ADP Workforce Now
Comprehensive HR and payroll platform for mid-sized businesses with integrated payroll, benefits, talent management, and compliance tools.
Patriot Payroll
Website: www.patriotsoftware.com
Patriot Payroll at a glance
- Best for
- Cost-sensitive clients with 1–50 employees
- Pricing model
- Base fee plus per-employee charge, two service tiers
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Regions
- United States
- Key integrations
- Patriot Accounting, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop
Last reviewed . Pricing and features change frequently — confirm current details with the vendor.
Patriot Payroll is a payroll platform for small US businesses offered in two tiers: self-service, where the business or its accountant handles tax submission, and full-service, where federal, state, and local taxes are filed and paid automatically.
How accounting firms use it
Firms recommend it where cost is the deciding factor and requirements are genuinely simple. For a client with a handful of employees on a single pay schedule in one state, it delivers correct payroll at a lower price than most alternatives without asking them to pay for HR features they will not use.
The two-tier structure is useful in engagements where the firm already manages client tax deposits. Self-service keeps filing under the firm’s control while still automating calculation and payslips, which some practices prefer to handing remittance to a third party.
Key features
Payroll covers hourly and salaried employees, contractors, multiple pay rates, and unlimited pay runs, with direct deposit and printable cheques. Time-off accrual tracking is included, and year-end W-2 and 1099 forms are produced on both tiers.
Optional add-ons cover time and attendance and basic HR record keeping, and the vendor’s own accounting product integrates natively for clients wanting both from one supplier.
Tax filing on the full-service tier covers all three levels of US payroll tax with a guarantee against provider filing errors.
Who it’s best for
Very small US businesses, roughly one to fifty employees, where keeping payroll cost down is the priority and requirements do not extend beyond paying people correctly and on time.
Clients needing benefits administration, HR workflow, or broad integrations should look at Gusto or OnPay, both of which cost more but cover considerably more ground. Clients growing into mid-market complexity move to Paychex Flex or ADP Workforce Now.
Patriot Payroll FAQ
- What is the difference between self-service and full-service payroll?
- Self-service calculates payroll and produces the filings, but the business or its accountant submits and pays the taxes. Full-service adds automatic filing and remittance of federal, state, and local payroll taxes. The self-service tier costs less and suits firms that already handle client tax deposits and would rather retain that control.
- Is there an accountant partner program?
- Yes. A partner program provides access to client accounts from one login along with discounted pricing. It is more basic than the partner consoles offered by Gusto or OnPay, which matters more as the number of clients on the platform grows.
- Does it integrate with QuickBooks?
- Yes, with QuickBooks Online and Desktop, and natively with Patriot's own accounting product. The integration set is narrower than most competitors, so clients using less common accounting software or wanting a wide app ecosystem may find it limiting.
- Who should not use it?
- Clients needing benefits administration, complex multi-state payroll, HR workflow, or a large integration ecosystem. It is built to do payroll cheaply and well rather than to be a workforce platform, and clients whose requirements extend past payroll will outgrow it quickly.
Patriot Payroll Alternatives
Other payroll tools for accounting firms, ordered by how much of Patriot Payroll's functionality they cover.
BambooHR
HR and payroll software helping growing companies manage workforce processes, automated HR, payroll, and employee self-service.
ClockOn
ClockOn is an Australian workforce management platform combining rostering, time and attendance, award interpretation, and STP payroll in one system.
Deel
Global payroll and compliance platform for hiring and paying employees and contractors in 150+ countries with local tax compliance.
Gusto
Cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform that simplifies payroll and HR management for small to medium-sized businesses.