Common praise
- Responsive and knowledgeable support
- Streamlined setup and navigation
- Affordable for small businesses
Common complaints
- Direct deposit described as slow and restrictive
- Occasional glitches and setup issues
- Limited advanced reporting
Patriot Payroll Review
by Patriot Software
Patriot Payroll is low-cost online payroll for US small businesses: Basic Payroll costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, and Full Service, which files and deposits your payroll taxes, costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker.
- Company size
- Small businesses
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- Free trial
- Yes
- Deployment
- Cloud
Best for
- US small businesses that want payroll at a low published price
- Owners who run payroll often: no fee per payroll run
- Employers that pay W-2 staff and 1099 contractors in one run
Not ideal for
- Employers with staff abroad: Patriot pays in the US only
- Teams that want a native mobile app: Patriot runs in the mobile browser
- Buyers who want tax filing on the entry plan: Basic leaves taxes to you
How we evaluated Patriot Payroll
This review rests on 29 facts checked against Patriot Payroll’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
Patriot Payroll suits small US employers that want simple, inexpensive payroll with published prices and US-based support. Basic Payroll is $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, and Full Service, which files federal, state and local taxes, is $37 plus $5 per worker. Payroll runs, direct deposit and setup help are free. It is less suited to companies that want built-in benefits administration, a native mobile app or HR beyond the $6 add-on.
Strengths
Low, published prices
Basic Payroll is $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, and Full Service is $37 plus $5. In months with no payroll you pay only the base fee, and there are no setup fees.
Evidence: Pricing model: Base fee + per employee
Unlimited and automatic payroll
You can run payroll as often as you want at no extra charge, or set auto payroll once and let it run on schedule.
Evidence: Unlimited payroll runs: Yes
Taxes filed with a guarantee
Full Service files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes and year-end forms at no extra fee, and Patriot covers penalties and interest caused by an error on its end.
Evidence: Automatic tax filing: Yes
Free US-based support and setup help
Support by phone, email or chat runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on weekdays, and Patriot will enter your employee data and year-to-date payroll for free.
Evidence: Support channels: Phone, email, chat
Contractors in the same run
Pay 1099 contractors alongside employees, by direct deposit if you use it, and give them their own portal.
Evidence: Contractor payments: Yes
Audited security
Patriot says it is a SOC 2 Type II compliant organization whose data security practices are audited by third parties.
Evidence: SOC 2 Type II: Yes
Weaknesses
Basic does not file taxes
On Basic Payroll you calculate taxes in Patriot but file and deposit them yourself; tax filing needs Full Service.
Evidence: Automatic tax filing: Yes
Extra states and add-ons cost more
Full Service charges $12 a month for each additional state, and Time & Attendance and HR Software cost $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.
Evidence: Extra costs: Time & Attendance add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee, HR Software add-on: $6 a month plus $2 per employee, Full Service: $12 a month for each additional state filed, Basic Payroll: nominal 1099 e-filing fees
Four-day direct deposit by default
Standard direct deposit takes four days; two-day deposit is for qualifying customers.
Evidence: Direct deposit speed: 4-day standard; 2-day for qualifying customers
No native app
Patriot runs in the mobile browser; there is no app to install.
Evidence: Mobile apps: Mobile web (no app to install)
Benefits through partners
401(k), health coverage and workers' comp come through partners such as Vestwell and ERGO NEXT rather than Patriot itself.
Evidence: Benefits offered: 401(k) through Vestwell, Health benefits integration, Workers' comp pay-as-you-go through ERGO NEXT
Price at a glance
Starting base fee
$17/mo
Starting price per employee
$4/employee/mo
Pricing model
Base fee + per employee
Price transparency
Published
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
No
Patriot Payroll cost at 10 to 100 employees
- Basic Payroll$17/mo base + $4/employee/mo
- Full Service Payroll$37/mo base + $5/employee/mo
| Employees | Basic Payroll | Full Service Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $57/mo | $87/mo |
| 25 | $117/mo | $162/mo |
| 50 | $217/mo | $287/mo |
| 100 | $417/mo | $537/mo |
Monthly list price before discounts, add-ons and taxes, from the published price model of each plan.
Quick answers
- How much does Patriot Payroll cost?
- Basic Payroll costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid, and Full Service costs $37 a month plus $5 per worker paid. New accounts get a 30-day trial, then 50% off for 3 months.Based on Free trial: Yes
- Does Patriot charge per payroll run?
- No. You pay a monthly base fee plus a fee per worker paid that month, and you can run as many payrolls as you need.Based on Pricing model: Base fee + per employee
- What is the difference between Basic and Full Service?
- Full Service adds federal, state and local tax filings and deposits, year-end forms at no extra fee and a tax filing guarantee. On Basic you file taxes yourself.Based on Automatic tax filing: Yes
- Is Patriot Payroll legit?
- Yes. Patriot Software is a private company in Canton, Ohio, founded in 2002, and says it is SOC 2 Type II compliant.Based on Headquarters: Canton, Ohio, US
Coverage of core payroll software capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Payroll Software, checked against Patriot Payroll’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
9 verified of 12 core capabilities
Payroll Software
- Gross-to-net calculation
- Payroll tax filing
- Overtime and regular rate · not verified yet
- Multi-state payroll
- Deductions and garnishments · not verified yet
- Off-cycle runs
- Direct deposit and pay options
- Time and benefits integration
- Accounting and GL export
- Reports and audit trail · not verified yet
- Employee self-service
- Year-end forms
Specifications
Fit
- Industry focus
- Churches, Dental, Healthcare, Insurance, Nonprofits, Real estate, Restaurants, Retail, Startups
- Countries supported
- US
Product
- Modules
- Basic Payroll, Full Service Payroll, Time & Attendance (add-on), HR Software (add-on), Accounting (separate product)
- Mobile apps
- Mobile web (no app to install)
Patriot Payroll integrations
Partner and marketplace apps
Patriot Payroll integration coverage
The 10 apps that payroll software products document most often, and whether Patriot Payroll documents each.
2 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by Patriot Payroll; median of the 19 products compared: 3
- QuickBooks · documented by 11 of 19
- Checkr · documented by 6 of 19
- Vestwell · documented by 6 of 19
- Employee Navigator · documented by 5 of 19
- Xero · documented by 5 of 19
- Clover · documented by 4 of 19
- Deputy · documented by 4 of 19
- Greenhouse · documented by 4 of 19
- Indeed · documented by 4 of 19
- Okta · documented by 4 of 19
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 19 live payroll software products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
What users say
Third-party ratings are shown as cited text; they are not part of the LeadChange Score.
Where it ranks
- #1 of 14 scoredPayroll Software
- #1 of 1 scoredPayroll Software for Churches
- #1 of 8 scoredPayroll Software for Healthcare
- #1 of 7 scoredPayroll Software for Nonprofits
- #1 of 10 scoredPayroll Software for QuickBooks
- #1 of 7 scoredPayroll Software for Restaurants
- #1 of 8 scoredPayroll Software for Retail
- #1 of 13 scoredPayroll Software for Small Business
Patriot Payroll alternatives
Gusto75% similar
Compare Patriot Payroll
Implementation and support
- Typical implementation
- Self-service setup wizard or free setup assistance; no timeline published
- Implementation fee
- None
- Support channels
- Phone, email, chat
- Support hours
- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday
About Patriot Software
- Founded
- 2002
- Headquarters
- Canton, Ohio, US
- Ownership
- Private
Official profiles
Frequently asked questions
Is Patriot Payroll legit?
Patriot Payroll is sold by Patriot Software, which was founded in 2002, is headquartered in Canton, Ohio, US, and is privately held. Patriot Software states that it holds a current SOC 2 Type II report. Before you sign, review the contract terms and ask for the security documentation that applies to your plan.
Does Patriot have a mobile app?
No app to install. Patriot is mobile friendly, so you run payroll in your phone or tablet browser.
Does Patriot Payroll integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. Patriot integrates with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop, and imports payroll into its own accounting software.
How fast is Patriot direct deposit?
Standard direct deposit takes four days, and qualifying customers get free two-day direct deposit.
What are the best alternatives to Patriot Payroll?
In our payroll software ranking, the highest-scored products other than Patriot Payroll are QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, and Paychex Flex. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: Patriot Payroll alternatives.
Which is better, Patriot Payroll or OnPay?
It depends on the team. Choose Patriot Payroll if: you want the lowest published price: $17 a month plus $4 per worker. Choose OnPay if: you pay workers in several states at no extra cost. The full comparison: Patriot Payroll vs OnPay.
What are the pros and cons of Patriot Payroll?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: Low, published prices, unlimited and automatic payroll, and taxes filed with a guarantee. It is less suited to employers with staff abroad: Patriot pays in the US only and teams that want a native mobile app: Patriot runs in the mobile browser.
Is Patriot Payroll good for small businesses?
Patriot Payroll lists small businesses among the company sizes it is built for (small businesses); for 10 employees its lowest published plan comes to $57 a month. It ranks #1 of 13 in our payroll software for small businesses.
How long does it take to implement Patriot Payroll?
Patriot Payroll states a typical implementation of self-service setup wizard or free setup assistance; no timeline published. Implementation fee: none.
Get Patriot Payroll pricing for your team
Answer up to 4 quick questions and see what Patriot Payroll lists for a team your size, next to the 2 alternatives that fit you best, ranked without regard to who pays us.
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.
How we make money
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.
What changed
PricingPatriot Payroll added Full Service and Basic Payroll to its extra costs.
FeaturesPatriot Payroll no longer lists Auto Payroll, Direct deposit and 2 more in its modules.
FeaturesPatriot Payroll’s direct deposit speed: 4-day standard; 2-day for qualifying customers (previously 4-day and 2-day (for qualifying customers)).
Earlier changes (2)
FeaturesPatriot Payroll updated its deployment: added cloud; no longer lists web, ios and 1 more.
PublishedFirst published.