Gusto vs Patriot: which costs less?
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Gusto last checked by hand: · Patriot prices re-confirmed on its own page:
For 5 employees in one state with taxes filed for you, Patriot is cheaper: $62 a month (Full Service Payroll) vs $79 (Simple). That holds at every team size up to 100.
Monthly price by team size
| Service | 1 employee | 5 employees | 10 employees | 25 employees | 50 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot | $42 | $62 | $87 | $162 | $287 |
| Gusto | $55 | $79 | $109 | $199 | $349 |
Other situations
| Situation | Gusto | Patriot |
|---|---|---|
| 10 employees in 2 states, taxes filed for you | $200 (Plus) | $99 (Full Service Payroll) |
| 5 contractors, no employees | $79 (Simple) | $37 (Basic Payroll) |
Feature differences
Features available on at least one plan (included or as a paid add-on), according to each provider's pricing page:
Only Gusto
- Next-day direct deposit
- Pay contractors outside the US
- Same-day direct deposit
- Access to HR advisers
Only Patriot
- Tax penalty guarantee
See Gusto pricing See Patriot pricing
Want a different team size or must-haves? Use the calculator, which compares all 13 services at once.
Sources we checked: Gusto pricing page (plans, add-ons, plan comparison data, pricing FAQs) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot (cross-check: identical plan prices) (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto pricing page, Wayback snapshot that still showed the former Contractor Only plan (checked 2026-10-22); Gusto Help Center: Change your Gusto product plan (contractor-only plan discontinued) (checked 2026-10-22); Patriot Software pricing page (301-redirects to /pricing/): plans, add-ons, plan comparison, FAQs (checked 2026-10-22)