Patriot Payroll is a cloud based package designed for small and medium businesses with up to 100 employees. The company is based in Ohio and its products are made exclusively for the US market. The main features of the software are its ease of use and its affordability but the high quality of its customer support is also a major benefit.

Although Patriot Payroll prides itself on its simplicity, this does not come at the expense of functionality. Whilst you are able to run your payroll in three simple steps, there are also features such as running payroll an unlimited number of times, at varying intervals, and the ability to customize the deductions made. Four day direct deposits can be made into employees’ accounts, with the option for two day deposits for qualifying customers. Checks can be printed directly from the software, should that be preferable, and your employees can be given secure access to a dedicated portal where they are able to check their previous pay information and electronic W-2s, Patriot lets you deal with multiple business locations across different states, and is constantly kept up to date with changing tax rules. Your company payroll can be split into separate departments to assist you in monitoring cash flow and calculating performance. Patriot Payroll does not provide the all-singing, all-dancing features of other more expensive payroll packages, but for a small business with non-specialist needs it hits all the right notes. Because it is run through a web-based portal, Patriot can be used on any computer or mobile device with an internet connection, without the need to install an app.

Customer support is a vital component for payroll software, particularly for small businesses without an in-house bookkeeper. With free payroll setup and ongoing support during business hours via phone, email and chat, Patriot covers all the bases and their expert US based customer service attracts a lot of praise from users. With Patriot, you pay for the add-ons that your company needs, rather than laying out for a package that includes a lot of functionality you will never use. Additions to the payroll system include the option for automatic e-filing of 1099s. This is included in the Full Service package but is also available as an extra for the Basic software.

Patriot Payroll works at its best when paired with their other business software which includes accounting, HR, and time and attendance management, although all of these come at an extra cost. Patriot will integrate with QuickBooks, but has no native integration with other major accounting software. The package comes with a range of preconfigured reports to help you keep track of your payroll outlay, but there is no option to customize these, although the inbuilt options are likely to be adequate for most needs.