Gusto vs Patriot Payroll
We give Gusto a 2.4 GPA and Patriot Payroll a 2.6, out of 4.0. Gusto grades higher on features and ease of use. Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Gusto
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff
Patriot Payroll
Low-cost online payroll for small US businesses
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGustoFair | 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CSimple is $49 a month plus $6 a person, so $79 for a team of five. That sits between the cheapest quarter of this category ($65 or less for five) and the middle ($85). Pay people in more than one state and you need Plus at $80 plus $12 a person, which is $140. | ABasic is $17 a month plus $4 a worker, $37 for five, the cheapest in this category and under 60% of its cheapest quarter. Full Service, which files your taxes, is $62 for five, still the lowest price for that. Each extra state is $12. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on record: no free plan and no trial in the listing. You pay from the first month. | CA 30-day free trial, then half price for 3 months. No free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether the trial needs a card. |
| Features | BRegular and off-cycle payroll, taxes worked out by work location, time tracking, onboarding, document signing and expense claims, with contractors abroad as an add-on. That's the whole payroll job, spread across its three plans. | CPayroll done fully on Full Service, with federal, state and most local filing and year-end forms. It's a smaller job, though: Basic leaves the taxes to you, and time tracking and HR are add-ons at $6 a month plus $2 a person each. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 52,000 App Store ratings for Gusto Mobile, where owners approve hours and run payroll and staff see their pay and sign documents. | CNo App Store rating on record, and no app to rate. Payroll can run itself on a schedule once it's set up, but there's bank and tax setup first, as with any payroll. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and you can link your own systems through a command-line tool or an MCP server. No desktop app, and the full API is only for approved partners. | BWeb only: you run payroll in a phone or computer browser. It does link to Patriot Accounting, QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Vestwell, SimplyInsured and ERGO NEXT. |
| Best for | small US teams that want payroll and HR in one app | very small US businesses watching every dollar |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Gusto and Patriot Payroll. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gusto starts at $49 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Patriot Payroll starts at $17 a month and scores 2.3.
Gusto scores higher, and starts $32 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than Gusto for less, and 1 scores higher than Patriot Payroll for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Gusto starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple). Patriot Payroll starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months).
- Only Gusto lists iOS and Android apps.
- Gusto also covers expense tracking.
- Patriot Payroll also covers reports.
At a glance
| Gusto | Patriot Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per person paid (Simple) | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gusto, Inc. | Patriot Software LLC |
| Price read from | gusto.com | patriotsoftware.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Gusto
- Small US businesses paying W-2 employees and contractors
- Owners who want to approve hours and run payroll from a phone
- Teams that want staff to handle their own pay details and documents
Patriot Payroll
- Very small US businesses that want a low monthly base fee
- Owners comfortable filing their own payroll taxes, on Basic
- Patriot Accounting users who want payroll in the same account
Worth knowing
Gusto
- Gusto runs US payroll only: W-2 employees, state and local taxes and US contractors. Paying contractors abroad is a separate add-on covering 120+ countries.
- Many extras cost more on Simple: next-day pay is $15 a month plus $3 a person, same-day pay $90 a payroll and instant pay $100 a payroll.
- Priority phone and chat support is a $30-a-month add-on, plus $3 a person, on Simple and Plus.
- Gusto's API is open only to approved integration and embedded-payroll partners, not to customers building their own links.
Patriot Payroll
- Runs payroll in the US only; Full Service files in all 50 states, at $12 a month for each state after the first.
- Basic Payroll does not file or deposit payroll taxes; that needs Full Service.
- Time & Attendance and HR Software cost $6 a month plus $2 per employee each.
- There is no mobile app: payroll is run in a phone's or computer's browser.
Key features
Gusto
- Regular and off-cycle payroll
- Runs payroll on a set schedule, including hours, paid time off and bonuses, plus one-off payrolls for corrections or special bonuses.
- Tax withholding and deductions
- Works out federal, state and local taxes by work location, takes pre-tax and post-tax deductions, and pays by direct deposit or check.
- Time and time off
- Employees and contractors clock in and out and request time off in the app; admins review and approve hours before payroll.
- Onboarding and documents
- Add and onboard new team members from the app, and have employees read and sign documents there.
- Expense reimbursements
- Employees photograph receipts and submit expenses, and admins approve them in the app. The App Store listing limits this to Gusto Plus and Premium.
- Gusto CLI and MCP server
- Customers connect their own systems to their Gusto account through a command-line tool or an MCP server; the full API is for approved partners.
Patriot Payroll
- Unlimited and automatic payroll
- Run as many payrolls as needed for the same monthly fee, or set payroll to run itself on schedule. Months without a payroll cost only the base fee.
- Tax filing on Full Service
- Full Service collects, files and deposits federal, state and most local payroll taxes and files Forms 940, 941, W-2 and W-3 at no extra fee.
- Free direct deposit
- Standard 4-day direct deposit is free, with 2-day deposit for qualifying customers; checks can also be printed from the software.
- Employee and contractor portals
- Staff see pay stubs, pay history, time-off balances and W-2s online, and 1099 contractors can be paid in the same payroll and get their own portal.
- Benefits and insurance links
- Free integrations connect 401(k) plans through Vestwell, health insurance through SimplyInsured and pay-as-you-go workers' comp through ERGO NEXT.
- Time & Attendance and HR add-ons
- Time tracking and HR software can each be added for $6 a month plus $2 per employee, and payroll syncs to Patriot's own accounting software.
Plans
Gusto
Simple$49
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Payroll in one state: unlimited pay runs, tax filings and payments, and basic time-off and holiday pay rules.
Plus$80
per month, plus $12 per person paid
Adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and scheduling, unlimited next-day pay and contractor invoice handling. Marked best value.
Premium$180
per month, plus $22 per person paid
Adds a named advisor and premium support, HR guidance, Gusto Business Compliance, and unlimited same-day and instant pay.
Patriot Payroll
Basic Payroll$17
per month, plus $4 per worker paid
Unlimited payrolls, free direct deposit, employee and contractor portals and payroll reports; you file taxes. Advertised at $8.50 plus $2 for 3 months.
Full Service Payroll$37
per month, plus $5 per worker paid
Adds federal, state and local tax filings and deposits and year-end forms. Each extra state is $12 a month. Advertised at $18.50 plus $2.50 for 3 months.
Ways to pay less
Gusto
No public discounts listed.
Patriot Payroll
- Other savings
50% off for 3 months after the free trial
After the 30-day trial, new customers pay half the listed price for 3 months: $8.50 plus $2 per worker on Basic and $18.50 plus $2.50 on Full Service.
- Other savings
Partner pricing for accountants
Accountants and bookkeepers who join Patriot's Partner Program get discounted pricing for the businesses they manage.
