The Patriot quick read
- You want low-cost, transparent payroll
- You have a small straightforward team in one state
- You're comfortable with a simple, no-frills interface
- You want benefits administration baked in
- You need deep HR or onboarding workflows
- You expect multi-state or international complexity
| Best fit | Cost-conscious small businesses with straightforward payroll |
|---|---|
| Weakest fit | Businesses needing advanced HR or benefits |
| Starting price | Basic Payroll: Low monthly base + Low per-employee fee |
| Pricing transparency | Strong — published, plan-based pricing |
| Payroll tax support | Good — federal, state, and local filings included |
| Contractor support | Good — 1099 payments and year-end filings |
| W-2 support | Full-service, included in paid plans |
| Multi-state support | Available — handles employees across U.S. states |
| Benefits | Basic — health, 401(k), and workers' comp through partner integrations |
| HR tools | Light — onboarding, PTO, document storage, and basic templates |
| Accounting integrations | QuickBooks Online, Xero, and common partners |
| Setup difficulty | Easy |
| Support quality | Good — phone, chat, and email; priority on higher plans |
| Overall rating | 7.8 / 10 |
A CPA's take on Patriot
As a CPA and business owner, I care less about whether payroll software has the longest feature list and more about whether it helps a business owner avoid expensive payroll mistakes. The right payroll provider should make tax payments, filings, employee onboarding, contractor payments, and year-end forms feel routine — because payroll is one area where small mistakes can create real compliance problems.
Saving $25/month on payroll software while owing IRS payroll-tax penalties is the worst trade in small business. If you're going to use Patriot, use Full Service.
Price. For simple payroll, Patriot is hard to beat on monthly cost.
Choose Full Service Payroll, not Basic. Payroll tax penalties are not where you want to save $10/month — the IRS treats payroll taxes (Trust Fund taxes) very differently from your income tax bill.
Small one-state employers who want cheap, transparent, full-service payroll.
If you want a more polished platform, compare Gusto. If you have multiple states, compare OnPay. If you're a one-person S corp, look at Gusto Solo.
A 30-second decision
- You want the lowest published price for full-service payroll
- You have a small one-state team
- You don't need built-in benefits or HR
- You want benefits and HR built in
- You operate across multiple states
- You want a more polished UX
Who Patriot is best for
- Cost-conscious small businesses with straightforward payroll
- Owners who value transparent published pricing
- Businesses that don't need an HR platform
- Businesses needing advanced HR or benefits
- Complex multi-state or international employers
- Companies wanting a premium employee experience
Patriot pricing
Payroll pricing changes frequently. Always confirm current pricing on the provider’s site before signing up.
Patriot publishes two payroll plans: Basic Payroll (you handle tax filings) and Full Service Payroll (Patriot handles them). PayrollSignal strongly recommends Full Service — payroll tax deposits and filings are too important to handle casually.
- Run payroll
- Direct deposit
- Employee portal
You file and deposit your own payroll taxes — risky for most owners.
- Everything in Basic
- Federal, state, and local tax filings
- W-2 and 1099 filings
- Tax filing accuracy guarantee
- Basic Payroll does NOT file your taxes — only Full Service does. Most owners want Full Service.
- Multi-state adds $12/month per additional state.
- Time tracking and HR are paid add-ons.
See current Patriot plans and offers.
Feature scorecard
Payroll features
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Direct deposit
- Multiple pay schedules
- Bonus, off-cycle, and reimbursement runs
- Employee self-service portal
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax calculation
- Automatic deposits and filings
- Quarterly and annual filings
- Tax-notice support
- 1099 contractor payments
- Year-end 1099-NEC filings
- Multi-state payroll supported
- Remote-employee tax setup
- W-2 generation and filing
- 1099 generation and filing
- Employee/contractor year-end form access
HR, benefits, and compliance tools
- Employee onboarding
- PTO tracking
- Document storage
- Basic HR templates
- Health, 401(k), and workers' comp through partner integrations (where available)
- New-hire reporting
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax filings
- W-2 and 1099 year-end filings
- Tax-notice support
Ease of use and setup
- Very lightweight UI — owners are running payroll in minutes
- Basic Payroll requires you to file your own taxes; Full Service does it for you
- Free U.S.-based phone support
- Less polished than Gusto, but priced for that
- EIN
- State payroll tax account numbers
- State unemployment account numbers
- Employee information (I-9, W-4)
- Contractor information (W-9)
- Prior payroll history
- Bank account for funding
- Pay schedule
- Benefits information (if any)
- Workers' comp details (if any)
- Accounting software login
- PTO policy
- Existing payroll provider info (if switching)
Integrations
- Patriot Accounting (native)
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
- Patriot Time & Attendance (add-on)
- Limited — partner integrations only
PayrollSignal take: Integrations matter because payroll is rarely isolated. If your payroll system doesn’t talk cleanly to your accounting software, time tracking, or benefits tools, you may end up spending more time fixing payroll than running it.
Customer support
| Support feature | Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phone support | Yes | Standard business hours |
| Chat support | Yes | In-app chat |
| Email support | Yes | Available across plans |
| 24/7 support | No | Standard business hours |
| Dedicated representative | Depends | Typically higher-tier plans only |
| HR advisor access | Add-on | Available as add-on or higher tier |
| Tax-notice support | Yes | Included with full-service payroll |
| Setup support | Yes | Self-serve with optional guided setup |
Payroll support matters more than ordinary software support because payroll problems often have deadlines attached. A login issue is annoying. A missed payroll tax deadline can be expensive.
Patriot pros and cons
- Among the lowest published prices for full-service payroll
- Transparent pricing
- Tax filing accuracy guarantee on Full Service
- Solid for owners wanting simple payroll only
- Limited HR and benefits
- Basic Payroll plan is risky for most owners
- Less polished employee experience than Gusto
- Not right for complex multi-state or growing HR needs
Which businesses should use Patriot?
Capable, but Gusto's contractor plan may be cheaper or simpler.
Works, but Gusto Solo is built for this scenario.
Patriot's sweet spot.
OnPay's flat multi-state pricing is usually a better fit.
Patriot is not a benefits platform.
Works for simple payroll; Square or Homebase may serve hourly better.
Look at Gusto, OnPay, ADP, or Paychex.
Not designed for enterprise.
PayrollSignal Fit Meter
Watch-outs before you buy
- Pick Full Service Payroll — payroll tax penalties are not the place to save money.
- Confirm local tax filings for your state are covered.
- If you'll add benefits soon, factor in that Patriot is not a benefits platform.
Best alternatives to Patriot
Published pricing, clean UX, and a free contractor-only plan.
Patriot wins on lowest monthly cost for simple one-state payroll.
Best for: Modern small businesses that want transparent pricing and built-in benefits
Flat $49 base + $6/person includes multi-state by default.
Patriot is cheaper for a single-state, very simple case.
Best for: Multi-state small businesses that want flat transparent pricing
Similar simplicity backed by Paychex.
Patriot is often the cheaper of the two.
Best for: Simple payroll, including household employers
Not sure if Patriot is right for you?
Payroll companies can look similar on the surface, but the best choice depends on your employees, contractors, states, benefits needs, HR support, accounting software, and growth plans. Take the free PayrollSignal quiz and get a recommendation built for your business.
How we reviewed this provider
We review payroll providers based on small business fit, not just feature count. A provider can have many features and still be the wrong choice for a very small business if it’s too expensive, too complex, or unclear about pricing.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Payroll functionality | 20% |
| Payroll tax & compliance support | 20% |
| Pricing & transparency | 15% |
| Ease of use | 15% |
| HR, onboarding & benefits | 10% |
| Integrations | 10% |
| Customer support | 5% |
| Scalability | 5% |
Our ratings are intended to help small business owners choose payroll software based on fit. A lower-rated provider may still be the better choice for a specific business if its pricing, integrations, service model, or HR features better match that business’s needs.
Patriot FAQs
The bottom line
Patriot Payroll is a strong budget option for simple, one-state full-service payroll. Pick the Full Service plan, not Basic — payroll tax compliance is not where you want to cut corners.
If you already know Patriot fits your needs, you can check current pricing below. If you’re still comparing options, take the free PayrollSignal quiz first.