Patriot Payroll vs QuickBooks Workforce
We give Patriot Payroll a 2.6 GPA and QuickBooks Workforce a 2.4, out of 4.0. Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money and the free plan. QuickBooks Workforce grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
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
QuickBooks Workforce
Intuit's payroll and HR service, sold alone or with QuickBooks
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | 2.4GPAQuickBooks WorkforceFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CWorkforce Payroll is $50 a month plus $7 an employee, so $85 for five, the middle of this category. Half-price base for the first 3 months makes that $60 at first. Time tracking and HR need Premium, which is $153 for five. |
| 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. | DA 30-day trial, but it only waives the $50 base: the $7 per employee is still charged, so running a real payroll costs money from day one. Taking the trial also means giving up the 3 months at half price. |
| 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. | BIntuit files and pays payroll taxes, pays salaried staff automatically, e-files unlimited 1099s and pays next day. Premium adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, and Elite adds IRS penalty cover up to $25,000 a year. That covers the whole job. |
| 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. | B4.65 from about 197,000 App Store ratings for the QuickBooks Workforce app, where staff clock in. Premium includes an expert review of your setup, and Elite has an expert set it up for you. |
| 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, sitting alongside QuickBooks Online, with QuickBooks Time, Checkr, Vestwell, NEXT Insurance and Mineral connected. No desktop app in the listing. |
| Best for | very small US businesses watching every dollar | businesses already keeping books in QuickBooks |
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 QuickBooks Workforce. 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. QuickBooks Workforce starts at $50 a month and scores 3.0.
QuickBooks Workforce scores higher, and starts $33 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 Patriot Payroll for less, and 2 score higher than QuickBooks Workforce 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 starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months). QuickBooks Workforce starts at $50 per month, plus $7 per employee, billed monthly.
- Only QuickBooks Workforce lists iOS and Android apps.
- Patriot Payroll also covers reports.
At a glance
| Patriot Payroll | QuickBooks Workforce | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) | $50 per month, plus $7 per employee, billed monthly |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months | 30-day free trial of the base price, taken instead of the 3-month discount; per-employee fees still apply |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Patriot Software LLC | Intuit Inc. |
| Price read from | patriotsoftware.com | quickbooks.intuit.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
QuickBooks Workforce
- US businesses already keeping their books in QuickBooks Online
- Small teams that want payroll, time tracking and HR from one vendor
- Employers who want an expert to set up payroll for them
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.
QuickBooks Workforce
- The advertised prices are 50% off the base fee for the first 3 months; per-employee fees are charged in full from the start.
- Time tracking, HR tools and same-day deposit need Premium; IRS penalty cover and a personal HR advisor need Elite.
- Bundles with QuickBooks Online accounting start at $88 a month plus $6.50 per employee (Workforce Payroll with Simple Start).
- It is Intuit's US payroll, filing with the IRS and US states; Canada has its own QuickBooks payroll site and prices.
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.
QuickBooks Workforce
- Full-service payroll taxes
- Intuit calculates, files and pays payroll taxes, sets up garnishments and deductions, and keeps reports on pay history, tax payments and time off.
- Auto payroll and fast deposits
- Salaried staff on direct deposit can be paid automatically. Payroll pays next day; Premium and Elite pay the same day if run by 7 am.
- Payroll AI
- Collects hours from staff by text or app, spots inconsistencies and drafts a payroll for you to approve. The plans list it by name on Premium and Elite.
- Time tracking in the Workforce app
- Premium and Elite include time tracking by phone or an on-site kiosk, with job schedules; Elite adds geofenced reminders and GPS mileage.
- Hiring and HR
- Premium and Elite add offer letters, digital onboarding, automated I-9s, recruiting, time-off policies and a documents center with e-signatures.
- 1099 e-filing
- Every plan e-files unlimited 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms with the IRS and sends copies to contractors.
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.
QuickBooks Workforce
Workforce Payroll$50
per month, plus $7 per employee, billed monthly
Advertised at $25 a month for the first 3 months. Full-service payroll and tax filing, auto payroll, 1099 e-filing and next-day direct deposit.
Workforce Premium$88
per month, plus $13 per employee, billed monthly
Advertised at $44 a month for the first 3 months. Adds same-day direct deposit, time tracking, hiring, recruiting and an expert setup review.
Workforce Elite$134
per month, plus $17 per employee, billed monthly
Advertised at $67 a month for the first 3 months. Adds expert setup, IRS penalty cover up to $25,000 a year, performance reviews and an HR advisor.
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.
QuickBooks Workforce
- Other savings
50% off the base fee for 3 months
New customers on a monthly plan pay half the base price for the first 3 months, then the regular price. Per-employee and state filing fees are not discounted.
