OnPay vs Patriot Payroll
We give OnPay and Patriot Payroll the same GPA: 2.6 out of 4.0. OnPay grades higher on features and ease of use. Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
OnPay
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons
Patriot Payroll
Low-cost online payroll for small US businesses
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAOnPayGood | 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPayroll Essentials is $49 a month plus $6 a worker, $79 for five, the same as Gusto and just under the middle of this category. Benefits administration and onboarding are in that price rather than sold on top. | 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 | CThe first month is free. There's no free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether you need a card to start. | 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 | BPays employees and contractors in all 50 states, files taxes under an error-free guarantee, onboards new hires with e-signatures, syncs to QuickBooks Online or Xero and sets up health plans with in-house agents. Time and HR are add-ons. | 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 | B4.83 from 689 App Store ratings, short of the 1,000 an A needs. New hires onboard themselves and sign their I-9s and W-4s online. | 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, with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Vestwell, JazzHR, NEXT Insurance and TurboTax. No desktop app. | 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 firms that want a clear price and benefits | 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: OnPay and Patriot Payroll. How we grade
Price against what you get
OnPay starts at $49 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Patriot Payroll starts at $17 a month and scores 2.3.
OnPay 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, 1 scores higher than OnPay 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
- OnPay starts at $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid. Patriot Payroll starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months).
- Only OnPay lists iOS and Android apps.
At a glance
| OnPay | Patriot Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per month, plus $6 per worker paid | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | First month free | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OnPay, LLC | Patriot Software LLC |
| Price read from | onpay.com | patriotsoftware.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
OnPay
- Small US businesses that want to know the price without a sales call
- Teams paying employees and contractors in several states
- Owners who want benefits handled in the same place as payroll
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
OnPay
- Add-ons bought alone cost $15 plus $2 per worker (HR), $15 plus $4 per worker (Time Tracking), $10 (Compliance Resources) and $65 a month (Live HR Support).
- Runs payroll in all 50 US states at no extra charge per state; the pages read mention no other countries.
- Health insurance, workers' comp and 401(k) plans are paid at their premiums on top of the OnPay subscription.
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
OnPay
- Full-service payroll
- Pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors by direct deposit, check or prepaid debit card, with unlimited pay runs and garnishment deductions.
- Taxes in all 50 states
- Files and pays federal, state and local taxes and year-end W-2s and 1099s, registers for state taxes, and backs its filings with an error-free guarantee.
- Hiring and onboarding
- Send offer letters for e-signature, have new hires sign I-9s and W-4s and onboard themselves, and file state new-hire reports automatically.
- Accounting sync
- Syncs the general ledger to QuickBooks Online or Xero after every pay run, with line items mapped to your chart of accounts.
- Benefits administration
- Health, dental and vision plans chosen with licensed in-house agents, with open enrollment and payroll deductions; you pay only the premiums.
- Time Tracking add-on
- Time clocks for each worksite, overtime and break rules, supervisor approval and approved hours sent straight to payroll.
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
OnPay
Payroll Essentials$49
per month, plus $6 per worker paid
Full-service payroll and tax filing in all 50 states, onboarding with e-signatures, accounting sync, reports and benefits administration.
Payroll, Time Tracking and HR$70
per month, plus $10 per worker paid
Bundle for hourly teams: Payroll Essentials with the Time Tracking and HR add-ons, against $79 plus $12 per worker bought separately.
Payroll, HR and HR Support$120
per month, plus $7 per worker paid
Bundle for salaried teams: Payroll Essentials, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.
Everything bundle$130
per month, plus $10 per worker paid
Payroll Essentials with Time Tracking, HR, Compliance Resources and Live HR Support.
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
OnPay
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.
