OnPay vs Patriot Payroll: Which Is Better?

Round by round

1. Round 1💰 Pricing & TransparencyPatriot Payroll wins
   OnPay6/10

   $49 + $6/employee

   One published full-service plan, no sales call

   • Single published plan, no sales call
   • No upcharge for multi-state or year-end forms
   • Higher base price than Patriot's Basic tier

   Source: OnPay pricing page

   Patriot Payroll8/10

   $17 + $4/employee (Basic)

   Cheapest published plan in the category; Full Service is $37 + $5/employee

   • Cheapest self-serve sticker price in the category
   • Two tiers let cost-sensitive owners pay only for what they need
   • Multi-state Full Service filing adds $12/mo per extra state

   Source: Patriot Software pricing page

   Patriot is cheaper on paper in both tiers, but the real price depends on which one you pick.

2. Round 2🧾 Core Payroll & Tax FilingOnPay wins
   OnPay9/10

   All 50 states, no upcharge

   Automatic federal/state/local filing included by default

   • Tax filing included on every plan, no tier gate
   • No extra charge for multi-state filing

   Source: OnPay tax filing data

   Patriot Payroll5/10

   84% on Basic (self-file)

   Full Service adds filing plus a penalty-reimbursement guarantee

   • Full Service tier backed by a genuine filing-error guarantee
   • Basic plan leaves the business responsible for its own tax filing
   • Multi-state Full Service filing costs extra per state

   Source: Patriot Software plan data

   OnPay makes tax filing the default; Patriot makes it the upsell most customers don't take.

3. Round 3👥 HR Features & BenefitsOnPay wins
   OnPay8/10

   +$15 + $2/employee

   PTO, eSignature onboarding, org charts, document management

   • PTO, onboarding, and org charts in one modest add-on
   • Purpose-built support for clergy and agricultural payroll
   • Core HR features require paying for the add-on

   Source: OnPay HR add-on pricing

   Patriot Payroll5/10

   HR + Time & Attendance add-ons

   Thinner native HR set than OnPay; benefits via Vestwell/SimplyInsured

   • Free benefits integrations: 401(k), health insurance, workers' comp
   • No built-in PTO management or onboarding workflow
   • Thinner native HR feature set than OnPay or Gusto

   Source: Patriot Software HR add-on data

   OnPay's add-on goes deeper on real HR workflows; Patriot keeps HR thin and outsources most of it to integrations.

4. Round 4🖥️ Ease of Use & SetupOnPay wins
   OnPay9/10

   "Onboarding was seamless"

   • Free white-glove data migration and setup
   • First month free for new customers

   Patriot Payroll5/10

   "Have to start my payroll all over"

   • Free setup assistance and 30-day free trial
   • Mid-run wage changes force restarting the entire payroll run

   Both offer free setup help, but OnPay's onboarding reviews are cleaner than Patriot's mid-run workflow complaints.

5. Round 5🔌 IntegrationsOnPay wins
   OnPay8/10

   QBO/QBD, Xero + accountant portal

   Broader accounting-software coverage plus multi-client tools

   • Connects to both QuickBooks and Xero
   • Dedicated accountant/bookkeeper multi-client portal

   Source: OnPay integrations data

   Patriot Payroll6/10

   QuickBooks, Vestwell, SimplyInsured

   Covers essentials; no Xero, no dedicated accountant portal

   • Free benefits and workers' comp integrations included
   • No Xero support
   • No dedicated multi-client accountant portal

   Source: Patriot Software integrations data

   Both cover QuickBooks; OnPay goes further with Xero and a real multi-client accountant portal.

6. Round 6🤝 Customer Support & TrustOnPay wins
   OnPay9/10

   4.8 / 4.8 / 4.2

   Consistently strong across Capterra, G2, and Trustpilot

   • No sharp rating gap across review platforms
   • Support included on every plan, no upsell pressure

   Source: OnPay sentiment data

   Patriot Payroll7/10

   "I always get a live agent right away"

   • 4.8/5 on both G2 and Capterra
   • Live agents, not bots, praised repeatedly
   • Support not available 24/7

   Both score well on the major platforms; OnPay's Trustpilot number holds up better and support is included with no upsell pressure.

Which one is for you?

Side by side

Top ratedOnPay

Check price

Best for pricingPatriot Payroll

Check price

Overall score

7.7

Best

6.8

Price

See price

See price

Pricing & Transparency

8.3

8.7

Customer Support & Trust

9.0

8.1

Core Payroll & Tax Filing

8.1

5.4

Ease of Use & Setup

8.4

7.6

Integrations

6.9

5.5

Head-to-head findings

Pricing & Transparency

$49/mo + $6/employee

$17 + $4/employee (Basic)

Customer Support & Trust

4.8 G2/Capterra, 4.2 Trustpilot — no collapse

"I always get a live agent right away"

Core Payroll & Tax Filing

50 states, no upcharge

84% on Basic (self-file)

Ease of Use & Setup

Painless onboarding, weak mobile app

"Have to start my payroll all over"

Integrations

~6 integrations

QuickBooks, Vestwell, SimplyInsured

HR Features & Benefits

+$15/mo + $2/employee

HR add-on + free integrations

Record

Head-to-head record

8–0–1

5–4

Head-to-heads won

100 %

56 %

Rounds won

63 %

50 %

Pros

• One published plan with no tier ladder
• Multi-state filing included at no extra charge
• First month free plus free setup/data migration
• No extra charge for multi-state payroll or year-end filing

• Cheapest published base plan available
• Two tiers let cost-sensitive owners pay only for what they need
• Full Service backed by a genuine filing-error guarantee
• Compliance center and paperless employee files

Cons

• HR features (PTO, onboarding, org charts) require a paid add-on
• PTO, onboarding, and org charts all require a paid HR add-on
• No in-house PEO option
• Mobile app is the weakest part of the platform, missing desktop features

• Multi-state Full Service filing adds $12/mo per extra state
• Basic plan leaves the business responsible for its own filing
• Multi-state Full Service filing costs extra per state
• No tip or hours auto-import capability

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