Patriot Accounting Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing Explained
Patriot Accounting stands out for its simplicity and affordability, making it ideal for small businesses seeking essential features without the complexity or high costs of larger platforms.
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Patriot Accounting is an accounting software built for small businesses that need clean, no-frills bookkeeping without a steep learning curve. It covers invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting at a price point well below most competitors. I'd consider it over QuickBooks if your business doesn't need multi-entity support or advanced inventory management; Patriot keeps things focused and affordable where QuickBooks can start to feel like more tool than a small team actually needs.
Patriot Accounting Evaluation Summary
4.8/5
- From $20/month
- 30-day free trial + free demo available
Why Trust Our Software Recommendations
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Industry experts
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Evaluation factors
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Years
Our team has been testing and reviewing software since 2012. As finance leaders ourselves, we know how difficult—and important—it is to choose the right software.
For this guide, we evaluated tools using hands-on testing and independent research, scoring tools using our selection criteria.
Our reviews reflect our human editorial judgment, not a sales pitch.
Patriot Accounting Overview
When judging Patriot Accounting, its clean interface, transparent pricing, and responsive support make it a strong contender for small businesses choosing their first accounting software. The software's straightforward functionality—like invoicing, bank reconciliation, and payroll integration—is easy to navigate, especially during onboarding. While it lacks advanced integrations and deep customization found in pricier options, it outperforms many competing software providers on affordability and simplicity. If you're selecting a solution for a lean finance team or a small business owner with basic accounting needs, Patriot Accounting is a practical choice that won't overwhelm users or budgets.
Pros
- Unlimited users included at no extra cost.
- Patented cash-to-accrual toggle for flexible reporting.
- Responsive, US-based customer support with short wait times.
Cons
- No support for international addresses or currencies.
- Lacks project accounting and job costing features.
- Cannot accept deposits or progress payments on invoices.
How We Test & Score Tools
We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.
Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.
Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)
The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.
Standout Features (25% of final scoring)
Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.
We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.
Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)
We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.
Onboarding (10% of final scoring)
We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.
Customer Support (10% of final scoring)
We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.
Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)
Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.
Value for Money (10% of final scoring)
Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.
Core Features
Patented Cash-to-Accrual Toggle
Switch between cash and accrual accounting instantly for flexible reporting. This patented feature lets you view financials in both formats without manual conversions.
Unlimited Users
Invite as many users as you need at no extra cost. Set user-based permissions in the Premium plan to control access for accountants or team members.
Automatic Bank Imports
Connect your bank accounts or credit card to import bank transactions automatically. This saves time on manual entry and keeps your books up to date.
Unlimited Invoicing
Create, send, and track unlimited invoices for any number of customers. Recurring invoices and payment reminders are available in the Premium plan.
Account Reconciliation
Easily reconcile your bank statements with recorded transactions each month. This helps ensure your books match your actual account balances.
Financial Reporting
Download key reports like profit and loss or balance sheets as pdf or spreadsheet files. Reports can be viewed in cash or accrual basis for better analysis.
Ease of Use
Patriot Accounting is widely praised for its clean, user-friendly interface and straightforward navigation, making it approachable for users with limited accounting experience. The dashboard organizes key tasks—like invoicing, bank reconciliation, and reporting—into intuitive menus, reducing confusion. Users often highlight the simple onboarding process and clear help resources, which help teams get started quickly. While it may lack advanced automation, its focus on essential features keeps the learning curve low and daily tasks manageable.
Integrations
Patriot Accounting integrates with SimplyInsured, Vestwell, ERGO NEXT, QuickBooks Online, Stripe, PosterElite, BlueVine, Affordable Checks, CorpNet, and Stride.
Patriot Accounting does not currently offer a public API or direct connections with third-party integration tools.
Patriot Accounting Specs
- 2-Factor Authentication: Yes
- Accounts Payable: Yes
- Accounts Receivable: Yes
- API: No
- Balance Sheet: Yes
- Billing/Invoicing: Yes
- BitCoin: No
- Budgeting: Yes
- Calendar Management: No
- Contact Management: No
- CRM Integration: No
- Customer Management: No
- Dashboard: Yes
- Data Export: Yes
- Data Import: Yes
- Data Visualization: Yes
- Expense Tracking: Yes
- External Integrations: Yes
- Forecasting: Yes
- General Account Ledger: Yes
- Inventory Tracking: No
- Multi-Currency: No
- Multi-User: Yes
- Notifications: No
- P&L: Yes
- PayPal: No
- Payroll: Yes
- SAP Integration: No
- Stripe: Yes
- Supplier Management: No
- Tax Management: Yes
