Payroll Software Review • Updated October 2026
QuickBooks Payroll Review 2026: Pricing, Plans, Pros & Cons
QuickBooks Payroll, now sold as QuickBooks Workforce, runs payroll and files taxes right inside QuickBooks Online. Here’s what each plan costs, what’s included, the extra fees and how it compares to Gusto, OnPay and ADP.
Compare Payroll Pricing → See Plans & Pricing
4.2/5
★★★★☆
Our rating
Best for QuickBooks users
Is QuickBooks Payroll Good? Our Verdict
QuickBooks Payroll is the best payroll choice for small businesses (about 1–50 employees) that already use QuickBooks Online: payroll, taxes and labor costs flow straight into your books, taxes are filed automatically, and plans start at $50 per month plus $6.50 per employee. We rate it 4.2/5. Accounting integration and ease of use are excellent, but per-employee fees run a little above rivals, extra states cost $12 a month on lower plans, and support reviews are mixed. If you don’t use QuickBooks, Gusto or OnPay usually offer better value.
QuickBooks Payroll is ranked #5 in our best payroll software guide and #9 in our best payroll outsourcing companies list, both as the best pick for QuickBooks users.
On this page
QuickBooks Payroll Ratings Breakdown
Overall: 4.2/5, the average of the five categories.
What users say
QuickBooks Payroll averages about 4.5 out of 5 on Capterra (980+ reviews) and 4.4 on G2 (490+ reviews). Users love that payroll posts straight to QuickBooks Online, the simple setup and the automatic tax filing.
The most common complaints are long support wait times, costs that climb quickly with higher tiers and add-ons, and that the base plan lacks local tax filing and time tracking.
QuickBooks Payroll Pros and Cons
✔ Pros
- Native QuickBooks Online integration: no imports or journal entries
- Tax filing included on every plan, plus W-2s and 1099s
- Next-day direct deposit, or same day on Premium and Elite
- Tax penalty protection up to $25,000 on Elite
- Published pricing and frequent first-3-month discounts
- Time tracking and HR tools on higher tiers
⚠ Cons
- Higher per-employee fee than some rivals
- Best value only if you use QuickBooks
- Extra states cost $12/month on Payroll and Premium
- Local taxes and time tracking require Premium or higher
- Mixed customer support reviews
- Desktop users need a separate product
QuickBooks Payroll Plans and Pricing (2026)
QuickBooks Payroll costs $50 per month plus $6.50 per employee for Workforce Payroll, $88 plus $10 per employee for Workforce Premium, and $134 plus $12 per employee for Workforce Elite, added to a QuickBooks Online subscription. Intuit renamed its Payroll Core, Premium and Elite plans to QuickBooks Workforce and often takes 50% off the base fee for your first three months.
| Feature | Workforce Payroll | Workforce Premium | Workforce Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (add-on to QuickBooks Online) | $50/mo + $6.50/employee | $88/mo + $10/employee | $134/mo + $12/employee |
| Formerly called | Payroll Core | Payroll Premium | Payroll Elite |
| Automatic tax filing | Federal and state | Federal, state and local | Federal, state and local |
| Direct deposit | Next day | Same day | Same day |
| Time tracking and time off | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ plus project tracking |
| HR tools | Basic employee portal | HR support center, hiring and onboarding | Personal HR advisor, performance reviews |
| Tax penalty protection | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ up to $25,000 a year |
| Setup help | Setup wizard | Expert setup review | Setup done for you |
Estimated monthly cost by team size
| Employees | Workforce Payroll | Workforce Premium | Workforce Elite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 employee | $56.50 | $98 | $146 |
| 5 employees | $82.50 | $138 | $194 |
| 10 employees | $115 | $188 | $254 |
| 25 employees | $212.50 | $338 | $434 |
| 50 employees | $375 | $588 | $734 |
Don’t have QuickBooks Online yet? Bundle pricing
| Bundle | Monthly price |
|---|---|
| Workforce Payroll + QuickBooks Simple Start | $88/mo + $6.50/employee |
| Workforce Payroll + QuickBooks Essentials | $125/mo + $6.50/employee |
| Workforce Premium + QuickBooks Plus | $203/mo + $10/employee |
Regular list prices from Intuit as of October 2026, before introductory discounts and add-ons. Compare with typical prices in our payroll outsourcing cost guide.
See how QuickBooks Payroll stacks up against Gusto, OnPay, ADP and more for your team — free quotes in about 2 minutes.
Compare Payroll QuotesQuickBooks Payroll Add-Ons and Fees
The monthly price covers payroll and tax filing in your home state. These extras can raise the total.
| Add-on or fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Each additional state (Payroll and Premium) | $12/month per state |
| Background checks | $29.99 per report |
| Benefits administration (Premium and Elite) | Quoted |
| Workers’ comp (pay-as-you-go through NEXT) | Quoted by policy |
| Introductory offers | Often 50% off the base fee for 3 months |
Paying employees in several states? A 3-state team on Workforce Payroll adds $24 a month. OnPay includes multi-state payroll in its base price.
QuickBooks Payroll Features
Books sync automatically
Wages, taxes and benefits post to QuickBooks Online with no imports or manual journal entries.
Automatic tax filing
Federal and state payroll tax filing on every plan; local taxes on Premium and Elite.
Time tracking
QuickBooks Time scheduling, time off and mobile clock-in on Premium and Elite.
HR & hiring
Onboarding, recruiting, an HR support center and a personal HR advisor on Elite.
Penalty protection
Elite covers up to $25,000 a year in payroll tax penalties caused by QuickBooks errors.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Use QuickBooks Payroll
Great fit if you…
- Already run your books in QuickBooks Online
- Have about 1–50 employees in one state
- Work with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor or accountant (see payroll for accountants)
- Want job and labor costs to land in QuickBooks automatically
- Run a church or nonprofit already on QuickBooks
Consider alternatives if you…
- Don’t use QuickBooks (try Gusto or OnPay)
- Pay employees in many states (see OnPay)
- Want a dedicated payroll specialist (see Paychex Flex)
- Have 50+ employees (see our mid-sized business payroll guide)
- Need certified payroll for public works (see construction payroll)
QuickBooks Payroll vs. Gusto vs. OnPay vs. ADP vs. Patriot
How QuickBooks Payroll compares with the payroll services small businesses most often shortlist.
| QuickBooks Payroll | Gusto | OnPay | ADP RUN | Patriot Payroll | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | QuickBooks users | Small businesses | Best value full service | Growing small businesses | Lowest price |
| Starting price | $50/mo + $6.50/employee | $49/mo + $6/employee | $49/mo + $6/employee | Custom quote | $37/mo + $5/employee (full service) |
| Multi-state payroll | $12/mo per extra state (lower tiers) | Plus plan and up | Included | Yes | Supported |
| Accounting sync | Native QuickBooks Online | QuickBooks, Xero and others | QuickBooks, Xero and others | QuickBooks and others | QuickBooks and others |
| Our review | — | Gusto | OnPay | ADP | — |
Gusto, OnPay, ADP and Patriot all integrate with QuickBooks Online too, so you can keep QuickBooks for accounting and choose a different payroll provider. See all payroll company reviews or our small business payroll outsourcing guide.
About QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll is made by Intuit, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mountain View, California (NASDAQ: INTU). Intuit also makes TurboTax and Credit Karma. Its online payroll plans, now branded QuickBooks Workforce, are built into QuickBooks Online, and a separate Desktop Payroll product serves QuickBooks Desktop users.
QuickBooks Payroll FAQs
Is QuickBooks Payroll good?
Yes, QuickBooks Payroll is a good choice for small businesses that already use QuickBooks Online, because payroll, taxes and expenses sync straight into your books. It files federal and state payroll taxes automatically and offers next-day or same-day direct deposit. Drawbacks are per-employee fees above some rivals, extra charges for additional states on lower plans, and mixed customer support reviews.
How much does QuickBooks Payroll cost?
QuickBooks Payroll costs $50 per month plus $6.50 per employee for Workforce Payroll, $88 plus $10 per employee for Workforce Premium, and $134 plus $12 per employee for Workforce Elite when added to QuickBooks Online. For 10 employees that’s about $115, $188 or $254 per month. Intuit often discounts the base fee for the first three months.
What is QuickBooks Workforce?
QuickBooks Workforce is Intuit’s current name for its payroll and HR plans. Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium and Workforce Elite replaced QuickBooks Payroll Core, Premium and Elite and add more HR, hiring and time tracking tools on the higher tiers.
Do I need QuickBooks Online to use QuickBooks Payroll?
QuickBooks Payroll is designed to run with QuickBooks Online. You can add it to an existing QuickBooks Online subscription or buy it bundled with Simple Start, Essentials or Plus. QuickBooks Desktop users need Intuit’s separate Desktop Payroll product.
Does QuickBooks Payroll file taxes automatically?
Yes. Every plan calculates, pays and files federal and state payroll taxes and prepares year-end W-2s and 1099s. Premium and Elite also handle local payroll taxes automatically.
What is the difference between QuickBooks Payroll Premium and Elite?
Premium adds same-day direct deposit, time tracking, local tax filing, an HR support center and an expert setup review to the base plan. Elite adds tax penalty protection up to $25,000 a year, a personal HR advisor, project tracking, performance reviews and full setup done for you.
Does QuickBooks Payroll offer same-day direct deposit?
Yes, on Workforce Premium and Elite, if you run payroll by the morning cutoff on a banking day. The base Workforce Payroll plan offers next-day direct deposit.
What is QuickBooks tax penalty protection?
Tax penalty protection, included with Workforce Elite, covers up to $25,000 a year in payroll tax penalties and interest if a filing error is QuickBooks’ fault, as long as you’ve given accurate information and kept enough funds in your account.
Is QuickBooks Payroll better than Gusto?
QuickBooks Payroll is better if you already use QuickBooks Online and want payroll inside your accounting software. Gusto is slightly cheaper at $49 per month plus $6 per employee, includes unlimited payroll runs and has more built-in HR and benefits tools, and it also integrates with QuickBooks.
Is QuickBooks Payroll better than ADP?
QuickBooks Payroll is simpler and has published pricing, making it a strong fit for small businesses on QuickBooks Online. ADP RUN is quote-based but scales further, with more HR, PEO and compliance services for growing companies.
Does QuickBooks Payroll handle multiple states?
Yes. Workforce Payroll and Workforce Premium include one state and charge $12 per month for each additional state, while Workforce Elite covers multiple states without that per-state fee.
Can I use QuickBooks Payroll with QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Workforce plans work with QuickBooks Online. Businesses on QuickBooks Desktop use Intuit’s separate Desktop Payroll offering, which is activated and priced differently.
Find the Best Payroll Price for Your Business
Get free, no-obligation quotes from QuickBooks-friendly payroll providers for your exact team size.
Get Free Payroll Quotes →Free to use • No obligation • Takes about 2 minutes