OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll

OnPay7.6/10

QuickBooks Payroll8.5/10

Scored in Payroll Software

The short answer

OnPay sells one payroll plan, Payroll Essentials, for $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with tax filings, unlimited pay runs and multi-state payroll included. QuickBooks Payroll starts at $50 a month plus $7 per employee and rises to $134 plus $17 on Workforce Elite.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Oct 14, 2026Based on 12 sources, most recently checked Nov 13, 2026

OnPay

Starting price: $49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)1
Best for: Small businesses that want payroll with taxes and year-end forms included

Choose OnPay if

You want one published price: $49 a month plus $6 per worker.
You pay workers in several states and want unlimited pay runs included.
You want to offer medical, dental, vision and 401(k) benefits while paying only plan premiums.
You want phone support until 8 p.m. ET on weekdays.

OnPay plans and prices OnPay 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

You want same-day direct deposit on Workforce Premium or Elite.
You want time tracking, hiring and onboarding in the same Intuit account.
You want tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year on Workforce Elite.
You need ISO 27001 as well as SOC 2 Type II.

What QuickBooks Payroll costs QuickBooks Payroll competitors

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

OnPay wins 1QuickBooks Payroll wins 11 tie

OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll by dimension
Dimension	OnPay	QuickBooks Payroll
PricingOnPay Payroll Essentials costs $49 a month plus $6 per worker; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll costs $50 plus $7 per employee. At 10 employees that is $109 against $120 a month at list price. OnPay sells HR and time tracking as add-ons from $15 a month each. HR: +$15 base and $2 per worker a month, Time Tracking: +$15 base and $4 per worker a month, Compliance Resources: +$10 base a month, Live HR Support: +$65 base a month, Benefits: you pay plan premiums only1	$49/mo + $6/employee/mo (Payroll Essentials plan)	$50/mo + $7/employee/mo
CapabilitiesBoth file payroll taxes and pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. QuickBooks Payroll adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, time off and HR workflows on its higher plans. OnPay adds HR, time tracking and benefits administration. Yes1	10 of 12 core capabilities	10 of 12 core capabilities
SecurityIntuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. OnPay states SOC 2 Type II. Yes (company-level, product not named)3	SOC 2	SOC 2, ISO 27001

Key differences

Where OnPay and QuickBooks Payroll differ (5)
Attribute	OnPay	QuickBooks Payroll
SOC 2 Type II	4	3
Support channels	Phone, email, chat1	Phone, chat, online support hub and community5
Founded	20116	19847
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia8	Mountain View, California, US7
Ownership	Private6	Publicly traded7

Show 7 attributes where they are the same

Where they are the same (7)
Attribute	OnPay	QuickBooks Payroll
Pricing model	Base fee + per employee1	Base fee + per employee2
Price transparency	Published1	Published2
Free trial	9	5
Contract term	Monthly10	Monthly2
Best for	Small businesses, mid-market companies6	Small businesses, mid-market companies11
Automatic tax filing	1	11
Contractor payments	1	11

Price by headcount

OnPay Payroll Essentials$49/mo base1 + $6/employee/mo1
QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll$50/mo base2 + $7/employee/mo2

Estimated list price per month by scenario
Employees	OnPay Payroll Essentials	QuickBooks Payroll Workforce Payroll
10	$109/mo (lowest)	$120/mo
50	$349/mo (lowest)	$400/mo
200	$1,249/mo (lowest)	$1,450/mo

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly list price of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. OnPay Payroll Essentials costs $49 a month plus $6 per worker; QuickBooks Workforce Payroll costs $50 plus $7 per employee. At 10 employees that is $109 against $120 a month at list price. OnPay sells HR and time tracking as add-ons from $15 a month each.

Capabilities. Both file payroll taxes and pay W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. QuickBooks Payroll adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, time off and HR workflows on its higher plans. OnPay adds HR, time tracking and benefits administration.

Integrations. QuickBooks Payroll documents a GraphQL API and webhooks. OnPay lists 9 integrations, including QuickBooks Online, Xero and JazzHR.

Fit and support. OnPay answers by phone from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET on weekdays, as well as by email and chat. QuickBooks Payroll offers phone and chat support in business hours, with weekend support on its higher plans.

Security. Intuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001. OnPay states SOC 2 Type II.

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)12

Patriot Payroll review

More OnPay comparisons

More QuickBooks Payroll comparisons

Frequently asked questions

How much does OnPay cost per employee?

OnPay Payroll Essentials costs $49 a month plus $6 per worker, with unlimited pay runs and tax filings included. Bundles with time tracking and HR start at $70 a month plus $10 per worker.

Is OnPay cheaper than QuickBooks Payroll?

Yes, at list price. At 10 employees OnPay comes to $109 a month and QuickBooks Workforce Payroll to $120.

Is QuickBooks Payroll being discontinued?

No. Intuit sells QuickBooks Payroll today as three plans, Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium and Workforce Elite, from $50 a month plus $7 per employee.

Does OnPay integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes. QuickBooks Online is among OnPay's integrations, along with Xero.

Do OnPay and QuickBooks Payroll offer a free trial?

Yes, both offer a free trial. Neither charges a setup fee.

Is OnPay or QuickBooks Payroll more secure?

Both OnPay and QuickBooks Payroll state SOC 2 Type II. QuickBooks Payroll states ISO 27001 (unverified for OnPay).

How this page was made

What it is built from
38 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 13, 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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OnPay vs QuickBooks Payroll

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Sources

The 12 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

OnPay onpay.com/payroll/software/costs-pricing“Payroll Essentials $49 base + $6/worker per month” “+ $15 base and $4/worker per month”
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 assurance.intuit.com“Badges ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS” “Badges HIPAA ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS CCPA SIG”
OnPay onpay.com/security“Third-party Certification: OnPay holds third-party auditor certification with the AICPA’s SOC program and is SOC 2 Type II compliant.”
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.”
Hypepotamus hypepotamus.com/startup-news/onpay-atlanta-raises-100-million“OnPay, a payroll and HR platform founded in 2011, announced it had raised over $100 million in a combination of a $63 million Series B round and a debt facility.” “The funds will be used to further its mission of supporting small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) across the United States, according to a press release.”
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”
OnPay (press release, Business Wire, Jan. 2020) businesswire.com/news/home/20200120005034/en“The company, headquartered in Atlanta, provides payroll, HR, and benefits services to more than 10,000 clients across the United States.”
OnPay onpay.com“Get one month free”
OnPay onpay.com/terms-of-service“The Service will continue until such time as Client or Service Bureau gives thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, unless termination is for cause.”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll“QuickBooks Workforce works for small to midsize businesses—from accountants and financial experts to hospitality companies, construction companies, truckers, and more.” “We’ll calculate, file, and pay your federal and state payroll taxes for you—100% accurate tax calculations guaranteed.”
Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.”