Homebase vs QuickBooks Payroll

Homebase5.3/10

QuickBooks Payroll8.5/10

Scored in Payroll Software

The short answer

Homebase is a scheduling and time clock app for hourly teams; its payroll is an add-on at $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid. QuickBooks Payroll, now sold as QuickBooks Workforce, starts at $50 a month plus $7 per employee, and Intuit files federal and state payroll taxes on every plan.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Oct 30, 2026Based on 13 sources, most recently checked Nov 9, 2026

Homebase

Starting price: $30/mo1
Best for: Restaurants, retail and service businesses with hourly staff

Choose Homebase if

Your team works shifts and you want schedules, the time clock and payroll in one app.
You want the lower payroll fee: $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid.
You run a restaurant or shop: Homebase connects Square, Toast, Clover and Shopify.
You manage tips: Tip Manager is $25 a month per location.

Homebase pricing Homebase alternatives

QuickBooks Payroll

Starting price: $50/mo + $7/employee/mo2
Best for: QuickBooks Online users who want payroll in the same Intuit account

Choose QuickBooks Payroll if

Your accounting already runs in QuickBooks Online: payroll can be added at any time.
You want same-day direct deposit on Premium or Elite.
You want an expert to set up payroll and tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year (Elite).
You pay contractors too, with 1099 e-filing.

QuickBooks Payroll plans and prices QuickBooks Payroll alternatives

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

Homebase wins 2QuickBooks Payroll wins 21 tie

Homebase vs QuickBooks Payroll by dimension
Dimension	Homebase	QuickBooks Payroll
PricingHomebase payroll is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, on top of its scheduling plan; Basic is free for one location and 10 employees. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll is $50 plus $7 per employee, Premium $88 plus $13 and Elite $134 plus $17. Payroll add-on: $49 a month base plus $6 per employee paid, or $29 a month for teams of up to 5 (first 6 months free promotion), Tip Manager: $25 a month per location, Task Manager: $13 a month per location, Background checks: $30 each, Job post boosts: from $50 per post, Hiring Assistant: from $99 a month1	Published	$50/mo + $7/employee/mo
CapabilitiesQuickBooks Payroll documents 9 of the 12 items on our payroll checklist, including automatic payroll runs, 1099 e-filing and an employee app. Homebase documents 8, with automated tax filing and overtime and break preferences. Payroll tax calculation, filing and payment, Automatic payroll runs after initial setup, 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC e-filing, Employee app for pay info and W-2s, Payroll AI time and attendance collection, Integrated time tracking and timesheet approval, Hiring, onboarding and e-signature offer letters, HR advisor access via Mineral, Expert-assisted payroll setup3	8 of 12 core capabilities	10 of 12 core capabilities
IntegrationsHomebase names point-of-sale systems such as Square, Toast and Clover, and payroll and accounting tools such as Gusto, ADP and QuickBooks. QuickBooks Payroll keeps its Workforce API for approved partners. Square, Toast, Clover, Shopify, Lightspeed, PAR, GoDaddy, Heartland, Gusto, ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, SurePayroll, Square Payroll4	14 documented	6 documented
SecurityIntuit states ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II at company level. Homebase states SOC 2 Type 2 and offers SSO and two-factor sign-in. Yes (company-level, product not named)5	SOC 2	SOC 2, ISO 27001
Fit and supportHomebase is built for small businesses with hourly staff. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and midsize businesses, with weekend phone and chat on Premium and Elite. Small businesses6	Small businesses	Small businesses, mid-market companies

Key differences

Where Homebase and QuickBooks Payroll differ (8)
Attribute	Homebase	QuickBooks Payroll
Pricing model	Tiered plans1	Base fee + per employee2
Free plan	1	2
Best for	Small businesses6	Small businesses, mid-market companies3
SOC 2 Type II	7	5
Support channels	24/7 AI chat support and Help Center, Live support by chat and phone (paid plans)1	Phone, chat, online support hub and community8
Founded	20149	198410
Headquarters	San Francisco, California, United States9	Mountain View, California, US10
Ownership	Private9	Publicly traded10

Show 5 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (5)
Attribute	Homebase	QuickBooks Payroll
Price transparency	Published1	Published2
Free trial	1	8
Contract term	Monthly1	Monthly2
Mobile apps	1	iOS (QuickBooks Workforce), Android (QuickBooks Workforce)11
Automatic tax filing	12	3

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Homebase payroll is $49 a month plus $6 per employee paid, on top of its scheduling plan; Basic is free for one location and 10 employees. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll is $50 plus $7 per employee, Premium $88 plus $13 and Elite $134 plus $17.

Capabilities. QuickBooks Payroll documents 9 of the 12 items on our payroll checklist, including automatic payroll runs, 1099 e-filing and an employee app. Homebase documents 8, with automated tax filing and overtime and break preferences.

Integrations. Homebase names point-of-sale systems such as Square, Toast and Clover, and payroll and accounting tools such as Gusto, ADP and QuickBooks. QuickBooks Payroll keeps its Workforce API for approved partners.

Security. Intuit states ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II at company level. Homebase states SOC 2 Type 2 and offers SSO and two-factor sign-in.

Fit and support. Homebase is built for small businesses with hourly staff. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and midsize businesses, with weekend phone and chat on Premium and Elite.

Neither one?

Patriot Payroll

Patriot Payroll has the highest LeadChange Score in Payroll Software after excluding these two (8.7/10).

From $37/mo + $5/employee/mo (Full Service Payroll plan)13

Patriot Payroll review

More Homebase comparisons

More QuickBooks Payroll comparisons

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper for 10 employees, Homebase or QuickBooks Payroll?

It depends on the scheduling plan you pair with Homebase’s payroll. The payroll add-on comes to $109 a month for 10 employees: $49 plus $6 each. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll comes to $120: $50 plus $7 each. Homebase’s payroll sits on top of a scheduling plan: Basic is $0 for one location and 10 employees, Essentials $30 a location a month.

Does Homebase work with QuickBooks?

Yes. QuickBooks is among the payroll and accounting tools Homebase connects, next to Gusto, ADP and Paychex. You can keep scheduling in Homebase and run payroll in QuickBooks, or run both in Homebase.

What is QuickBooks Payroll called now?

Intuit sells it as QuickBooks Workforce, in three plans: Workforce Payroll, Premium and Elite. Premium and Elite add time tracking, scheduling and the Workforce app.

Which pays employees faster, Homebase or QuickBooks?

QuickBooks states next-day direct deposit on Workforce Payroll and same-day on Premium and Elite, with a 7 AM PT cutoff. We have no stored deposit timing for Homebase payroll; ask before you switch.

Is Homebase or QuickBooks Payroll more secure?

Intuit states ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type II across its products. Homebase states SOC 2 Type 2 and encrypts data at rest with AES-256.

Who are QuickBooks Payroll’s competitors for shift teams?

Among the payroll services we review, we also compare QuickBooks Payroll with Gusto, Square Payroll, Paychex Flex, Patriot Payroll and SurePayroll. Against QuickBooks, Homebase’s case is the shift tools and the lower fee; QuickBooks' is the link to your books.

Do Homebase and QuickBooks Payroll offer a free trial?

Yes, both list a free trial. Homebase also lists a free plan.

How this page was made

What it is built from
40 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 9, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Our independent review of Oct 30, 2026 asked for changes. How we review
Hands-on testing
We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.
Who made it
The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us
Independence and errors
Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Homebase vs QuickBooks Payroll

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Sources

The 13 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources

Homebase joinhomebase.com/pricing“Essentials Simplify the process of tracking and managing shifts. $30 / location / month unlimited employees” “Then $49/month base fee + $6/month per employee paid $29 per month for teams up to 5”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/pricing/bundle“WORKFORCE PAYROLL Pay your team and get payroll taxes done for you. $50 + $7/employee” “Find the right payroll plan for you”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll“After initial setup, set payroll to run automatically and stay in control with clear alerts and notifications.” “QuickBooks Workforce works for small to midsize businesses—from accountants and financial experts to hospitality companies, construction companies, truckers, and more.”
Homebase joinhomebase.com/integrations“Point-of-sale integrations”
Intuit assurance.intuit.com“Badges HIPAA ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS CCPA SIG” “Badges ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS”
Homebase joinhomebase.com“Trusted by 150,000+ small businesses and their teams.”
Homebase trust.joinhomebase.com“SOC 2 Type 2”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/one-employee“Expert product support: Phone and chat support included with QuickBooks Workforce during business hours. Weekend phone and chat support is only available with Workforce Premium and Elite.” “Free trial applies to the monthly base price for the first thirty (30) days of new subscriptions to QuickBooks Online and/or Workforce.”
Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebase_(software_company)“Homebase was founded in 2014 by John Waldmann and Rushi Patel.” “Homebase is an American workforce management software company headquartered in San Francisco, California.”
U.S. SEC (Intuit Inc. Form 10-K) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000089687826000037/intu-20260731.htm“Intuit Inc. was incorporated in California in March 1984. We reincorporated in Delaware and completed our initial public offering in March 1993.” “Our principal executive offices are located at 2700 Coast Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/mobile“QuickBooks Workforce is also available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.”
Homebase joinhomebase.com/payroll“Automated tax calculation, filing, and payment”
Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.”