Patriot Software vs Square Payroll

A detailed comparison of Patriot Software and Square Payroll. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.

At a Glance

Patriot Software Square Payroll
Rating 4.8/5 4.3/5
Starting Price $17/mo $35/mo
Free Trial Yes No
Free Plan No No
Features 7 7
Best For SMB SMB

Patriot Software

Budget-friendly payroll and accounting software for small businesses with 1-100 employees, starting at $17/month plus $4/employee.

Rating 4.8/5
Best for SMB
Free trial Yes
Free plan No
Start Free Trial →

Square Payroll

Simple payroll solution from Square for small businesses, designed to integrate with Square's POS and payments ecosystem at $35/month plus $6/person.

Rating 4.3/5
Best for SMB
Free trial No
Free plan No
Visit Square Payroll →

Feature Comparison

Feature Patriot Software Square Payroll
Workflow Automation
Reporting Dashboard
EEO/OFCCP Compliance
GDPR Compliance
API Access
HRIS Integration
Mobile App

Pricing Comparison

Patriot Software

Basic Payroll $17/mo
Full Service Payroll $37/mo

Square Payroll

Pay Employees $35/mo
Pay Contractors Only Free

Integrations

Both tools integrate with

Gmail Google Workspace QuickBooks Zapier

Only Patriot Software

Outlook

Only Square Payroll

Square POS

Pros & Cons

Patriot Software

Pros

  • +Among the cheapest payroll solutions available ($17/month + $4/employee)
  • +Extremely straightforward — no unnecessary complexity
  • +US-based customer support with consistently high ratings
  • +Free 30-day trial with no credit card required

Cons

  • -No HR features in the base payroll product
  • -No mobile app — browser-based only
  • -Limited integrations with third-party tools
  • -No benefits administration for health insurance

Square Payroll

Pros

  • +Seamless integration with Square POS and payment ecosystem
  • +Contractor-only payroll option with no monthly base fee
  • +Simple, clean interface consistent with Square's design
  • +Automatic tax calculations and filings

Cons

  • -Limited HR features compared to Gusto or Rippling
  • -Best value only for businesses already using Square products
  • -No benefits administration beyond basic offerings
  • -Fewer integrations than standalone payroll platforms

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Patriot Software if:

  • • Your company is SMB size
  • • You want to try before committing (free trial available)
  • • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.8 vs 4.3)
  • • Budget is a priority (starts from $17/mo vs $35/mo)
  • • Among the cheapest payroll solutions available ($17/month + $4/employee)
Try Patriot Software Free

Choose Square Payroll if:

  • • Your company is SMB size
  • • Seamless integration with Square POS and payment ecosystem
Visit Square Payroll

How we evaluate tools

Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.