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PayrollZero vs Patriot Software vs Paychex
Patriot Software is low-cost online payroll, with tax filing on its Full Service plan. Paychex is a full-service payroll company that files and pays your taxes for you. PayrollZero gives you the tools to run payroll and prepare every form yourself, free.
| Feature | PayrollZero | Patriot Software | Paychex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base price per month | $0 (Pro: $20) | $17 Basic, $37 Full Service | Not published — quote only |
| Cost per employee per month | Free up to 10 employees; Pro $20/mo beyond that | $4 Basic, $5 Full Service, per worker paid | Not published — quote only |
| Runs in your browser, nothing to install | ✓Any device | ✓Online, no download | ✓Web and mobile app |
| Unlimited payroll runs | ✓Free | ✓Included | ✓Every package |
| Federal + state tax calculation | ✓WA, GA, FL, TX, CA, OR, IL, NY, WY, SD, AK, NV (several states: Pro, $20/mo) | ✓Federal, state and local | ✓Federal, state and local |
| Pay stubs | ✓Free, PDF | ✓ | ✓ |
| Form 941 and 940 | ✓Official IRS PDFs filled in, free — you file | ●Filed for you on Full Service; on Basic you file | ✓Filed for you |
| W-2s and year-end filing | ✓W-2, W-3 and EFW2 e-file export, free | ●W-2s on both; year-end filing on Full Service | ✓W-2 and 1099 year-end processing |
| State filings (WA L&I, UI, Paid Leave; GA DOL-4, G-7, G-1003) | ✓Forms prepared free — you file | ●Filed for you on Full Service, +$12 per extra state | ✓Filed for you |
| Automatic tax filing and payment | ●Planned — Pro | ●Full Service only | ✓Every package |
| Direct deposit | ●Planned — Pro | ✓Free (4-day; 2-day if you qualify) | ✓Employee pay options included |
| Employee self-service portal | ✓Free | ✓Free | ✓Portal and mobile app |
| New-hire self-onboarding | ✓Pro, $20/mo | ✓Included | ●Add-on on the Basic package |
| Time tracking | ●ADP time card import, free | ●Add-on, $6/mo + $2 per employee | ●Add-on on every package |
| Help moving your data in | ✓Free — send your export, staff import it | ✓Free setup assistance | ●Self set-up included; assisted set-up is an add-on on smaller packages |
| States supported | WA, GA, FL, TX, CA, OR, IL, NY, WY, SD, AK, NV — more coming | All 50 | All 50 |
✓ included ● partial, planned or paid add-on — not offered
Competitor pricing and features as published by each vendor, checked September 2026. Patriot Software figures are its regular prices from its published pricing page (Basic Payroll $17 a month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll $37 + $5, with a $12 fee for each additional state filed); new customers are currently offered an introductory discount. Paychex does not publish prices — its payroll packages page lists four packages, each priced by quote. Plans change — confirm current terms with each vendor before deciding. PayrollZero currently supports Washington, Georgia, Florida, Texas, California, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Nevada, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Arizona, Indiana, North Dakota, North Carolina, Utah, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Kentucky, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Wisconsin, Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Montana, Ohio, New Mexico, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Delaware and Hawaii only, and automatic filing and direct deposit are in development rather than available today. Patriot Software and Paychex are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with PayrollZero.
What a 10-person business pays
Ten employees paid every month, one state, regular (non-promotional) prices.
PayrollZero
$0
per month
Unlimited runs, pay stubs and every form prepared. You file and pay the taxes yourself.
Patriot Software
$57–$87
per month
Basic: $17 + 10 × $4 = $57, and you file the taxes yourself. Full Service: $37 + 10 × $5 = $87 with filing done for you.
Paychex
Quote
not published
Priced per business through a sales quote, with tax filing included in every package.
Which one fits
PayrollZero
You're comfortable running payroll yourself and filing the forms we prepare, and you'd rather keep the monthly fee. Free up to ten employees.
Patriot Software
You want free direct deposit today, or you want tax filing handled at a low published price and don't mind a per-employee fee.
Paychex
You want a full-service provider to file and pay every tax for you, plus HR, benefits and hands-on support, and you're fine with quote-based pricing.
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