QuickBooks Payroll

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

• QuickBooks Payroll offers three price plans that come with full-service payroll, automated taxes, and direct deposits 
• You can buy it as a standalone product or bundle it with other tools like accounting and bookkeeping 
• Existing QuickBooks users can get payroll activated. If they are using ‘QuickBooks Online’, they can sign in to activate QuickBooks Online Payroll 
• Existing QuickBooks Desktop users can activate Payroll option with a call 

The following is the breakdown of feature differentiation by plan: 

The pricing for QuickBooks Payroll is based on a base fee plus a per-employee fee per month. The Payroll Core + Simple Start plan offers complete payroll processing and payroll taxes, along with basic accounting tools. However, the other two plans also offer billable hour tracking, HR tools, and benefits management, etc.  

Payroll Core + Simple Start 

Ideal for: Small businesses with straightforward payroll and accounting needs 

What to know about this plan: This plan covers all the payroll and accounting basics. It is suited for teams that just need full-service payroll, tax filings done, next-day direct deposit, and a basic employee self-service portal for pay stubs and tax information. 

Payroll Core + Simple Start plan features: 

• Full-service payroll with automated tax filing for accurate and faster payments 
• Next-day direct deposit ensures quicker employee payouts 
• Employee portal offers pay stubs, W-2s, and tax information 
• Unlimited 1099 e-filings for contractors 
• Automated payroll for salaried employees 
• Connects one sales channel 

Payroll Core + Essentials 

Ideal for: Growing Businesses that need payroll plus basic accounting and billable hour tracking 

What to know about this plan: In addition to the core payroll features, this price plan includes bill payment, project time tracking, and enhanced reporting. It supports three sales channels and three users. 

Payroll Core + Essentials plan features: 

• All Core + Simple Start features 
• Bill management and online payments 
• Enhanced reporting for sales, accounts receivable, and accounts payable 
• Entering employee time by client/project 

Payroll Premium + Plus 

Ideal for: Growing businesses that want better support, time tracking, and faster direct deposits 

What to know about this plan: Premium builds on Core with same-day direct deposit, mobile time tracking, and a guided review of your setup. It’s a strong choice if you manage hourly teams or want access to HR tools without moving to the top tier. 

Payroll Premium + Plus features: 

• Everything in Core plus same-day direct deposit 
• Mobile time tracking for teams on the go 
• Expert review to confirm your payroll is set up correctly 
• Connect all sales channels and include 5 users 
• HR support center with templates and policies 
• Automated I-9 and document e-signatures 

• Many users mention that “multistate businesses will incur extra charges for each state beyond the first” 
• Some users noted that there are some useful tools, like time tracking and HR features, but require unlocking high-priced tiers 
• Several users complain about “high and increasing subscription costs,” especially for small businesses 
• According to user reviews, customer support can be frustrating or unhelpful when dealing with complex payroll issues 

Selecting the pricing plan that best matches your team's requirements and has all the features that you want in your software can be a daunting task. Here’s how you can decide: 

• Start by listing every pay structure you handle so you know how much complexity the software must support 
• Note how often payroll changes each cycle because frequent edits require stronger automation 
• Check your latest possible payroll cutoff to decide what deposit speed you realistically need 
• Identify any HR tasks you want folded into payroll instead of juggling extra tools 
• Review who enters hours, approves time, or runs payroll to see if you need built-in time tracking and syncing 
• Look at how many contractors you pay and whether you want their payments processed through the same system 
• Confirm whether you need help with compliance tasks like garnishments or multistate rules 
• Estimate your real monthly cost by multiplying the per-employee fee by your current team size 
• Repeat that calculation for your projected headcount in the next 6 to 12 months to avoid surprise cost jumps 
• Compare the extra features you’d gain against the hours and external tools they replace to see if the upgrade pays for itself 

Whether QuickBooks Payroll is worthy of your investment really comes down to your payroll requirements. However, you can take the following aspects into consideration: 

Value For Money 

Analysis of verified user reviews from various third-party platforms reveals that QuickBooks Payroll has a value-for-money rating of 4.3/5. Users appreciate the combination of payroll and accounting tools in one package, though some note that add-ons and extra employee fees can increase the overall cost for larger teams. 

Ease of Use And Its Impact On Value 

QuickBooks Payroll earns an ease-of-use rating of 4.4/5 stars. The platform’s intuitive interface and seamless integration with QuickBooks accounting software make setting up payroll and running paychecks straightforward. Many users mention that simplicity reduces administrative time and errors, which adds to the overall value of the product. 

QuickBooks Payroll is a highly used tool with an overall rating of 4.4/5. Let’s now take a look at some of its competitors, comparing their price points and overall ratings for similar capabilities. 

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

Making The Final Decision 

Based on the scoring given by verified reviews, QuickBooks Payroll has received the following scores: 

• Overall rating: 4.5/5 
• Ease of use: 4.4/5 
• Value for money: 4.3/5 

The right price plan for you will be the one that best matches your business size, payroll complexity, and the features you need. Small businesses with straightforward payroll may find the Payroll Core + Simple Start plan sufficient, while companies that need HR support, time tracking, or tax penalty protection might benefit from the Payroll Core + Essentials or Payroll Premium + Plus plans. Consider the number of employees, pay schedules, and any add-ons to ensure you’re getting the most value without paying for unnecessary features. 

The pricing information has been sourced from the official QuickBooks website and its publicly available documents as of November 2025. All listed pricing elements and feature details were taken from the vendor’s published materials. We have also analyzed user sentiments based on reviews from our own website for additional plan insights, real-world considerations, and noted comment sentiment patterns around value, usability, and feature limitations.