Mountain Stream
Mountain Stream is a specialized cloud-based platform providing automated royalty accounting and financial reporting tools designed specifically for book publishers to streamline complex author payments and rights management.
Patriot Payroll
Patriot Payroll is an easy-to-use cloud-based software designed to help American small business owners run payroll accurately in minutes with guaranteed calculations and optional full-service tax filing support.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Mountain Stream | Patriot Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Website | mountainstream.com | patriotsoftware.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | $17/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2016 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | London, UK | Canton, USA |
Overview
Mountain Stream
Mountain Stream is a dedicated royalty accounting platform built to handle the unique financial complexities of the publishing industry. You can move away from error-prone spreadsheets and automate the entire lifecycle of author payments, from importing sales data to generating professional royalty statements. The system handles various formats including physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks across multiple currencies and territories.
You can manage complex contract terms, tiered royalty rates, and sub-rights income within a single secure environment. By centralizing your data, you reduce the time spent on manual calculations and ensure your authors receive accurate, timely reports. It is designed for small to mid-sized independent publishers who need enterprise-grade accuracy without the overhead of legacy systems.
Patriot Payroll
Patriot Payroll provides a straightforward way for you to manage your company's payroll without needing an accounting degree. You can choose between a basic plan where you handle your own tax deposits or a full-service option where the platform manages all federal, state, and local tax filings for you. The interface is designed for speed, allowing you to finish a standard payroll run in just three simple steps.
You can easily manage employee direct deposits, print checks, and handle various pay types like commissions and bonuses. The software also includes a free employee portal where your team can view their pay stubs and tax forms independently. It is built specifically for U.S. small businesses with 1 to 500 employees who need a reliable, no-frills solution that keeps them compliant with tax laws.
Overview
Mountain Stream Features
- Automated Royalty Calculation Calculate complex royalties automatically across different formats and territories to ensure your authors are always paid accurately.
- Sales Data Import Upload sales files from major distributors like Amazon and Ingram directly into the system to eliminate manual data entry.
- Contract Management Store and track specific contract terms, including escalation clauses and sub-rights splits, in one searchable digital database.
- Statement Generation Create professional, easy-to-read PDF royalty statements for your authors with just a few clicks during your reporting period.
- Advance Tracking Monitor author advances and recoupment status in real-time so you know exactly when a title starts earning profit.
- Multi-Currency Support Manage global sales easily by converting international revenue into your functional currency for consolidated financial reporting.
Patriot Payroll Features
- Three-Step Payroll. Run your entire payroll in just minutes by entering hours, reviewing the totals, and clicking submit.
- Full-Service Tax Filing. Let the experts handle your federal, state, and local payroll tax filings and deposits with a 100% accuracy guarantee.
- Employee Self-Service. Give your team 24/7 access to their own pay stubs, W-2s, and time-off balances through a secure online portal.
- Flexible Payment Options. Choose between free direct deposit or printing your own paper checks at no additional cost to your business.
- Time and Attendance Sync. Connect your payroll directly to integrated time tracking to eliminate manual data entry and reduce human errors.
- Multiple Pay Rates. Manage different pay rates and types for various roles or departments within your company from a single dashboard.
Pricing Comparison
Mountain Stream Pricing
Patriot Payroll Pricing
- Setup wizard and free support
- Guaranteed accurate calculations
- Free direct deposit
- Print checks on your own
- Employee self-service portal
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Everything in Basic, plus:
- Federal tax filings and deposits
- State tax filings and deposits
- Local tax filings and deposits
- Year-end W-2 and W-3 processing
- Tax filing accuracy guarantee
Pros & Cons
Mountain Stream
Pros
- Significantly reduces time spent on end-of-period reporting
- Handles complex sub-rights and co-edition splits easily
- Excellent customer support with deep publishing industry knowledge
- Clean interface makes navigating author contracts intuitive
Cons
- Initial data migration requires careful preparation
- No public pricing available without a sales consultation
- Limited integrations with smaller niche book distributors
Patriot Payroll
Pros
- Extremely intuitive interface that requires no training
- Highly responsive and knowledgeable US-based support
- Very affordable pricing compared to major competitors
- Quick and painless initial setup process
- Reliable and accurate tax calculations every time
Cons
- Limited advanced HR features for larger corporations
- No native mobile app for employers
- Integration options are fewer than enterprise platforms