SurePayroll4.9/10
Patriot Payroll8.7/10
Scored in Payroll Software
The short answer
SurePayroll, a Paychex company, sells full-service payroll for $29 a month plus $7 per worker and a No Tax Filing plan for $20 plus $4. Patriot Payroll sells Full Service for $37 plus $5 and Basic for $17 plus $4.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
SurePayroll wins 1Patriot Payroll wins 22 ties
| Dimension | SurePayroll | Patriot Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| PricingSurePayroll Full Service costs $29 a month plus $7 per worker; Patriot Full Service costs $37 plus $5. Before year-end forms both cost $57 a month at four workers; SurePayroll adds $50 plus $5 per form a year, which Patriot includes, so Patriot costs less from two workers. SurePayroll charges $9.99 a month for multi-state payroll; Patriot charges $12 a month for each additional state. Multi-state payroll: $9.99 a month (first state included), Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms: $50 base plus $5 per form, billed annually, Accounting software integration: $4.99 a month, Time clock integration: from $5 a month plus $3 per employee, Employment law support: from $30 a month, 401(k): quoted by plan, Local tax filing: a separate fee where local taxes apply (amount not stated on the pricing page)3 | $29/mo + $7/employee/mo (Full Service plan) | $37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan) |
| CapabilitiesBoth file taxes, run unlimited payrolls and pay contractors. SurePayroll adds household payroll, 401(k), workers' comp, health insurance and employment law support. Patriot adds time, HR and accounting as separate products. Yes1 | 11 of 12 core capabilities | 9 of 12 core capabilities |
| IntegrationsPatriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT. SurePayroll sells accounting and time clock integrations as add-ons. QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured, ERGO NEXT2 | 1 documented | 7 documented |
| Fit and supportBoth serve small US businesses. SurePayroll supports by phone and chat on weekdays; Patriot by phone, email and chat from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays. Small businesses1 | Small businesses | Small businesses |
| SecurityPatriot states SOC 2 Type II. SurePayroll is less suited to buyers who need a named certification on the vendor's own pages. Yes4 | None verified | SOC 2 |
| Attribute | SurePayroll | Patriot Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Base fee + per employee1 | Base fee + per employee2 |
| Price transparency | Published3 | Published2 |
| Contract term | Monthly3 | Monthly2 |
| Best for | Small businesses1 | Small businesses8 |
| Mobile apps | 3 | Mobile web (no app to install)2 |
| Automatic tax filing | 1 | 2 |
| Contractor payments | 1 | 2 |
SurePayroll Full Service$29/mo base1 + $7/employee/mo1Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll$37/mo base2 + $5/employee/mo2| Employees | SurePayroll Full Service | Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $99/mo | $87/mo (lowest) |
| 50 | $379/mo | $287/mo (lowest) |
| 200 | $1,429/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.
Pricing. SurePayroll Full Service costs $29 a month plus $7 per worker; Patriot Full Service costs $37 plus $5. Before year-end forms both cost $57 a month at four workers; SurePayroll adds $50 plus $5 per form a year, which Patriot includes, so Patriot costs less from two workers. SurePayroll charges $9.99 a month for multi-state payroll; Patriot charges $12 a month for each additional state.
Capabilities. Both file taxes, run unlimited payrolls and pay contractors. SurePayroll adds household payroll, 401(k), workers' comp, health insurance and employment law support. Patriot adds time, HR and accounting as separate products.
Integrations. Patriot lists QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT. SurePayroll sells accounting and time clock integrations as add-ons.
Fit and support. Both serve small US businesses. SurePayroll supports by phone and chat on weekdays; Patriot by phone, email and chat from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays.
Security. Patriot states SOC 2 Type II. SurePayroll is less suited to buyers who need a named certification on the vendor's own pages.
QuickBooks Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.5/10).
From $50/mo + $7/employee/mo9
SurePayroll Full Service costs $29 a month plus $7 per worker, and the No Tax Filing plan $20 plus $4. Multi-state payroll adds $9.99 a month.
Yes. SurePayroll is a Paychex subsidiary, founded in 2000. Patriot Software is a private company in Canton, Ohio.
It depends on headcount. With tax filing and year-end forms counted, SurePayroll is cheaper only for a single worker: about $41 a month ($29 plus $7, plus its $50 and $5-per-form year-end fee spread over the year) against $42 for Patriot Full Service, whose year-end filings carry no extra fee. From two workers Patriot costs less.
Patriot offers a free trial; SurePayroll does not list one. Both bill month to month with no setup fee.
SurePayroll's direct deposit takes two days and is free. Patriot's standard is four days, or two for qualifying customers.
Patriot Payroll states SOC 2 Type II (unverified for SurePayroll).
33 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 14, 2026.
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Our independent review of Oct 30, 2026 asked for changes. How we review
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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.
