Square Payroll vs Patriot Payroll

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Our analysts compared Square Payroll vs Patriot Payroll based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Based in the cloud, Square Payroll is suited for businesses of all sizes. Integrating with the well-known POS solution from the same company offers features that assist with processing pay, filing taxes, employee self-service and more. The support staff helps users with implementation, whether they need help with their first implementation or simply just assistance migrating data from an old interface. Its capabilities also provide time tracking, invoice creation, appointment scheduling, direct deposit and more.
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Patriot Payroll is a full-service accounting and payroll software that offers a variety of integrative add-ons to users. The system’s core functions assist with core payroll tasks, while the add-on features enable the system to function as a full HR suite. This web-based payroll solution processes the payment, calculates taxes, creates reports, runs time and attendance and manages invoices.
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$35 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$21 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Synchronized Systems: Fully synchronize the payroll solution with other Square systems, including partners that offer timecard solutions. Automatically calculate employee hours to run payroll.
  • Payroll On-The-Go: Run payroll directly from any internet-connected device with the mobile app. Creates a quick and seamless process that gets employees paid expediently, while administers don’t have to spend time tediously inputting data.
  • Affordable Small Businesses Payroll: Offers two pricing models, one of which is specifically designed to meet the needs of businesses that rely on contractors. The monthly subscription fee starts as low as $34 monthly for companies with standard employees. Hire contractors and spend only $5 monthly per contractor or employee.
  • Manageable Processes: Run payroll with only necessary employee information. Customize pay periods while employees can create their accounts, making the setup process quick and straightforward.
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  • Accuracy: Define tax settings during the setup process. Calculate taxes automatically along with standard payroll processing, eliminating the chance of human error. Get the system tested and audited regularly.
  • User-Friendly: Guide users through the payroll process, making it easy to use. Take advantage of the free trial to see if it’s a good fit. Adopt it quickly to cut down on lost revenue due to training.
  • Easy-to-Customize: Customize payroll settings and choose from a variety of payment methods. Accommodate many types of business and specific payment structures.
  • Scalability: Adjust pricing and other capabilities to meet the needs of businesses of any size. Users can also cancel any month with a penalty. Allow a company room for growth while ensuring it’s not too expensive.
  • Better Security: Use encryption and systems that are bonded and audited to keep data safe. Ensure data integrity.
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  • Automatic Payroll: Import employee hours and overtime and calculate salaries to process each pay period automatically. Handles multiple pay rates and does all off-cycle and unlimited bonus runs for no extra charge. Customizes scheduling for payment. Process payroll by 8:00 p.m. PT, so employees get their direct deposit on payday.
  • Employee Self-Service: Have employees create their account, set up direct deposit, fill out necessary forms and even clock in for their shifts. Provide them with 24/7 access to these features to make changes as needed through the mobile app.
  • Tax Filing: Ensure compliance with Square Payroll’s tax functions. Manage W2s and automatically calculates and files tax withholdings, payments, and filings at the local, state and federal level. Supports post-tax deductions and reimbursements. Files federal and state taxes quarterly and files and sends out W-2s and 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. Includes forms such as form 940, form 941, form 944 and W-3s.
  • Reporting: Provides new hire reports, quarterly reports and sales reports to provide real-time analysis and make more informed decisions about the business. Send reports to key stakeholders.
  • Team Management: Set schedules, track hours, customize access for different groups and provide employee onboarding. Comes in one of two versions, team management and team plus. Team management includes reporting for time cards, time clocks, scheduling for shifts, break tracking and overtime reporting. Team plus has broader functionality such as early break prevention, report for break violations, preventing early clock-ins from break, notes on timecards, many wage rates, unlimited permissions and more.
  • Compliance: Updates automatically to ensure users stay abreast of changes to tax laws and stay in compliance with payment best practices. Save time and money by obeying regulations.
  • Benefits Management: Customize and manage benefits packages while the integrated benefits management functionality enables the system to calculate and make deductions automatically when running payroll. Provides workers’ comp through AP Intego.
  • Integrations: Integrates with QuickBooks Online for users who want to include accounting and can function with any other Square product.
  • Time Tracking: Synchronize Square Payroll with the vendor’s Point of Sale app at no additional cost to allow employees to clock in for their shift directly at the register. Employees can then import timecards, or synchronize with a variety of other popular time tracking systems. Managers can also enter employee hours manually. Tracks sick leave, PTO and overtime. Use customizable user permissions to manage it effectively.
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  • Payroll Processing: Use payroll with three steps and local, state and federal taxes. Create invoices, see the payment history, pay bills, print records and add employees. Accept payments from credit cards, make and send out estimates, import bank interactions, reconcile accounts and manage documents and receipts. Manage garnishments, PTO and print W-2s.
  • Invoice Management: Create and store invoices as well as setting up recurring invoices, reminders and more.
  • Tax Calculation: Calculate, file and pay taxes. Use the basic subscription package to assist with tax calculations; however, it can’t help filing or paying taxes.
  • Time-Off Tracking: Track time-off balances and activity through the employee portal.
  • Year-End Reports: Generate printable W-2, 940 and 941 documents. File W-2’s and W-3’s electronic.
  • Time and Attendance: Add-on time and attendance services for an additional fee that will enable the system to assist with clock-in and clock-out functionality and allow users to access time cards electronically.
  • Core HR: Add core HR functions to the payroll solution for an additional fee. This add-on allows users to track employment history, census data and share documents with employees.
  • Accounting: Operate cash-based and or accrual accounting. Help accountants with their tasks.
  • Reporting: Download reports in PDF or CSV format in a year-to-date format. Filter by checks, employee, location or totals. See contributions, deductions, earnings, employer payments, hours and withheld taxes. Understand potential issues with a tax liability report.
  • Multiple Devices: Use the program on a variety of devices, including mobile and tablets.
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Product Ranking

#21

among all
Payroll Software

#17

among all
Payroll Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Benefits Management Dashboard And Reporting Expense Management Mobile Capabilities Payroll And Tax Management Platform Capabilities Security And Compliance Time And Attendance Management 45 40 48 61 88 65 80 44 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1069 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1898 reviews
93%
of users recommend this product

Square Payroll has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 1069 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

96%
of users recommend this product

Patriot Payroll has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 96% when considering 1898 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

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5.0 (14)
4.4 (23)
4.8 (358)
4.66 (571)
4.8 (1513)
4.6 (471)
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4.5 (4)
4.3 (13)

Awards

Square Payroll stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Patriot Payroll stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Simple UI: Over 90% of users who discussed the ease-of-use were impressed by the system.
Affordable: Reviewers felt the pricing was appropriate and affordable in more than 90% of comments that discussed it.
Efficient Payroll Processing: More than 90% of users who discussed payroll processing felt it worked well.
Highly Recommended: In reviews that discussed recommending the service, over 80% said they’d advise other businesses to use it.
Filing Taxes and Reports: More than 80% of comments that discussed filing taxes and year-end reporting were happy with its capabilities.
Adequate Functionality: Users liked the features and felt they worked well in over 80% of reviews that talked about it.
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Excellent Customer Service: Over 90% of users that discussed the support loved the customer service.
Useful Features: Users said the system had good functionality in over 90% of comments that discussed it.
Simple UI: More than 80% of reviewers who talked about the navigation said the solution was easy to use.
Affordable: Commenters felt the price was appropriate in over 80% of the comments that mentioned it.
Fluid Implementation: Over 80% of reviewers that discussed setup felt the implementation process was smooth.
Tax Forms: Users found the tax forms easy to find and fill out in more than 80% of comments that discussed it.
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Limited Customization Options: Over 70% of reviews that talked about customization said the options were inadequate.
No Employee Discounts: Businesses had trouble giving employees discounts in over 70% of comments that discussed it.
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Long Lead Time Direct Deposit Issues: Over 70% of users who talked about direct deposit complained about the long lead time.
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Square Payroll is an online payment, time and attendance and POS system. Users like it best because it’s easy to use with an intuitive design that can be adopted quickly. They felt the pricing was fair and were especially pleased with its efficient processing of payment. Many users said they’d recommend it to other businesses similar to their own and were happy with its ability to create and file sales, quarterly and new hire reports. Lastly, they were pleased with its features, specifically its easy sign-in, reporting, time tracking and tax calculating. On the con side, customization options were minimal as it’s a reasonably straightforward system. Many companies that use the solution are restaurants that either want to give employees discounts on food or pay with money from their upcoming paycheck. They were displeased with its inability to allow this. Overall, this solution is excellent for small businesses, especially retail and food service. Larger companies should look elsewhere.

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Patriot Payroll is a straightforward payroll app with some HR core functionality mixed in. Users like its ease of use and felt the support was responsive, understood the problem well and gave them enough resources. The features were well-reviewed, especially the insurance forms and tax filing abilities, making it administratively advantageous. The users loved the implementation process, which they said went smoothly, guided by the knowledgeable support team. Overall, reviewers felt it was within an appropriate price range for its functionality. On the downside, users didn’t like that the direct deposit required four days of lead time for regular ACH funding. This software may be a good option for small businesses looking to bring their payroll online.

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