Independent research on 267 HR & workforce products. Facts checked against vendors’ official documentation.

We may earn a referral fee. We may earn a referral feeHow we make money

LeadChange Group

QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll8.5/10

Patriot Payroll8.7/10

Scored in Payroll Software

The short answer

QuickBooks Payroll starts at $50 a month plus $7 per employee and rises to $134 plus $17 on Workforce Elite, adding time tracking, hiring and HR tools on its higher plans. Patriot Payroll sells Basic for $17 a month plus $4 per worker and Full Service, with tax filings, for $37 plus $5.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 14 sources, most recently checked

QuickBooks Payroll

Starting price
$50/mo + $7/employee/mo1
Best for
QuickBooks Online users who want payroll in the same Intuit account

Choose QuickBooks Payroll if

  • You want next-day or same-day direct deposit.
  • You want time tracking, scheduling, hiring and onboarding on Workforce Premium ($88 plus $13 per employee).
  • You want tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year on Workforce Elite.
  • You want native iOS and Android apps for employees.

What QuickBooks Payroll costsQuickBooks Payroll competitors

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

  • Budget comes first: Basic costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker.
  • You want tax filing from $37 a month plus $5 per worker.
  • You want free direct deposit and unlimited payrolls.
  • You already use QuickBooks Online or Desktop for your books.

Patriot Payroll pricingAlternatives to Patriot Payroll

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

QuickBooks Payroll wins 2Patriot Payroll wins 12 ties

QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll by dimension
DimensionQuickBooks PayrollPatriot Payroll
PricingPatriot Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll costs $50 plus $7. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $87 against $120 a month at list price.$50/mo + $7/employee/mo$37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)
CapabilitiesQuickBooks Payroll adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, time off and HR workflows on its higher plans. Patriot sells time and HR as add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each. Payroll, Time tracking, Hiring and onboarding, Time-off management, HR workflows, Benefits administration110 of 12 core capabilities9 of 12 core capabilities
IntegrationsPatriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell and SimplyInsured. QuickBooks Payroll documents a GraphQL API and webhooks. GraphQL36 documented7 documented
Fit and supportPatriot is built for small US businesses, with phone, email and chat support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and mid-market companies, with weekend support on its higher plans. Small businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses, mid-market companiesSmall businesses
SecurityIntuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Patriot states SOC 2 Type II. Yes (company-level, product not named)5SOC 2, ISO 27001SOC 2

QuickBooks Payroll 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 QuickBooks Payroll and Patriot Payroll differ (7)
AttributeQuickBooks PayrollPatriot Payroll
Best forSmall businesses, mid-market companies4Small businesses6
Mobile appsiOS (QuickBooks Workforce), Android (QuickBooks Workforce)7Mobile web (no app to install)2
SOC 2 Type II58
Support channelsPhone, chat, online support hub and community9Phone, email, chat2
Founded198410200211
HeadquartersMountain View, California, US10Canton, Ohio, US12
OwnershipPublicly traded10Private8
Show 8 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (8)
AttributeQuickBooks PayrollPatriot Payroll
Pricing modelBase fee + per employee1Base fee + per employee2
Price transparencyPublished1Published2
Free trial92
Free plan12
Contract termMonthly1Monthly2
DeploymentCloud13Cloud2
Automatic tax filing42
Contractor payments42

Price by headcount

  • QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll$50/mo base1 + $7/employee/mo1
  • Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll$37/mo base2 + $5/employee/mo2
Estimated list price per month by scenario
EmployeesQuickBooks Payroll Workforce PayrollPatriot Payroll Full Service Payroll
10$120/mo$87/mo (lowest)
50$400/mo$287/mo (lowest)
200$1,450/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 Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll costs $50 plus $7. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $87 against $120 a month at list price.

Capabilities. QuickBooks Payroll adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, time off and HR workflows on its higher plans. Patriot sells time and HR as add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.

Integrations. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell and SimplyInsured. QuickBooks Payroll documents a GraphQL API and webhooks.

Fit and support. Patriot is built for small US businesses, with phone, email and chat support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and mid-market companies, with weekend support on its higher plans.

Security. Intuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. Patriot states SOC 2 Type II.

Neither one?

Gusto

Gusto has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.1/10).

From $49/mo + $6/employee/mo14

Gusto review

Frequently asked questions

Does Patriot Payroll integrate with QuickBooks Online?

Yes. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop among its integrations.

Is QuickBooks discontinuing payroll?

No. Intuit sells QuickBooks Payroll today as three Workforce plans, from $50 a month plus $7 per employee to $134 plus $17.

How fast is direct deposit with each?

QuickBooks Payroll pays next day, or same day on Workforce Premium and Elite. Patriot's standard is four days, or two days for qualifying customers.

Do QuickBooks Payroll and Patriot offer free trials?

Yes, both offer a free trial.

Is Patriot better than QuickBooks Payroll?

For price, yes: Patriot Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker against $50 plus $7 for QuickBooks Workforce Payroll. QuickBooks pays faster and adds time, hiring and HR tools on its higher plans.

Is QuickBooks Payroll or Patriot Payroll more secure?

Both QuickBooks Payroll and Patriot Payroll state SOC 2 Type II. QuickBooks Payroll states ISO 27001 (unverified for Patriot Payroll).

Who are QuickBooks Payroll’s biggest competitors?

QuickBooks Payroll ranks #2 of 15 in our payroll software ranking. Besides Patriot Payroll, the highest-scored are Gusto, Square Payroll, and OnPay. Every alternative, matched to the reason you might switch: QuickBooks 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 13, 2026.

  • Method

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

  • Independent review

    Our independent review of Oct 30, 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

QuickBooks Payroll 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.

LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.

Get my answer

QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll

We may earn a fee.

Sources

The 14 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
  1. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“WORKFORCE PAYROLL Pay your team and get payroll taxes done for you. $50 + $7/employee” “Hiring & onboarding Time off management Automated HR workflows (5)”
  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.” “There is no need to download an app onto your mobile device or waste precious storage space.”
  3. Intuit developer.intuit.com/app/developer/payroll-time/docs/develop/develop-payroll“The Workforce GraphQL API uses the GraphQL API framework.”
  4. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll“QuickBooks Workforce works for small to midsize businesses—from accountants and financial experts to hospitality companies, construction companies, truckers, and more.” “We’ll calculate, file, and pay your federal and state payroll taxes for you—100% accurate tax calculations guaranteed.”
  5. Intuit assurance.intuit.com“Badges ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS” “Badges HIPAA ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS CCPA SIG”
  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. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/mobile“QuickBooks Workforce is also available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.”
  8. 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.”
  9. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/one-employee“Expert product support: Phone and chat support included with QuickBooks Workforce during business hours. Weekend phone and chat support is only available with Workforce Premium and Elite.” “Free trial applies to the monthly base price for the first thirty (30) days of new subscriptions to QuickBooks Online and/or Workforce.”
  10. U.S. SEC (Intuit Inc. Form 10-K) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000089687826000037/intu-20260731.htm“Intuit Inc. was incorporated in California in March 1984. We reincorporated in Delaware and completed our initial public offering in March 1993.” “Our principal executive offices are located at 2700 Coast Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043”
  11. Built In builtinla.com/company/patriot-software-llc“Year Founded: 2002”
  12. 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.”
  13. Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing“Already use QuickBooks? Just add payroll. QuickBooksWorkforcePayroll is included with all QuickBooks Workforce plans. Simply sign in to QuickBooks and add Workforce”
  14. Gusto gusto.com/product/pricing“Simple Run basic payroll in one state. $49/mo + $6/mo per person”

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.