Patriot Software serves millions of American businesses and has been in business since 1986, making it one of the best payroll service providers for small businesses. Because the platform only allows businesses with up to 500 employees, it is limited to the small business space. It also only services United States-based businesses, making it a better option for domestic rather than global businesses.
Overall, its payroll software offers the ability to pay contractors and employees with unlimited payroll runs, multiple pay rates, and multiple pay frequencies. In doing so, it offers tools for managing all aspects of figuring and finalizing payroll runs, including customizable work hours, money, and deductions; comprehensive payroll reporting; an employee and contractor portal; tax forms; and the ability to pay via direct deposit. Its full-service plan adds tools to automate tax payments and filings and a tax filing accuracy guarantee.
Users who provide Patriot Software reviews generally like the software, offering it a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on G2 and a 4.9 star out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot. It is one of the more popular payroll software options as well, with over 3,000 reviews on both sites.
Patriot Software: Payroll
Transparent pricing?
Yes, starting at $17 per month, plus $4 per employee or contractor, per month
Free trial length:
Six months
24/7 customer support?
No, limited hours
Patriot Software plan & pricing overview
Patriot Software offers two payroll software plans ranging from $17 to $37 per month, plus $4 per employee per month With a base price of $37 per month, we believe Patriot Software’s Full Service Payroll plan offers the best value because includes a six-month free trial and many features small businesses need that are not included in the $17 Basic plan, such as federal and state tax filings, year-end tax filings and penalty coverage for any tax errors performed by Patriot Software. You can also customize your plan as your budget allows with a choice of time and attendance and human resource (HR) software add-ons.
PlansPricingFree trial or plan
available?FeaturesBasic Payroll$17 per month,
plus $4 per
employee or
contractor per
monthFree six-month
trialUnlimited payroll runs
Employee portal
Multiple pay rates
Contractor payments
1099 e-filing
Multilocation payroll
Two-day direct deposit
And moreFull-service Payroll$37 per month,
plus $4 per
employee or
contractor per
monthFree six-month
trialAll Basic Payroll features
Federal and state filing and deposits
Year-end tax filings
A tax filing accuracy guarantee with penalty coverageBasic Payroll$17 per month,
plus $4 per
employee or
contractor per
monthFree six-month
trialUnlimited payroll runs
Employee portal
Multiple pay rates
Contractor payments
1099 e-filing
Multilocation payroll
Two-day direct deposit
And moreFull-service Payroll$37 per month,
plus $4 per
employee or
contractor per
monthFree six-month
trialAll Basic Payroll features
Federal and state filing and deposits
Year-end tax filings
A tax filing accuracy guarantee with penalty coverage
Best Patriot Software plan for small businesses: Full-service Payroll
Patriot Software claims that 84% of its customers select its Full Service Payroll plan over its Basic Payroll plan. We believe this is a smart move.
The full-service plan offers safeguards for companies looking to avoid tax penalties, a common worry among small businesses without accounting functions. In addition to offering unlimited payroll runs, contractor and employee payments, an employee portal, and more monthly payroll management features, it also calculates, files, and deposits federal, state, and local payroll taxes automatically and completes year-end payroll tax filings for free. Each filing comes with a tax filing accuracy guarantee that pays any error penalties (and interest) enacted by tax entities due to tax deposit and filing errors.
Pros
A tax filing accuracy guarantee that covers tax penalties due to Patriot Software errorsState and federal tax filings and depositsYear-end payroll tax filingsUnlimited payroll runsSix-month free trial
Cons
More than double the price of the Basic Payroll planTime tracking tools cost extraHR tools cost extra
Other services Patriot Software offers
Patriot Software offers additional software and add-ons you can either integrate with or select together with the plan you choose. These include HR and time tracking add-ons and Patriot Software’s accounting software. Here is a deeper look at each of these additional services:
Patriot Software’s Accounting software: This software costs $20 to $30, depending on the plan. It includes tools to create and send invoices, ways to accept payments, the ability to track expenses and income, a contractor portal, tools to manage receipts and documents, tools to create and send estimates, user permissions, and subaccounts to categorize transactions.
Time and attendance tracking: This is a Patriot Software Payroll add-on that costs $6 per month, plus $2 per employee, per month. It offers timecard management tools and allows employees to clock in and out of work using the MY Patriot employee portal.
Human resource (HR) software: This is also a Patriot Software Payroll add-on priced at $6 per month, plus $2 per employee, per month. It is designed to manage employee HR data and offers tools to complete HR tasks such as digitizing HR paperwork processes, assigning permissions around HR processes and documents, and managing employee-side HR tasks using an employee portal.
The Patriot Software platform and customer support
Patriot Software Payroll Software offers an intuitive user experience (UX) and a transparent website navigation experience. It also offers ample ways of contacting the company during extended weekday hours. Here’s a look at the platform’s UX and its customer support services.
UX
The Patriot Software Payroll UX is quite self-explanatory. For example, the platform makes it easy to access common action items with buttons at the top of the dashboard page, such as:
Run payroll
Add employee
Add contractor
Manage timecards
In addition, it offers a left-hand menu with a payroll menu option, among others. When you click on the Payroll menu item, you can view a drop-down submenu of actions you can take to manage your payroll, such as:
Run a new payroll
Void payroll
Add employee
Pay contractors
Add contractors
Once you’ve clicked on one of these or other payroll-relevant options, you are presented with simple forms to fill out, allowing you to intuitively complete the action. For example, when you click the “run new payroll” submenu item under “payroll,” you are presented with a guided payroll-run form. It asks you for basic information about your employees’ pay, including their pay period start and end date and the work and overtime hours they’ve worked.
Once you’ve entered the requested information, you can click the next button at the bottom of the form. You will be taken to a review page where you can either “approve payroll” or click “back to employees” to edit the payment information.
Overall, each action within the software is similarly intuitive. The reports menu item, for example, takes you to a list of reports. You must only click on one to view a ready-made report populated with your company’s data.
Website Navigation
Compared to other software websites, Patriot Software is more intuitive to navigate due to its transparency. While some software brands may require you to contact a sales representative for pricing details, Patriot Software’s homepage offers pricing details and links to learn more, such as the features included in each plan. It also shows a list of add-ons and an overview of all the products the company offers, including its payroll, accounting, and add-on products.
When you click the “Products” tab, then the “Payroll” submenu item on the Patriot Software website header menu, you’re taken to a page that overviews its entire payroll product, including its pricing, a detailed list of all product features for each plan, a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section and invites to access a product demo with fictional company data or create a free trial account. In addition, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday, you can chat with a service representative about any questions you may have by clicking the chat box in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Customer Support
Patriot Software offers email, phone, and chat support between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. It offers a U.S.-based team that can help you with account setup, troubleshooting, and product usage questions.
Is Patriot Software secure?
Patriot Software protects customer data by using a secure socketslayer (SSL) encryption process. This means it establishes an encrypted link between its server and client so sensitive data, such as credit card information, is securely transmitted over the Internet. It also claims to adhere to all privacy, anti-fraud, and security laws pertaining to data security.
In addition, the software company takes many steps to ensure its staff can be trusted with sensitive customer data. For example, it conducts reference and background checks, drug tests, and skills testing on all Patriot Software staff to ensure data security practices are applied within their roles.
We did some research to determine whether Patriot Software Payroll has secured client-sensitive data successfully. In doing so, we found no recent data breaches of Patriot Software data, a reassuring sign to small businesses considering using Patriot Software for its payroll processing needs.
Patriot Software user reviews
Users who rated Patriot Software on Trustpilot and G2 gave the software a 4.9 and 4.8 out of 5-star rating on each platform, respectively, with over 3,000 ratings recorded. Overall, users name Patriot Software’s customer service and ease of use as their top reasons for this positive rating. They also said that they appreciate the software’s affordability and robust payroll processing features.
While negative customer reviews were rare, one reviewer said that her taxes were filed late by the platform, resulting in a $1,000 fine. However, Patriot Software promptly resolved the issue and paid the fine, resulting in no negative impact on the business. In addition, some users reported they had some difficulty finding the features and reports they needed, although they did exist on the platform. Finally, some said they wished there were small additional features added, such as the ability to record notes in employee profiles.
Compare Patriot Software alternatives
Patriot Software vs. Gusto
Patriot Software and Gusto both can serve different markets. For example, Patriot Software serves companies of up to 500 employees, meaning it is primarily an option for small businesses. Its pricing reflects this target market, with plans starting at $17 per month, plus $4 per month, per employee, an affordable rate for most small businesses.
In contrast, Gusto’s plans start at $40 per month, plus $6 per employee, per month. In addition to its comparatively higher pricing, it offers more robust tools to service more robust businesses. For example, it offers international contractor payments and employer of record (EOR) services. These EOR services allow companies to hire and pay a global team without building legal entities in each country of operation.
Patriot Software vs. Wave Payroll
Patriot and Wave Payroll offer tools for similarly sized companies. Each offers a basic plan for $20 or less. Both also offer a plan that includes automated payroll payments and filings for a base payment of around $40 per month.
However, there are some slight differences that may make one better than the other for some companies. For example, Wave offers the ability to integrate its payroll software with its Accounting, Invoicing, and Payments software. As such, if your business already uses these software options, it may make sense to go with Wave for your payroll processing needs as well.
In addition, if you already have a means of filing and paying business taxes and would like to purchase strictly payroll software at a competitive price, Patriot Software may be a good option. It offers a $20 per month, plus $6 per employee, per month, plan with robust payroll processing features, such as the ability to pay contractors and employees at multiple pay rates and in multiple locations.
While Wave’s $17 per month plan does offer a payroll-only plan (with no tax filing services), it can only be purchased in 14 states. So, you must check with Patriot Software to ensure your company qualifies for this plan based on its location.
Is Patriot Software right for you?
When deciding whether Patriot Software’s Payroll Software is a good fit for your company, first consider the size of your company. Patriot Software’s Payroll Software only serves up to 500 employees within the U.S. So, if you plan to hire globally or grow beyond 500 employees, alternative payroll software may be a better fit.
However, if you are looking for payroll software that allows you to pay both employees and contractors for a small-business affordable rate, you may consider Patriot. If your company would prefer to have tax filing liabilities placed on the payroll software they choose, they may consider Patriot’s Full Service plan, which offers automated tax payments and filings and an accuracy guarantee with penalty coverage.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Patriot Software cost?
Patriot Software offers two payroll plans. Its Basic Payroll plan is $17, plus $4 per employee, per month, and offers unlimited payroll runs, multiple pay rates, employee, and contractor payments via direct deposit and an employee and contractor portal. Its Full Service Payroll plan is $37 per month, plus $4 per employee, per month, and adds local, state, and federal tax deposits and filings, year-end payroll tax filing, and a tax filing accuracy guarantee.
How long has Patriot Software been around?
Patriot Software began in 1986.
Does Patriot Software Payroll Software work with QuickBooks?
Yes, Patriot Software Payroll Software offers an integration option with QuickBooks Online. Users say the integration is smooth and efficient to set up and operate.
