CharlieHR vs Patriot Software Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| CharlieHR pricing | Patriot Software pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $21/mo | $8/mo |
| Number of plans | 2 | 4 |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | ||
| Pricing model | per-seat | hybrid |
Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →
charlie
- Onboarding
- Time off
- Performance reviews
- Employee engagement
- Perks & benefits
- Docs & employee data
charlie grow
Popular- Dedicated HR advisor
- AskCharlie AI
- Growth strategy
- Urgent support
- Compliance & policies
- ...and much more
Accounting Basic
- Unlimited customers & invoices
- Unlimited vendors, contractors, & payments
- Automatic bank imports
- Income & expense tracking
- Accept credit card payments
- Robust financial reporting
- Account reconciliation
Accounting Premium
- Create & send estimates
- Users-based permissions
- Recurring invoices
- Send invoice payment reminders
- Manage receipts & documents
- Add subaccounts
Basic Payroll
- Free direct deposit
- Free employee portal
- Unlimited payrolls
- Auto payroll
- Pay contractors in payroll
- Free health benefit integration
- Robust payroll reports
Full Service Payroll
- Federal tax filings & deposits
- State tax filings & deposits
- Local tax filings & deposits
- Year-end payroll tax filings at no additional fee
- Tax filing reliability guaranteed
CharlieHR vs Patriot Software FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- Patriot Software is the cheaper option, starting at $8/mo vs $21/mo for CharlieHR.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Neither has a free plan. But CharlieHR and Patriot Software offer a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. CharlieHR uses per-seat pricing, while Patriot Software goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. CharlieHR: At the 1-4 person bracket, $21/mo is aggressively cheap for HR software — clearly a land-grab price to hook very early-stage startups who wouldn't otherwise pay for HR tools at all. The 75%-off first-6-months offer reinforces that this is a low-friction entry play, not a premium positioning; they're competing with 'do nothing' or spreadsheets, not enterprise HRIS players. Patriot Software: Patriot undercuts QuickBooks and Gusto pretty aggressively on sticker price — this is the budget play for small businesses and solopreneurs who find the big names overbuilt and overpriced. They're winning the price-sensitive SMB that just wants clean books and payroll without paying for HR suites they'll never use.
Still deciding? See the best CharlieHR alternatives or the best Patriot Software alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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