BrightHR vs. Patriot Software

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BrightHR
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
British company BrightHR offers a human resources platform which helps replace paper documents with edocuments and contains features for managing employee scheduling and ROTA, sick leave and tardiness, vacation and holiday shift planning, as well as providing employment law legal advice.
$4.50
Patriot Software
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Patriot Software headquartered in Canton, Ohio offers Patriot PAY, their benefits administration and payroll software.
$17
per month
Pricing
BrightHRPatriot Software
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Basic Payroll
$17/mo + $4 per employee/contractor
Accounting Basic
$20/mo (unlimited use)
Accounting Premium
$30/mo (unlimited use)
Full Service Payroll
$37/mo + $4 per employee/contractor
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BrightHRPatriot Software
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPrices start at £4.50 (per employee/per month)Patriot Software has two payroll options to choose from: Basic Payroll, and Full Service payroll software. Both start with a simple three-step payroll process. With the Full Service Payroll, Patriot will collect, deposit, and file federal, state, and local payroll taxes on the customer's behalf; end-of-the-year payroll tax filing is included at no extra charge. Print W2s on 8 x 1/2 x 11 plain white office paper to hand to employees, or post to the free employee portal. Also, Patriot Software offers free direct deposit.
More Pricing Information
Features
BrightHRPatriot Software
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
7.0
1 Ratings
12% below category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
Employment history8.21 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.31 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.5.51 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.31 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
7.0
1 Ratings
14% below category average
Patriot Software
8.3
15 Ratings
1% above category average
Pay calculation7.01 Ratings9.515 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors7.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management7.01 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings8.75 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings6.03 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings9.211 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings6.36 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
8.8
12 Ratings
8% above category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
Approval workflow8.712 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details8.711 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
8.5
13 Ratings
4% above category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information8.713 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation8.713 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
9.0
1 Ratings
17% above category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
Pre-built reports9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
8.0
1 Ratings
0% above category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
Review reminders8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
BrightHR
7.0
1 Ratings
11% below category average
Patriot Software
-
Ratings
Notifications and Alerts7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BrightHRPatriot Software
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.1 out of 10
Justworks
Justworks
Score 7.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.2 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
BrightHRPatriot Software
Likelihood to Recommend
8.5
(15 ratings)
9.7
(20 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.3
(10 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(10 ratings)
User Testimonials
BrightHRPatriot Software
Likelihood to Recommend
BrightHR
For a new part of our business, we have input staff details on Bright HR. There have been times when calls have been made to the helpline for guidance. It does not take long to get to know the staff you are speaking to. In relation to the query addressed with a team member today the service was excellent. Matthew has a great depth of knowledge of the system and works through the shift and annual leave calculations at the click of a finger. Thank you Mathew for your support, you are a star!
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Patriot Software
Patriot PAY is well-suited to a company that has a 10-day window between the end of the pay period and the payday. The company size makes very little difference and it is easy to use for any company. It is also very progressive in development and improvement. If a company has a small window for turn-around, but fairly consistent payroll amounts (such as a lot of salary workers), Patriot PAY might also be a good fit for them.

Companies with tight turn-around times or payrolls that vary significantly in direct deposit amounts might have difficulty using Patriot PAY.
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Pros
BrightHR
  • When a query has been dealt with via the helpline an email confirming the outcome is often issued which is great for reference at any time.
  • The system is easy to use and the screens are clutter free.
  • The support service offered is easy to access and the staff are friendly and helpful.
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Patriot Software
  • It is simple, intuitive and straightforward in its design. Someone with little experience with roles in human resources roles, bookkeeping or payroll can quickly learn how to set-up the software and run payroll regularly by reading through the support portion of the site, or by contacting the helpful staff at Patriot. Patriot staff have walked me through issues or guided me on the phone as I learned how to use a function of the software.
  • Patriot provides comprehensive quarterly tax filing records, including 941s, state unemployment compensation tax payments, state employer's tax and local employer's tax filings. You can also generate payroll or tax deposit reports over a specific time period or per employee.
  • The support and FAQ pages available on Patriot are very practical and written in an easy to understand manner. Using the information provided there, I was able to properly set up new employees according to local and state filing requirements.
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Cons
BrightHR
  • Direct-dial telephone numbers rather than going through the Peninsula helpline numbers.
  • Setting up annual leave profiles often needs the assistance of a Bright HR representative when staff works quirky shifts. Providing examples of how to set the system up in user guides may help to set the system upright the first time.
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Patriot Software
  • Connecting with outside software - we have an issue of Patriot not recognizing donors when connected to other websites when all the information is the same minus a middle initial
  • Giving an error page when something small is off. Instead of giving an easy to fix error notification, Patriot brings the user to an error page and they have to reenter everything.
  • Fixing dates easily. If a date is entered incorrectly, 8/13/21 instead of 2021, an error pop up appears but the user has to click enter/okay many times or refresh the page in order to fix this issue.
  • Enter vs Tab key - Patriot loves the tab key but if the user clicks enter instead, many times it brings them to the home page.
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Likelihood to Renew
BrightHR
No answers on this topic
Patriot Software
It works well because it is cheap for us.
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Usability
BrightHR
No answers on this topic
Patriot Software
I think it is great once things are setup as for general user looking to look for simple things like a copy of a paystub or a current pay rate for an employee. However, to find specialized things like a state withholding number or payroll integration settings those do require a bit more digging to find or possibly a call to customer service for help.
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Support Rating
BrightHR
No answers on this topic
Patriot Software
Generally speaking it is pretty good that when I need to call somebody up for a payroll question I can generally within five minutes get somebody on the phone and they can help me resolve the problem or specify where specifically I need to go or contact to find my answers. However, that being said, for my specific situation as a partner my assigned contact has not always been very responsive.
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Alternatives Considered
BrightHR
I chose BrightHR as it offered a one-stop platform for HR management for which we have dedicated UK and ROI HR specialists who not only give HR advice but also write policies and handbooks, etc. They are a one-stop-shop, which was very important as when I signed the contract I did not have an HR person in my team and they were essentially my back office. Also, by signing up, I got access to Bright Safe too; which is great as again it's a one-stop-shop for Health and Safety in the workplace. So I can roll out toolbox talks, training, and accident management.
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Patriot Software
I briefly used Intuit Online Payroll, and it was expensive, had no support, and was very frustrating to use. I also used 3 local tax companies for payroll - they were extremely expensive and messed up all of the time. Their employee turnover was very annoying (and it seemed to happen every other month) and each employee did things differently. When I let one of my employees go, the last company paid them after termination (2 weeks of salary), and had to get into a legal battle because the employee would not give the money back.
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Return on Investment
BrightHR
  • Saved admin time in filing and then searching for documents.
  • Saved admin time in chasing for managers' approvals for holiday requests.
  • Saved admin time in chasing managers/employees to update their profiles.
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Patriot Software
  • It boosts my time available for client-facing activities by not having to spend as much time processing payroll.
  • It helps me deliver accurate reports to my CPA at tax time regarding employee wages and employer taxes.
  • Through the online portal, I can easily track year-to-date taxes my company has paid.
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ScreenShots

BrightHR Screenshots

Screenshot of BrightHR dashboardScreenshot of BrightHR LightningScreenshot of Bright ExchangeScreenshot of BrightSafeScreenshot of BrightBaseScreenshot of PoP by BrightHR

Patriot Software Screenshots

Screenshot of the 3-step process to carry out payrollScreenshot of the Payroll interface, which can be used run payroll on any device with internet or data connection. There is no need to download and maintain a separate payroll app.Screenshot of a payroll report, to sort by work location, employee, and date range.