus $6 per person on Simple, charges extra for next-day pay on Simple, and offers no free trial. It runs payroll for US employees only, as Patriot does.
Do Patriot Payroll and Gusto offer a free trial?
Patriot offers a free trial; Gusto does not list one. Both bill month to month with no setup fee.
Do Patriot Payroll and Gusto integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, and QuickBooks is among Gusto's notable integrations.
Is Patriot Payroll or Gusto more secure?
Patriot Payroll states SOC 2 Type II (unverified for Gusto). Gusto states HIPAA (unverified for Patriot Payroll).
Who are Patriot Payroll’s biggest competitors?
Patriot Payroll ranks #1 of 15 in our payroll software ranking. Besides Gusto, the highest-scored are QuickBooks Payroll, Square Payroll, and OnPay. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: Patriot Payroll alternatives.
How this page was made
What it is built from
44 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 9, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Our independent review of Nov 6, 2026 asked for changes. 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
Patriot Payroll or Gusto? 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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The 13 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.
Quotes from the sources
Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.” “Optional extras are listed on the pricing page: Time & Attendance and HR Software (each $6/month plus $2 per employee), $12/month for each additional state with Full Service Payroll, and nominal 1099 e-filing fees for Basic Payroll customers.”
Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person” “Every Gusto plan comes with unlimited payroll runs. We'll never charge you extra for things like off-cycle payrolls.”
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.”
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.”
Gusto Payroll (Gusto)“We’ve got all kinds of plans for all sizes of business. Explore all the options. You’ll pay nothing ‘til you’re ready to run payroll.” “Yes, you can run payroll, check payroll status, add and view team members and manage your team all from the Gusto mobile app. Download the iOS app here and the Google Play app here.”
Gusto gusto.com/about/contact“Our sales and support teams at Gusto are available to help you via phone, email, and chat Monday through Friday 6am – 6pm MST. For expedited support, sign in to your Gusto account.”
Gusto gusto.com/about“Launched in 2012 as ZenPayroll, Gusto serves more than 500,000 businesses nationwide.” “Our small business platform helps businesses take care of their hardworking teams.”
Gusto gusto.com/about/privacy“Gusto, Inc. Attn: Legal Privacy 525 20th Street San Francisco, CA 94107”
Gusto gusto.com/security“Gusto uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host its production servers, databases, and supporting services.” “We follow HIPAA guidelines to safeguard our customers’ protected health information (PHI). Additionally, we maintain business associate agreements (BAAs) between employers and Gusto, along with any third parties, like insurance companies.”
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
High confidence: at least 80% of the critical facts are verified on primary sources.
Medium confidence: at least 50% are; the rest are missing or rely on secondary sources.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.
