Intuit QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting solutions for businesses of all sizes, as is the company’s payroll management solution, QuickBooks Payroll. While QuickBooks still offers a desktop-based version of both products, its most popular accounting and payroll solutions are the cloud-based QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Online Payroll.
Since QuickBooks Payroll syncs seamlessly with QuickBooks Online, many companies that already use QuickBooks Online for accounting often tack on QuickBooks Payroll once they hire employees. But QuickBooks Payroll isn’t the only payroll software that syncs with QuickBooks Online, and it isn’t automatically the best payroll management system for every business.
In this comparison guide, we’ll take a closer look at what QuickBooks Payroll offers for payroll needs and how other payroll products and services compare so you can find the best QuickBooks Online Payroll alternative for your businesses.
| Full-service tax filing | International payroll | Syncs with QuickBooks Online | 24/7 customer service | Mobile payroll app | Starting monthly price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online Payroll | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | $45 + $5/employee |
| Gusto | Yes | Contractors only | Yes | No | No | $40 + $6/employee |
| RUN Powered by ADP | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Custom pricing only |
| Papaya Global | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $12/employee |
| Paycor | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Custom pricing only |
| OnPay | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | $40 + $6/employee |
Gusto, previously known as ZenPayRoll, is one of the best payroll and human resource platforms that helps simplify payroll management. It’s an all-in-one online payroll service with basic HR features tailored toward small and midsize businesses.
Gusto Payroll automates most payroll processes, including payroll tax filing, paycheck calculation, and 1099 and W-2 tax form generation, mailing and filing. While Gusto doesn’t have a mobile payroll app, its site is mobile-friendly so payroll managers can run payroll on the go. Alternatively, you can set Gusto’s payroll runs to autopilot so you don’t have to worry about running payroll yourself.
Employees can use Gusto’s time clocking app to track hours, request PTO and see their pay stubs. As for HR features, business owners can also use Gusto to offer employee benefits like 401(k) retirement plans, health insurance and commuter benefits.
To learn more about how Gusto compares to QuickBooks Online Payroll, read our comprehensive Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll review.
ADP is one of the largest payroll service providers, so it is no surprise that it’s made it onto this list. The payroll features offered by ADP include payroll tax management, integration with accounting software like QuickBooks Online, payroll processing and new hire reporting.
It’s not the easiest payroll software to use, with many users claiming that the application has a steep learning curve. However, it’s one of the most comprehensive payroll solutions on the market. Depending on your package, you can access everything from direct deposit to labor law compliance.
Learn more about how ADP stacks up in our in-depth ADP vs. QuickBooks Payroll comparison.
Papaya Global offers a suite of HR solutions, including payroll, workforce management and hiring. It is the leading international payroll solution for cross-border payroll payment, compliance and tax filing.
Along with payroll and HR services, Papaya Global can be used for securing work permits and other immigration services. In addition, Papaya Global has a network of in-country partners to help with payroll and other HR services.
Paycor is an easy-to-use online payroll application. It is loaded with features, including an employee self-service portal that can be used to update information, access pay stubs, and review benefits and compensation data. It’s an excellent tool to empower employees.
Paycor also helps streamline tax preparation so businesses can meet deadlines. In addition, the higher-priced plan of Paycor offers compliance support, benefits and other HR tools.
Paycor requires you to contact their sales team for pricing information.
OnPay processes payroll for businesses in all U.S. states, handling over $2 billion in payroll annually. With one plan covering all features, OnPay users receive blanket access to the platform’s features. However, scalability is an issue. Since OnPay doesn’t have plans with more features for growing businesses or enterprises, making it more suited to small businesses.
With OnPay, there are no hidden fees, add-on costs or charges to upgrade. OnPay also has payroll services customized to specific industries, including payroll for farming, nonprofits, and more. However, while OnPay integrates with time-tracking tools like QuickBooks Time, it doesn’t have a native time-tracking application. Like Gusto, OnPay is one of the only payroll providers on our list without a mobile payroll app, though its site is optimized for mobile.
OnPay has one plan. It costs a flat fee of $40 per month plus $6 per employee per month.
Depending on your business situation, you might still prefer QuickBooks Online Payroll to any top QuickBooks Payroll competitors. Along with reading our QuickBooks Payroll review, considering your budget, and assessing integrations with your current business apps, weighing QuickBooks Payroll’s pros and cons can help you make a decision.
New users can choose between getting 50% off the base price of each plan for three months or getting a 30-day free trial.
When switching from QuickBooks to another payroll solution, you need to consider several factors, including your budget and integrations with your technology stack.
A good starting point is to identify why you need to move away from QuickBooks Online Payroll. For example, if you are switching because your business has more employees than QuickBooks Payroll can comfortably support, you’ll need to look at alternative solutions designed for enterprises, such as Papaya Global or ADP.
Alternatively, if your company needs a more comprehensive HR solution, consider payroll solutions with a larger emphasis on HR, such as Paychex, Rippling or ADP. (You can find out more about potential QuickBooks Payroll alternatives we didn’t review here on our list of the year’s best payroll software.)
Using this page as a guide, you can narrow your search. However, to make the final decision, you will need to get the product and use the software to determine if it is a good fit for your business’s payroll processing needs.
QuickBooks Online Payroll has a 30-day free trial, though choosing the free trial means you won’t get 50% off for three months. OnPay also offers 30 days free. Test-driving the software yourself will give you a better idea of if QuickBooks Payroll or an alternative is the best choice for you.
To decide on the best QuickBooks Payroll alternatives, we looked at the top payroll software solutions for QuickBooks Payroll’s target demographic (small, midsize and some larger U.S.-based businesses). Since most businesses considering using Intuit QuickBooks Payroll already use Intuit QuickBooks Online, we prioritized software that syncs with QuickBooks Online (though one of our top picks, Paycor, doesn’t integrate with Intuit’s accounting solution).
Additionally, we made sure to assess payroll software with QuickBooks Payroll’s key features, including the following:
Finally, to rate each QuickBooks Payroll competitor, we looked at user reviews on third-party websites, thoroughly reviewed QuickBooks Payroll’s features online, watched various how-to videos and viewed software demos whenever possible.
