Payroll & PEO / Product assessment
Payroll software fit, costs and alternatives
- Best fit
- Payroll and tax filing for 20 employees in two states
- Cost scope · USD
- Full Service: $37/month + $5/worker/month; extra states $12 each/month
Researched software assessment, adapted from our existing 20-employee, two-state payroll shortlist. No hands-on test or EOR Atlas rating is claimed.
In this assessment
When we would shortlist Patriot
Patriot Full Service costs $149/month for 20 workers and tax filing in two states: $37 base, $100 for workers and $12 for the second state. It leads this payroll-only shortlist because it supplies the required filing service for $20/month less than OnPay.
At four filing states it costs $173/month, above OnPay’s $169. Time tools are separate. Patriot Basic leaves tax filing with you; it is not the service recommended here.
Before switching, use the same payroll correction, approval and accounting-export exercise with each finalist. The price comparison does not establish reliability or usability.
What belongs in the quote
Full Service: $37/month + $5/worker/month; extra states $12 each/month
Rates describe the named configuration in USD, before promotions, optional modules and applicable taxes. Wages, employer payroll taxes, insurance and benefit funding are separate. Where a complete price is unavailable, request a written quote rather than treating the missing amount as zero.
What to settle in the demo
Price your actual state count and every required time or HR addition. Confirm that the proposal is Full Service if you expect the supplier to file taxes.
Have the person who will run the process repeat the task. Record the remaining manual steps and any extra charges in the proposal.
Questions buyers ask
Is this an EOR service?
This assessment covers payroll for your own US employment operation. It does not apply the supplier’s EOR rating or establish international employment coverage.
Did we test the service?
No. This is an editorial assessment of attributed supplier documentation and the existing buying research. Reliability, usability and service quality were not measured in a live customer test.
Which alternatives belong on your shortlist?
Payroll across four or more states at 20 workers
Trade-off: direct telephone handling of payroll corrections is not established
Multi-state payroll with time tracking and scheduling
Trade-off: you already have time tracking and scheduling that work
QuickBooks Workforce
Payroll connected to the QuickBooks accounts your bookkeeper already uses
Trade-off: your local-tax support or time tracking requires a higher edition
Sources and research scope
Pricing and filing-state arithmetic rechecked 6 October 2026. OnPay operational support instructions reviewed on the same date. No hands-on service-quality test or EOR score is claimed.
- Patriot multi-state payrollFull Service standard rate and additional-state fees.
- Patriot pricingBasic versus Full Service responsibility distinction; promotions excluded.