In-Depth Patriot Accounting Software Review 2024

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Patriot Plans & Pricing
2. Patriot overview
3. Patriot's Accounting Features
4. Integrations
5. Patriot Customer Reviews
6. Patriot vs Top Competitors
7. Verdict - is Patriot worth it?
8. How We Test Accounting Software
9. How to Choose the Best Accounting Software
10. FAQs

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Patriot Plans & Pricing
2. Patriot overview
3. Patriot's Accounting Features
Show Full Guide
4. Integrations
5. Patriot Customer Reviews
6. Patriot vs Top Competitors
7. Verdict - is Patriot worth it?
8. How We Test Accounting Software
9. How to Choose the Best Accounting Software
10. FAQs

Patriot Plans & Pricing

Overall, Patriot is good value for money. We were happy to see the platform had a low starting cost given that it’s designed for small businesses. The modular pricing structure is also ideal if you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to pay for any unnecessary extras.

Here’s a glance at the differences between the Patriot accounting plans:

Besides the price, the main difference between the Basic and Premium Patriot accounting plans is the advanced tools. Basic supports simple business operations with credit card processing, records, and expense management. If you upgrade to Premium, you get more automation and customization options to help you scale complex tasks including creating invoice templates and setting payment reminders.

We also found the unlimited users and permissions on both plans to be very generous for the low price tag. Some platforms like QuickBooks and Freshbooks have caps on the number of admins, employees, or locations you can add.

Bookkeeping services

Patriot has an optional bookkeeping service which ranges from $16 to $35.15 plus $3.80 per employee. An expert will handle bookkeeping tasks like monitoring cash flow or reconciling sales tax on your general ledger.

We felt the accounting service was a thoughtful inclusion as small businesses may require extra guidance to stay compliant with complex IRS (Internal Revenue Service) guidelines.

Payroll and HR

Patriot offers separate plans for payroll and HR services. Medium to large companies may find Patriot’s HR features too basic for their operations. However, the simple tool kit is perfect for small businesses, the primary target market.

Patriot overview

Patriot’s Accounting Features

While cost is an important consideration, features are the top concern. In this section, we’ll explore what Patriot offers, how they perform, and their best use cases.

Expense management

Patriot makes it easy to enter and categorize expenses such as income, assets, and accounts. The simple interface and online knowledge base meant we could learn the different tools in minutes.

With the payroll addition, it’s also easier to oversee employee wages and contractor wages—usually one of the largest outgoings. Many similar solutions rely on integrations with third-party software which means more apps for businesses to learn and manage.

Payment and Invoicing

You can use Patriot to create and track customers as well as invoicing and accepting their payments.

While exploring Patriot, we were impressed by how many unlimited features it had. Notably, there’s no cap on invoices which many competitors, like Xero and Zoho Books, often have. Having no limits means you won’t end up paying extra if you handle lots of small transactions.

Reminders and customization options are only available in the higher-cost plan. However, you’re more likely to need these if your operations are growing.

Reporting

There’s a full range of reports across each module on Patriot. Even the HR tool had a variety including birthdays and anniversaries, which many competitors don’t have.

There are some basic filters so you can tailor the reports to your workflow. We would’ve liked to see some more analytics features to help users understand the data better. However, we found the number of options allowed us to do essential tasks like bank account reconciliation and balance sheets.

Integrations

Aside from the native payroll, time tracking, and HR tools, Patriot’s accounting software provides the following integrations:

• QuickBooks Desktop
• QuickBooks Online
• QuickBooks Time
• Clover Connect
• CorpNet
• Vestwell
• NextInsurance

Patriot may have a limited integration set compared to other solutions but it covers all the business essentials.

Patriot Customer Reviews

Overall, Patriot has an excellent reputation with a 4.7 aggregate rating on Capterra and 4.8 on TrustPilot. When we analyzed the reviews, we found users frequently praise the platform’s user-friendly software and customer support.

Some reviews mention they find it challenging to scale certain processes with Patriot’s tools. However, given its focus on small businesses, it makes sense that the platform prioritizes user-friendliness over automation and filter tools.

Patriot vs Top Competitors

Seeing how a platform stacks up against competitors can help you see if it meets standards or even surpasses them. Here’s an overview of how Patriot accounting compares to other top accounting solutions.

Patriot vs QuickBooks

Not many accounting solutions can beat QuickBooks’ range of products. However, small businesses may be deterred by the higher prices and the complexity.

QuickBooks’ low-cost plan isn’t much higher than Patriot’s—a difference of $10 per month. However, if you want to upgrade, the prices increase more steeply which might hinder a small company’s ability to grow.

There are also tools for mobile and international teams on QuickBooks in the lower-cost plans. Many local, US businesses are unlikely to need features like support for multiple currencies and mileage tracking.

For a closer look, check out our QuickBooks online review.

Patriot vs FreshBooks

With FreshBooks’ range of communication tools, it’s better suited to professional services than Patriot. You can manage client proposals, projects, and estimates as well as accounting.

FreshBooks doesn’t have a built-in payroll feature like Patriot, though. While they partnered with Gusto for a direct integration, it’s still one more app to learn how to use and manage.

Explore our FreshBooks review for more information.

Patriot vs Zoho Books

Although Patriot and Zoho Books have similar pricing, they cater to different markets. Zoho has international support from the lowest cost plan so small retailers can serve customers abroad. However, Patriot has more specialized tools for US businesses such as support for the 1069 form.

Both Zoho Books and Patriot allow you to add their payroll tool to manage more operations in one place.

Find all the details in our Zoho Books review.

While we’ve covered the top competitors for our Patriot review, there are many more. Read our article on the best accounting software to explore more options.

Verdict – is Patriot worth it?

After a comprehensive Patriot accounting review, we felt the software was well worth consideration. The accounting platform is affordable yet doesn’t compromise on the value of its features.

Some large companies might find Patriot doesn’t suit them due to a lack of international support and limited advanced features. However, it excels at its best use case—helping small businesses manage their books—through its intuitive design, all-in-one solution, and reliable accounting tools.

How We Test Accounting Software

Let’s look at how we assess accounting software to give you more context to this Patriot review and help you see how we reached our verdict:

• Pricing – We benchmark each platform’s pricing against their competitors, also considering their target market and the tools they offer.
• Features – Using free trials and demos, we test each feature and run it through different scenarios.
• Ease of use – During our tests, we note whether the features are simple to understand and how many steps we need to take. We also consider how easy it is to follow tutorials and help guides.
• Automation – We check how smoothly features work and if there are any lags or glitches our readers should be aware of.
• Integrations – Similar to pricing, we use our extensive knowledge of the market to compare tools. We want to know if they have more or less integrations than average and if they connect to the most popular software.
• Third-Party Reviews – As a test run can’t compare to long-term use, we analyze hundreds of user comments across reputable sites. We give more importance to recent reviews which reflect how the software currently performs.

How to Choose the Best Accounting Software

If you’re still unsure which accounting software to choose, here are the most important points to consider:

• Price – Ideal software shouldn’t only give you access to essential features for an affordable price but also allow you to scale. That means you should be able to add features or grow your team without the fees increasing steeply or becoming unpredictable.
• Features – Accounting software should have tools to match your business needs. For example, it’s best not to pick an international solution when you operate out of three states with no plans to expand abroad.
• Ease of use – If the platform is intuitive, your team will find it easier to adopt. They’ll also be more inclined to use it every day and reap the full benefits.
• Integrations – No doubt you already use other tools for your business. Choosing a solution that lets you connect your entire tech stack is essential as you won’t have to manually transfer data between platforms.
• Customer support – Even with the best solutions, you’re likely to encounter challenges. It’s critical to have an experienced team with a lot of availability to help you find quick solutions.

FAQs