QuickBooks Payroll
Payroll software
Employee leave management software
Farm payroll software
Payroll management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if QuickBooks Payroll and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$50 + $6.50/employee per month
Free Trial unavailableFree version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Real estate and property management
- Agriculture, fishing, and forestry
- Construction
What is QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll is a payroll software product that helps small and midsize businesses run payroll, calculate and file payroll taxes, and manage employee pay via direct deposit and pay stubs. It is designed to work closely with QuickBooks accounting, reducing duplicate entry between payroll and the general ledger. The product supports common payroll workflows such as employee onboarding details, deductions, and year-end forms, with plan-dependent features for tax filings and HR-related tools.
Tight QuickBooks accounting integration
QuickBooks Payroll is built to connect directly with QuickBooks Online, syncing payroll expenses, taxes, and liabilities into accounting. This reduces manual journal entries and reconciliation work compared with using a standalone payroll tool. For organizations already standardizing on QuickBooks for bookkeeping, the payroll-to-ledger workflow is typically more streamlined than integrating separate systems.
Automated tax calculations and filings
The product supports automated payroll tax calculations and, depending on subscription tier and jurisdiction, electronic tax payments and filings. This can reduce the risk of missed deadlines compared with manual tax preparation. It also supports year-end payroll forms and reporting needed for common compliance workflows.
Employee self-service and payments
QuickBooks Payroll supports direct deposit and provides employee access to pay information (such as pay stubs and tax forms) through an employee portal experience. This can reduce administrative requests to payroll staff. It also supports standard payroll configurations such as deductions, benefits-related withholdings, and multiple pay schedules (plan and setup dependent).
Feature depth varies by plan
Capabilities such as same-day direct deposit, tax penalty protection, HR guidance, and time/attendance or benefits-related features can depend on the selected tier and add-ons. This makes total cost and functionality less predictable during evaluation. Organizations may need to upgrade plans to match requirements that are included by default in some broader HCM suites.
Limited advanced HR and leave management
While it can support basic time-off tracking and payroll-related accrual handling through integrations or add-ons, it is not a full employee leave management system. Complex leave policies (multi-jurisdiction rules, advanced approvals, and detailed absence case management) may require third-party tools. Companies with more sophisticated HR needs may find the HR/leave layer less comprehensive than dedicated HR platforms.
Not specialized for complex payroll
Businesses with multi-entity structures, complex union rules, job-costing requirements, or highly variable labor compliance (including some agricultural payroll scenarios) may need additional configuration or complementary systems. Support for niche workflows can rely on integrations and may not be as turnkey as industry-specific payroll products. International payroll coverage and employer-of-record style needs are typically outside the core scope of QuickBooks Payroll.
Plan & Pricing
QuickBooks Online Payroll (payroll-only plans):
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll Core | $50 per month + $6.50/employee per month | Automated payroll tax calculations, filing and payments; next‑day direct deposit; unlimited payroll runs; employee Workforce portal; 1099 e‑file & pay; expert product support. |
| Payroll Premium | $88 per month + $10/employee per month | All Core features plus same‑day direct deposit, mobile time tracking (Time Premium), expert review of payroll setup, HR support and expanded product support. |
| Payroll Elite | $134 per month + $12/employee per month | All Premium features plus on‑demand experts, tax penalty protection, expert setup, Time Elite (advanced time & project features). |
Notes: QuickBooks advertises promotional pricing (e.g., “Save 50% for 3 months” shown on the pricing pages) for some bundles and plans; the table above uses the standard (non‑promo) base monthly prices and per‑employee fees listed on QuickBooks’ official pricing pages. (See QuickBooks Online Payroll pricing page.)
Seller details
Intuit Inc.
Mountain View, CA, USA
1983
Public
https://www.intuit.com/
https://x.com/intuit
https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuit/
