RTC SCORE
7.1
#4 of 22 with enough data
OnPay Payroll
Payroll with one plan at $49 a month plus $6 per worker paid that month, with tax filings, multi-state payroll and year-end forms included, and documented restaurant features such as tip credit make-up and Form 8846.
RTC SCORE
6.5
#7 of 22 with enough data
Patriot Payroll
Online payroll with a published price: Full Service is $37 a month plus $5 per worker paid and files federal, state and local payroll taxes for you. It is billed month to month and has no tip credit calculation or POS integration.
Key differences
| Data point | OnPay Payroll | Patriot Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | $49/mo | $37/mo |
| Per employee | $6 | $5 |
| Per contractor (1099) | $6 | $5 |
| Each extra state | $0 | $12 |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 30 days | 0 days |
| Live support hours a week | 55 | 50 |
Side by side
| Feature | OnPay PayrollRTC Score: 7.1 out of 10 | Patriot PayrollRTC Score: 6.5 out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Base fee | $49/moSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Payroll Essentials, the only payroll plan. | $37/mo(Best value)Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Full Service Payroll list price, before the current promotion. The Basic plan is $17 + $4 per worker paid, but you deposit and file the taxes yourself. |
| Per employee | $6Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | $5(Best value)Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Who counts as an employee | Each person paid that monthSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)A worker included in a pay run counts even if the net pay is $0; a worker not paid that month is not charged. | Each person paid that monthSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)In a month with no payroll you pay only the base fee. |
| Per contractor (1099) | $6Source: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)Contractors cost the same $6 as employees. | $5(Best value)Source: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Patriot charges per worker paid and pays contractors in the same payroll; its add-ons, by contrast, count only W-2 employees. |
| Published pricing | PublishedSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | PublishedSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Setup fee | $0 one-timeSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | $0 one-timeSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Year-end forms fee | $0/yrSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Forms are free to download and print; having OnPay mail them costs $10 per form. | $0/yrSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Patriot doesn't mail paper W-2s: you post them in the employee portal or print them. |
| Each extra state | $0(Best value)Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | $12Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Other fees | Mailing W-2 and 1099 forms to your workers costs $10 per form (downloading and printing them is free). Cancelling a pay run has no fee. Sales tax may apply to the subscription in some states. Optional add-ons: time tracking ($15 a month plus $4 per worker), HR ($15 plus $2 per worker), Compliance Resources ($10 a month) and Live HR Support ($65 a month).Source: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab) | Only in some cases: $50 when your account can't fund a payroll, $7.50 per bank account correction, $10 per deposit that bounces, $15 per wire or $5 per instant payment to fund a faster payroll; $37 per month to deposit and file taxes for past or future months, $100 per amended quarterly return ($150 for the fourth quarter) and quoted fees for data corrections. Add-ons: Time & Attendance and HR, each $6 a month + $2 per employee; HR Experts & Training $45 a month.Source: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Direct deposit fees come from Patriot's Direct Deposit Fee Schedule (help center); add-on prices from its pricing page and HR page. |
| Taxes and forms | ||
| Who files payroll taxes | The provider calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxesSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | The provider calculates, files and pays federal, state and local payroll taxesSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Patriot says it handles all state taxes and most local ones. Its state pages list local taxes it files in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Alabama, West Virginia, New York City, Jersey City and Wilmington; it does not file New York's MCTMT or Newark's payroll tax. |
| Payroll in all 50 states | YesSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | YesSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab) |
| Year-end W-2 and 1099 forms | W-2 and 1099 prepared and filedSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | W-2 and 1099 prepared and filedSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)W-2 and W-3 filings have no extra fee. 1099s are e-filed with the IRS and with the states in the combined federal/state program once you start the filing; the e-filing fee applies only to Basic Payroll. You hand out the paper or electronic copies yourself. |
| Paying 1099 contractors | Included in payroll plansSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Employees and contractors can go in the same pay run, at the same $6 per worker. | Included in payroll plansSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Tax penalty guarantee | Pays penalties caused by its own errorsSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Penalties caused by wrong information you provide stay with you. | Pays penalties caused by its own errorsSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Penalties caused by your own data or late entries are yours, and the Subscription Agreement caps Patriot's total liability at 5% of the fees you paid in the last 12 months. |
| Garnishments and new-hire reporting | IncludedSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay withholds garnishments from pay, but you send the payment to the agency yourself (help center, How to add garnishments and levies). | Not offeredSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Payroll withholds the garnishment as a deduction, but you send the money. Patriot doesn't file new-hire reports either; the HR add-on gives you a New Hire Report to file them. |
| Paying your team | ||
| Pay schedules | Weekly, Every two weeks, Twice a month, MonthlySource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab) | Weekly, Every two weeks, Twice a month, MonthlySource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Unlimited pay runs | YesSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | YesSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Fastest direct deposit included | Three or more business daysSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)Direct deposit is free, but the turnaround (2 or 4 business days) depends on OnPay's risk assessment of your company; 2 days is not guaranteed. OnPay does not publish a next-day or same-day option. | Three or more business daysSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Every account starts at 4 banking days. Two-day deposit is free but only on request, after at least 30 days and three successful collections. Next-day deposit is possible if you keep a prefunded balance with Patriot or fund the payroll by wire ($15) or instant payment ($5). No same-day deposit. |
| Early pay for employees (earned wage access) | Not offeredSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay does not document early pay for employees; we looked on its pricing page, its app directory and its help center. | Not offeredSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Patriot doesn't document earned wage access; we looked for it on its pricing page, its integrations page and its help center. Its blog only tells employers to check with their payroll provider. |
| Tips | ||
| Imports tips from these POS systems | Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay's restaurant page and app directory name no POS system; tips are entered in each pay run as Cash Tips or Controlled Tips. | Source: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Tips are typed into each pay run ("Tips – Paid" and "Tips – Owed"). Patriot lists no POS among its integrations, and we found no Patriot listing in the POS app marketplaces. |
| Tip pooling and tip-outs | Not offeredSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay does not document tip pooling or tip-outs; we looked on its restaurant page, its pricing page and its help center (search for tip pool). | Not offeredSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Patriot doesn't document tip pooling or tip-out in its payroll; we looked in its tips help article, its pricing page and its help center. Its blog explains the rules only. |
| Tip credit and minimum wage make-up | Calculated automaticallySource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)Set in company preferences; it can be turned off. | Not supportedSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab) |
| FICA tip credit (Form 8846) | Prepares the formSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)OnPay leaves Form 8846 filled in; you file it with your tax return. | Not supportedSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Patriot doesn't document Form 8846 or a report for it; we looked in its tips help article and its help center. It does report tips in their own W-2 boxes. |
| Declared cash tips | YesSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)A "Cash Tips" pay item. | YesSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab) |
| 2026 W-2 for No Tax on Tips (code TP and tipped occupation code) | Announced or partly documentedSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)A tipped occupation code (TTOC) field per employee and an "OBBB Qualified Tips" column in each pay run; how the 2026 W-2 will show code TP is not confirmed yet. | Confirmed in writingSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Its tips article maps "Tips – Owed" and "Tips – Paid" to W-2 box 12 code TP, and you must pick a Treasury Tipped Occupation Code for each tipped role before entering tips, so it shows on the 2026 to 2028 W-2s. |
| 2026 W-2 for qualified overtime (code TT) | Announced or partly documentedSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)An "OBBB Qualified OT" field in each pay run; code TT on the 2026 W-2 is not named. | Announced or partly documentedSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)You mark FLSA overtime hours in each payroll; the article doesn't name box 12 code TT. |
| Service charges paid as wages | UnconfirmedSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay does not say how it treats mandatory service charges; we looked on its restaurant page and its help center (search for service charge). | YesSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Service charges go in the "AutoGratuity" money types and are taxed as wages. |
| State and local minimum wages built in | NoSource: OnPay Help Center (opens in a new tab)OnPay publishes local rates in its help center, but asks you to keep local minimum wages up to date yourself. | NoSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)The HR tools include a minimum wage map, but payroll doesn't check pay against it. |
| Integrations and time tracking | ||
| POS integrations (hours or sales data) | Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay's app directory lists no POS system (time tracking: Deputy, When I Work and QuickBooks Time). Some reviewers describe connecting a POS through a scheduling app; that is not a direct integration. | Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Its integrations page lists health benefits, 401(k), workers' comp, accounting, card payments and other services, but no POS. Hours come from its own Time & Attendance add-on. |
| Time tracking | Paid add-on or higher planSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)$15 a month plus $4 per worker. Deputy, When I Work and QuickBooks Time also connect at no added fee. | Paid add-on or higher planSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Time & Attendance: time cards, time punch from the portal or app, geotagging and overtime rules; hours go to payroll in one click. Patriot's FAQ says new customers get the first month free. |
| Scheduling | Only through an integrationSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)OnPay's own time tracking add-on does not list scheduling; staff schedules come from apps such as When I Work or Deputy. | Not offeredSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Patriot doesn't document shift scheduling; we looked on its Time & Attendance page, its HR page and its pricing page. |
| Accounting integrations | QuickBooks Online, Xero, OthersSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Others: QuickBooks Desktop (help center setup guide). | QuickBooks Online, OthersSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Others: Patriot Accounting and QuickBooks Desktop (IIF file). |
| Payroll engine | The vendor itselfSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | The vendor itselfSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Funds move through its affiliates Patriot Software Payments, LLC and Patriot Pay, LLC. |
| Benefits and insurance | ||
| Health benefits | Offered and connected to payrollSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Plan administration and payroll deductions are included; you pay the plan premiums. You can also keep your own broker. | Through a partner brokerSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)SimplyInsured is the partner broker; once connected, deductions and employer contributions sync to payroll at no cost. |
| Workers' compensation | Pay-as-you-go connected to payrollSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | Pay-as-you-go connected to payrollSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Through ERGO NEXT Insurance. Not available in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington or Wyoming, where you buy it from the state. |
| Contract and exit | ||
| Initial term | Month to monthSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Month to month; you can end the service with 30 days' written notice. | Month to monthSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Automatic renewal | Month to monthSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Month to month, with no renewal term. | Month to monthSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Month to month, with no renewal term. |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 30 daysSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)There is no renewal to avoid; this is the written notice the Terms of Service ask for to end the service. | 0 days(Best value)Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)You close the account or a product from your settings; the last month is billed for the days it was active. |
| Early termination fee | NoneSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)The Terms of Service have no early termination fee. | NoneSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Early termination clause | No early termination fee. Month to month; you can end the service with 30 days' written notice (Terms of Service, section 10).Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | Month to month; you can close the account at any time from your settings, with no early termination fee. Fees already invoiced are not refunded, and you get one final bill in arrears for the days the service was active.Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Right to raise prices | OnPay may change its terms and fees at any time. It says it will try, without being obligated, to give 30 days' notice of a material change; if you do not accept it, you can end the service before it takes effect (Terms of Service, section 6).Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | Patriot may change its fees at its discretion with reasonable advance notice, and it may amend the Subscription Agreement at any time without individual notice by posting the new version on its website (Subscription Agreement).Source: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) |
| Free trial or free months | 30 daysSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)The first month is free. | 30 daysSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)30 days free on the pricing page. |
| Your records when you leave | You can download them yourselfSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)You export your reports yourself while the account is open; employees keep lifetime access to their pay stubs and year-end forms. OnPay does not publish how long you keep access after closing. | You can download them yourselfSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)The account turns read-only. The Subscription Agreement says Patriot doesn't have to keep your data for more than one year after termination, so download it before then. Employees keep access to their portal. |
| Support | ||
| Support 24/7 | NoSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | NoSource: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab) |
| Live support hours a week | 55(Best value)Source: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Phone and chat, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday. | 50Source: Patriot Software Help (opens in a new tab)Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, by phone, chat and email, free and U.S.-based. |
| Dedicated specialist | NoSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)Only setup is dedicated; after that, support comes from the general team by phone, chat and email. | NoSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)Patriot publishes a shared support team and free setup help, not an assigned specialist; we looked on its pricing page, FAQs and help center. |
Contracts compared
| Product | Initial term | Auto-renewal | Early termination fee | Price increases during the term | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnPay PayrollSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab) | Month to month | No auto-renewal | No early termination fee. Month to month; you can end the service with 30 days' written notice (Terms of Service, section 10). | OnPay may change its terms and fees at any time. It says it will try, without being obligated, to give 30 days' notice of a material change; if you do not accept it, you can end the service before it takes effect (Terms of Service, section 6). | 30-day trialSource: OnPay (opens in a new tab)The first month is free. |
| Patriot PayrollSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab) | Month to month | No auto-renewal | Month to month; you can close the account at any time from your settings, with no early termination fee. Fees already invoiced are not refunded, and you get one final bill in arrears for the days the service was active. | Patriot may change its fees at its discretion with reasonable advance notice, and it may amend the Subscription Agreement at any time without individual notice by posting the new version on its website (Subscription Agreement). | 30-day trialSource: Patriot Software (opens in a new tab)30 days free on the pricing page. |
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.
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