# Patriot Software vs QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Patriot Software excels in **customer support** , with users highlighting the quick response times and helpfulness of the support team. This is a significant advantage for those who may need assistance navigating payroll complexities.
- **Users say** that Patriot Software is **affordable** and easy to use, making it particularly appealing for small businesses. Many appreciate the straightforward navigation and the overall value for the price, which starts at just $17.00.
- **Reviewers mention** that QuickBooks Desktop Payroll offers a comprehensive solution by integrating various financial functions like accounts payable, accounts receivable, and banking alongside payroll. This all-in-one approach is praised for its convenience, especially for users who prefer managing everything in one place.
- **According to verified reviews** , while QuickBooks Desktop Payroll has a solid reputation, it faces challenges with **customer support** , receiving lower ratings in this area compared to Patriot Software. Users have noted that support can be less responsive, which may be a concern for those needing timely assistance.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that Patriot Software's **ease of setup** is a strong point, with many users appreciating the intuitive onboarding process. This contrasts with QuickBooks Desktop Payroll, where some users have reported a more complicated setup experience.
- **Users report** that both products perform well in terms of **payroll entry** and **tax calculations** , but Patriot Software edges out with higher satisfaction ratings. Users have expressed that the payroll entry process is seamless and efficient, which is crucial for day-to-day operations.



| | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.8 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 630 | 52 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (96.2% of reviews) | Small-Business (84.6% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $17.00 Per Month | $500.00 Per Year | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Patriot Software

Pros:
- Ease of Use (56 reviews)
- Customer Support (53 reviews)

Cons:
- Payroll Issues (15 reviews)
- Delays (6 reviews)

### QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

Pros:
- Payroll (5 reviews)
- Ease of Use (2 reviews)

Cons:
- High Fees (3 reviews)
- Feature Absence (2 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.6 (506 reviews) | 9.3 (35 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 9.6 (511 reviews) | 9.0 (35 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.2 (340 reviews) | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 9.6 (294 reviews) | 9.3 (14 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 9.7 (495 reviews) | 8.2 (35 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.7 (292 reviews) | 8.0 (14 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.5 (492 reviews) | 7.4 (32 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Patriot Software

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Basic Payroll

Price: Starting at $17.00 Per Month

Description: $17/mo + $4 per employee or 1099 contractor paid. Run payroll and handle your own taxes.

Key Features:
- Free direct deposit
- Free employee portal
- Unlimited payrolls

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/patriot-software/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

### QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Annual billing

Price: $500.00 Per Year

Key Features:
- +$5/employee per month

[Browse all 2 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/quickbooks-desktop-payroll/pricing)

#### Free Trial

No

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Payroll

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Patriot Software** | 9.2/10 | 429 |
| **QuickBooks Desktop Payroll** | 8.9/10 | 30 |

#### Employee Self Service

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Web Portal** | 9.5 (301 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (17 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Benefits Manager** | 8.5 (68 reviews) | 7.3 (11 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Mobile** | 9.1 (151 reviews) ✓ Verified | Feature Not Available | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Payroll Entry** | 9.6 (386 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.5 (30 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Time Off Accrual** | 9.0 (183 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (22 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Direct Deposit** | 9.2 (269 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.8 (19 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Expense Reimbursement** | 9.1 (162 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.2 (19 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Pre-tax Deductions** | 9.5 (240 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (21 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Wage Garnishment** | 8.9 (117 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.9 (18 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Approvals** | 9.5 (185 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.2 (12 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Check/W-2 Printing** | 9.4 (277 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.4 (25 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Check/W-2 Delivery** | Feature Not Available | 9.0 (18 reviews) ✓ Verified | 

#### Taxes

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Tax Calculation** | 9.7 (363 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.4 (29 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Tax Filing** | 9.8 (323 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.2 (24 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Automatic Tax Payment** | 9.7 (303 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (17 reviews) ✓ Verified | 

#### Integration

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **API / Integration** | 8.5 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (7 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Time Tracking Integration** | 9.0 (117 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.6 (15 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Accounting Integration** | 8.8 (127 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.1 (15 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Core HR Integration** | 8.8 (91 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (10 reviews) ✓ Verified | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reporting and Dashboards** | 9.3 (333 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.3 (25 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **User, Role, and Access Management** | 9.3 (104 reviews) | 9.1 (21 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Performance and Reliability** | 9.7 (365 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.9 (25 reviews) ✓ Verified | 
| **Scalability** | 9.5 (284 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.0 (20 reviews) ✓ Verified | 

### Contractor Payments

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Patriot Software** | 9.1/10 | 25 |
| **QuickBooks Desktop Payroll** | N/A | N/A |

#### Platform Basics

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Performance** | 9.5 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Portal** | 9.4 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Platform Administration

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Integrations** | 8.5 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance** | 9.5 (21 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting** | 9.2 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Platform Payment Content

| Feature | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Document management** | 9.4 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Invoicing Tool** | 8.5 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Wage access** | 8.8 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Payroll Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/payroll)

**Unique to Patriot Software (1):** [ Contractor Payment Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/contractor-payments)



---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Patriot Software | QuickBooks Desktop Payroll | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 96.2% | 84.6% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 2.0% | 13.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 1.8% | 1.9% | 

### By Industry

#### Patriot Software

- **Accounting:** 11.2%
- **Construction:** 5.1%
- **Retail:** 5.1%
- **Health, Wellness and Fitness:** 4.6%
- **Financial Services:** 3.9%
- **Real Estate:** 3.4%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.0%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 2.7%
- **Insurance:** 2.7%
- **Law Practice:** 2.5%
- **Other:** 55.8%

#### QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 13.5%
- **Accounting:** 7.7%
- **Construction:** 5.8%
- **Retail:** 5.8%
- **Capital Markets:** 3.8%
- **Financial Services:** 3.8%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.8%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 3.8%
- **Insurance:** 3.8%
- **Law Practice:** 3.8%
- **Other:** 44.2%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Patriot Software

- [Rippling](https://www.g2.com/products/rippling/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (13009 reviews)
- [Gusto](https://www.g2.com/products/gusto/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (11538 reviews)
- [RUN Powered by ADP](https://www.g2.com/products/run-powered-by-adp/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (5891 reviews)
- [QuickBooks Desktop Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/quickbooks-desktop-pro/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1765 reviews)
- [Paychex](https://www.g2.com/products/paychex/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (1719 reviews)
- [SurePayroll](https://www.g2.com/products/surepayroll/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (532 reviews)
- [OnPay](https://www.g2.com/products/onpay/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (415 reviews)
- [APS](https://www.g2.com/products/aps-aps/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (826 reviews)
- [UKG Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/ukg-pro/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (2205 reviews)
- [Paylocity](https://www.g2.com/products/paylocity/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (6074 reviews)

### Alternatives to QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

- [Toast](https://www.g2.com/products/toast/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (370 reviews)
- [isolved](https://www.g2.com/products/isolved/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1316 reviews)
- [Paylocity](https://www.g2.com/products/paylocity/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (6074 reviews)
- [SurePayroll](https://www.g2.com/products/surepayroll/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (532 reviews)
- [Gusto](https://www.g2.com/products/gusto/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (11538 reviews)
- [RUN Powered by ADP](https://www.g2.com/products/run-powered-by-adp/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (5891 reviews)
- [BambooHR](https://www.g2.com/products/bamboohr/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (5667 reviews)
- [Oracle PeopleSoft](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-peoplesoft/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (692 reviews)
- [Rippling](https://www.g2.com/products/rippling/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (13009 reviews)
- [Paychex](https://www.g2.com/products/paychex/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (1719 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Patriot Software

- Title: [What does a payroll software do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/patriot-payroll-what-does-a-payroll-software-do) — 4 comments
  > **Top comment:** "It takes care of paying employees by tracking hours, sending direct deposits, and withholding the appropriate taxes."
- Title: [Does Patriot software integrate with QuickBooks?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/does-patriot-software-integrate-with-quickbooks) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes! Patriot Payroll integrates with both Quickbooks Online and Quickbooks Desktop software."
- Title: [What software do payroll companies use?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-software-do-payroll-companies-use) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Patriot"
- Title: [If you discontinue your subscription will you still have access to the data stored within the application.](https://www.g2.com/discussions/24076-if-you-discontinue-your-subscription-will-you-still-have-access-to-the-data-stored-within-the-application) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "Thanks for your question. While I can't answer for other software companies I can say that Patriot does not block or delete your data after your subscription..."
- Title: [Is the below possible?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/14697-is-the-below-possible) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Nothing internally that I know of, but we use GSuite and set up reminders that way."

### QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

No discussions available for this product.

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/patriot-software-vs-quickbooks-desktop-payroll)