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Patriot Software Review

8.6
very good
Top10.com Staff

In a Nutshell

Patriot Software is a payroll and accounting provider with a business model designed around small businesses with limited overheads. While the features are limited, those on offer are done extremely well, at a very affordable price.

pros

  • Fully-integrated employee portal
  • Guaranteed on-time tax filings

cons

  • Limited features
  • No pay cards or check processing/mail

Patriot Software Patriot Software Visit Site

Features and Add-ons

Patriot Software doesn’t have much going for it in the area of features. It really is a bare bones service offering payroll processing along with a few limited payment options at the most basic level of service.

It does offer full service payroll which includes everything from the basic plan (processing, payment, W2’s and employee portal) and tacks on complete handling of all state, local and federal taxes—depositing and filing.

There are only 2 add-on services, which are time and attendance tracking, along with HR software. The HR software is a nice value-added feature for small business owners, as it allows you to go paperless and improve tracking of employee history and records, digital employee handbooks, and more.

Pricing

It was nice to see transparency in pricing as so many providers require you to engage them and turn over contact information to get a quote. Patriot Software not only provides full disclosure on its site but it priced its service to best fit cash-strapped small-business owners.

Payroll Services


Basic Payroll
Full Service Payroll
Price
$10/month
$25/month
Cost per extra employee (up to 5)
$2.35
$4.35
Printable W-2s
 ✓
 ✓
Employee portal
 ✓
 ✓
File W-2s and W-3s
 ✓
Deposit and file payroll taxes
 ✓
Guaranteed on-time tax filings
 ✓

*Prices last updated June 2018

The most basic service starts at just $10 per month for 1 employee, and increases by around $2 per employee, per month, up to 5. At that point you’ll begin seeing per-employee discounts to save money.

The full service plan starts at $25 per month and increases by about $4 per employee, per month, up to 5. At that point the same discount begins to apply per employee to reduce cost.

The additional premium features that can be added are:

  • Time & Attendance Tracking: Starting at $8 per month

  • HR Software: Starting at $7 per month

  • The cost of the premium add on features will also increase per employee per month

There is also an online accounting package that starts at only $7.50 per month. It was created specifically for small businesses with no previous payroll experience, and comes in 2 types of packages.  

Accounting Services


1099 Software
Accounting Software
Monthly price
$7.50/month
$12.50/month
Create and print 1099s and 1096s
 ✓
Vendor and 1099 reports
 ✓
Track expenses
Create invoices
Record payments
Track unpaid invoices
Track bank deposits and withdrawals

*Prices last updated June 2018

Tax Compliance

With the basic plan, Patriot Software will deduct the appropriate taxes based on calculations per employee, however you’ll need to run payroll on your own. That also means you’re responsible for filing all appropriate payroll taxes when they’re due.

For more robust tax compliance, including a complete on-time guarantee for filing, choose the full service payroll plan. This will help you avoid any accidents that result in IRS fines.

Payment Options

Patriot Software only offers 2 options for employees to get paid; direct deposit and printed checks. Checks are printed on site, and check signing and stuffing are not available from Patriot at any service level.

Patriot payroll software
 If employees choose the direct deposit option there’s no additional cost. It’s included with the basic as well as the full service plan.

There are no options for payment cards through Patriot Software.

Usability

The most impressive aspect of the payroll solution from Patriot Software is how simple it is to get set up. You can get your employee information loaded and the system configured in just minutes. If you’re running payroll manually it’s as simple as entering the data at payroll time.

If you use the full service option it’s made even easier by only inputting the employee hours each period and hitting approve.

The interface is clean, and it’s not clogged with too many visuals or menus. This is one of the perks to offering a minimal feature set – you don’t have to worry about getting lost in navigation. It’s extremely easy to use, which is ideal for a busy small business owner.

Patriot Software Patriot Software Visit Site

Customer Support

There are 3 ways for customers to get in touch with the Patriot Software support staff, which is headquartered in Canton, Ohio. Users can:

  • directly speak to a representative by calling (877) 968-7147, 8am to 8pm ET, Monday-Friday,

  • chat with staff online 8am to 8pm ET, Monday-Friday,

  • or, send an email to info@patriotsoftware.com anytime.  

Conclusion

Patriot Software really nailed down what a small business owner needs in order to get payroll done. It doesn’t stack up against some of the more robust payroll services out there, but then again Patriot Software is catering to a very different audience with its highly-focused service offering. For the small business owner this is a great beginner payroll service.

Top10.com's editorial staff is a professional team of editors and writers with dozens of years of experience covering consumer, financial and business products and services.

Patriot Software customer reviews

Based on 11 reviews

Ease of use

Brand satisfaction

Value for money

Service quality

Top Reviews

Ease of use

Brand satisfaction

Value for money

Service quality

3 years ago

They a great product and they help a lot. Upfront with pricing and they can file tax forms if you like. They really care about helping you

3 years ago

They are awesome they have great customer service and help you install the new software and set it up.

3 years ago

Great service across the board. Called customer services and they were very helpful to help me setup my account.

3 years ago

I did have some problems early on navigating but now I've mastered it and am quite comfortable

3 years ago

they never give me an issue and they are overall a great help to get things done work wise

3 years ago

I used Patriot Software but did not purchase it myself. The contract I was working had me use it and it worked great for me.

3 years ago

Reasonably priced fees. Web based payroll processing has sufficient features for our needs.

3 years ago

Overall I have been very satisfied with customer service and quick responses to concerns I may have with overall very competitive pricing!

3 years ago

Patriot software has a 60 day free trial offer that was a great way to see if the software was easy and understandable

3 years ago

Not fully in love with the software, but does get the job done that is needed and is very reliable.

3 years ago

It took them three separate attempts to set up my business payroll before they got it correct. They did not fully disclose all the information needed to make a decision

11 reviews
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