Patriot Payroll vs Square Payroll: HR & Payroll Comparison (2026)
Patriot Payroll offers a free tier and starts at $8.50/month, while Square Payroll starts at $35/month with no free tier. Patriot Payroll includes unlimited payrolls, free direct deposit, auto payroll, robust payroll reports, contractor payments, a free employee portal, and all pay frequencies. Square Payroll offers full-service payroll, instant payments, and automated tax calculations. Patriot Payroll integrates with Stripe, QuickBooks Desktop, and QuickBooks Online. Square Payroll does not list any integrations.
AI Citation Scorecard
How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask hr & payroll questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.
Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.
Pricing
Key Features
- ✓Unlimited payrolls
- ✓Free direct deposit
- ✓Auto payroll
- ✓Robust payroll reports
- ✓Pay contractors in payroll
- ✓Free employee portal
- ✓All pay frequencies
- ✓Tax filing reliability guaranteed
- ✓Run full-service payroll
- ✓$6 per person paid
- ✓Instant payments
- ✓Automated tax calculations
When to choose Patriot Payroll
You require a free tier or a lower starting monthly cost, need to integrate with Stripe or QuickBooks, or prioritize features like unlimited payrolls, free direct deposit, auto payroll, robust reports, contractor payments, and a free employee portal.
When to choose Square Payroll
You prioritize instant payments and automated tax calculations and do not require specific integrations mentioned by Patriot Payroll.