Patriot Payroll vs SurePayroll
We give Patriot Payroll a 2.6 GPA and SurePayroll a 2.4, out of 4.0. Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money and the free plan. SurePayroll grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and 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
SurePayroll
Online payroll for small US businesses and household employers
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | 2.4GPASurePayrollFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BNo Tax Filing is $20 a month plus $4 an employee, $40 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Full Service, which files taxes, is $64 for five. Year-end forms add $50 plus $5 a form, and multi-state is $9.99 a month. |
| 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. | FNo free plan or trial. New customers get every other month free in their first year, which is a good deal, but it's a discount on a paid plan, not a trial. |
| 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. | CPayroll done fully: unlimited and automatic runs, employees and contractors together, tax filing on Full Service and a household plan for nannies. A smaller job, though, with no HR tools beyond paid employment-law help. |
| 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. | A4.7 from about 6,100 App Store ratings for the employer app, where owners run payroll and check reports. Staff get their own app for pay stubs. |
| 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, with apps for owners and for staff. No desktop app, and accounting sync is a $4.99-a-month add-on rather than built in. |
| Best for | very small US businesses watching every dollar | tiny businesses and families paying a nanny |
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 SurePayroll. 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. SurePayroll starts at $20 a month and scores 3.0.
SurePayroll scores higher, and starts $3 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 none scores higher than SurePayroll 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). SurePayroll starts at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee.
- Only SurePayroll lists iOS and Android apps.
- Patriot Payroll also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Patriot Payroll | SurePayroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) | $20 per month, plus $4 per employee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Patriot Software LLC | SurePayroll, Inc. |
| Price read from | patriotsoftware.com | surepayroll.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
SurePayroll
- Small US businesses with a handful of employees
- Families paying a nanny, caregiver or housekeeper
- Owners who want to run payroll from a phone
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.
SurePayroll
- Runs US payroll; the first state is included, multi-state payroll is $9.99 a month and local taxes carry a separate fee.
- Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed once a year at $50 plus $5 per form.
- Accounting sync is $4.99 a month, time clock import from $5 a month plus $3 per employee, and employment law help from $30 a month.
- Household employers buy a separate Nanny & Household plan at $39 a month, including one employee, marked down from $45.
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.
SurePayroll
- Unlimited and automatic payroll
- Every plan includes unlimited payroll runs, and payroll can be scheduled to run on its own on the chosen pay dates.
- Tax filing on Full Service
- Full Service calculates, files and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes and gives access to Forms 940, 941, W-2 and 1099.
- Free 2-day direct deposit
- Direct deposit with a two-day lead time is included, and pay stubs and reports stay available online at any hour.
- Employees and contractors
- W-2 employees and 1099 contractors are paid in the same payroll, with multiple pay rates, bonuses and new hire reporting.
- Employer and employee apps
- Owners run payroll and review reports from the SurePayroll app, and employees see their own pay stubs and account details in theirs.
- Household payroll
- A separate Nanny & Household plan files household payroll taxes and prepares Schedule H and W-2 forms for families.
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.
SurePayroll
No Tax Filing$20
per month, plus $4 per employee
The Full Service features, except that you file and deposit all payroll taxes yourself.
Full Service$29
per month, plus $7 per employee
Payroll taxes filed and deposited, unlimited payroll runs, free 2-day direct deposit and W-2 and 1099 workers. The first state is included.
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.
SurePayroll
- Other savings
Every other month free for the first year
New customers get every alternating month free during their first 12 months, which SurePayroll advertises as 6 free months. Terms apply.
