Prices checked 2026-10-19
QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll: price by crew size
Two payroll services that also sell accounting software. Here is what each costs for 1 to 20 people at the regular price, the intro offers, and how often QuickBooks has raised its prices.
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The short answer
- Cheapest plan that files your payroll taxes: QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll ($50/mo + $7/person) vs Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll ($37/mo + $5/person).
- By crew size, at regular prices: 1 to 50 people: Patriot Payroll costs less.
- For 5 people: QuickBooks Payroll $85/mo vs Patriot Payroll $62/mo ($1,020 vs $744 a year).
- Where those two plans differ, from each vendor’s pages: Job costing: QuickBooks Payroll No, Patriot Payroll Not stated; Multi-state: QuickBooks Payroll Not stated, Patriot Payroll Yes; Time tracking: QuickBooks Payroll No, Patriot Payroll Add-on; Workers' comp: QuickBooks Payroll Add-on, Patriot Payroll Yes; Next-day deposit: QuickBooks Payroll Yes, Patriot Payroll Not stated.
Price comparisons use regular monthly list prices on each vendor’s cheapest plan that files and deposits payroll taxes. Features differ by plan; check the table below.
Cheapest full-service plan, by crew size
Each side’s lowest-cost plan that files payroll taxes at that crew size: base fee + per-person fee × crew. Year = monthly × 12.
| Crew | QuickBooks Payroll | Patriot Payroll | Difference per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $57/moWorkforce Payroll · $684/yr | $42/moFull Service Payroll · $504/yr | Patriot Payroll $15 less |
| 2 people | $64/moWorkforce Payroll · $768/yr | $47/moFull Service Payroll · $564/yr | Patriot Payroll $17 less |
| 3 people | $71/moWorkforce Payroll · $852/yr | $52/moFull Service Payroll · $624/yr | Patriot Payroll $19 less |
| 5 people | $85/moWorkforce Payroll · $1,020/yr | $62/moFull Service Payroll · $744/yr | Patriot Payroll $23 less |
| 8 people | $106/moWorkforce Payroll · $1,272/yr | $77/moFull Service Payroll · $924/yr | Patriot Payroll $29 less |
| 10 people | $120/moWorkforce Payroll · $1,440/yr | $87/moFull Service Payroll · $1,044/yr | Patriot Payroll $33 less |
| 15 people | $155/moWorkforce Payroll · $1,860/yr | $112/moFull Service Payroll · $1,344/yr | Patriot Payroll $43 less |
| 20 people | $190/moWorkforce Payroll · $2,280/yr | $137/moFull Service Payroll · $1,644/yr | Patriot Payroll $53 less |
Every plan, priced for 1, 5 and 10 people
Regular monthly price. Intro offers are listed separately. Bundles with accounting or HR software are on the vendor pages.
| Plan | Regular price | Intro offer | 1 person | 5 people | 10 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce PayrollNo time tracking | $50/mo + $7/person | $25/mo + $7/person (per-person fee not discounted) for 3 months | $57/mo | $85/mo | $120/mo |
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce PremiumIncludes time tracking | $88/mo + $13/person | $44/mo + $13/person (per-person fee not discounted) for 3 months | $101/mo | $153/mo | $218/mo |
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce EliteIncludes time tracking; tax penalty protection up to $25,000 | $134/mo + $17/person | $67/mo + $17/person (per-person fee not discounted) for 3 months | $151/mo | $219/mo | $304/mo |
| Patriot Payroll Basic Payroll Doesn’t file taxesDoes NOT file or deposit payroll taxes ("File and deposit your own payroll taxes"); pays workers in all states at no extra cost | $17/mo + $4/person | $8.50/mo + $2/person for 3 months | $21/mo | $37/mo | $57/mo |
| Patriot Payroll Full Service PayrollFiles and deposits federal, state and local payroll taxes plus year-end filings; first state included, +$12/month per additional filing state | $37/mo + $5/person | $18.50/mo + $2.50/person for 3 months | $42/mo | $62/mo | $87/mo |
Year one with the intro offer
Regular price × 12, and below it the year if you take the intro price for its months and then pay the regular price. Free-trial months are not counted.
| Plan | 1 person, year one | 5 people, year one | 10 people, year one |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll | $684with intro $609 | $1,020with intro $945 | $1,440with intro $1,365 |
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Premium | $1,212with intro $1,080 | $1,836with intro $1,704 | $2,616with intro $2,484 |
| QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Elite | $1,812with intro $1,611 | $2,628with intro $2,427 | $3,648with intro $3,447 |
| Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll | $504with intro $441 | $744with intro $651 | $1,044with intro $914 |
QuickBooks Payroll has raised its list prices on 5 occasions since 2023
Our log has 16 plan-level increases (a base fee or a per-employee fee) on QuickBooks’ own pricing pages, first seen on 5 different dates; the latest per-employee rises were first seen 2026-10-17. Patriot Full Service’s per-worker fee rose once in our log (first seen 2024-11-26); base fees are unchanged in the snapshots we have. Recent QuickBooks changes are below; all of them are in the QuickBooks price increase log.
Books and payroll together
Both sell accounting too. Patriot Accounting Basic ($20/mo, which Patriot says integrates free with its payroll) plus Patriot Full Service Payroll, against QuickBooks’ Workforce Payroll + QBO Simple Start bundle ($88/mo + $6.50/employee). Regular monthly prices:
| Crew | Patriot Accounting Basic + Full Service Payroll | QuickBooks Workforce Payroll + QBO Simple Start | Difference per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $62/mo | $94.50/mo | Patriot $32.50 less |
| 5 people | $82/mo | $120.50/mo | Patriot $38.50 less |
| 10 people | $107/mo | $153/mo | Patriot $46 less |
Entry accounting plans on both sides; they don’t include the same features. Both run intro discounts: see each pricing page.
Features on each plan
From each vendor’s own pages. “Not stated” means we couldn’t find it either way, not that the feature is missing. Certified payroll isn’t listed: neither vendor states it on the pages we checked.
| Feature | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Premium | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Elite | Patriot Payroll Basic Payroll | Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Files and deposits payroll taxes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pays 1099 contractors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Job costing | No | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Multi-state | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Time tracking | No | Yes | Yes | Add-on | Add-on |
| Workers' comp | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on | Yes | Yes |
| Next-day deposit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Year-end W-2 / 1099 filing | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
What each vendor says (13)
- QuickBooks Payroll, job costing: "Allocation of payroll costs by class or project only available to QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite users who have a QuickBooks Online Plus, QuickBooks Online Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite plan." So it is true only when paired with QBO Plus or Advanced. Elite also lists GPS mileage and a project activity feed.
- QuickBooks Payroll, time tracking: "Time Tracking: Available in QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite only."
- QuickBooks Payroll, next-day deposit: Workforce Payroll: next-day direct deposit. Premium and Elite: same-day direct deposit. Subject to eligibility and cut-off times. Next-day for contractors costs extra (amount not published).
- QuickBooks Payroll, files and deposits payroll taxes: "We'll calculate, file, and pay your payroll taxes for you." Federal and state on all plans. "Certain local taxes available in QuickBooks Workforce Premium and Elite only."
- QuickBooks Payroll, year-end w-2 / 1099 filing: 1099 E-File is listed. The page says payroll tax forms are filed for you, but W-2 filing is not named explicitly on this page.
- QuickBooks Payroll, workers' comp: Workers' comp is offered through ERGO NEXT Insurance. "Additional fees apply." Not available in OH, ND, WA or WY.
- Patriot Payroll, files and deposits payroll taxes: Basic: "File and deposit your own payroll taxes" and "Self-file taxes". Full Service: "We'll file and deposit federal / state / local payroll taxes."
- Patriot Payroll, year-end w-2 / 1099 filing: Full Service: "We'll file year-end payroll tax filings (no additional fees)" and "Year-end forms (e.g., W-2s) filed at no extra charge". Basic has "Optional 1099 e-Filing" with nominal fees; otherwise the employer files.
- Patriot Payroll, multi-state: Both plans: "Pay employees in all 50 states plus D.C., included free with Basic and Full Service Payroll". Full Service tax filing covers the first state; each additional state is $12/month.
- Patriot Payroll, time tracking: "Time and Attendance integration" is an optional add-on (see addons).
- Patriot Payroll, workers' comp: "free workers' comp integration" with ERGO NEXT. Pay-as-you-go premiums are calculated and paid each payroll.
- Patriot Payroll, next-day deposit: Free 4-day and 2-day (for qualifying customers) direct deposit. The vendor page does not list next-day.
- Patriot Payroll, pays 1099 contractors: "Pay 1099 independent contractors with direct deposit or by check."
Who gets counted, trials and fees
| QuickBooks Payroll | Patriot Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is billed per person | Per ACTIVE employee per month (counted even at $0 earnings); intro discount does not apply to per-employee fees | Per worker PAID during the month; billed in arrears |
| Free trial or offer | 30-day free trial on base price OR 50% off base for 3 months (not both); neither applies to per-employee fees | 30 days free + 50% off for 3 months |
| Pay runs and optional fees | Regular pay runs: no per-run fee published; Off-cycle runs: fee not published; Next-day direct deposit for contractors: fee not published | Regular pay runs: no per-run fee published; Off-cycle runs: no extra charge |
Optional fees are shown as notes, not added to the totals: you pay them only if you use them.
QuickBooks Payroll price history
List-price changes first seen on QuickBooks Payroll’s own pricing page in archived snapshots.
| First seen at the new price | Plan | Price | Old → new | Change | Effective date (announced) | Sources | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between 2026-06-16 and 2026-10-17wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll | Per employee per month | $6.50 → $7 | ▲ +$0.50 (+8%) | Not announced | After · Before | Change date unknown. The last archived snapshot (2026-06-16) shows the old rate, and the archived bundle page on 2026-07-02 still shows Workforce Payroll at +$6.50/employee. "date" is the date of our live check, not the effective date. Base fees were unchanged ($50 / $88 / $134). |
| Between 2026-06-16 and 2026-10-17wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Premium | Per employee per month | $10 → $13 | ▲ +$3 (+30%) | Not announced | After · Before | Change date unknown. The last archived snapshot (2026-06-16) shows the old rate, and the archived bundle page on 2026-07-02 still shows Workforce Payroll at +$6.50/employee. "date" is the date of our live check, not the effective date. Base fees were unchanged ($50 / $88 / $134). |
| Between 2026-06-16 and 2026-10-17wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Elite | Per employee per month | $12 → $17 | ▲ +$5 (+42%) | Not announced | After · Before | Change date unknown. The last archived snapshot (2026-06-16) shows the old rate, and the archived bundle page on 2026-07-02 still shows Workforce Payroll at +$6.50/employee. "date" is the date of our live check, not the effective date. Base fees were unchanged ($50 / $88 / $134). |
| Between 2025-05-17 and 2025-10-03wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payrollthen: Payroll Core / QuickBooks Payroll Core | Per employee per month | $6 → $6.50 | ▲ +$0.50 (+8%) | 2025-07-01Announcement | After · Before | There are only two archived full-service snapshots in this window. The archived payroll bundle page (/payroll/pricing/) changed between 2025-06-21 and 2025-07-08, which fits the July 1, 2025 date in the Intuit community post. "date" is the first archived full-service snapshot showing the new prices. |
| Between 2025-05-17 and 2025-10-03wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Premiumthen: Payroll Premium | Base fee per month | $85 → $88 | ▲ +$3 (+4%) | 2025-07-01Announcement | After · Before | There are only two archived full-service snapshots in this window. The archived payroll bundle page (/payroll/pricing/) changed between 2025-06-21 and 2025-07-08, which fits the July 1, 2025 date in the Intuit community post. "date" is the first archived full-service snapshot showing the new prices. |
| Between 2025-05-17 and 2025-10-03wide gap between snapshots | QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Premiumthen: Payroll Premium | Per employee per month | $9 → $10 | ▲ +$1 (+11%) | 2025-07-01Announcement | After · Before | There are only two archived full-service snapshots in this window. The archived payroll bundle page (/payroll/pricing/) changed between 2025-06-21 and 2025-07-08, which fits the July 1, 2025 date in the Intuit community post. "date" is the first archived full-service snapshot showing the new prices. |
All of them: QuickBooks price increase log · payroll price tracker.
Patriot Payroll price history
List-price changes first seen on Patriot Payroll’s own pricing page in archived snapshots.
| First seen at the new price | Plan | Price | Old → new | Change | Effective date (announced) | Sources | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-26old price last seen 2024-10-12 | Patriot Payroll Full Service Payroll | Per employee per month | $4 → $5 | ▲ +$1 (+25%) | Not announced | After · Before | Base prices unchanged ($17 Basic, $37 Full Service). Basic stayed $4. The 2024-11-26 FAQ still says "$4 per worker" while the plan card shows $5: the card is used. $5 confirmed on the 2025-01-12 card and FAQ. |
Every change we track: payroll price tracker.
QuickBooks Payroll pricing · Patriot Payroll pricing · Payroll calculator for any crew size · Cheapest payroll for 1, 2 and 5 employees
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