Patriot Payroll vs PaycheckCity (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Patriot Payroll grades higher than PaycheckCity: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Patriot Payroll
Low-cost online payroll for small US businesses
PaycheckCity
Self-service payroll calculator for US small businesses
Which one is for you
Pick Patriot Payroll if
- Fits if you're happy filing payroll taxes yourself and want the lowest price here
- Works for firms that don't pay staff every month, since quiet months cost only the base fee
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to run payroll from an app, as there isn't one
- Tight if your staff work in several states, at $12 a month for each state after the first
- Too light for teams that want HR and time tracking built in, as each is $6 a month plus $2 a person
- Watch out: Basic doesn't file or deposit payroll taxes, and the half-price start lasts only 3 months
- Not for you if you pay anyone outside the US, as it runs US payroll only
Pick PaycheckCity if
- Fits if you pay a few US employees and file taxes yourself
- Works for accountants running several small payrolls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want direct deposit, as it does none
- Not for you if you want taxes filed and paid for you
- Watch out: state forms are not completed, only the federal W-2, 940 and 941
- Tight if your staff expect a portal, because there is none
- Watch out: the $228 annual rate starts when the 14-day trial ends
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | 2.2GPAPaycheckCityFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABasic is $17 a month plus $4 a worker, $37 for five, the lowest in this category and under 60% of the figure for its lowest-priced quarter. Full Service, which files your taxes, is $62 for five, still the lowest price for that. Each extra state is $12. | B$228 a year is $19 a month, at the cheaper-quarter mark of $19 for payroll tools, and one plan covers unlimited companies and employees. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA 14-day trial of all features; the listing does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | 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. | CCalculates pay and taxes and prepares paychecks and the federal W-2, 940 and 941. No direct deposit, no state forms, no filing, no employee portal. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You enter the data, print the checks and file the forms. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only, with no app or integrations list. |
| Best for | very small US businesses watching every dollar | US paychecks to print, for small employers |
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: Patriot Payroll and PaycheckCity. How we grade
Price against what you get
Patriot Payroll starts at $17 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PaycheckCity starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0.
Patriot Payroll scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 2 score higher than Patriot Payroll for less, and 6 score higher than PaycheckCity 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
- Patriot Payroll also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Patriot Payroll | PaycheckCity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) | $19 per month, billed as one annual payment of $228 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months | 14-day free trial of all features; the $228 annual rate starts when it ends |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Patriot Software LLC | Symmetry Software LLC |
| Price read from | patriotsoftware.com | paycheckcity.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
PaycheckCity
- It does no direct deposit, tax filing or tax payment; you print checks and file and remit yourself.
- State forms are not completed; only federal W-2, 940 and 941 are prepared.
- Self-service only, with help articles and a chat box.
- There is no employee portal.
Key features
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.
PaycheckCity
- Payroll tax calculation
- Calculates gross-to-net pay and state taxes for all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa, including multi-state cases.
- Printable paychecks and paystubs
- Paychecks and paystubs are generated for printing, and the payroll history is saved.
- Year-end form preparation
- The app fills in federal Form W-2, 940 and 941 with Schedule B from payroll history for you to file.
- Tax change notifications
- Notifications tell you when payroll tax rules change in your jurisdiction.
- Unlimited companies and employees
- Adding locations, companies or employees costs nothing extra under the single plan.
Plans
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.
PaycheckCity
PaycheckCity Payroll$19
per month, billed as one annual payment of $228
One plan with unlimited companies, locations, employees and payroll runs. Applicable taxes are added.
Ways to pay less
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.
PaycheckCity
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Patriot Payroll or PaycheckCity?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Patriot Payroll is cheaper to start with: $17 a month, against $19 a month for PaycheckCity. Patriot Payroll starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months), and PaycheckCity starts at $19 per month, billed as one annual payment of $228.
Which has a free plan, Patriot Payroll or PaycheckCity?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Patriot Payroll nor PaycheckCity has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.