SurePayroll, a Paychex company, sells full-service payroll for $29 a month plus $7 per worker, with tax filing, unlimited runs and free two-day direct deposit included. QuickBooks Payroll starts at $50 a month plus $7 per employee and rises to $134 plus $17 on Workforce Elite.
LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.
Scorecard
SurePayroll wins 1QuickBooks Payroll wins 21 tie
SurePayroll vs QuickBooks Payroll by dimension
Dimension
SurePayroll
QuickBooks Payroll
PricingSurePayroll's Full Service plan is $29 a month plus $7 per worker, and its No Tax Filing plan $20 plus $4. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll is $50 plus $7 per employee. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $99 against $120 a month at list price. SurePayroll charges extra for multi-state payroll ($9.99 a month) and year-end forms. Multi-state payroll: $9.99 a month (first state included), Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms: $50 base plus $5 per form, billed annually, Accounting software integration: $4.99 a month, Time clock integration: from $5 a month plus $3 per employee, Employment law support: from $30 a month, 401(k): quoted by plan, Local tax filing: a separate fee where local taxes apply (amount not stated on the pricing page)3
$29/mo + $7/employee/mo (Full Service plan)
$50/mo + $7/employee/mo
IntegrationsQuickBooks Payroll documents a GraphQL API and webhooks. SurePayroll sells an accounting software integration for $4.99 a month and a time clock integration from $5 a month plus $3 per employee. GraphQL4
1 documented
6 documented
Fit and supportSurePayroll targets small businesses and household employers, with phone and chat support Monday to Friday. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and mid-market companies and adds weekend phone and chat support on Workforce Premium and Elite. Small businesses1
Small businesses
Small businesses, mid-market companies
SecurityIntuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 for QuickBooks. SurePayroll is less suited to buyers who need a named security certification on the vendor's own pages: none is published. Yes (company-level, product not named)5
None verified
SOC 2, ISO 27001
Key differences
Where SurePayroll and QuickBooks Payroll differ (5)
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. SurePayroll's Full Service plan is $29 a month plus $7 per worker, and its No Tax Filing plan $20 plus $4. QuickBooks Workforce Payroll is $50 plus $7 per employee. At 10 employees with tax filing that is $99 against $120 a month at list price. SurePayroll charges extra for multi-state payroll ($9.99 a month) and year-end forms.
Capabilities. Both file payroll taxes and pay 1099 contractors. QuickBooks Payroll adds time tracking, hiring and onboarding, time-off management and HR workflows. SurePayroll adds household payroll, 401(k) plans and employment law support.
Integrations. QuickBooks Payroll documents a GraphQL API and webhooks. SurePayroll sells an accounting software integration for $4.99 a month and a time clock integration from $5 a month plus $3 per employee.
Fit and support. SurePayroll targets small businesses and household employers, with phone and chat support Monday to Friday. QuickBooks Payroll serves small and mid-market companies and adds weekend phone and chat support on Workforce Premium and Elite.
Security. Intuit states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 for QuickBooks. SurePayroll is less suited to buyers who need a named security certification on the vendor's own pages: none is published.
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
Yes, at list price. SurePayroll Full Service costs $29 a month plus $7 per worker, against $50 plus $7 for QuickBooks Workforce Payroll. At 10 employees that is $99 against $120 a month, before add-ons such as SurePayroll's multi-state fee.
Does SurePayroll integrate with QuickBooks?
SurePayroll sells an accounting software integration for $4.99 a month that syncs payroll to your general ledger, but its public pages do not name which accounting products it supports. Ask SurePayroll to confirm your QuickBooks edition before you switch.
Which pays employees faster, SurePayroll or QuickBooks Payroll?
QuickBooks Payroll. It pays by next-day direct deposit, or same-day on Workforce Premium and Elite. SurePayroll's direct deposit is free and takes two days.
Do SurePayroll and QuickBooks Payroll offer a free trial?
QuickBooks Payroll offers a free trial. SurePayroll lists no free trial, but it bills month to month with no setup fee.
Who owns SurePayroll?
SurePayroll is a subsidiary of Paychex and was founded in 2000. QuickBooks Payroll is made by Intuit, a public company.
Is SurePayroll or QuickBooks Payroll more secure?
QuickBooks Payroll states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 (unverified for SurePayroll).
How this page was made
What it is built from
37 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 14, 2026.
Method
Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology
Independent review
Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. 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
SurePayroll or QuickBooks Payroll? Your answer in 3 questions
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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
SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/payroll“Pay employees in minutes, easily access reports, and get payroll taxes filed and deposited automatically.” “Built for solopreneurs and small businesses — automated tax filing, unlimited payroll runs, and on-time pay.”
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”
SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/pricing“"Year-end W-2 and 1099-NEC forms are billed annually – not monthly – at a $50 base fee plus $5 per form." "A separate fee applies to areas that require local taxes."” “During your first 12 months with SurePayroll, every alternating month will be free.”
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”
Intuit quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll/one-employee“Free trial applies to the monthly base price for the first thirty (30) days of new subscriptions to QuickBooks Online and/or Workforce.” “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.”
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.”
SurePayroll (Paychex) surepayroll.com/about-us“Tens of thousands of small business owners and families trust SurePayroll by Paychex to pay employees and caregivers right.”
Patriot Software patriotsoftware.com/pricing“Basic Payroll is $17/month + $4 per worker paid; Full Service Payroll is $37/month + $5 per worker paid.”
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What the LeadChange Score means
A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.
High confidence: at least 80% of the critical facts are verified on primary sources.
Medium confidence: at least 50% are; the rest are missing or rely on secondary sources.
Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.