Accounting Premium at $30/mo is the top choice, with other plans ranging from $6 to $100/mo plus employee fees.

30 days free + 50% off for 3 months
Best for: $17/mo + $4/worker
Best for: $20/mo covers unlimited invoicing, bank imports, expense tracking, and financial reporting
Best for: $30/mo adds estimates, recurring invoices, user-based permissions, receipt management, and subaccounts
Independent analysis · Patriot Software
Patriot Software is a highly aggressive budget alternative in the accounting space, with its Accounting Basic plan starting at $20/mo and Accounting Premium at $30/mo, both comfortably below the category median of $37/mo. For micro-businesses, the Basic tier offers strong core utility with unlimited invoices, customers, and automated bank imports. However, the true value proposition is realized when pairing accounting with their modular payroll add-ons, making it an incredibly cost-effective hub for very small teams.
Users report occasional operational friction when transitioning complex multi-state tax setups or managing high volumes of subcontractor 1099s. Some business owners have also flagged customer service bottlenecks and setup delays when migrating from traditional CPAs.
"Horrible Customer Service experience with Patriot Software."
"New Business Checking Disaster"
G2
Based on analysis of recent Reddit and G2 discussions.
The Time And Attendance (Add-on) plan at $6/mo (+ $2/employee) offers dual-entry accounting and cash-basis reporting in one system.
"Patriot Software is great and a good value... worth it for full service"
"We love the price and the support is amazing"
"Was thinking of using the payroll service for 1-3 employees, 14 subcontractor vendors..."
Solopreneurs and micro-businesses with under 10 employees should opt for the Accounting Premium plan at $30/mo combined with Full-Service Payroll to automate tax filings cheaply. If you scale past 10 employees and require advanced inventory or deeper project tracking, look to Xero starting at $15/mo as a more scalable alternative.
Patriot Software offers 4 pricing tiers covering both accounting and payroll. Accounting: Basic at $20/mo (invoicing, bank imports, reporting) and Premium at $30/mo (adds estimates, recurring invoices, user permissions). Payroll: Basic at $17/mo + $4/worker (direct deposit, unlimited payrolls, auto payroll) and Full Service at $37/mo + $5/worker (includes federal, state, and local tax filings). Current promo: 30 days free + 50% off for 3 months. At $17/mo Patriot undercuts the $33/mo category average by 48%. For comparison, FreshBooks starts at $23/mo and Zoho Books at $20/mo.
$20/mo covers unlimited invoicing, bank imports, expense tracking, and financial reporting. Best for freelancers and sole proprietors who need basic bookkeeping without payroll.
$30/mo adds estimates, recurring invoices, user-based permissions, receipt management, and subaccounts. Best for small businesses that need to send quotes and manage multiple users.
$17/mo + $4/worker. Best for businesses that want to handle payroll in-house without outsourcing tax filings. Includes direct deposit, auto payroll, and contractor payments.
$37/mo + $5/worker. Best for businesses that want hands-off payroll tax compliance. Covers federal, state, and local filings plus year-end W-2s - no separate accountant needed.
81% below the accounting average
Patriot Software costs $6–$100/mo as of May 28, 2026, with 7 plans.
4.8/5 rated at $17/mo starting price - Patriot Software is the most affordable full-featured payroll solution for US small businesses. Start with Basic Payroll ($17/mo + $4/worker) if you handle payroll in-house. Upgrade to Full Service ($37/mo + $5/worker) if you want automated tax filings. Add Accounting Basic ($20/mo) to consolidate bookkeeping under one platform. Compare with Gusto ($40/mo) before deciding - Gusto has more integrations, Patriot wins on price.
US small businesses with 1-20 employees
Which plan fits you
4.8/5 rated at $17/mo starting price - Patriot Software is the most affordable full-featured payroll solution for US small businesses. Start with Basic Payroll ($17/mo + $4/worker) if you handle payroll in-house. Upgrade to Full Service ($37/mo + $5/worker) if you want automated tax filings. Add Accounting Basic ($20/mo) to consolidate bookkeeping under one platform. Compare with Gusto ($40/mo) before deciding - Gusto has more integrations, Patriot wins on price.
List price covers the subscription. Total cost of ownership for Patriot Software typically includes additional line items that don't appear on the pricing page.
Ask vendors for a total cost of ownership estimate before signing. Our methodology covers how we calculate verified list prices.
How does Patriot Software pricing compare?
See how Patriot Software's 7 pricing plans stack up against similar Accounting tools.
Research Reports