Gusto vs Patriot Software: Detailed Comparison (2026)

Choosing between Gusto and Patriot Software is a common decision for teams evaluating software solutions. Gusto positions itself as modern payroll, benefits, and hr for small businesses, while Patriot Software focuses on being affordable payroll and accounting for small businesses. Gusto is a cloud-based payroll and HR platform designed for small businesses. It handles payroll processing, benefits administration, compliance, and employee onboarding in one platform. Gusto has been available since 2011. Both platforms compete in the software space, but they take different approaches to solving user problems.

When it comes to pricing, Gusto offers plans starting at $40/mo with a subscription-based pricing model across Simple, Plus and Premium tiers. Patriot Software offers plans starting at $20/mo. Patriot Software offers a free trial period. At the entry level, Patriot Software is the more affordable option starting at $20/mo compared to $40/mo.

Users consistently praise Gusto for easy payroll processing, built-in benefits administration, employee self-service portal. On the other hand, Patriot Software earns recognition for competitive pricing, strong user satisfaction ratings, financial reporting and insights. In terms of user satisfaction, Gusto holds a 4.5/5 rating from 506 reviews, while Patriot Software has a 4.3/5 rating based on 279 reviews.

Who should choose Gusto? Gusto tends to be the better pick for mid-market and enterprise organizations that prioritize easy payroll processing. Who should choose Patriot Software? Patriot Software is often preferred by organizations of different scales that value competitive pricing.

Ultimately, the choice between Gusto and Patriot Software comes down to your specific requirements, budget, and team size. We recommend signing up for Gusto and Patriot Software's free trial to test both platforms with your actual workflow before making a final decision. The feature comparison table and user ratings above should give you a solid starting point for narrowing down which software solution fits your needs best.