Patriot is an online payroll and accounting software company founded in 2002. The company had humble beginnings, but today Patriot positions itself as one of the simplest and most affordable payroll and accounting software available to American businesses. It specializes in HR management, time and attendance, accounting, and payroll management.
Patriot is an ideal software for small businesses. It isn’t just budget-friendly but also offers robust, quick, and accurate payroll management services for businesses with less than a hundred employees.
Patriot Software Compared
Although Patriot is an excellent option for small business setups, it did not make the top list of payroll software. Gusto, our top pick, offers exceptional service and outstanding features for remote and hybrid workforces, ranging from talent management to onboarding checklists. Take Gusto for a test drive with a free demo.
- Gusto — Best for dispersed workforces
- Paychex — Best for experienced payroll teams
- OnPay — Best for simplifying all things payroll
- QuickBooks Payroll — Best for solopreneurs and small teams
- ADP — Best for never outgrowing your payroll provider
You can find in-depth reviews of these payroll software services here.
About Patriot
While Patriot did not make our list of the top five best payroll services, it can still hold its own. The tool offers robust accounting and payroll services, HR management, and time and attendance features for small businesses.
Patriot is perfect for startup founders without prior knowledge of accounting and payroll. The software helps you deposit and file taxes, pay vendors, handle invoices, track cash withdrawals and deposits, and record payments. With a starting price of $17 per month, it is economically feasible for small businesses and startups.
Patriot allows tax and 1099 filings. However, extra charges may apply. Its features include free support, unlimited payment to vendors, and generation of 1099 and vendor reports. The accounting software helps create invoices, track unpaid invoices, and track deposits and withdrawals.
Patriot Software Health and Stability
Patriot was founded in 2002 and is a family-owned business. It currently employs 118 people. It raised a total of $2.1 million in funding in two rounds and currently has a revenue of $31.1 million.
It has a rating of A+ on the website of Better Business Bureau and boasts a 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. In the 2022 SoftwareReviews Report, Patriot Software ranked #1 for support and business value.
It offers full customer support to US-based businesses from 9 am to 7 pm EST. Patriot also has a dedicated toll-free number and a chat function on its website. Customer service is often praised in reviews as the company offers exceptional professional support to all its clients.
Patriot does have its own set of limitations. Since the company only serves clients in the US, it can become an issue for organizations with international employees and global offices.
Secondly, the requirement in the Standard Option to set a pay date four banking days after you have made the direct deposit makes careful planning necessary. Comparatively, many of Patriot’s competitors offer lead times as short as next-day delivery without requesting money upfront.
Patriot Software Pricing
Patriot offers a 30-day free trial and multiple options under their Accounting and Payroll services. The Accounting Basic Plan starts at $20 per month, while Basic Payroll begins at $17 per month with an additional $4 per employee or contractor.
The Accounting Basic plan offers features including but not limited to unlimited payment to vendors, expert support, payroll integration, and 1099 e-filing. The Accounting Premium Plan, starting at $30 per month, offers all features of the Basic Accounting plan, as well as features like recurring invoices, invoice payment reminders, and account reconciliation services.
The Basic Payroll Plan includes features such as an employee portal, payroll setup, customer support, Accounting Software integration, and 1099 e-filing. The Full-Service Payroll Plan starts at $37 per month with an additional $4 charge per employee or contractor. It includes all features of the Basic Payroll Plan in addition to Patriot taking care of filing and depositing all local and federal payroll taxes with guaranteed tax filing accuracy.
Start your 30-day free trial at Patriot today!
Patriot Pricing Structure
Using an online payroll and accounting service means you can quickly process your payroll and manage your accounting needs without worrying about inaccuracies. You can choose between Payroll and Accounting Software based on the size of your company. Depending on your requirements, choose from Basic and Premium plans to track expenses, run your payroll, handle payroll taxes and create invoices on custom templates.
Patriot also ensures that your business complies with government regulations and helps with local, state, and federal tax filings. The Premium Patriot Accounting Software offers unlimited users at just $30 per month. It includes robust features such as unlimited payment to vendors, customized invoice templates for customers, and Patriot Smart Suggestions to categorize the bank transactions of users.
The four main pricing editions between accounting and payroll software are:
- Basic Payroll: $17 per month plus an additional fee of $4 per contractor/employee
- Full-Service Payroll: $37 per month plus an additional $4 per contractor/employee.
- Accounting Basic: $20 per month with the additional feature of unlimited use
- Accounting Premium: $30 per month with the additional feature of unlimited use
The company offers monthly payments, which make canceling your subscription easier. Since Patriot is a scalable setup, it allows you to grow or reassess your accounting and payroll requirements without any glitches.
Patriot Pricing Comparison
Patriot’s target audience is small US-based businesses with under a hundred employees. Alternatives to Patriot, such as Gusto and Paychex, have an edge regarding their special features, albeit in higher-priced packages. These features include digital signatures, custom offer letters, digital pay stubs, and even employee lifetime accounts.
Gusto’s Basic Plan starts at $40 plus an additional $6 per contractor/employee, while Paychex’s Basic Plan starts at $39 per month plus an additional $5 per employee/contractor. QuickBooks Basic Plan starts at $45 with the additional charges of $4 per contractor/employee. The comparatively low-cost plans of Patriot make it ideal for new and small businesses that want affordable and feasible accounting and payroll solutions.
Patriot Software’s Trials and Guarantees
Patriot offers a 30-day free trial alongside a demo run of the software. After the free trial ends, Patriot’s Basic Plan charges $17 or $20 per month based on your chosen software option.
This makes choosing Patriot easier for customers, as they understand the software with the demo’s help and can use it free of charge during the trial period to see if it suits their business requirements. Join Patriot Software today and get the first 30-Days Free.
Patriot Payroll Software Review
Patriot did not make it to our best online payroll service lists. However, it offers a lot to businesses of a certain caliber. Other payroll services available in the market today, such as Gusto and Paychex, outperform Patriot in multiple aspects. Although Patriot lacks the special add-ons featured in these tools, it makes up for them by offering exceptional customer support and advanced services at affordable prices.
Our research also concluded that Patriot is ideal for small startups based in the US. It provides accounting services, payroll services, HR management, and time and attendance integration. Patriot also offers add-on features at low prices. Read our comparison of the best payroll services in the market today.
What Makes Patriot Payroll Great
- Exceptional customer service: Patriot is known for its outstanding customer service. It has a chat option available on its website and a toll-free number that customers can contact for queries and concerns. Customer support is available from 9 am to 7 pm from Mondays to Fridays.
- Easy to navigate: It is ideal for business owners without prior experience dealing with payroll. It’s easy to set up and navigate and hence saves time. The effortless integration of the data makes it a favorite among businesses.
- Cost-effective pricing: Patriot offers all the essential functions a business may need at affordable rates. Other payroll companies like Paychex and Gusto charge exorbitant amounts compared to Patriot, which is why small businesses gravitate toward Patriot. At $37 per month, payroll software files your local, state, and federal payroll taxes.
- Accessible employee portal: Patriot’s employee portal allows a firm’s employees to access their pay summary online without hassle. Even though Patriot is known for its payroll services, it also offers HR management, time and attendance integration, and accounting services.
- Offers a free demo run and a 30-day free trial period: The 30-day free trial period gives you time to make up your mind about purchasing the subscription to the software. The demo helps familiarize the potential buyers with how the software works and if it meets all their requirements.
Where Patriot Payroll Falls Short
- Does not work globally: One of the reasons why Patriot did not make it to our top list is the geographical constraint. It does not support contractors/employees working outside the US. This poses a problem for small businesses working with freelancers or remote contractors from all over the world.
- Limited add-ons: Patriot, unlike Gusto, Paychex, and other software services on our list, does not have features like compliance alerts, time-tracking, and e-signatures.
- Additional charges: Patriot charges an additional amount per filing in different states, making it costly for small businesses with a limited accounting and payroll processing budget.
- Does not support large businesses: Although scalable, Patriot’s design does not support the payroll needs of large businesses with a global employee base. Patriot cannot help you if your business grows and employs more than a hundred people or wants to expand internationally.
- No custom or flexible plans: Unlike Gusto and Paychex, Patriot offers limited plans. Businesses with distinct payroll requirements cannot get a customized plan suited to their needs or opt for only specific features.
Patriot Payroll and Accounting Service Compared
Patriot is an excellent option, but it did not make it to our list of the best payroll services available today. The best payroll service providers for our readers are Gusto and Paychex. Both companies offer unique features, such as time tracking, easy onboarding of new employees, and smartphone integration.
- Gusto — Best for dispersed workforces
- Paychex — Best for experienced payroll teams
- OnPay — Best for simplifying all things payroll
- QuickBooks Payroll — Best for solopreneurs and small teams
- ADP — Best for never outgrowing your payroll provider
Patriot Accounting Software Review
Patriot accounting software did not make it to our best accounting software list. Its lack of features and a limited target audience only make it practical for small businesses. Large enterprises cannot use the software for local or international operations. The option to import customers, Chart of Accounts, trial balance, and vendors offered with exceptional US-based expert support is why Patriot is an excellent option for US-based firms.
At $20, companies can use the Accounting Basic Plan to track the inflow and outflow of money, create and print 1099s and 1096s, create and track customers and invoices and make unlimited payments to vendors. At just $30 per month, the accounting software sends you recurring invoices, provides custom invoice templates, and offers account reconciliation services.
Patriot Accounting Services Compared
Other accounting services fit right in with payroll software, and Patriot offers an affordable option, especially for small businesses. Again, it did not make our top list for accounting software, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great tool on its own.
Here are the eight tools that did make the list:
- QuickBooks – Best small business accounting software for new businesses
- Zoho Books – Best value solution for large lists of customers and vendors
- FreshBooks – Best invoicing software for entrepreneurs, agencies, and SMBs
- Melio – Best free business payment solution to pay and get paid via ACH, check, or credit card.
- Sage 50cloud – Best desktop solution for medium-sized businesses
- Wave – Best free accounting software for entrepreneurs
- Xero – Best for data imports and Gusto payroll integration
- Kashoo – Best for straightforward, all-inclusive pricing
Final Verdict
Large businesses may find Gusto, ADP, or Paychex more appealing than Patriot. But small companies or new startups do not have the luxury of establishing accounting departments or investing in steep payroll service providers.
Patriot’s accounting and payroll services, HR management, time and attendance integration feature, simplicity of use, affordable rates, and exceptional customer service make it a strong competitor in the small business payroll and accounting software service market.
Since Patriot has been in the market for nearly two decades, it’s considered a relatively stable and affordable option for small businesses. Its exceptional performance and excellent customer support have helped it win many awards. Patriot also boasts an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau.
For companies that need something more comprehensive with additional features, such as human resource administration, or a firm with more than a hundred employees, Patriot is not an option.
However, we firmly believe that Patriot is an attractive and affordable alternative that is here to stay and serve its target audience, primarily small businesses and startups.