Patriot Payroll review: pricing, terms and who it suits
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Patriot Software Payroll costs $17 a month plus $4 per worker paid on Basic Payroll, where you file the taxes yourself, or $37 a month plus $5 per worker on Full Service Payroll, where Patriot files them, according to Patriot's pricing page (checked October 16, 2026). For 10 employees that is $57 or $87 a month; $87 is the lowest published full-service price at that size among the providers we price.
New customers get 30 days free, then 50% off for three months. Each extra state costs $12 a month. Patriot also has the strongest exit terms we found: after you cancel you can still download your W-2s and tax forms. The weak spot is the tax guarantee, which Patriot names but does not publish terms for.
Patriot Software Payroll is low-cost online payroll for US small businesses, sold as Basic Payroll (you deposit and file taxes) or Full Service Payroll (Patriot deposits and files federal and state payroll taxes).
On this page
- Patriot Payroll at a glance
- Patriot Payroll plans and prices
- What Patriot costs for 5, 10 and 25 employees
- What Patriot leaves out
- Patriot's tax filing guarantee
- Contract, cancellation and W-2 access after you leave
- Patriot support
- What Patriot customers say
- How we score Patriot
- Who Patriot fits, and who should pick something else
Patriot Payroll at a glance
- Full Service
- $37 + $5 per worker paidper month, checked Oct 16, 2026
- Basic (you file)
- $17 + $4 per worker paidper month
- Records after you cancel
- Still downloadableW-2s, 941s, 1099s; workers keep lifetime access
- Our score
- 69/100payroll category
Patriot is a budget pick: published prices, no contract and monthly billing in arrears for the days you used. It does less than Gusto or Rippling, and it charges for every state after the first. Our scores follow our published scoring method; we compare published terms, prices and documented complaints rather than testing the software.
Patriot Payroll plans and prices
| Plan | Base per month | Per worker paid | Promo after 30 free days (3 months) | Who files taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Payroll | $17 | $4 | $8.50 + $2 per worker | You |
| Full Service Payroll | $37 | $5 | $18.50 + $2.50 per worker | Patriot |
Source: Patriot Software payroll pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Each additional state filing | $12/mo per state |
| Time & Attendance | $6/mo + $2 per employee |
| HR software | $6/mo + $2 per employee |
| 1099 e-filing | "Nominal fees" (amount not stated) |
| Forms 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 (Full Service) | No added fee |
Source: Patriot Software payroll pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026.
What Patriot costs for 5, 10 and 25 employees
| Plan | 5 workers | 10 workers | 25 workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Payroll | $17 + (5 × $4) = $37 | $17 + (10 × $4) = $57 | $17 + (25 × $4) = $117 |
| Full Service Payroll | $37 + (5 × $5) = $62 | $37 + (10 × $5) = $87 | $37 + (25 × $5) = $162 |
| Full Service + Time & Attendance + HR | $62 + 2 × ($6 + $10) = $94 | $87 + 2 × ($6 + $20) = $139 | $162 + 2 × ($6 + $50) = $274 |
Source: Patriot Software payroll pricing page, checked Oct 16, 2026. Our arithmetic. One state; add $12 a month for each extra state. Excludes payroll taxes.
First year, 10 workers on Full Service with the promo: month 1 free, months 2 to 4 at $18.50 + (10 × $2.50) = $43.50, months 5 to 12 at $87. Total: $0 + (3 × $43.50) + (8 × $87) = $130.50 + $696 = $826.50.
Two states, 10 workers, Full Service: $87 + $12 = $99 a month.
Basic or Full Service?
At 10 workers the gap is $87 minus $57 = $30 a month. On Basic you make every federal and state tax deposit and file Forms 941 and 940, W-2s and state returns yourself, and any late-filing penalty is yours. For most owners that $30 moves the deposit and filing work, and the deadlines, to Patriot. If you are weighing doing it all yourself, read what free payroll software really costs first.
Compare these numbers with other published prices on payroll service costs compared, and estimate your employer taxes with the employee cost calculator.
What Patriot leaves out
- Extra states: $12 a month each. Five states would add 4 × $12 = $48 a month to Full Service.
- State registration: Patriot does not say it registers state tax accounts. Expect to open withholding and unemployment accounts yourself; see 2026 SUTA rates by state.
- Time tracking and HR: separate add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.
- 1099 e-filing: "nominal fees," amount not stated.
- Tax filing on Basic: not included. You file.
Patriot's tax filing guarantee
Patriot's payroll page lists a "Tax filing reliability guarantee" for Full Service, but we found no published terms: it does not say whether Patriot pays penalties, interest or both, or what notice it needs (Patriot). On Basic Payroll you file, so penalties are yours.
Before you sign up for Full Service, ask Patriot for the guarantee terms in writing: what it pays, whether interest is included, any cap and the deadline for sending a notice.
Published guarantees elsewhere: Gusto pays penalties (interest not named) if you send the notice 30 days before the agency deadline; Square pays penalties and fines from its errors; QuickBooks Elite pays penalties and interest up to $25,000 a year (Gusto pricing, Square Payroll pricing, QuickBooks Payroll pricing).
Contract, cancellation and W-2 access after you leave
- Contract: none stated. Billing is monthly, in arrears, on the 1st, and Patriot offers free setup help.
- How to cancel: Settings, then Manage Subscription, then Add or Cancel Software. Your ability to run payroll ends the day you submit.
- Last bill: you pay only for the days you were active.
- Records: after canceling you can still view and download reports, Forms 941, tax deposits, W-2s and W-3s, and 1099s and 1096s. Workers keep "lifetime access" to pay stubs and W-2s or 1099s.
| Provider | After you cancel |
|---|---|
| Patriot | Download reports, 941s, W-2s and 1099s; workers keep lifetime access |
| Gusto | Limited, read-only admin access, no end date stated; $100 federal + $100 per state + $5 per form if Gusto files your finals |
| QuickBooks | Payroll data for one year; W-2s need an active subscription; $150 for year-end forms after canceling |
| ADP RUN | ADP "may keep" reports and forms "for a period of time"; I-9 access ends at termination |
| Wave | Access ends at the end of the month you cancel |
Sources: each provider's help center or terms, checked Oct 16, 2026.
This matters most if you leave mid-year: your old provider's records are what your new one needs for year-to-date totals and W-2s. Read more in the Wave Payroll review and Gusto pricing.
Patriot support
Patriot says you can "Call, email, or chat." It does not publish support hours on the pages in our research, and its contact page could not be read when we checked. Ask what hours apply before your first payroll deadline.
What Patriot customers say
Patriot Software has 4.8 out of 5 from 630 reviews on G2 and 4.7 out of 5 from 3,446 reviews on Trustpilot (both seen October 16, 2026). That is the highest Trustpilot score among the payroll providers we price, and the G2 score ties OnPay for the highest; Gusto has 1.9 on Trustpilot and ADP 1.2.
We have not documented recurring Patriot complaints from individual reviews yet; the Trustpilot review text could not be read in this pass. The risks we can see come from the published terms: unpublished guarantee terms, a $12 fee per extra state and no state registration service.
How we score Patriot
Patriot scores 69 out of 100, tied with Gusto (69) for the top payroll score on HRPricing, ahead of OnPay (67) and Wave (64). It earns full marks on price and on exit terms, and loses points on its unpublished guarantee terms, add-on features and unpublished support hours.
| Criterion | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency and cost for 10 employees | 25 of 25 | Publishes Basic at $17 + $4 per worker (you file taxes) and Full Service at $37 + $5 per worker (10 of 10); 10 employees on Full Service cost $37 + 10 x $5 = $87 a month, the lowest full-service figure in this set (15 of 15). |
| Tax filing coverage and guarantee | 10 of 20 | Full Service files in all 50 states, with local filing and state registration not stated (6 of 10); a 'tax filing reliability guarantee' is named but its terms are not published (4 of 10). |
| Features | 8 of 20 | Contractors are paid at the per-worker rate (4), extra states cost $12 a month each (2), time and attendance is a $6 + $2 per employee add-on (2), and benefits access and integrations are not published on the pages we checked (0). |
| Contract and exit terms | 15 of 15 | Self-serve cancellation with billing only for days active (5); after canceling you can still download reports, 941s, W-2s and 1099s, and workers keep lifetime access (5); monthly with free setup help and no contract (5). |
| Support access | 5 of 10 | Call, email and chat support (5); hours not published (0). |
| Documented complaint patterns | 6 of 10 | Trustpilot 4.7 from 3,446 reviews (4 of 4); complaint patterns were not researched this pass, so the default 2 of 6 applies. |
Source: HRPricing payroll scores, checked Oct 17, 2026, from published terms, prices and documented complaints. Full method: how we score payroll providers.
Who Patriot fits, and who should pick something else
Patriot Software Payroll
Fits a business with a handful of hourly or salaried workers in one state that wants the lowest published price, no contract, and the ability to take its records with it. Basic suits an owner who already files payroll taxes.
How the score adds up
- Price25/25
- Tax filing10/20
- Features8/20
- Contract and exit15/15
- Support5/10
- Complaints record6/10
What works
- $87 a month for 10 on Full Service
- No contract; billed only for days used
- W-2s and tax forms downloadable after canceling
- High G2 and Trustpilot scores
Watch out for
- Guarantee terms not published
- $12 a month per extra state
- No state registration service
- Support hours not published
Pick something else if:
- You have people in several states and want help registering there: Gusto registers state accounts for you (Gusto pricing, Gusto alternatives).
- You run Square POS: Square Payroll pulls timecards and tips.
- Your books are in QuickBooks Online and you want payroll in the ledger: see QuickBooks Payroll alternatives.
- You want HR, IT and payroll in one system: see Rippling pricing.
More small-team picks are in payroll for small teams and the ranked list in best payroll software for small businesses.
Bottom line: Patriot Full Service costs $87 a month for 10 workers in one state, and you keep your records if you leave. Get the tax guarantee terms in writing, and budget $12 a month for each extra state.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Patriot payroll cost?
Does Patriot have a free trial?
Does Patriot file payroll taxes for me?
Can I get my W-2s after I cancel Patriot?
Does Patriot pay payroll tax penalties?
Does Patriot charge extra for more than one state?
Sources (9)
- Patriot Software: Patriot payroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Patriot Software: Patriot payroll (tax filing reliability guarantee) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Patriot Software: How to cancel and access records after canceling (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- G2: Patriot Payroll reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Patriot Software reviews (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Cancel your company's Gusto account (admins) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Intuit: Cancel your QuickBooks Payroll subscription (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- ADP: RUN Powered by ADP terms of service (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Wave: Cancel Wave Payroll (checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.