Intuit QuickBooks Workforce (formerly QuickBooks Payroll) is an add-on payroll and workforce management module for QuickBooks Online users. Its three plans are Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, and Workforce Elite. These replace the former Payroll Core, Payroll Premium, and Payroll Elite plan names.
All three offer full-service payroll with tax filing and payment services, employee self-service tools, and access to benefits options. Premium adds time tracking and HR support, while Elite offers more personalized setup, HR advisory support, and tax penalty protection. Pricing starts at $50 per month plus $6.50 per employee monthly.
- QuickBooks Workforce Payroll: Best for small businesses with basic payroll needs
- QuickBooks Workforce Premium: Best for businesses that need payroll, time tracking, and HR support
- QuickBooks Workforce Elite: Best for businesses with more robust payroll and HR compliance needs
- QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite at a glance
- Quiz: Which QuickBooks Workforce Payroll plan is best for you?
- When to use each QuickBooks Workforce plan
- When to use an alternative to QuickBooks Workforce
- Pricing: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
- Features: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
- Ease of Use: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
- Customer Support: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
- User Reviews: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about QuickBooks Workforce plans
QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite at a glance
All QuickBooks Workforce plans come with full-service payroll, tax filings, automatic pay runs, and garnishment deductions and payments for employees. Access to 401(k) plans by Vestwell, workers’ compensation by NEXT insurance, and health benefits by Allstate Health Solutions are also available in all US states.
In addition, QuickBooks Workforce offers 24/7 chat to all clients, as well as phone support from Mondays to Fridays, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time (PT) and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. Here are some of the standout features:
| Workforce Payroll | Workforce Premium | Workforce Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $50 base fee + $6.50 per employee | $88 base fee + $10 per employee | $134 base fee + $12 per employee |
| Automated Tax Payments and Filings | Federal and state taxes | Federal, state, and local taxes | Federal, state, and local taxes |
| Direct Deposit Timelines | Next day | Same day | Same day |
| Time-off and Time Tracking | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project Tracking | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Tax Penalty Protection | ✕ | ✕ | ✓QuickBooks will cover tax filing penalties of up to $25,000 per year, regardless of made the mistake. |
| Employee data management | Basic | Advanced | Advanced |
| Recruiting and onboarding | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Performance reviews | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Automated HR workflows | ✕ | 5 | Unlimited |
| HR Services via Mineral, Inc. | ✕ | Access to an HR support center | Includes a personal HR advisor |
| Setup Assistance | Setup wizard; product support via phone and chat | Includes payroll setup review | Payroll setup done for you |
| Visit QuickBooks Workforce Payroll | Visit QuickBooks Workforce Premium | Visit QuickBooks Workforce Elite |
Quiz: Which QuickBooks Workforce Payroll plan is best for you?
When to use each QuickBooks Workforce plan
Workforce Payroll is best used by small businesses that need basic payroll without many extra features. It handles pay runs, federal and state payroll taxes, direct deposits, garnishments, and employee self-service. It also offers next-day direct deposit, which is useful if you want faster payroll processing without moving to a higher plan.
As for taxes, it automates withholding and filing for federal and state. If you’re required to file local taxes for your employees based on jurisdiction, you’ll need the Premium or Elite plan to automate it.
This is also the best choice if you already have separate HR tools or don’t need built-in time tracking. If you use QuickBooks Online for accounting, the integration is the biggest selling point because payroll data can flow into your books with less manual entry.
Visit QuickBooks Workforce Payroll
When to use an alternative to QuickBooks Workforce
QuickBooks Workforce is incredibly convenient to use, especially for small businesses that are already using or are planning on using QuickBooks Accounting. However, business owners who don’t necessarily need same-day direct deposits and want a more affordable all-in-one platform might find other providers to be a better option. Check out our top-recommended payroll software for more options and information.
Meanwhile, if you need more dedicated full-service HR and payroll support, then a professional employer organization (PEO) may be right for you. Browse through our guide to the best PEOs for small businesses to find some options.
Pricing: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
You can purchase QuickBooks Workforce as a standalone product if you already have QuickBooks Online. When comparing plan costs, look beyond the base fee. Your final price can change based on employee count and other add-ons, like state filing fees, background checks and benefits administration.
- Workforce Payroll: $50 base fee monthly + $6.50 per employee, per month (PEPM)
- Workforce Premium: $88 base fee monthly + $10 PEPM
- Workforce Elite: $134 base fee monthly + $12 PEPM
- Add-ons:
- Multistate filing fees: One state included in plan; $12 monthly for each additional state (for Payroll and Premium only)
- Background checks: $29.99 per report
- Benefits administration: Call for a quote (for Premium and Elite only)
The platform is also available as a bundle with QuickBooks Online, which is ideal for businesses looking for accounting software or planning to switch to QuickBooks to manage their books. These bundles include:
- Workforce Payroll with Simple Start: $88 base fee monthly + $6.50 PEPM
- Workforce Payroll with Essentials: $125 base fee monthly + $6.50 PEPM
- Workforce Premium with Plus: $203 base fee monthly + $10 PEPM
Integrating with QuickBooks Accounting software can give you the following advantages, depending on the plan:
- Time, miles, and expense tracking
- Estimates and invoicing
- Receipt capture
- Cash flow management
- Manage and pay bills
- Inventory tracking
- Project profitability tracking
QuickBooks also offers promotional pricing for new clients, but discounts typically apply only for a limited introductory period, such as 50% off base fees for the first three months.
Features: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
No matter whichever version of QuickBooks Workforce you get, you’ll have complete payroll software—meaning employees can be paid and taxes will be withheld and filed—health benefits assistance, and customer support. On top of that, all plans integrate smoothly with QuickBooks; while there are also hundreds of other programs that integrate with them, these won’t be as seamless.
As its name implies, the Workforce Payroll plan is the foundation of QuickBooks’ payroll plans and includes the basic full-service payroll features that most small businesses need—without all the bells and whistles. Specifically, it contains the following:
- Wage and deduction calculations: Includes garnishments and state and federal withholdings
- Automated payroll: For salary employees with next-day direct deposit
- Taxes: Filing and paying taxes at the federal and state levels
- Employee payment: Paying employees by check or direct deposit
- Unlimited pay runs: Features that allow users to accommodate any schedule
- Workforce portal: Gives employees access to view W-2s, PTO balances, and withholdings
- Health benefits: Offers quotes, quick applications, and benefits management in the software; however, health benefits don’t cover Hawaii, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
- 401(k) programs: Includes compliance, administration, and recordkeeping
- 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms: This is for federal filing only
- Product support: Includes troubleshooting assistance and step-by-step help
- Customer support hours: Offers 24/7 chat support and support via phone from Mondays to Fridays, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time, and Saturdays, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT
Ease of Use: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
As far as payroll processing is concerned, all the plans are equally easy to use because they involve the same software. Real-world users did say it took some time to get used to at first, but once the basics are through, it’s quite easy. Given that, plan extra time for your first couple of payrolls, especially if you have third-party integrations.
All plans will help you transfer payroll from your existing provider if needed. However, for overall ease of use, the Workforce Elite plan offers better support for new clients, followed by Workforce Premium, and then Workforce Payroll.
In terms of learning curve, if you’re a QuickBooks user, adjusting to QuickBooks Workforce is fairly simple. The platform is similar to the accounting module, although you’ll likely need to spend a little more time learning how to navigate through all the HR tools, especially if you’re on the highest plan.
QuickBooks Workforce Elite is the easiest to use for four reasons:
- You have a setup expert to input all the information and make sure everything is correct vs just having a rep review it (QuickBooks Workforce Premium) or only relying on your team’s precision (QuickBooks Workforce Payroll). This helps you start strong.
- It comes with a dedicated HR specialist who can create or help you create documents like an employee handbook or job offer letters.
- It comes with QuickBooks Time, a fully featured time tracker that lets employees clock in and out, request PTO, assign hours to projects, and more. This transfers employee work hours seamlessly to the payroll system, preventing double-entry.
- If your taxes are wrong for whatever reason and you’re fined, a QuickBooks team of tax experts will help you refute the claim or negotiate retribution, and its protection plan will cover up to $25,000 per year in fines or interest. This is a step up from the other two plans because it doesn’t just cover mistakes the reps make but also the ones you make.
Customer Support: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
All three plans give you access to how-to articles and videos, which you can access online or through the software. It’s easier to get the assistance you need through the software as the web-based help section covers all Intuit products, and the search bar doesn’t always narrow it down well. The articles themselves are easy to follow, though few have illustrations. The videos are on YouTube and are inserted into the help sections where appropriate.
Apart from 24/7 chat, live phone support is available Mondays through Fridays, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, and Saturdays, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. QuickBooks Workforce Elite users have the additional advantage of getting 24/7 expert product support and a dedicated HR specialist to advise them on payroll and HR issues, such as ensuring compliance with a new law or how to handle a difficult employee.
User Reviews: QuickBooks Workforce Payroll vs Premium vs Elite
Most of the reviews online are still for QuickBooks Payroll and not its expanded version, QuickBooks Workforce. Many users gave it a positive rating given its user-friendly interface, generally easy setup process, automated tools, and seamless integration with QuickBooks Online. However, customer service is taking hits from reviewers because of the occasional long wait times and the customer reps’ poor responses.
As of this publication, QuickBooks Workforce earned the following scores on popular review sites:
- Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 based on 980-plus reviews
- G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on 490-plus reviews
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about QuickBooks Workforce plans
Yes. QuickBooks Payroll has been renamed QuickBooks Workforce, but with expanded HR and employee management capabilities. The former Payroll Core, Payroll Premium, and Payroll Elite plans are now Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, and Workforce Elite.
Start by assessing your specific payroll and HR needs, including the level of support you require. Choose Workforce Payroll if you need full-service payroll, employee self-service, federal and state tax filing, and next-day direct deposit. Select Workforce Premium if you also need time tracking, same-day direct deposit, and HR resources. Choose Workforce Elite if you want expert setup, HR advisor access, project tracking, and advanced HR workflows.
Yes, you can, but the level and depth of support may vary. For Elite plan holders, QuickBooks will assign a payroll expert who will review and do the whole software setup and payroll data migration for you, ensuring all information is correct. For QuickBooks Workforce Premium, QuickBooks will review your setup to ensure everything is correct. For all plans, QuickBooks’ payroll support team can provide step-by-step help.
