Heartland Payroll vs Patriot Payroll

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Our analysts compared Heartland 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.

Heartland Payroll Software Tool

Product Basics

Heartland Payroll is an online bookkeeping software that handles payment processing, Point of Sale interactions, capital and engagement with customers. It can manage compensation for retail, restaurants and multiple other industries both onsite and offsite. It also handles compensation, recruiting, benefits, time and attendance and more. Users looking for more full-service care can access services such as HR management, guidance with the Affordable Care Act and loans.
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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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$89 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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Chromebook
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Accurate Payroll: Automate the entire operation to cut down on errors and changes in data made by human error. Handle the complexities of benefits, retirement and more with accurate calculations.
  • Timer Saver: Cut down on paperwork and save time that would otherwise be spent filling out data. It automates payment, benefits, workers’ compensation and other necessary compensation processes, freeing up time to find and analyze issues.
  • More Engaged Customers: Draw in customers with rewards programs and gift cards while monitoring and analyzing their behavior to improve processes and bring up the bottom line. The simplification of POS interactions also makes them more likely to return and reflect positively on the experience. Monitor customer activity, build relationships with customers, analytics the metrics and send custom emails to keep in touch.
  • Better Insights: Analyze data to better understand how campaigns are affecting the bottom line. This includes reporting on customer intelligence, performance, reputation management and benchmarking on competitors.
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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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  • Payment Processing: Give and receive payments easily through rapid authorization and fast funding. To help customers, the POS systems can accept money from ACH, digital wallets, EMV chips cards and gift cards. This system is supported online, through mobile, by the virtual terminal. Other options include a merchant administrative portal, work orders, invoicing, custom forms, e-commerce and integrates with Plaid, QuickBooks and Zapier.
  • Tax Management: Oversee business withholdings for the year, whether from health benefits, unemployment, social security or workers’ compensation.
  • Recruiting: Execute talent acquisition activities such as posting jobs, scheduling interviews, getting applications, onboarding new hires and keeping their eyes on potential candidates with the applicant tracking system. The system also offers to screen companies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
  • Affordable Care Act: See which employees need health insurance and use the ACA reporting tool to determine the large employer status. It comes with monthly reporting that shows the number of full-time employees and equivalents, shows the total paid and unpaid hours for workers and helps with completing the 1094-C and 1095-C forms.
  • Benefits: The solution integrates with the benefits management system Ease. Administrators can transfer employee updates, new hire information and deductions to the payroll system.
  • Surcharge: The surcharge program charges customers 3.5% for credit card transactions. Deposit the next day and get reports on the amount that’s been regained from the venue.
  • Loans: Apply for loans through the Lendio loan marketplace, which provides access to various partners. Loans range from $5,000 to $5 million. Users can have a credit line of up to $250,000. The approval process generally takes about 15 minutes and the approval process is generally done within 48 hours.
  • HR: Services include coaching for issues in management, compensation, access to hiring documents, alerts for state and federal labor law changes and more.
  • Point of Sale: Accept multiple payment options. It works offline, can integrate with third-party apps and can enable purchases with the system, by a kiosk, in a drive-through and more.
  • Time and Attendance: Register punches, track hours, monitor schedules, handle PTO and create reports for various metrics.
  • Other Integrations: Integrations also include time and attendance, 401(k), general ledger and accounting systems and workers’ compensation.
  • Billing: Process billing in a streamlined manner by cutting down on late payments, paper documentation and tracking expenses through analytics. The solution is PCI level 1 certified to help with compliance purposes and serves as bookkeeping software.
  • Online, Mobile and Devices: Check accounts, send billing and pay online, through a tablet, by mobile or by other devices. It also can operate as a POS. Customers access the e-commerce features for a convenient buying experience.
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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

#51

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

Poor User Sentiment 10 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1898 reviews
56%
of users recommend this product

Heartland Payroll has a 'poor' User Satisfaction Rating of 56% when considering 10 user reviews from 2 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)
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4.8 (358)
2.8 (5)
4.8 (1513)
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4.3 (13)

Awards

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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 Interface: Users appreciate the clean and straightforward interface, finding it easy to navigate and locate necessary features without unnecessary complexity.
Tax Compliance: Heartland Payroll automatically calculates and files payroll taxes, ensuring businesses remain compliant with federal and state regulations, alleviating concerns about potential penalties or audits.
Direct Deposit: The direct deposit feature streamlines the payment process, allowing employees to receive their wages electronically and eliminating the need for paper checks, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
Employee Self-Service: The employee self-service portal empowers employees to access and manage their personal information, pay stubs, and tax documents independently, reducing administrative burdens on HR and payroll teams.
Reporting Capabilities: Heartland Payroll offers comprehensive reporting tools that provide insights into payroll data, enabling businesses to track expenses, analyze trends, and make informed decisions regarding their workforce.
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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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Dated Interface: Heartland's user interface appears outdated and clunky, making navigation and task completion cumbersome for users accustomed to modern software design.
Customer Service Issues: Heartland's customer service has received negative feedback, with users reporting long wait times and unhelpful responses. This can be frustrating for users seeking timely assistance with payroll issues.
Limited Integrations: Heartland Payroll may not integrate seamlessly with other business software, such as accounting or HR platforms, leading to manual data entry and potential errors.
Pricing Structure: Heartland's pricing structure can be complex and opaque, making it difficult for businesses to anticipate costs and compare options effectively.
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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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Is your payroll process stuck in the dark ages? Heartland Payroll might just be the knight in shining armor your business needs. Heartland Payroll generally receives positive feedback, with users praising its comprehensive features and ease of use. The platform's ability to automate payroll calculations, tax filings, and payments is a major time-saver for businesses. Users also appreciate the self-service portal, which allows employees to access their pay stubs and W-2 forms electronically. Affordability is another plus, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. However, some users have reported occasional glitches and a lack of customization options. Compared to competitors like ADP and Paychex, Heartland Payroll may not have as many bells and whistles, but it offers a solid core feature set at a competitive price point. This makes it an attractive option for businesses that prioritize simplicity and affordability over advanced functionality. Heartland Payroll is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward payroll needs. Its user-friendly interface and core features make it easy to manage payroll without a steep learning curve or a hefty price tag. However, larger businesses or those with complex payroll requirements may find the platform's limitations restrictive. It's important to note that software capabilities and user experiences can change over time, so it's always a good idea to check the latest reviews and information before making a decision.

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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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