Patriot Payroll vs. SurePayroll: Which Budget Full-Service Plan Actually Costs Less?
By SoftwareSift Team.
Patriot Payroll and SurePayroll occupy the same segment of SoftwareSift's ranked payroll-software field: transparent, budget-priced, full-service payroll, distinct from the higher-priced "polish" segment occupied by Gusto ($49/mo plus $6/mo per person) and OnPay ($49 base plus $6/worker per month). Both Patriot and SurePayroll publish a base price plus a per-worker fee with no sales call required, which also sets them apart from Paychex Flex and ADP RUN's quote-only pricing elsewhere in the same ranking. The two plans look similar on paper, roughly $30-40/mo base plus $5-7 per worker, but the specific numbers diverge enough that headcount, not brand preference, decides the cheaper option.
Quick Comparison
| Criterion | Patriot Payroll (Full Service) | SurePayroll (Small Business) |
|---|---|---|
| List base price | $37/mo | $29/mo |
| Per-worker fee | $5/worker paid | $7/worker |
| Multi-state fee | Not established (see note below) | $9.99/mo flat, any state beyond the first |
| Tax filing included | Yes (federal, state, local; Full Service tier only, Basic tier does not file) | Yes (federal and state filed and deposited, base plan) |
| Sign-up promo | 30 days free + 50% off for 6 months | Six months free (sign-up-by date; alternate-month-free structure) |
| Cost at 10 employees (list) | $87/mo | $99/mo |
Prices verified directly on each vendor's own pricing page, as of Q3 2026, list price (not promo).
SurePayroll discloses a specific multi-state fee ($9.99/mo flat) directly on its pricing page. Patriot Payroll's pricing page lists "Is there a cost for filing in additional states?" as an FAQ heading, but the expanded answer was not part of this capture. No comparable Patriot multi-state figure is cited in this comparison.
Patriot Payroll: Full Pricing and Feature Breakdown
Patriot's Full Service Payroll tier lists at $37/mo plus $5 per worker paid, and includes federal, state, and local tax filings and deposits, year-end payroll tax filings at no additional fee, and a tax filing reliability guarantee, all stated on Patriot's own pricing page as what Full Service adds over the cheaper Basic tier. Both Patriot tiers include unlimited payrolls, auto payroll, free 2-day direct deposit for qualified customers, a free employee portal, and free integrations with accounting software, 401(k) plans, health benefits, and workers' comp. Named limitations: Basic Payroll ($17/mo plus $4/worker) does not file payroll taxes, and Time & Attendance or HR Software each cost an additional $6/mo plus $2/employee as separate add-ons rather than being bundled into either tier. Full detail in the Patriot Payroll pricing review.
SurePayroll: Full Pricing and Feature Breakdown
SurePayroll's single Small Business plan lists at $29/mo plus $7 per worker, with no tiers to choose between. The base plan includes federal and state payroll taxes filed and deposited, live phone and chat support, unlimited payroll runs, W-2 and 1099 form filing availability, free 2-day direct deposit, and a mobile app for employers and employees. Named limitations: the $7/worker fee is the highest per-worker rate of the two vendors compared here, meaning the total bill grows faster than Patriot's as headcount rises, and W-2/1099 filing is billed separately once a year at $50 base plus $5 per form rather than folded into the monthly price. Full detail in the SurePayroll pricing review.
Head-to-Head: Monthly Cost by Headcount
The table below computes each vendor's actual monthly bill at three common headcounts, using only each entity's certified list base price plus per-worker fee, with no promo pricing and no add-ons.
| Employees | Patriot Full Service ($37 + $5/worker) | SurePayroll ($29 + $7/worker) | Cheaper Option | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $62/mo | $64/mo | Patriot | $2/mo |
| 10 | $87/mo | $99/mo | Patriot | $12/mo |
| 25 | $162/mo | $204/mo | Patriot | $42/mo |
The two plans cross at exactly 4 employees, where both list at $57/mo ($37 plus $5 times 4 for Patriot; $29 plus $7 times 4 for SurePayroll). Below 4 employees, SurePayroll's lower base price wins outright: at 3 employees, SurePayroll lists at $50/mo against Patriot's $52/mo. At 4 employees or more, Patriot's lower per-worker fee takes over, and the gap widens by $2 for every additional employee, since Patriot charges $2 less per worker than SurePayroll ($5 versus $7). That $2-per-worker difference, not the $8 gap between the two base prices, is what actually decides the winner at any realistic small-business headcount.
Head-to-Head: Tax Filing and Compliance Depth
Patriot's Full Service tier includes federal, state, and local filings plus a stated tax filing reliability guarantee, but only on the Full Service tier -- Patriot's cheaper Basic tier does not file taxes at all. SurePayroll's single plan includes federal and state payroll taxes filed and deposited as a base-plan feature, with no separate self-file tier to accidentally choose. This is a real structural difference: SurePayroll bundles tax filing into its one plan, while Patriot gates it behind the more expensive of its two payroll tiers. A buyer comparing "SurePayroll's base plan" against "Patriot Basic" is not comparing equivalent products: Patriot Basic requires self-filing, SurePayroll's plan does not. Every price comparison in this article uses SurePayroll's single plan against Patriot's Full Service tier, because that is the apples-to-apples matchup on tax-filing scope.
Head-to-Head: Add-On Pricing
Both vendors sell optional add-ons on top of their base payroll price, and the two catalogs do not overlap cleanly. Patriot's two named add-ons, Time & Attendance and HR Software, are priced identically to each other at $6/mo plus $2/employee. Adding both to a 10-employee Full Service account raises the bill from $87/mo to $139/mo. SurePayroll's add-on catalog is broader but priced differently per item: accounting software integration at a flat $4.99/month, timeclock integration starting at $5/month plus $3 per employee, 401(k) plans by customized quote, and employment law compliance support starting at $30/month. Neither vendor's add-on catalog is a like-for-like match to the other's, so a buyer who needs a specific add-on (timeclock integration, HR software, employment law support) should compare that specific line item's price rather than assume the cheaper base-plus-per-worker vendor is also cheaper once add-ons are included.
Head-to-Head: Onboarding and Sign-Up Offers
Patriot's live promotion at capture time was 30 days free plus 50% off list pricing for six months, tied to a dated sale banner. SurePayroll's live promotion was six months free for signups by a stated date, plus a separate first-year mechanic where alternating months are free during the first 12 months. Both promotions are real but time-boxed, and neither changes the list prices used in the cost table above. A buyer comparing the two on promotional pricing alone is comparing two different, non-equivalent, temporary offers rather than the two plans' actual ongoing cost.
When to Choose Patriot Payroll
- Businesses with 4 or more employees, where Patriot's lower per-worker fee compounds into real monthly savings over SurePayroll.
- Businesses that want free bundled integrations for 401(k) plans, health benefits, and workers' comp alongside payroll, listed on Patriot's own product comparison table at no extra software cost.
When to Choose SurePayroll
- Businesses under 4 employees, where the lower $29/mo base price wins outright over Patriot's $37/mo base.
- Multi-state employers who want a disclosed, flat multi-state number: SurePayroll's $9.99/mo add-on is a known figure; Patriot's own multi-state cost is not established from its published pricing page.
- Businesses that want live phone and chat support included in the single base plan without needing to add a support tier.
See the full product breakdowns: Patriot Payroll pricing review on SoftwareSift | SurePayroll pricing review on SoftwareSift. For the complete eight-platform field, see SoftwareSift's payroll software ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which is cheaper, Patriot Payroll or SurePayroll?
- It depends on headcount. Below 4 employees, SurePayroll's lower $29/mo base price wins. At 4 employees, both list at $57/mo. Above 4 employees, Patriot Payroll's lower $5/worker fee (versus SurePayroll's $7/worker) makes it cheaper, and the gap grows by $2 per additional employee: $12/mo at 10 employees, $42/mo at 25 employees (all list prices, as of Q3 2026).
- Do both plans file payroll taxes?
- SurePayroll's single Small Business plan includes federal and state tax filing and deposit as a base feature. Patriot Payroll only includes federal, state, and local tax filing on its Full Service tier ($37/mo list); its cheaper Basic tier ($17/mo list) does not file taxes for the business.
- Which has better multi-state support?
- SurePayroll discloses a specific flat fee: $9.99/mo for any state beyond the first, regardless of headcount. Patriot's pricing page raises the same question in its FAQ list without a captured public answer, so no comparable figure exists to cite for Patriot.
- Does SoftwareSift earn a commission on either Patriot Payroll or SurePayroll?
- No. Neither has an affiliate placement on SoftwareSift. Both links in this comparison are plain, unmonetized links to each vendor's own pricing page.
- At what headcount does Patriot Payroll become cheaper than SurePayroll?
- Exactly 4 employees, where both list at $57/mo. Below that headcount, SurePayroll's lower $29/mo base price wins; at 4 employees or more, Patriot's lower $5/worker fee wins, and the gap widens by $2 per additional employee.
- Do Patriot Payroll and SurePayroll charge for the same add-ons?
- No. Patriot sells Time & Attendance and HR Software, each at $6/mo plus $2/employee. SurePayroll sells accounting integration ($4.99/month), timeclock integration (starting at $5/month plus $3 per employee), 401(k) plans (customized quote), and employment law support (starting at $30/month). The two add-on catalogs do not overlap, so a buyer with a specific add-on need should compare that line item directly rather than assume price parity.