Best Quicken Payroll Software for Small Business

Quicken Payroll for Small Business is an easy-to-use, yet full-featured payroll solution. Available as a complete payroll software solution or an online service, Quicken Payroll simplifies the most complex parts of payroll preparation and gives you more time to run your business.  So, best quicken payroll software for small business? Gusto or Quicken?

Quicken Payroll Software for Small Business is ideal for AccountingMadeEasy.com’s vast client base of over 1,440,000 small business owners who need to run payroll as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. With this all-in-one solution, you’ll have full control over your company’s paychecks and tax payments. The online version for NetSuite users is also included in the purchase.

Quicken Home & Business is an accounting program for your business that includes the ability to create invoices and statements as well as customer estimates. The program doesn’t include a payroll component, but you can use Intuit Online Payroll, a separate Internet-based service, to manage your company’s payroll. The independent payroll application enables you to input employee data and print paychecks.

Payroll Within Quicken Home & Business

Quicken Home & Business doesn’t include a payroll option and you can’t download a plugin to add a payroll option. The accounting program also doesn’t interface with standalone payroll programs – QuickBooks Payroll, Select Payroll or Ame Payroll. If you decide to use a standalone payroll program, you must manually enter your employee’s payroll data and hours and enter the total amount of your company’s payroll into Quicken Home & Business.

Intuit Online Payroll

Intuit Online Payroll is in no way connected to Quicken Home & Business nor is the service able to send payroll data to Quicken Home & Business. You must manually enter your employee’s personal information and work hours into the online payroll service to process your company’s payroll. Intuit Online Payroll calculates federal and state taxes for you and is able to directly deposit your employee’s payroll checks into their banking accounts for free. The service also generates payroll reports for you to manually enter the dollar amount of your payroll into Quicken Home & Business. Intuit Online Payroll even includes an app for Android and iPhone smartphones for processing payroll while on the go. Intuit Online Payroll offers a 30-day free trial.

End-of-Year Processing

The online payroll service also enables you to complete end-of-year tax processing including printing and processing W-2s and W-3s as well as process electronic tax filings. Intuit Online Payroll can also send you email reminders when your company’s payroll is due – weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. The online payroll service even offers free support from payroll experts in the event you encounter a problem during payroll or tax processing.

Accessing

To access and use Intuit Online Payroll, navigate your Internet browser to the “Intuit Payroll – Create Account” link (see Resources) and create an account and start your free trial. Intuit Online Payroll requires a major credit card to complete the account-creation process. Intuit also offers a full-service payroll service for a higher cost. This service enters your employee’s personal and payroll data for you, prints the checks and sends them to you and processes all end-of-year tax document.

Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll: Which Is Best for You?

Compare Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll to determine which one might be right for your small business.

Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are both online-based, automated payroll platforms that allow you to set up and process payroll, manage employee benefits and file payroll taxes. In general, QuickBooks Payroll is a more affordable option, while Gusto offers more features specific to human resources. Here’s how they stack up.

Comparison Between Gusto and Quickbooks

Top Gusto advantages:

  • More features: Looking at the capabilities included in Gusto vs. QuickBooks Payroll on the whole, Gusto offers a wider variety of included features — with things like employee profiles, offers and onboarding, time-off requests organization charts and employee surveys. Plus, within the Core plan, Gusto offers automatic new hire reporting, 1099 filings, multiple state tax filings and more that either require a higher-level QuickBooks plan or additional fees.
  • Integrations: Regardless of which plan you have, Gusto allows you to integrate with third-party software, including time tracking tools, POS platforms and even accounting software (QuickBooks Online included). With QuickBooks Payroll, on the other hand, you’re limited to Intuit tools unless you use your software with QuickBooks Online. In this way, if you don’t use QuickBooks Online for accounting, you’ll have to manually input data from your accounting software into QuickBooks Payroll.
  • HR-specific features: Gusto goes beyond your typical payroll service and integrates many tools often associated with HR software or HCM (human capital management) software. Therefore, if you don’t want to spend money on two separate platforms, you can manage the majority of your payroll and HR tasks in the same place.
  • Lack of extraneous fees: Although Gusto may be more expensive overall, they also have more features included and don’t charge many additional fees. Whereas QuickBooks charges fees for contractor direct deposit, multiple state tax filings, 1099 filings, etc. all of these are already included in the price of Gusto Core.

Gusto also offers more HR-specific features than QuickBooks Payroll, like the ability to create and maintain a business organizational chart.

Top QuickBooks Payroll advantages:

  • Connection with QuickBooks Online: When it comes down to it, one of the biggest strengths of QuickBooks Payroll is its direct connection to QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Online is one of the most popular and fully functional accounting software solutions on the market — so if you already use this software, it’s quick, easy and convenient to set up and run payroll in QuickBooks.
  • Price: The lower monthly per-employee cost associated with each of the QuickBooks Payroll plans makes it, on the whole, a more affordable solution compared to Gusto. Plus, QuickBooks usually offers a promotion with their payroll plans, whether you purchase it with or without a QuickBooks Online subscription.
  • Next-day/same-day direct deposit: With Gusto, you need to make sure you run payroll at least two business days before you want your employees to be paid. QuickBooks Payroll, on the other hand, can accommodate next-day direct deposit for Core users and same-day direct deposit for Premium and Elite users. If you want the option to pay your employees on a shorter timeline, this is a notable benefit.
  • Dedicated mobile app: Although Gusto is mobile-friendly, they do not have a dedicated, downloadable mobile app for their software. QuickBooks Payroll, however, offers a fully functional mobile app available for both iOS and Android. This app is included free with your subscription and is particularly noteworthy if you want the ability to manage your payroll from anywhere.

You can view payroll expenses, enter employee hours, file taxes and pay with direct deposit — all on the QuickBooks Payroll mobile app.

Monthly costCore: $39 per month + $6 per employee per month.Complete: $39 per month + $12 per employee per month.Concierge: $149 per month + $12 per employee per month.Core: $45 per month + $4 per employee per month.Premium: $75 per month + $8 per employee per month.Elite: $125 per month + $10 per employee per month.
Payroll processingUnlimited payroll runs in all 50 states, customizable schedules, multiple pay rates, employees and contractors included.Unlimited payroll runs in all 50 states, customizable schedules, multiple pay rates, direct deposit for employees only (contractors require additional fee).
Direct depositAvailable for both employees and contractors on four- or two-day processing schedule.Available for both employees and contractors (requires an additional fee) with options for next-day or same-day deposit.
Payroll taxesAutomatic filing and payment for federal, state, and local taxes, including filings across multiple states.Automatic filing and payment for federal and state taxes; no local tax filings; additional fee required for multiple states without the Elite plan.
Employee portalIncluded with all plans.Included with all plans.
Employee benefitsHealth benefits and workers comp administration included in all plans with no administration fees.Health benefits included with all plans but may require additional fees; workers comp payment service available for additional fees.
IntegrationsCan integrate with third-party tools as well as Gusto partner add-ons for benefits like 401(k) and 529 college savings.Can integrate with QuickBooks Online and other Intuit tools; requires a QuickBooks Online subscription for additional software integrations.
Mobile appMobile-friendly, but no dedicated app.Software subscription includes access to dedicated mobile app for iOS or Android.
Customer supportUnlimited phone, chat, or email support available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT; premium support available with Concierge plan.Phone and chat support available Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT; premium support available with Elite plan.

Features

Both Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll are online-based solutions (although QuickBooks also offers a separate desktop solution for their Desktop users) with three subscription plans to choose from. The subscription plan you choose will dictate the capabilities you receive within your system; the more expensive plans come with more features.

Even so, Gusto stands out with its outstanding HR features. Although it’s first and foremost a payroll solution, the platform extends its reach beyond simple payroll processing. In this way, Gusto is an optimal service for all-in-one HR and payroll management, especially if you opt for either of the top-tier plans.

Pricing

Both Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll offer their three plans on a subscription basis, meaning you’ll pay a monthly base fee, plus a monthly per-person fee, which will depend on how many employees you add to the system.

Let’s say you have 20 employees. In this case, if you enrolled every employee and went with the basic plan, your monthly cost would be $159 for Gusto Core and $125 for QuickBooks Payroll Core. If you opted for either of the middle-tier plans, you’d pay $279 per month for Gusto Complete and $230 per month for QuickBooks Payroll Premium. If you choose the highest-tier plans, you’ll pay $389 per month for Gusto Concierge and $325 per month for QuickBooks Payroll Elite.

Based on this example, QuickBooks Payroll would be the more affordable option. Ultimately, however, the more affordable option will depend on how many employees you have, what you’re looking for within your payroll software and if you’ll incur any additional fees. Although QuickBooks’ lower per-employee fees are beneficial in terms of pricing, they also charge for many features that are included within a Gusto plan (like contractor direct deposit payments and multiple state filings for business taxes).

Intuit Online Payroll vs QuickBooks

Intuit Online Payroll and QuickBooks are two useful business management services. However, each service helps your business in a different way. While Intuit Online Payroll manages the payroll side of your business, QuickBooks handles basic accounting functions. The two payroll software programs work best in complementary roles and are a popular combo for small and medium-sized business owners across the country. Find out how to get free payroll software here for 30 days.

Intuit Online Payroll vs QuickBooks Online How They Help Your Business

Intuit Online Payroll and QuickBooks help your business in different ways. QuickBooks helps manage the accounting and bookkeeping aspects of your business while Intuit Online Payroll lets you accurately pay employees and assess payroll taxes.

If you need payroll softwareIntuit Enhanced Payroll is exactly what you need. Intuit also offers a 30 day free trial and its only $2/ per additional employee.

Benefits of Intuit Online Payroll

Intuit Online Payroll is a simple but effective payroll software solution. With Intuit Online Payroll, employers can easily pay employees while accurately deducting payroll taxes and other deductions.

Most businesses already use payroll software. However, even if your business already uses payroll software, Intuit’s easy online system may still save time and enhance the accuracy of your business’s payroll system. Here are the ways in which Intuit Online Payroll will help your business:

Create accurate paychecks for employees: Intuit Online Payroll lets you accurately pay employees. You can pay hourly employees, salary employees, and contract employees in just a few simple clicks.

Pay employees: After creating employee paychecks and assessing deductions, Intuit lets you send out payments. You can pay employees via direct deposit or print checks directly from your office printer.

Assess deductions: Payroll taxes are automatically deducted from employee paychecks according to state and federal law. Employers can also create more deductions based on 401(k), stock purchasing plans, and other company-specific policies.

Process W-2s and 1099 forms: The IRS requires a number of forms from your business. Intuit will notify you when W-2s and 1099 forms are due and can process those forms on your behalf.

Tax accuracy guarantee: Like most payroll software solutions, Intuit guarantees that employee paychecks will be processed accurately an on-time.

Benefits of QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks has been a dominant force since the 1990s and was one of the first accounting software programs that let small/medium-sized business owners manage their own accounting without relying wholly on an accountant.

When you subscribe to QuickBooks today, you’re accessing decades of experience and years of knowledge about business services. The benefits of QuickBooks include:

Track income and expenses: QuickBooks Online lets you easily track your business’s income and expenses over defined periods of time.

Bank account synchronization: Synchronize your bank account and credit card accounts to QuickBooks to easily manage and view all business transactions, spent funds, and available funds.

Comprehensive bookkeeping management: QuickBooks is designed to be your business’s one and only bookkeeping service. That’s why it’s loaded with extra features like income and expense tracking, check printing, and many more financial management tools. Not all features are available on all plans, and customers who pay more will receive more bookkeeping features.

Prepare and print 1099s: Not all versions of QuickBooks let you print 1099 forms. 1099 forms are used for reporting payments to contracted employees like consultants and freelance writers.  QuickBooks Simple Start and Essentials do not feature 1099 support, but the Plus package does include 1099 support.

Intuit Online Payroll vs QuickBooks Online Supported Services

Mobile apps: QuickBooks offers excellent apps for Android smartphones and tablets as well as iPhones and iPads. Intuit Online Payroll also has apps for Android smartphones and tablets as well as the iPhone, but no iPad app.

Online access: QuickBooks and Intuit Online Payroll can both be accessed online from any internet-connected device. Simply open your browser and login to your account. Downloading apps helps, but it’s not required in order to access your account.

Cloud support: No matter how you access QuickBooks and Intuit, you’re accessing the power of the cloud. All your data is stored on ‘the cloud’, which essentially means you can access it on any internet-connected device.

Compatibility: QuickBooks and Intuit Online Payroll are compatible with one another (the two services are owned by the same company and are designed to complement one another).

Other Points of Comparison On Intuit Online Payroll vs QuickBooks Online

Free Trial: Both Intuit and QuickBooks offer a free trial. Intuit’s free trial lasts for 30 days and requires a credit card. Your credit card will be charged if you forget to cancel your account before the 30 day period is over. QuickBooks does not require a credit card and users also get access to QuickBooks Online Payroll, which is virtually identical to Intuit Online Payroll.

Unlimited Use: QuickBooks lets you create unlimited estimates and invoices no matter which plan you choose (Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus). Intuit Online Payroll charges an extra $2 per month for each additional employee.

Extra fees: QuickBooks does not feature extra fees. The monthly charge you see when you choose your plane is the monthly charge you’ll see on your credit card bill. Intuit Online Payroll is honest about its pricing but users will have to pay extra fees for each additional employee ($2 per month per employee) and an extra fee for each state in which taxes need to be filed ($12 per month per state).

Tech Support: Since Intuit and QuickBooks are owned by the same company, tech support is similar. Intuit, however, has a slight edge due to its comprehensive online support options. Intuit Online Payroll users can access an online database filled with FAQs, ‘how to’ videos, and tutorials. If those helpful resources don’t answer your questions, then you can call tech support directly. QuickBooks does not feature the same comprehensive online database but you can contact tech support directly.

Ease of Use: One of the biggest advantages of both QuickBooks and Intuit Online Payroll is their ease of use. Both services are exceptionally easy to use. Whether you’re running a sole proprietorship or a small/medium business with 50 employees, QuickBooks and Intuit Online Payroll never feel overwhelming to use. A lot of time and effort has clearly gone into making the interface as easy as possible to use.

Employee self-reporting: You can give your QuickBooks login information to multiple users – like department managers – who can control their own bookkeeping information. Or, you can pay to add new users to your plan. On Intuit, you can pay an extra fee to have employees report their own hours online for each payroll period, which can save you a considerable amount of time.

Conclusion

For a small business payroll software or online payroll service, QuickBooks® makes it easy to manage employee pay and taxes. ezPaycheck Plus, compatible with the Quicken desktop version, offers the same capabilities as our standalone payroll product at a great price. Get up and running in minutes. HR can correct errors on the screen. Print checks and pay stubs. No monthly fees.

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