Generally speaking, SurePayroll by Paychex is a better choice than QuickBooks Online Payroll for most small businesses: It’s more affordable than QuickBooks Payroll, integrates with more third-party apps and has more HR resources. Additionally, SurePayroll by Paychex partners with the top-rated Paychex Insurance Agency to offer high-quality employee benefits in all 50 states.
However, unlike SurePayroll by Paychex, QuickBooks Online Payroll has three plan tiers that offer increasing amounts of features and levels of customer support. If your small or midsize business needs a dedicated payroll specialist, seamless QuickBooks Online accounting integration and built-in project tracking, QuickBooks Payroll will likely work better for you than SurePayroll by Paychex.
Featured Partners
QuickBooks Payroll vs. SurePayroll by Paychex: Comparison table
As two of the top payroll processing services for small and midsize businesses, QuickBooks Payroll and SurePayroll by Paychex have extremely comparable payroll features.
For instance, in contrast to competitors like Patriot Payroll, they both offer an optional autopilot payroll tool. They integrate with QuickBooks Online for automatic general ledger updates, have comparatively low per-payee fees and provide optional employee benefits.
The payroll companies’ key differences lie in their pricing, scalability, customer support and the other areas detailed in our chart below.
| QuickBooks Payroll | SurePayroll by Paychex | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting monthly price (full-service plans) | $50 + $6/payee | $29.99 + $5/payee |
| Starting monthly price (self-service plans) | N/A | $19.99 + $4/payee |
| Unlimited payroll runs | Yes | Yes |
| Group health insurance benefits | In 48 states | In all 50 states |
| Built-in time tracking | Unavailable with cheapest plan | Free third-party integration |
| Local tax filing | Unavailable with cheapest plan | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Our star rating | 4.1 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 |
| Learn more |
Data is accurate and up to date as of 2/2/2024.
QuickBooks Payroll vs. SurePayroll by Paychex: Pricing
QuickBooks Online Payroll pricing
Intuit QuickBooks Payroll has three different payroll plans and tiers: QuickBooks Payroll Core, Payroll Premium and Payroll Elite. No matter which payroll plan you sign up for, it will integrate seamlessly with any of the four plans offered by Intuit’s accounting solution, QuickBooks Online.
First-time QuickBooks Payroll users can choose to get 50% off their plan’s base price for three months or opt into a 30-day free trial. If you choose the latter, QuickBooks will automatically charge your card as soon as your 30-day trial ends. While you can cancel your plan afterwards, you won’t receive a prorated refund. Instead, your account will remain active until the next charge period.
QuickBooks Payroll Core: $50 per month + $6 per payee
QuickBooks Payroll Core includes automatic full service payroll with federal and state tax remittance. (Local tax filing is not available with QuickBooks Payroll Core.) The plan also includes automatic payroll runs for businesses with salaried employees only, next-day direct deposit and optional employee benefits add-ons.
QuickBooks Payroll Premium: $85 per month + $9 per payee
QuickBooks Payroll Premium adds same-day direct deposit to Payroll Core’s other payroll features. Premium users also get access to on-demand HR advice through QuickBooks’ partner, Mineral Inc., and can sync their payroll software with QuickBooks Time to simplify paying hourly employees.
QuickBooks Payroll Elite: $130 per month + $11 per payee
With Payroll Elite, users get top-level features like free expert setup, project-based time tracking and access to a dedicated HR advisor.
Finally, all QuickBooks plans include a tax penalty guarantee, meaning QuickBooks will pay any IRS fees if it makes a mistake with your taxes. But Payroll Elite users get extra tax penalty coverage of up to $25,000 for tax mistakes they make themselves (not just tax mistakes made by QuickBooks).
SurePayroll by Paychex pricing
All three of QuickBooks Payroll’s plans are full-service plans, meaning the company deducts and remits payroll taxes for you. In contrast, SurePayroll by Paychex has one self-service and one full-service plan.
SurePayroll by Paychex Self-Service: $19.99 per month + $4 per payee
SurePayroll by Paychex’s self-service plan includes automatic paycheck calculation, two-day direct deposit and optional health benefits for employees. While the software doesn’t file taxes for you, it still calculates state, federal and local tax amounts. SurePayroll by Paychex’s accuracy guarantee ensures that if the software calculates your taxes incorrectly, SurePayroll by Paychex will cover any resulting fees and fines.
SurePayroll by Paychex Full-Service: $29.99 per month + $5 per payee
SurePayroll by Paychex’s full-service plan adds automatic payroll tax calculation, deduction and remittance to the features already included with SurePayroll by Paychex Self-Service.
SEE: The Best Cheap Payroll Software
QuickBooks Payroll vs. SurePayroll by Paychex: Feature comparison
QuickBooks Online Payroll and SurePayroll by Paychex are equally good solutions for businesses that want streamlined, comprehensive online payroll. Whichever payroll provider you pick, you’ll have access to unlimited monthly payroll runs, automatic state new-hire reporting, automatic payroll runs and optional employee benefits add-ons.
Payroll processing aside, though, SurePayroll by Paychex and QuickBooks Payroll differ when it comes to crucial details like time-tracking integration, direct deposit and customer service.
Time tracking
Winner: SurePayroll by Paychex
SurePayroll by Paychex’s self-service and full-service plans both integrate for free with a variety of time and attendance software tools, including stratustime, TimeTrex and Homebase. Some of these tools, such as Homebase, are available free. Others are available at a discount for SurePayroll by Paychex users (for instance, SurePayroll by Paychex users can get EasyTimeClock for $1 per employee per month, 50% off its typical starting price).
In contrast, QuickBooks Payroll syncs with just one time-tracking tool: QuickBooks Time. And while QuickBooks Time is a solid time-and-attendance solution, it isn’t included with the QuickBooks Payroll Core plan — and since QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t integrate with third-party solutions, Core users have to pay for a separate QuickBooks Time plan (starting at $20 per month + $8 per user) to automatically track their hourly workers’ time.
Benefits administration
Winner: Tie
Whether you use SurePayroll by Paychex or QuickBooks Payroll, you can find employee benefits like health insurance and 401(k) plans directly through your payroll provider. Your benefits and payroll software will integrate to automatically calculate, deduct and distribute any insurance premiums or retirement plan contributions from employee paychecks.
However, SurePayroll by Paychex does have a tiny edge over QuickBooks in terms of insurance coverage. Since it’s owned by Paychex, a PEO and payroll/HR software company, it’s able to offer high-quality benefits in all 50 states. QuickBooks Payroll offers insurance through SimplyInsured, which isn’t available in Hawaii, Vermont or Washington, DC.
Still, it’s worth remembering that QuickBooks’ 48-state coverage is ahead of many other payroll providers’.
Direct deposit
Winner: QuickBooks Payroll
SurePayroll by Paychex’s two-day direct deposit should give most business owners enough time to run payroll and get their employees paid on time. However, QuickBooks makes things easiest on employers who may forget to schedule payroll two or three days in advance by offering next-day or same-day direct deposit, depending on the plan.
There’s one trade-off, though: While SurePayroll by Paychex doesn’t charge any direct deposit fees, QuickBooks charges users an extra $5 per payee per month for contractor payments only. (W-2 employee payments do not incur an additional direct deposit charge.)
HR tools
Winner: SurePayroll by Paychex
Only higher-tier QuickBooks Payroll plan users get on-demand access to an HR advisor (through third-party service Mineral Inc.). Regardless of the plan, users don’t get any HR tools that typically come standard with most other small-business payroll plans, including labor law-compliant workplace posters, HR templates or hiring and onboarding features.
In contrast, both SurePayroll by Paychex plans include an HR kit with labor posters, basic business HR forms and HR how-to guides.
Customer service
Winner: QuickBooks Payroll
SurePayroll by Paychex’s U.S.-based customer service team is available 8 a.m. through 7 p.m. CT on weekdays and 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. on Saturdays. According to user reviews, SurePayroll’s customer service is easy to access, quick to respond, knowledgeable and polite.
However, SurePayroll by Paychex’s customer support is available only over the phone. QuickBooks Payroll’s customer support can be reached via phone, email and live chat. As with QuickBooks Payroll’s other features, 24/7 customer service is only available with its higher-tier plans, not its cheapest plan.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that while QuickBooks gives users more ways to access customer support, users generally give QuickBooks’ impersonal customer service and extended phone tree lower reviews than SurePayroll by Paychex’s live, real-person support.
Mobile app access
Winner: SurePayroll by Paychex
QuickBooks Payroll recently got rid of its user-friendly, employer-facing mobile payroll app. SurePayroll by Paychex, on the other hand, has both employer- and employee-facing apps for Android and iOS users. While the iOS app is much better reviewed than the Android app, SurePayroll by Paychex’s features are still much easier for users to access via mobile than QuickBooks’.
QuickBooks Payroll pros and cons
QuickBooks Payroll pros
- Built-in integration with QuickBooks Online (all plans) and QuickBooks Time (with higher-tier plans).
- Three plan options offer more flexibility and scalability for growing companies.
- 24/7 customer service and expert setup review with higher-tier plans.
- Next-day or same-day direct deposit with optional paper check pay methods.
- Tax penalty protection up to $25,000 (with highest-tier plan only).
- Autopilot payroll feature.
QuickBooks Payroll cons
- Above-average starting base price.
- Poor customer service reputation.
- Extremely limited third-party integrations.
- Fewer HR tools than most competitors, including SurePayroll by Paychex and Gusto.
- No mobile functionality.
SurePayroll by Paychex pros and cons
SurePayroll by Paychex pros
- Below-average starting prices.
- Excellent U.S.-based customer service with extended hours.
- Basic HR resources included with both plans.
- PEO-level employee benefits through parent company Paychex.
- Mobile payroll access for employers and employees.
SurePayroll by Paychex cons
- One full-service plan only (limited scalability).
- No 24/7 customer service options.
- Fewer HR features than all-in-one HR and payroll products like ADP and Paychex Flex.
Our methodology
To review QuickBooks Payroll and SurePayroll by Paychex, we created free trials with both providers so we could get familiar with their interfaces, setup processes and functionalities. We relied on the following criteria to write our review and create our star rating:
- Pricing, including each provider’s highest and lowest pricing options and add-on fees.
- Core payroll features, including tax remittance, time tracking and automatic payroll runs.
- User-friendliness and functionality, including third-party app integration and mobile app access for employers and employees.
- Customer service, including customer service hours, modes of contact and response times.
Along with exploring the software ourselves, we also looked at user reviews from aggregate sites like Gartner Peer Insights, Trustpilot, the BBB and the App Store. We relied on this combination of first-hand experience and verified user insights to craft an accurate, informative review.
Should your business use QuickBooks Payroll or SurePayroll by Paychex?
SurePayroll by Paychex is a better payroll company than QuickBooks Online Payroll for small and midsize businesses that want affordability, mobile functionality and real-person customer support.
On the other hand, QuickBooks Online Payroll might be better for small businesses that already use QuickBooks Online and would prefer a payroll provider with multiple plan options.
However, what’s best for most businesses isn’t necessarily best for your business. Consider factors like your budget, plans for growth, desired functionality, customer support needs and add-on features while weighing QuickBooks and SurePayroll by Paychex.
Along with reading reviews, we recommend getting your own hands-on experience with the software. Both QuickBooks and SurePayroll by Paychex have free trials, though QuickBooks Payroll’s trial lasts just 30 days compared to SurePayroll by Paychex’s six-month free trial. Consider signing up for both plans to see which one suits you better — just don’t forget to cancel the provider you don’t want before your trial runs out.
Read next: Top Payroll Software for Mac Users
1 Paylocity
Simplify payroll, automate processes, and stay tax compliant, all in one spot. Our tools help you tackle the day-to-day, so you can focus on your people. Empower employees to view checks, request time off, clock in/out and update their personal data with Employee Self Service. Pull expense reimbursements into paychecks and run custom reports to get the data you need. Build a better future for your organization with a scalable solution focused on your business outcomes, priced for your budget.
2 Paychex
Paychex makes payroll easy for businesses of all sizes. Automate pay runs, file taxes, manage benefits, and stay compliant—all in one secure platform. With 24/7 support, mobile access, and flexible HR tools, Paychex helps you focus on growing your business.
3 Deel
Run US and international payroll in all 50 states, 100+ countries and 200+ currencies from a single place. Deel handles everything from salary and tax payments to payslip distribution and compliant hiring processes. With 24/7 in-app support featuring a rapid 1.25-minute response time and dedicated Customer Success Managers, Deel is with you every step of the way.
4 SurePayroll
SurePayroll is online payroll for small businesses and household employers. Run payroll anytime with automated tax filings, direct deposit, and mobile access. With flexible plans and U.S.-based support, SurePayroll makes paying your team easy and worry-free.
5 OnPay
OnPay offers full-service payroll and HR with transparent pricing and award-winning support. Pay employees, automate tax filings, and manage benefits in one clean interface. With onboarding tools, PTO tracking, and health benefits in all 50 states, OnPay simplifies HR for growing small businesses.
