Top 6 Patriot Competitors And Alternatives For 2023

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Top 6 Patriot Competitors And Alternatives For 2023

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Top 6 Patriot Competitors and Alternatives for 2023

Discover the 6 best Patriot Software alternatives for 2023. Get a comprehensive overview of each alternative, including features, pricing, and more.

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  • QuickBooks: Best for scalability

  • Gusto: Best for employee support

  • Zoho Payroll with Zoho Books: Best for bookkeeping

  • FreshBooks: Best for customization

  • Wave: Best inexpensive solution

  • Xero: Best for financial tracking

Image: Patriot

Patriot is a provider of online accounting and payroll software. Its user-friendly solutions are used by businesses across industries and are targeted toward the needs of smaller businesses and accountants. However, if you’re still not entirely convinced that Patriot’s payroll solutions are right for you, you may want to consider some of the company’s competitors that provide businesses with similar software offerings.

SEE: Choosing a payroll service can be simple with this guide for business leaders.

In this article, we will analyze some of the top competitor products of Patriot Software Systems and compare their features, pros and cons. So what are you waiting for? Read on for a run-down on the competition so that you can make an informed and confident decision when selecting the ideal accounting and payroll software solution for your business.

Jump to:

  • Comparison table
  • Top competitors
  • Is Patriot worth it?
  • Patriot pros and cons
  • Do you need an alternative to Patriot?

Top Patriot competitors and alternatives: Comparison table

ProductStandard direct depositInternational payrollTime trackingTax filing and paymentPricing
Patriot4 banking days after the date the user runs payroll.No.Yes (as optional add-on).Yes.Pricing starts at $20 per month for accounting software and $17/month plus $4 per person for payroll software.
Xero2-day and 4-day.No.Yes.Yes.Xero pricing starts at $13 USD per month for 3 months.

Payroll with Gusto can be purchased as an optional add-on starting from $40 per month.
FreshBooks2-day and 4-day.No.Yes.Yes.FreshBooks pricing starts at $17 per month.

To access payroll features, customers must purchase one of Gusto’s plans starting at $40 per month plus $6 per person per month.
Gusto2-day and 4-day.No (only U.S. employees).Yes.Yes.$40 per month plus $6 per month per person.
ZohoMay take 4-8 days to process an ACH Payment transaction through Forte.No.Yes.Yes.Zoho Payroll is priced starting at $19 per month plus $3 per employee per month.

Zoho Books can be accessed for free or through one of the priced plans starting at $20 Per Organization/Month.
WaveThree business days from the date the payroll was approved, if it was approved before 3:00 PM ET.No.No.Wave’s accounting and invoicing features are free.

The Payroll plan starts at $20 per month in tax service states, plus $6 per person per month

QuickbooksNext day (same-day available with premium and elite plans).Yes.Yes.Yes.Intuit QuickBooks plans start at $30 per month.

Payroll features start at $45 per month plus $5 per employee per month.

Top competitors

QuickBooks: Best for scalability

Image: QuickBooks

QuickBooks provides payroll and accounting software that automates tasks involved in managing businesses’ cash flow, tax records, payments and more. Businesses can apply the software by choosing QuickBooks Online plans and payroll support based on their needs.

QuickBooks’ solutions are scalable, as users can purchase plans with more or less accounting features as necessary for their operations. For growing businesses especially, QuickBooks can be a helpful tool for organizing tasks and information across each area of the accounting processes.

Intuit QuickBooks offers four pricing plans:

  • Simple Start: $30 per month.
  • Essentials: $55 per month.
  • Plus: $85 per month.
  • Advanced: $200 per month.

In addition, buyers can choose between three main pricing plans for Payroll features:

  • Core: $45 per month plus $5 per employee per month.
  • Premium: $75 per month plus $8 per employee per month.
  • Elite: $125 per month plus $10 per employee per month.

Key features

  • Bill management.
  • Expense tracking.
  • Tax deduction calculation.
  • Inventory management.
  • Invoicing and payments.
  • Professional estimates.
  • Mileage tracking.
  • 1099s for contractors.

Payroll add-on key features:

  • Full-service payroll for calculating, filing and paying payroll taxes.
  • Automated taxes and forms.
  • Auto Payroll.
  • Health benefits for employees.
  • 401(k) plans.
  • 1099 e-file and pay.
  • Next-day direct deposit with Core plan, same-day direct deposit with Premium and Elite plans.

Use cases

Run custom reports: Businesses can tag and organize their information within the QuickBooks system. They can then track their expenses and run custom reports based on their tags to gain insights into their financial data. By choosing to purchase the payroll add-on, businesses can also create and download reports about their payroll data, including their payroll history, bank transactions, contractor payments and other useful information.

Track business expenses: QuickBooks makes it easy to track expenses by tracking mileage through their mobile app and snapping photos of store receipts, so they get the most deductions when tax time rolls around.

Scale up business operations: Users can gain more accounting features with QuickBooks by switching to the QuickBooks Online Advanced accounting plan. This plan contains advanced features to aid growing businesses with complex workflows, like collaborative features, charts of accounts entries and QuickBooks online training courses.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotQuickBooks
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.Save 50% for 3 months.
Benefits managementNo.Yes.
Wage garnishmentYes.Yes.
Vacation/leave trackingYes.Yes.
Financial reportingYes.Yes.
EstimatesYes.Yes.
Custom invoicingYes.Yes.
Account reconciliationYes.Yes.
1099 preparationYes.Yes.

Gusto: Best for employee support

Image: Gusto

Gusto is an all-in-one solution that offers tools for multiple business processes in one centralized platform. But while Gusto’s software contains a wide range of capabilities for payroll, benefits, HR and time tracking, it may not provide as many fine-tuned features for accounting and bookkeeping.

Gusto’s software is more geared to support HR processes, although Gusto and Patriot’s offerings overlap in payroll, reporting and tax processes. However, Gusto’s employee benefits, self-service capabilities and HR features make it an optimal choice for businesses that want to provide extra support for their staff.

Gusto offers three plans starting at $40 per month plus $6 per month per employee for the Simple plan. Pricing for the Plus plan is $80 per month plus $12 per month per employee. The Premium plan’s pricing information is available upon request.

Key features

  • Full-service single-state payroll including W-2s and 1099s.
  • Employee profiles and self-service.
  • Basic hiring and onboarding tools.
  • Gusto-brokered health insurance administration.
  • Employee financial benefits.
  • Payroll and time-off reporting.
  • Custom admin permissions.
  • Integrations for processes like accounting, time tracking and expense management.
  • Basic support.

Use cases

File payroll taxes: With integrated payroll, Gusto’s solution can perform unlimited payrolls, automatically file a business’ payroll taxes and ensure accuracy with auto-calculations.

Employee self-service tools: Gusto provides self-service capabilities to employees, with easy self-setup support and access to view their pay stubs and W-2s.

Automated taxes, filings and payroll: The software processes all local, state and federal payroll tax forms. It also reports new hires and automatically calculates, files and pays all local, state and federal payroll taxes.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotGusto
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.Create an account by Apr 30 and run payroll by May 31 to save 25% for the first 6 months.
Unlimited payroll runsYes.Yes.
Federal and state payroll tax filingYes (with full-service plan).Yes.
International contractor paymentsNo.Yes.
Employee self-service portalYes.Yes.
User-based permissionsYes.Yes.
Mobile useYes.Yes.
Form W-2 and 1099 distributionYes (with full-service plan).Yes.
Wage garnishmentYes.Yes.

Zoho Payroll with Zoho Books: Best for bookkeeping

Image: Zoho

Zoho Books is an online accounting software solution for business owners to streamline and manage their financial information. By connecting Zoho Books with Zoho Payroll, businesses can access features and capabilities for both accounting and payroll that are comparable to the tools offered by Patriot’s software. In addition, Zoho’s cloud-based software provides a range of features for businesses to manage their finances while automating and simplifying their payroll processes.

The software can be purchased through multiple pricing plan options, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Zoho Books and Zoho Payroll can also integrate with other Zoho apps, such as Zoho CRM and Zoho Inventory, to provide a seamless bookkeeping experience across different business functions.

Zoho Payroll is priced at $19 per month plus $3 per employee per month. Zoho Books can be accessed for free. Alternatively, Zoho Books also offers five priced plans for its services:

  • Standard Plan for $20 per organization/month.
  • Professional Plan for $50 per organization/month.
  • Premium Plan for $70 per organization/month.
  • Elite Plan for $150 per organization/month.
  • Ultimate Plan for $275 per organization/month.

Key features

Zoho Payroll key features:

Automatic payroll.

Taxes and compliance.

Ready-to-share payroll reports.

Calculate federal tax withholdings.

Automatic reminders when a filing is due.

Accurate tax deductions with auto-updated tax tables year-on-year.

Payroll administration.

Personalized employee pre-tax and post-tax benefits.

Notifications for upcoming pay runs and tax filing deadlines.

Payroll processing.

Weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly pay schedules.

Pay run history.

Reports on demand.

Zoho Books key features:

  • Invoicing.
  • Estimates.
  • Customer portal.
  • Expense tracking.
  • Bill generation.
  • Project tracking and management.
  • Inventory tracking.
  • Sales orders.
  • Purchase orders.
  • Tax processing.
  • Online payments.
  • Workflow automation.
  • Document storage.
  • Vendor portal.
  • Mobile app for iOS, Android and Windows.
  • Customizable invoice templates.
  • Online payments.
  • Transaction approval.
  • Recurring expenses.
  • Inventory tracking.
  • Automated bank feeds.
  • Customized reporting.
  • Multiple project management.

Use cases

Unified invoicing and accounting: Zoho Books allows businesses to create and send customized invoices to global clients and receive payment in multiple currencies. With recurring billing, automated follow-ups and payment reminders for clients, users can ensure that their business is appropriately paid.

Save time on payroll accounting: Through Zoho Payroll’s integration with Zoho Books, users can enjoy the automatic recording of their payroll expenses within the right journals, making it possible to stay on top of their payroll records.

Collaborate with vendors: Zoho Books makes collaboration with vendors easier through the vendor AP and invoice management portal. This portal allows vendors to self-manage their transactions and stay notified with alerts, reducing unnecessary emails and calls.

Accounting and inventory tracking: Users are able to monitor their inventory levels and ensure that they are well-stocked with the Zoho Books software. The inventory tracking software can store important product information like images, vendor details, customized prices and costs for easy organization.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotZoho
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.A free plan of Zoho Books is offered to businesses with revenue falling under the threshold of 50K USD for the fiscal year.

Businesses can sign up for a monthly free trial of Zoho Payroll.
Unlimited usersYes.No.
Recurring invoicesYes.Yes.
Vender portalNo.Yes.
Employee portalYes.Yes.
Time off managementYes.Yes.
Direct depositYes.Yes.
Bank reconciliationYes.Yes.
Custom invoice templatesYes.Yes.

FreshBooks: Best for customization

Image: FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a helpful cloud-based solution that is ideal for businesses seeking a product to support their financial operations as well as their teams. FreshBooks offers invoicing and accounting software for small and large organizations, from freelancers to businesses with employees. Furthermore, FreshBooks has partnered with Gusto’s payroll solution to provide features for unlimited payrolls, direct deposit, tax filings and payments.

A perk of FreshBooks is that it offers a range of customization features to help businesses tailor their financial management processes to their specific needs. Through the software’s features, businesses can customize their invoices with their branding, add custom fields to capture additional information from clients, and save custom reports to track the performance of their business. This flexibility and customization makes FreshBooks a valuable tool for businesses that want to streamline their financial management processes.

FreshBooks provides its software through four plans. Pricing starts at $17 per month for FreshBooks Lite, then increases to $30 per month for the Plus Plan and $55 per month for the Premium Plan. Businesses can also contact FreshBooks for Custom Pricing. To access payroll features, customers must purchase one of Gusto’s plans, which start at $40 per month plus $6 per person per month.

Key features

  • Professional invoicing.
  • Expense tracking.
  • Time tracking.
  • Project management.
  • Automated payments.
  • Dashboards and financial reporting.
  • Accounting tools and reports.
  • Mobile accounting.
  • Client retainers.
  • Recurring billable clients.

Gusto integration key features:

  • Direct deposit.
  • Quick and easy integration setup with step-by-step support.
  • Access to unlimited payrolls, automatic tax payments and filings, W-2s and 1099s.
  • FreshBooks automatically syncs payroll transactions as expenses.
  • Automatic payroll tax filing with the right government agencies.

Use cases

Connect FreshBooks’ accounting software with other useful apps: FreshBooks integrates with over 100 apps, including popular solutions like Indeed, Slack and Zoom. It also integrates with multiple payroll providers in addition to Gusto, such as BrightPay, Payment Revolution and SurePayroll, allowing businesses to streamline their processes.

Manage mileage tracking: Users can adjust their mileage tracking and reporting based on their custom trip details. By manually editing their trips, they can avoid discrepancies and ensure that their reports contain accurate information and helpful insights.

Organize information with the Chart of Accounts: Higher-cost plans contain advanced accounting features, including a customizable Chart of Accounts, customizable expense categories and journal entry reporting. This way, users can gain insights and reduce confusion by adding all the details and information necessary come tax season.

Keep track of payroll: Once users run their team’s payroll on Gusto, the transactions are automatically imported and categorized directly in FreshBooks.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotFreshBooks
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.Get 60% off for 6 months.
Built-in payroll featuresYes.No.
EstimatesYes.Yes.
Financial reportingYes.Yes.
Accepts credit card paymentsYes.Yes.
Recurring invoicesYes.Yes.
Payment recordingYes.Yes.
Mobile useYes.Yes.
Expense trackingYes.Yes.

Wave: Best inexpensive solution

Image: Wave

Although less well-known than some other Patriot competitors, Wave provides helpful tools for small businesses through its software solutions. Users can choose to adopt one or more of Waves tools to use separately or together. The software offers features for invoicing, accounting, payments, payroll and advisors.

A great benefit of Wave’s software is that users can access the accounting, invoicing and US-only banking software for free. Users can also choose to access paid features, which include online payment processing, payroll software, personalized bookkeeping services, and coaching through Wave Advisors. Still, depending on the business’ software needs and the optional add-ons that they choose to apply, Wave can be an inexpensive option.

Wave’s accounting and invoicing features are free. However, users must purchase the Payroll plan to access payroll and tax service features. The Payroll plan is priced at $40 per month in tax service states, plus $6 per active employee per month plus $6 per independent contractor paid per month. Payroll in self-service states is priced at $20 per month in tax service states, plus $6 per active employee per month, plus $6 per independent contractor paid per month.

Key features

Payroll software key features:

  • Payroll for employees and contractors.
  • Generate W2 and 1099 forms.
  • Direct depositing.
  • Automatic pay and filing of state and federal payroll taxes for businesses in the U.S. states of AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, MN, NY, NC, TN, TX, VA, WA and WI.
  • Employee self-service portal to access pay stubs and tax forms.
  • Easy access to important tax forms and documents.
  • 100% guaranteed accuracy.
  • Automatic payroll journal entries.
  • Workers comp.
  • Leave time and accruals tracking.
  • Automatic integration with Wave Accounting, Invoicing and Payments.

Free invoicing and accounting key features:

  • Cash flow management.
  • Unlimited bank and credit card connections.
  • Business health monitoring.
  • Double-entry accounting software.
  • Accounting reports like Overdue Invoices & Bills and Profit & Loss.
  • Unlimited income and expense tracking.
  • Support for unlimited partners, collaborators or accountants.
  • Smart dashboard.
  • Customized invoice creation.
  • Automated invoice reminders.

Use cases

Organize financial data: Wave’s smart dashboard can organize business data and information about expenses, payments, income and invoices.

Securely perform accounting processes: Users can feel safe about their sensitive information, as bank data connections are read-only and are protected by 256-bit SSL encryption. In addition, Wave is a PCI-DSS Level 1 Service Provider certified for handling credit card and bank account information.

Manage cash flow: Wave generates accounting reports with monthly or yearly comparisons, making it simple for users to identify cash flow trends and reach insights about their expenditures.

Get payroll support: Payroll plan customers gain a priority connection to Wave’s customer support team through the live agent chat on Monday through Friday for fast assistance.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotWave
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.Free 30 day trial.
Pay independent contractors and employeesYes (accounting software integrates with Patriot Full Service or Basic Payroll).Yes.
Employee portalYes.Yes.
Document managementYes.Yes.
Automated invoice remindersYes.Yes.
W2 and 1099 generationYes.Yes.
Time-off accrual trackingYes.Yes.
Recurring invoicesYes.Yes.
Automatically import bank transactionsYes.Yes.

Xero: Best for financial tracking

Image: Xero

Xero’s accounting software provides features that support accountants, bookkeepers and small businesses in their day-to-day finance operations. Through clever integrations and automated capabilities, the solution links costs to projects and jobs and enables users to stay on top of their bank flows and other financial information.

With its streamlined payment processing features, this solution is beneficial for businesses looking for a quicker way to track and manage their financial operations.

Xero pricing starts at $13 per month for three months for the Early Plan. The Growing Plan is $37 per month for three months and the Established Plan is $70 per month for three months. Payroll with Gusto can be purchased as an optional add-on, starting from $40 per month.

Key features

  • Bill tracking and payment.
  • Expense management tools.
  • Bank connections.
  • Payment acceptance by connecting to Stripe, GoCardless and others.
  • Project tracking and management.
  • Payroll with Gusto.
  • Bank reconciliation.
  • Xero contacts management.
  • Data capture.
  • Online file storage and document management.
  • Accounting reporting.
  • Inventory tracking.
  • Online invoicing.
  • Multi-currency support with instant currency conversions.
  • Purchase order creation, sending and tracking.
  • Online quote creation.
  • Sales tax calculations and reports.
  • Business analytics.
  • Accounting dashboard.
  • Fixed asset management.
  • Gusto payroll add-on from $40.

Gusto add-on key features:

  • Calculate pay and deductions, pay staff and update the Xero accounts.
  • Flexible payroll filing.
  • Online payroll for all 50 U.S. states.
  • Automated payroll and payroll taxes, deductions and filings.
  • Employee self-service features.
  • Pay stubs and W-2s online access.
  • Next-day direct deposit.

Use cases

Analyze financial health: Xero’s dashboard for an overview of the business’ financial status. Users can check their short-term cash flow projections and access up-to-date info, granting them more clarity into their financial future. Furthermore, with the Gusto add-on, users can view and reconcile their Gusto payroll transactions in Xero.

Automatically reimburse expenses: Businesses can set up automated expense management features that alerts users when claims are submitted, so they can review and pay their claims quickly. This includes reimbursements synced with Xero from their Gusto payroll runs.

Track business project data: By tracking the location-based costs and profitability of projects with Xero’s job tracker software, businesses can determine quotes and process invoicing for specific jobs and monitor their project financial margins through the project’s dashboard.

Feature graph

FeaturesPatriotXero
Promotional offerFree 30 day trial.Purchase Xero accounting software before April 18, 2023 and get 75% off for 3 months.
Expense trackingYes.Yes.
User-based permissionsYes.Yes.
Online estimatesYes.Yes.
Bank reconciliationYes.Yes.
Invoice payment remindersYes.Yes.
Billing and invoicingYes.Yes.
Online pay stubs and W-2s accessYes.Yes.

Is Patriot worth it?

Patriot’s software solutions can be valuable for various purposes. It offers all-in-one features that can be beneficial for small businesses, with pricing plans that are affordable and flexible, making it accessible to companies with a limited budget. In addition, Patriot’s free trial is attractive to businesses interested in testing the software before committing to a paid subscription. But whether Patriot Software is worth the investment for a business depends on the business’ specific needs, budget and desired features.

When compared to its competitors, Patriot stands out for its affordable pricing and user-friendly interface. It offers several services that other software solutions may not provide, such as tax filing and timekeeping. Additionally, Patriot’s customer support is highly rated and easily accessible. Patriot Software may be worth the investment over its competitors looking for a solution with financial management, invoicing and expense tracking features.

Patriot pros and cons

Patriot provides software that is user-friendly and affordable. In addition, its payroll capabilities and accounting features make it a favored solution for businesses of all sizes. Still, Patriot does have drawbacks that shoppers should consider before choosing whether to purchase the software for their business.

Patriot pros

  • Patriot’s cloud-based nature makes it easy for users to access information on the go.
  • The solution is an inexpensive and affordable choice compared to its competitors.
  • Patriot’s U.S.-based customer service team supports users through email or instantly with live agent chat from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. EST Monday – Friday, or via telephone from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. EST Monday – Friday.
  • The software is easy to set up, so businesses can begin using its features quickly.
  • Patriot’s software provides unlimited payrolls and contractor payments.
  • Patriot software keeps user information secure. It resides on a secure server that encrypts user and business information using secure socket layers. Users can also use multi-factor authentication to increase the security of their Patriot account.

Patriot cons

  • Patriot’s customer support is not 24/7.
  • Although Patriot’s website is mobile-friendly, it does not have a mobile app.
  • Patriot’s standard payroll option takes four days to process direct deposits.
  • Patriot only supports payroll for employers with up to 500 employees.
  • Patriot’s accounting software integrates seamlessly with Patriot Full Service or Basic Payroll, however, this requires the purchase of both solutions. In addition, add-on fees are required to access some services, including Patriot HR features and capabilities.
  • Businesses must purchase the Full-Service Payroll plan to access tax filing and deposit features.

Do you need an alternative to Patriot?

Whether Patriot’s software is right for your business may depend on your business’ requirements, such as the number of employees, payroll frequency and tax filing needs. Shoppers can determine whether they require an alternative to Patriot’s offerings by evaluating the features provided by Patriot Software and comparing them to other accounting software.

Of course, there are several payroll and accounting alternatives that might be better suited for your organization. But before you make a final decision, it is important to consider your budget and the pricing plans offered by Patriot Software, as well as its competitors. You may also want to read customer reviews and take advantage of the software’s free trial to test its features and evaluate whether it is a good fit for your business.

Also See

  • The Best Payroll Software for Your Small Business in 2023 (TechRepublic)
  • QuickBooks Payroll Review (2023): Pricing, Features, Pros and Cons (TechRepublic)
  • Payroll processing checklist (TechRepublic Premium)
  • Best software for businesses and end users (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

on April 13, 2023, 12:09 PM EDT Top 6 Patriot Competitors and Alternatives for 2023 Discover the 6 best Patriot Software alternatives for 2023. Get a comprehensive overview of each alternative, including features, pricing, and more. We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored…