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Gusto vs Patriot Payroll: taxes filed for $79, or filed by you for $37
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Gusto Simple costs $49 a month plus $6 per person, $79 for five employees, and files federal, state and local payroll taxes. Patriot's Basic Payroll costs $17 plus $4 per worker paid, $37 for five, but Patriot doesn't file or deposit taxes on it. Patriot's Full Service Payroll files them for $37 plus $5 per worker, $62 for five, with $12 a month for each additional state. Gusto Simple covers one state only.
At a glance, by our score
#2 Gusto
Single-state teams that want federal, state and local taxes filed for $79 a month for five employees
9.0/10ExcellentOur scoreVisit GustoOn gusto.com- Lowest price
#7 Patriot Payroll
Owners who file payroll taxes themselves and want the lowest cost, $37 a month for five employees
6.6/10FairOur scoreVisit Patriot PayrollOn patriotsoftware.com
Patriot Payroll's lowest monthly price is lower than Gusto's, checked Sep 27, 2026 and Sep 27, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | Gusto | Patriot Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.0/10ExcellentOur score #2 of 7 | 6.6/10FairOur score #7 of 7 |
| Cost for five employees (35%) | 8.6 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (20%) | 10.0 / 10 | 8.0 / 10 |
| Tax filing (20%) | 10.0 / 10 | 0.0 / 10 |
| Tax accuracy guarantee (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 0.0 / 10 |
| Support (10%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Free trial (5%) | 0.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $6 / month | $4 / month |
| Best for | Single-state teams that want federal, state and local taxes filed for $79 a month for five employees | Owners who file payroll taxes themselves and want the lowest cost, $37 a month for five employees |
| Visit | Visit GustoOn gusto.com | Visit Patriot PayrollOn patriotsoftware.com |
Who should pick which
- Gusto: Single-state teams that want federal, state and local taxes filed for $79 a month for five employees
- Patriot Payroll: Owners who file payroll taxes themselves and want the lowest cost, $37 a month for five employees
At a glance
| Gusto | Patriot Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan and billing | Simple: $49 a month + $6 per person, monthly, no contract | Basic Payroll: $17 a month + $4 per worker paid, billed monthly in arrears |
| Cost for five employees | $79 a month | $37 a month |
| Tax filing | Federal, state and local, plus W-2s and 1099s; one state only | None: you file and deposit (help article); Full Service ($37 + $5) files |
| Included on the entry plan | Unlimited runs, direct deposit, employee app, contractor payments, state new-hire reporting | Unlimited runs, direct deposit, employee portal, contractor payments; doesn't say it files new-hire reports (help) |
| Tax penalty guarantee | Yes, for penalties from a "Gusto Error" (payroll terms) | On Full Service only |
| Support | Call or chat in business hours; 24/7 help centre | Phone, email or chat, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday |
| Free trial | No; you pay nothing until you run payroll | 30 days free + 50% off for 3 months |
Prices and features from Gusto's pricing page and Patriot Payroll's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
For one employee, Gusto Simple costs $55 a month and Patriot Basic costs $21. For five, Gusto costs $79 and Basic $37, a gap of $42 a month. But the plans don't do the same job: on Basic you file and deposit the taxes yourself.
The fair match is Patriot's Full Service Payroll: $37 a month plus $5 per worker paid, $62 for five. That is $17 a month less than Gusto Simple for five, and each extra state Patriot files in costs $12 a month.
Patriot shows an introductory offer: "30 days free + 50% off for 3 months" on both plans, applied to the base fee and the per-worker fee (Basic $8.50 plus $2, Full Service $18.50 plus $2.50). No end date is given. Its sign-up page says 31 days; we use the pricing page's 30. Gusto shows no introductory price on Simple.
Where they differ
- Who files. Patriot says it "does not handle tax filing and deposits for Basic customers". Full Service files federal, state and local taxes and year-end forms. Gusto files federal, state and local tax forms, including W-2s and 1099s, on every plan.
- More than one state. Gusto Simple is single-state; multi-state payroll starts at Plus ($80 + $12 per person). Patriot Full Service "will file and deposit payroll taxes in as many states as you need" at $12 a month per additional state, per its pricing page.
- New-hire reporting. Gusto's compare table ticks state new hire reporting on Simple. Patriot doesn't say it files new-hire reports on any plan; its help article sends you to state information to report them yourself.
- Penalty guarantee. Gusto's payroll terms cover penalties from a "Gusto Error". Patriot's "Tax filing reliability guaranteed" is ticked for Full Service only.
- Support hours. Patriot offers phone, email or chat, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, on both plans. Gusto Simple has call or chat in business hours and a 24/7 help centre.
Who should pick which
Pick Gusto if you want every payroll tax, including local ones, filed for you on the entry plan, new-hire reports included, in a single state.
Pick Patriot Payroll if you already file payroll taxes, or have an accountant who does: Basic is $37 a month for five. Pick its Full Service plan if you want filing done in more than one state for less than Gusto's Plus.
Both appear in our payroll services ranking and our list for construction and trades. Scoring is on the methodology page.