QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll
Two payroll & HR tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.
Short version
Patriot Payroll costs less for a six-person team.
QuickBooks Payroll fits agency or studio, online store.- QuickBooks Payroll suits teams past ten people.
| Compare | QuickBooks PayrollIntuit | Patriot PayrollPatriot Software |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Payroll inside QuickBooks Online, sold as a bundle | The cheapest full-service payroll for a handful of employees |
| Starting price | From $88/mo + $7/person | From $17/mo + $4/person |
| Six-person team | $130/mo | $41/mo |
| Plans | Now sold as QuickBooks Workforce: Payroll + Simple Start $88/mo; Payroll + Essentials $135/mo, both + $7/employee; Premium + Plus $228/mo + $13/employee; often 50% off for 3 months | Basic $17/mo + $4/worker (you file taxes); Full Service $37/mo + $5/worker; 30-day free trial; 50% off for 3 months |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free trial |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Users | Per employee | Per worker paid |
| Both connect to | QuickBooks Online | |
| Also connects to | Homebase Scheduling, Connecteam, Buddy Punch, When I Work, Planday | Patriot Accounting |
| Team size | 2–10 people · 11–50 people | Just me · 2–10 people |
| Available in | US | US |
| Phone support | Plans not stated (US) | Every plan |
| Live chat | Every paid plan | Every plan |
| Support hours | Help center: Mon–Fri 6 AM–6 PM PT, weekends closed (Workforce Payroll), Mon–Fri 5 AM–7 PM PT, Sat–Sun 6 AM–3 PM PT (Workforce Premium and Elite) · Phone: Monday- Friday 6am -6pm PST | Phone: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday · Live chat: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday |
| Incidents posted | 5 incidents posted on Intuit's status page, which covers all Intuit products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 2 marked major or critical by Intuit. Status page | 2 incidents posted on Patriot Software's status page, which covers all Patriot Software products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 2 marked major or critical by Patriot Software. Status page |
| Fit: Retail shop | 85 | 78 |
| Fit: Restaurant or café | 82 | 75 |
| Fit: Service business | 88 | 82 |
| Fit: Agency or studio | 85 | 72 |
| Fit: Trades or contractor | 88 | 82 |
| Fit: Online store | 78 | 65 |
| Why people pick it |
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| Where it falls short |
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| Visit QuickBooks Payroll | Visit Patriot Payroll | |
Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices
QuickBooks Payroll: partner link. We may earn a commission; it never affects rankings.
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