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Human Resources | Versus

QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite: Compare Pricing & Features

Charlette Beasley

REVIEWED BY: Charlette Beasley

Charlette has over 10 years of experience in accounting and finance and 2 years of partnering with HR leaders on freelance projects. She uses this extensive experience to answer your questions about payroll.

 

WRITTEN BY: Robie Ann Ferrer

Published February 13, 2023

Robie has more than five years of content writing experience and specializes in writing about payroll and human resources software for small businesses.

Published February 13, 2023

This article is part of a larger series on Payroll Services.

Table of Contents
  1. 1 QuickBooks Payroll Plans Compared
  2. 2 Quiz
  3. 3 When To Use Each
  4. 4 When To Use an Alternative
  5. 5 Pricing
  6. 6 Features
  7. 7 Ease of Use
  8. 8 Customer Support
  9. 9 User Reviews
  10. 10 Bottom Line

Intuit QuickBooks Online Payroll has three plans: QuickBooks Payroll Core, QuickBooks Payroll Premium, and QuickBooks Payroll Elite. All three offer full-service payroll with tax filing and payment services and benefits program management. Premium comes with some additional features and human resources (HR) support, while Elite offers more personalized service. Pricing starts at $45 per month plus $5 per employee monthly and increases with each tier.

  • QuickBooks Payroll Core: Best for small businesses with basic payroll needs
  • QuickBooks Payroll Premium: Best for businesses that need payroll, time tracking, and HR support
  • QuickBooks Payroll Elite: Best for businesses with more robust payroll and HR compliance needs

QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite at a Glance

All plans come with full-service payroll, tax filings, automatic pay runs, and garnishment deductions and payments for employees. Access to 401(k) plans by Guideline and health benefits by SimplyInsured are also available—although SimplyInsured doesn’t offer insurance in Hawaii, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., as of this writing.

In addition, QuickBooks Payroll 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.

  • Pricing
  • Key Features
QuickBooks Payroll Core
QuickBooks Payroll Premium
QuickBooks Payroll Elite
Monthly Cost
$45 base fee
+ $5 per employee

$75 base fee
+ $8 per employee

$125 base fee
+ $10 per employee

Special Promotion for New Clients*
30-day free trial or 50% off first three months
30-day free trial or 50% off first three months
30-day free trial or 50% off first three months
Multiple State Tax Filing Fees
One state included in plan; plus $12 monthly for each additional state
One state included in plan; plus $12 monthly for each additional state
N/A
Direct Deposit Fees
$5 per worker monthly
(for next-day direct deposits)

N/A
N/A
Workers’ Comp Administration Fees (via AP Intego)**
$5 monthly
N/A
N/A

*This may change at any time. Please check the provider’s website to view the latest promotions on offer.

**Fees do not include policy premiums. Workers’ comp plans are also not available in Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, as of this writing.

QuickBooks Payroll Core
QuickBooks Payroll Premium
QuickBooks Payroll Elite
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 Tracking via QuickBooks Time
✕
✓
✓
Project Tracking
✕
✕
✓
Tax Penalty Protection
✕
✕
✓
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
24/7 Product Support
24/7 chat; phone support on weekdays and Saturdays
24/7 chat; phone support on weekdays and Saturdays
✓

QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite Quiz

Question 1

Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized plan match.

Choose the option that aligns best with your business.

Question 1 of 3

    1 minute approx

    Question 2

    Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized plan match.

    Do you have multiple employees who live in areas that require you to withhold local taxes (different from federal and state)?

    Question 2 of 3

      1 minute approx

      Question 3

      Answer a few questions about your business, and we'll give you a personalized plan match.

      Choose the option that aligns best with the needs of your business.

      Question 3 of 3

        1 minute approx

        When to Use Each QuickBooks Payroll Plan

        • QuickBooks Payroll Core
        • QuickBooks Payroll Premium
        • QuickBooks Payroll Elite

        QuickBooks Payroll Core is best used by small businesses that need basic payroll without many extra features. It tackles pay runs, taxes, garnishments, and more. It also offers next-day direct deposit, which is becoming more popular with payroll providers but isn’t the standard yet as some still have a two- to four-day wait period. You can pay to add workers’ comp instead of upgrading your 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.

        This is also your best choice if you have an HR team or other HR service or software and want to add QuickBooks Payroll to it. Of course, if you use QuickBooks for accounting, integration is a no-brainer.

        Visit QuickBooks Payroll Core

        QuickBooks Payroll Premium includes everything in QuickBooks Payroll Core and has some additional features, such as workers’ comp, HR support, and automated local tax filing. The time tracking feature makes it a strong choice if you have more hourly workers than salaried ones. The HR support and expert setup review are also great additions if your HR team is less experienced. Same-day direct deposit means your people get paid faster too.

        Visit QuickBooks Payroll Premium

        QuickBooks Payroll Elite is the best choice for busy companies that need to track billable hours and shifts and those with higher risks of breaking HR and payroll regulations, such as small construction companies. It provides full-service payroll software that lets you track projects and time. If you have employees in multiple states, this plan will handle tax filing. You need to pay extra for additional states with the other plans, however. Finally, you get dedicated HR support, expert setup, and project management tools, as well as insurance against tax penalties of any kind up to $25,000, even if you are at fault.

        Visit QuickBooks Payroll Elite

        When to Use an Alternative to QuickBooks Payroll

        QuickBooks Payroll is incredibly convenient to use, especially for small businesses that are already using or are planning on using QuickBooks Accounting. However, business owners that 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.

        Are you still not sure what kind of payroll service you need? Check out our guide on choosing a payroll service for your business.

        Pricing: QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite

        While you can purchase QuickBooks Payroll as a standalone product, you can add QuickBooks Online at a bundled rate if you need accounting software. New clients can choose to get either a 30-day free trial or 50% off the first three months.

         
        QuickBooks Payroll Core
        ($/Month)
        QuickBooks Payroll Premium
        ($/Month)
        QuickBooks Payroll Elite
        ($/Month)
        Standalone Payroll Product
        $45 base fee
        + $5 per employee
        $75 base fee
        + $8 per employee
        $125 base fee
        + $10 per employee
        Integrated With QuickBooks Simple Start
        $75 base fee
        + $5 per employee
        $105 base fee
        + $8 per employee
        $155 base fee
        + $10 per employee
        Integrated With QuickBooks Essential
        $100 base fee
        + $5 per employee
        $130 base fee
        + $8 per employee
        $180 base fee
        + $10 per employee
        Integrated With QuickBooks Plus
        $130 base fee
        + $5 per employee
        $160 base fee
        + $8 per employee
        $210 base fee
        + $10 per employee
        Integrated With QuickBooks Advanced
        $245 base fee
        + $5 per employee
        $275 base fee
        + $8 per employee
        $325 base fee
        + $10 per employee

        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

        Since Our Last Update:

        QuickBooks Payroll has released a new “Contractor Payments” plan. It costs $15 monthly for up to 20 contractors (plus $2 for each additional worker) and is optimal for businesses that hire and pay only contract workers.

        Features: QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite

        No matter whichever version of QuickBooks Payroll Online 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.

        • QuickBooks Payroll Core
        • QuickBooks Payroll Premium
        • QuickBooks Payroll Elite

        As its name implies, the QuickBooks Online Payroll Core 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, including garnishments and state and federal withholdings
        • Automated payroll for salary employees with next-day direct deposit
        • Filing and paying taxes at the federal and state levels
        • Paying employees by check or direct deposit
        • Unlimited pay runs, so you can accommodate any schedule
        • Payroll reports
        • Workforce portal where employees can access W-2s, view PTO balances, and withholdings
        • Health benefits: Quotes, quick applications, and benefits management in the software; however, health benefits don’t cover Hawaii, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
        • 401(k) programs that include compliance, administration, and recordkeeping
        • 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms filing (federal only)
        • Product support includes troubleshooting assistance and step-by-step help
        • Customer support hours: 24/7 chat support and 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

        QuickBooks says its Payroll Premium Plan is the most popular. It includes the features found in the Core plan, plus those listed below. It’s a great choice if you have hourly workers who need time tracking or your in-house HR expertise is limited:

        • QuickBooks Time: Give your employees clock-in/out access via their mobile devices, making it easy to review and approve their time for payroll when you’re ready.
        • Expert setup review: Be sure you’re starting payroll on the right foot. Have a QuickBooks Payroll expert look over your setup to be sure you didn’t miss anything.
        • Same-day direct deposit: Pay employees faster. You can submit right up to the morning of payday and still have your team paid on time.
        • HR tools: Through its partnership with Mineral, you can get HR guides and articles, sample employee handbooks, and help create customized checklists and forms and offer letters.
        • Workers’ compensation: QuickBooks’ broker, AP Intego, can recommend plans for you, which you can connect and manage through QuickBooks. It automatically calculates premiums so you pay on time, which isn’t available in Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.

        QuickBooks Payroll Elite is ideal for small business owners who love QuickBooks and want dedicated help with HR issues. It offers everything in the Premium plan, with some enhancements, plus extra protection against tax penalties.

        • QuickBooks Time with projects: Track time and assign it to projects; have geofencing alerts to warn workers to clock in and out when entering or leaving the job site; and let workers add notes, photos, and project updates.
        • HR adviser: Consult with a certified HR adviser who knows the rules of your area. They can provide advice and guidance and create custom handbooks and policies for you.
        • Expert setup: Spare your HR team the headaches of setting up QuickBooks Payroll. Its experts will complete the setup with the information you provide and review it for errors. If you’re transferring from a different payroll service, it’ll handle the data transfer as opposed to just helping you with it.
        • Tax penalty protection: If you get an IRS penalty, QuickBooks will pay it and the interest up to $25,000 per year whether you or your rep makes the mistake, provided you send the tax notice to QuickBooks within 15 days of having received it.

        Ease of Use: QuickBooks Payroll Core 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 QuickBooks Payroll Elite plan offers better support for new clients, followed by QuickBooks Payroll Premium, and then QuickBooks Payroll Core.

        • QuickBooks Payroll Elite
        • QuickBooks Payroll Premium
        • QuickBooks Payroll Core

        QuickBooks Payroll Elite is the easiest to use for four reasons:

        1. You have a setup expert to input all the information and make sure everything is correct vs just having a rep review it (QuickBooks Payroll Premium) or only relying on your team’s precision (QuickBooks Payroll Core). This helps you start strong.
        2. It comes with a dedicated HR specialist who can create or help you create documents like an employee handbook or job offer letters.
        3. 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.
        4. 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.

        In comparing QuickBooks Payroll Core vs Premium in terms of setup assistance, the latter includes setup assistance and then provides an expert to review it and make sure you got everything input correctly. So, you have to do the work, but you’re ensured that you’re starting off right. This plan gives you access to a library of HR templates, making things like policy letters and handbooks easier to write. It also has the following:

        • QuickBooks Time (but without the project tracking feature)
        • Support during extended business hours
        • Access to the same how-to articles and videos as those with the Elite plan

        There is, however, no tax penalty protection if you make a mistake; if your QuickBooks rep does, it’ll be covered.

        The QuickBooks Payroll Core software guides you step by step through the process of configuring payroll settings, setting up new employees, and running your first payroll but doesn’t offer expert support for double-checking your work. You do have the following:

        • Access to help articles and videos
        • Live customer support during extended business hours

        However, there’s no time tracking or HR assistance. You also have to pay extra if you want workers’ comp administration.

        Customer Support: QuickBooks Payroll Core 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 as well as 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 Payroll 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 Payroll Core vs Premium vs Elite

        Most reviews are highlighting QuickBooks Payroll overall as a product and not the individual plans. It earned an average of 4.15 out of 5 stars for user reviews on third-party review sites. It’s a solid rating, but customer service is taking hits from reviewers because of the occasional long wait times and the customer reps’ poor responses.

        Overall, users found the setup process generally easy and the interface user-friendly. Many also appreciate its automated payroll and tax solutions, including its seamless integration with QuickBooks.

        As of this publication, QuickBooks Payroll earned the following scores on popular review sites:

        • Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 based on nearly 800 reviews
        • G2: 3.6 out of 5 based on 40+ reviews
        For more information on QuickBooks Payroll overall, check out our QuickBooks Payroll review.

        Bottom Line

        QuickBooks Payroll is a cloud-based, full-service payroll software that includes health benefits management and filing and paying of taxes. The Premium and Elite plans also offer timekeeping and some HR assistance. Naturally, all integrate easily with QuickBooks accounting plans, as well as other third-party applications.

        Despite the advantages of the Elite plan, we recommend the QuickBooks Payroll Core plan for small businesses, especially mom-and-pop operations. It handles all your payroll needs, integrates with QuickBooks, and has the same customer support as the Premium plan. It lacks time tracking, HR features, and automated local tax filing, but it has multiple integrations that may be overall less expensive than upgrading. Naturally, it’s a good place to start, and you can upgrade at any time if you wish. Sign up to start paying your employees more easily today.

        Visit QuickBooks Payroll

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        About the Author

        Robie Ann Ferrer
        Robie Ann Ferrer

        Robie Ann Ferrer is payroll and HR expert at Fit Small Business, focusing on software. She has more than five years of content writing experience. Prior to becoming a writer, she worked as an HR specialist at several multinational companies.

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