Patriot Payroll vs Wagepoint (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Patriot Payroll grades higher than Wagepoint: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Patriot Payroll grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use 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
Wagepoint
Canadian payroll with T4s, ROEs and optional time tracking
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 Wagepoint if
- Fits if you have a small Canadian business and want published prices
- Works for bookkeepers who run payroll for several Canadian clients
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you pay anyone outside Canada, as it runs Canadian payroll only
- Tight if you pay more than once a month, because Lite allows one run and one pay group
- Pricey if headcount grows, since every paid employee or contractor adds $4 to $10
- Watch out: next-day deposit is only included in Plus and is an add-on on Lite and Core
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAPatriot PayrollGood | 2.2GPAWagepointFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CLite is $20 plus $4 a person, so one person pays $24 and five pay $40; Core, which allows unlimited runs, is $46 for one and $70 for five. That is inside the usual $20 to $49 range, though Core for a team of five is dearer. |
| 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. | C14-day free trial with all features; the listing does not say a card is needed. No free plan. |
| 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. | CHandles provincial tax, CPP, EI, T4s, ROEs, timesheets, clock-in and accounting sync. Lite is capped at one run a month, and it is Canada only. |
| 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 rating on record. You connect accounting, set up pay groups and add employees before it earns its keep. |
| 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 app with a My Wagepoint employee app and two-way sync to QuickBooks Online, Xero and FreshBooks. No desktop program. |
| Best for | very small US businesses watching every dollar | Canadian payroll for a small team |
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 Wagepoint. 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. Wagepoint starts at $20 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Patriot Payroll starts $3 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 2 score higher than Patriot Payroll for less, and 2 score higher than Wagepoint 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.
- Wagepoint also covers time clock and time off.
At a glance
| Patriot Payroll | Wagepoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months) | $20 per month, plus $4 per employee or contractor |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, then 50% off for 3 months | 14-day free trial with all features, including running payroll once the company is verified |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Patriot Software LLC | Wagepoint |
| Price read from | patriotsoftware.com | wagepoint.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Wagepoint
- Runs Canadian payroll only; the pricing page asks for a province.
- Lite is limited to one payroll run per month and one pay group.
- Next-day deposit is included only in Plus and is for eligible businesses; it is an add-on for Lite and Core.
- Pricing is by active employee or contractor, so the monthly cost rises with headcount.
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.
Wagepoint
- Canadian payroll calculations
- Federal and provincial income tax, CPP, EI, statutory holiday pay and workers' compensation, with remittance schedules that vary by province.
- Year-end and ROE filing
- Prepares T4s and T4As and submits Records of Employment.
- Time and absence
- Timesheets, clock in/out with geo-fencing and time off management, with hours flowing into payroll through the My Wagepoint app.
- Accounting sync
- Two-way integration with QuickBooks Online, Xero and FreshBooks that updates the books after each pay run.
- Reports
- Earnings, deductions, benefits, payroll register, deposit summary and posting journal reports.
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.
Wagepoint
Lite$20
per month, plus $4 per person paid
For businesses that run one payroll a month in one pay group. Includes direct deposit, T4s and T4As, ROEs, timesheets, time off, clock in/out and geo-fencing.
Core$40
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Unlimited payroll runs and pay groups, with paid time off management and the same time tools as Lite.
Plus$80
per month, plus $10 per person paid
Everything in Core, with next-day deposit for eligible businesses 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.
Wagepoint
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Patriot Payroll or Wagepoint?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Patriot Payroll is cheaper to start with: $17 a month, against $20 a month for Wagepoint. Patriot Payroll starts at $17 per month, plus $4 per worker paid (half price for the first 3 months), and Wagepoint starts at $20 per month, plus $4 per employee or contractor.
Which has a free plan, Patriot Payroll or Wagepoint?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Patriot Payroll nor Wagepoint 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.