QuickBooks Payroll
Best QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives
10 products that do the same job as QuickBooks Payroll, matched to the reason you might switch, with similarity scores and published prices.
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Alternatives by reason for switching
Lower published price
Built for larger companies
Serves enterprise companies; QuickBooks Payroll does not list enterprise among the sizes it serves.
Small businesses, mid-market companies, enterprises
Free plan
QuickBooks Payroll alternatives, closest first
Products built for the same job come first, then products that also cover it, each group by similarity: the share of categories (50%), company sizes served (30%) and pricing model (20%) a product shares with QuickBooks Payroll.
Built for the same job
SurePayroll
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $120 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 5.0 vs 8.8.
Paychex Flex
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $164 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 8.1 vs 8.8.
OnPay
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $199 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 7.6 vs 8.8.
Patriot Payroll
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $117 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 9.3 vs 8.8.
Square Payroll
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $185 vs $225 a month at 25 employees.
Gusto
vs QuickBooks Payroll: $199 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 8.1 vs 8.8.
Paycor
vs QuickBooks Payroll: Quote-only pricing; QuickBooks Payroll publishes its prices. Payroll Software score 6.3 vs 8.8.
Similarity41 of 100
ADP RUN Powered by ADP
vs QuickBooks Payroll: Quote-only pricing; QuickBooks Payroll publishes its prices. Payroll Software score 3.8 vs 8.8.
QuickBooks Payroll vs ADP RUN Powered by ADP
Similarity40 of 100
Netchex
vs QuickBooks Payroll: Quote-only pricing; QuickBooks Payroll publishes its prices. Payroll Software score 4.8 vs 8.8.
Similarity39 of 100
Also cover what QuickBooks Payroll does
Paylocity
vs QuickBooks Payroll: Quote-only pricing; QuickBooks Payroll publishes its prices. Payroll Software score 5.6 vs 8.8.
Similarity48 of 100
Why buyers look beyond QuickBooks Payroll
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.
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.
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.
Payroll API limited to partners
A Workforce GraphQL API with webhooks exists, but payroll data access is restricted to approved Intuit partners.
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.
QuickBooks Payroll vs its closest alternatives
| Product | Score | Starting price per employee | Starting base fee | Pricing model | Free trial | Open API | SOC 2 Type II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 8.8 | $7/employee/mo | $50/mo | Base fee + per employee | |||
| 5.0 | $4/employee/mo | $20/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | Not verified | |
 | 8.1 | $5/employee/mo | $39/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | Not verified | |
 | 7.6 | $6/employee/mo | $49/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | ||
| 9.3 | $4/employee/mo | $17/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | ||
| Not scored | $6/employee/mo | $35/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | Not verified | |
| Gusto | 8.1 | $6/employee/mo | $49/mo | Base fee + per employee | Not verified | ||
 | 6.3 | Not verified | Not verified | Quote only | Not verified |
QuickBooks Payroll comparisons
Alternatives to similar products
Frequently asked questions
What are the best alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll?
The closest alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll in Payroll Software are SurePayroll (85% similar), Paychex Flex (75% similar), and OnPay (70% similar), by the categories, company sizes and pricing model they share. SurePayroll vs QuickBooks Payroll: $120 vs $225 a month at 25 employees. Payroll Software score 5.0 vs 8.8.
What is a cheaper alternative to QuickBooks Payroll?
Patriot Payroll: $117 a month at 25 employees vs $225 for QuickBooks Payroll.
Which QuickBooks Payroll alternatives publish their prices?
Of the alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll, SurePayroll, Paychex Flex, OnPay, Patriot Payroll, Square Payroll, and Gusto publish list prices for at least one plan. QuickBooks Payroll publishes its prices too.
Which QuickBooks Payroll alternative scores highest?
Paychex Flex (75% similar to QuickBooks Payroll), with a LeadChange Score of 8.1/10 in Payroll Software against 8.8 for QuickBooks Payroll, among the 3 closest alternatives. For small businesses, OnPay (7.6/10) is the top-scored alternative that lists them as a target.
Why do teams look for QuickBooks Payroll alternatives?
The fit limits documented for QuickBooks Payroll: key features sit on higher tiers, some fees are not published, and benefits come through third parties. The “Why buyers look beyond QuickBooks Payroll” section explains each one from its source.
Which QuickBooks Payroll alternatives offer a free trial?
Of the alternatives to QuickBooks Payroll, OnPay and Patriot Payroll list a free trial, as QuickBooks Payroll does.
Is Patriot Payroll better than QuickBooks Payroll?
Patriot Payroll scores 9.3/10 in Payroll Software against 8.8 for QuickBooks Payroll; which fits better depends on your headcount, budget and the modules you need. Feature by feature: QuickBooks Payroll vs Patriot Payroll.
Switching from QuickBooks Payroll?
Tell us why you’re leaving and when your contract ends, and see the alternatives that fit, with verified evidence for what you need, ranked without regard to who pays us.