QuickBooks Payroll Review
by Intuit
QuickBooks Payroll, now sold as QuickBooks Workforce, is Intuit's payroll service for small and midsize businesses, and it can be added to QuickBooks Online at any time.
- Company size
- Small businesses, mid-market companies
- Pricing model
- Base fee + per employee
- Free trial
- Yes
- Deployment
- Cloud
Best for
- QuickBooks Online users who want payroll in the same Intuit account
- Teams that want time tracking tied to payroll, on Premium and Elite
- Employers that need same-day direct deposit, on Premium and Elite
Not ideal for
- Larger companies; Intuit points them to Intuit Enterprise Suite
- Developers who need open payroll API access; it is limited to approved partners
- Teams under 20 employees that want benefits administration
How we evaluated QuickBooks Payroll
This review rests on 30 facts checked against QuickBooks Payroll’s official pricing pages and documentation, most recently on . We did not test the product hands-on: the score and the pros and cons use only those verified facts, as our methodology explains, and third-party ratings are quoted, never scored.
Our verdict
QuickBooks Payroll suits small and midsize businesses that keep their books in QuickBooks Online and want payroll and tax filing in the same place. Intuit's tax accuracy guarantee covers every plan, but same-day deposit, time tracking and HR workflows start at Premium, and penalty protection of up to $25,000 a year is Elite-only. It is less suited to larger firms, which Intuit points to Intuit Enterprise Suite, and to developers who need open payroll API access.
Strengths
Published plans, monthly terms
Workforce Payroll, Premium and Elite list at $50 + $7, $88 + $13 and $134 + $17 per month. New customers are offered 50% off the base price for 3 months, not on per-employee fees, and can cancel anytime.
Evidence: Starting base fee: $50/mo
Tax filing with an accuracy guarantee
Intuit files and pays federal and state payroll taxes on every plan. Its Payroll Tax Accuracy Guarantee covers penalties from its own errors when your data is correct, on time and funded. Elite adds penalty protection up to $25,000 a year, with conditions.
Evidence: Automatic tax filing: Yes
Time tracking built in on higher plans
Premium and Elite include time tracking, scheduling and timesheet approval in the Workforce app, and Elite adds geofencing and mileage tracking. A Payroll Agent collects time data, flags gaps and drafts a ready-to-run payroll.
Evidence: AI features: Payroll AI: Payroll Agent collects time and attendance data, spots inconsistencies, drafts a ready-to-run payroll and texts admins updates
Same-day direct deposit
Premium and Elite pay employees the same day when payroll runs by 7 AM PT. Workforce Payroll pays the next day when payroll runs by 5:00 PM.
Evidence: Direct deposit speed: Next-day direct deposit on Workforce Payroll; same-day direct deposit on Workforce Premium and Elite (7 AM PT cutoff, employees only)
Free guided setup
New customers get a free one-time 60-minute setup session with an expert, and no setup fee is published. Premium adds an expert review of the payroll setup, and on Elite an expert sets payroll up.
Evidence: Implementation fee: None
Weaknesses
Key features sit on higher tiers
Same-day deposit, time tracking and HR workflows need Premium at $88 plus $13 per employee. Penalty protection and a personal HR advisor need Elite at $134 plus $17.
Evidence: Direct deposit speed: Next-day direct deposit on Workforce Payroll; same-day direct deposit on Workforce Premium and Elite (7 AM PT cutoff, employees only)
Some fees are not published
State tax filing fees, the Mineral HR add-on, next-day deposit for contractors and automated 1099s carry extra fees whose amounts are not published. Background checks start at $29.99 per report.
Evidence: Extra costs: Background checks via Checkr: starting at $29.99 per report, State tax filing fees (named in the offer terms; amount not published), Health insurance (Allstate), 401(k) (Vestwell) and workers' compensation (NEXT): sold separately through third parties, Benefits administration: sold separately, 20+ employees required, Mineral HR experts: paid add-on on Workforce Payroll and Premium (included in Elite; price not published), Next-day direct deposit for contractors: additional fee, Automated 1099s add-on and printing and mailing 1099 copies: additional fees
Benefits come through third parties
Health insurance (Allstate), 401(k) (Vestwell) and workers' comp (NEXT) are sold separately. Workers' comp is not offered in OH, ND, WA or WY, and benefits administration requires 20+ employees.
Evidence: Benefits offered: Health insurance: medical, dental and vision (Allstate), 401(k) (Vestwell), Workers' compensation (NEXT)
Payroll API limited to partners
A Workforce GraphQL API with webhooks exists, but payroll data access is restricted to approved Intuit partners.
Evidence: Open API: No
Weekend support on higher plans only
Phone and chat support is included during business hours. Weekend support is limited to Premium and Elite, and exact support hours are not published.
Evidence: Support hours: Phone and chat product support during business hours, with weekend phone and chat on Workforce Premium and Elite; sales line Monday-Friday 5 AM-6 PM PT
Price at a glance
Starting base fee
$50/mo
Starting price per employee
$7/employee/mo
Pricing model
Base fee + per employee
Price transparency
Published
Free trial
Yes
Free plan
No
QuickBooks Payroll cost at 10 to 100 employees
- Workforce Payroll$50/mo base + $7/employee/mo
- Workforce Premium$88/mo base + $13/employee/mo
- Workforce Elite$134/mo base + $17/employee/mo
| Employees | Workforce Payroll | Workforce Premium | Workforce Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $120/mo | $218/mo | $304/mo |
| 25 | $225/mo | $413/mo | $559/mo |
| 50 | $400/mo | $738/mo | $984/mo |
| 100 | $750/mo | $1,388/mo | $1,834/mo |
Monthly list price before discounts, add-ons and taxes, from the published price model of each plan.
Quick answers
- How much does QuickBooks Payroll cost?
- List prices are $50 per month plus $7 per employee on Workforce Payroll, $88 plus $13 on Premium and $134 plus $17 on Elite. New customers are offered 50% off the base price for 3 months; per-employee fees stay the same.Based on Starting base fee: $50/mo
- Does QuickBooks Payroll have a free trial?
- Yes. New monthly customers can choose a 30-day free trial of the base price. It does not cover per-employee or state tax filing fees, and it cannot be combined with the 3-month discount.Based on Free trial: Yes
- What fees does QuickBooks Payroll charge beyond the plan price?
- Background checks start at $29.99 per report. State tax filing fees, next-day deposit for contractors, automated 1099s and the Mineral HR add-on cost extra, but Intuit does not publish those amounts.Based on Extra costs: Background checks via Checkr: starting at $29.99 per report, State tax filing fees (named in the offer terms; amount not published), Health insurance (Allstate), 401(k) (Vestwell) and workers' compensation (NEXT): sold separately through third parties, Benefits administration: sold separately, 20+ employees required, Mineral HR experts: paid add-on on Workforce Payroll and Premium (included in Elite; price not published), Next-day direct deposit for contractors: additional fee, Automated 1099s add-on and printing and mailing 1099 copies: additional fees
- Does QuickBooks Payroll offer same-day direct deposit?
- Only on Premium and Elite, for employees, when payroll runs by 7 AM PT. Workforce Payroll offers next-day direct deposit when payroll runs by 5:00 PM.Based on Direct deposit speed: Next-day direct deposit on Workforce Payroll; same-day direct deposit on Workforce Premium and Elite (7 AM PT cutoff, employees only)
Coverage of core payroll software capabilities
Each core capability we evaluate in Payroll Software, checked against QuickBooks Payroll’s own documentation. “Not verified yet” means we have not confirmed it either way, not that it is missing.
9 verified of 12 core capabilities
Payroll Software
- Gross-to-net calculation
- Payroll tax filing
- Overtime and regular rate · not verified yet
- Multi-state payroll · not verified yet
- Deductions and garnishments
- Off-cycle runs
- Direct deposit and pay options
- Time and benefits integration
- Accounting and GL export
- Reports and audit trail
- Employee self-service
- Year-end forms
Specifications
Product
- Modules
- Payroll, Time tracking, Hiring and onboarding, Time-off management, HR workflows, Benefits administration
- Mobile apps
- iOS (QuickBooks Workforce), Android (QuickBooks Workforce)
- AI features
- Payroll AI: Payroll Agent collects time and attendance data, spots inconsistencies, drafts a ready-to-run payroll and texts admins updates
Integrations
- Open API
- No
- API type
- GraphQL
- Webhooks
- Yes
QuickBooks Payroll integrations
Partner and marketplace apps
QuickBooks Payroll integration coverage
The 10 apps that payroll software products document most often, and whether QuickBooks Payroll documents each.
1 of the 10 most-connected apps documented by QuickBooks Payroll; median of the 19 products compared: 3
- QuickBooks · documented by 11 of 19
- Checkr · documented by 6 of 19
- Vestwell · documented by 6 of 19
- Employee Navigator · documented by 5 of 19
- Xero · documented by 5 of 19
- Clover · documented by 4 of 19
- Deputy · documented by 4 of 19
- Greenhouse · documented by 4 of 19
- Indeed · documented by 4 of 19
- Okta · documented by 4 of 19
Integrations each vendor documents (native, marketplace, Zapier or API), 19 live payroll software products. Not documented does not mean not possible.
Where it ranks
- #2 of 14 scoredPayroll Software
- #7 of 11 scoredTime & Attendance Software
- #1 of 10 scoredPayroll Services
- #1 of 6 scoredPayroll Services for Mid-Sized Companies
- #1 of 10 scoredPayroll Services for Small Business
- #1 of 9 scoredPayroll Software for Mid-Sized Companies
- #2 of 13 scoredPayroll Software for Small Business
- #5 of 7 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Mid-Sized Companies
- #8 of 11 scoredTime & Attendance Software for Small Business
QuickBooks Payroll alternatives
Gusto55% similar
Compare QuickBooks Payroll
Security and compliance
- SOC 2 Type IIYes
- ISO 27001Yes
- HIPAAYes
Implementation and support
- Implementation fee
- None
- Support channels
- Phone, chat, online support hub and community
- Support hours
- Phone and chat product support during business hours, with weekend phone and chat on Workforce Premium and Elite; sales line Monday-Friday 5 AM-6 PM PT
About Intuit
- Founded
- 1984
- Headquarters
- Mountain View, California, US
- Ownership
- Publicly traded
Official profiles
Products
Frequently asked questions
Is QuickBooks Payroll legit?
Yes. It is made by Intuit, incorporated in 1984 and listed on Nasdaq as INTU. Intuit states that it holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 badges company-wide; the scope for QuickBooks Workforce is not stated.
Does QuickBooks Payroll guarantee its tax filings?
Yes. On every plan, Intuit pays penalties and interest caused by its own tax errors if your data is correct, on time and funded. Elite adds penalty protection up to $25,000 a year after an expert setup review, with notices sent within 15 days.
Does QuickBooks Payroll pay contractors?
Yes. It creates and e-files 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms and sends electronic copies to contractors. Next-day direct deposit for contractors costs extra.
Does QuickBooks Payroll have a mobile app?
Yes. The QuickBooks Workforce app runs on iOS and Android. Employees see pay stubs and W-2s on every plan, and time tracking is on Premium and Elite.
What is QuickBooks Payroll used for?
QuickBooks Payroll is a payroll software product built for small businesses and mid-market companies. Its modules include Payroll, Time tracking, Hiring and onboarding, Time-off management, and 2 more.
What are the best alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll?
In our payroll software ranking, the highest-scored products other than QuickBooks Payroll are Patriot Payroll, Gusto, and Paychex Flex. Compared side by side, by reason to switch: QuickBooks Payroll alternatives.
Which is better, QuickBooks Payroll or Homebase?
It depends on the team. Choose QuickBooks Payroll if: your accounting already runs in QuickBooks Online: payroll can be added at any time. Choose Homebase if: your team works shifts and you want schedules, the time clock and payroll in one app. The full comparison: QuickBooks Payroll vs Homebase.
What are the pros and cons of QuickBooks Payroll?
Strengths documented on the vendor’s own pages: published plans, monthly terms, tax filing with an accuracy guarantee, and time tracking built in on higher plans. It is less suited to larger companies; Intuit points them to Intuit Enterprise Suite and developers who need open payroll API access; it is limited to approved partners.
Does QuickBooks Payroll have an API?
QuickBooks Payroll does not document a public API for customers; connections run through its listed integrations.
What does QuickBooks Payroll integrate with?
QuickBooks Payroll documents integrations, including Allstate (health insurance), Vestwell, NEXT (workers' comp), and Mineral (HR advisory). Every documented connection: QuickBooks Payroll integrations.
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