QuickBooks Payroll vs Square Payroll

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Compare QuickBooks Payroll and Square Payroll based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

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Rippling

Rippling is a cloud-based workforce management system that helps businesses manage operations across HR, finance, and IT.

Paylocity

One unified platform for HR, Finance, and IT. Connect people, processes, and data. Automate tasks and drive business growth. 

QuickBooks Payroll is a cloud-based payroll solution for small businesses which offers automatic payroll tax calculations, integrated time tracking, same day direct deposit, real-time data updates, tax form preparation and filing, and an online employee portal to streamline the payroll process

360 Degree Feedback

Accounting

Alerts/Notifications

Applicant Tracking

Approval Process Control

Attendance Tracking

Audit Trail

Benefits Management

Billable & Non-Billable Hours

Check Printing

Compensation Management

Dashboard

Direct Deposit

Employee Management

Employee Portal

Employee Scheduling

For Accountants

Historical Reporting

Learning & Development

Multi-Currency

Multi-State

Onboarding

Online Time Tracking

Payroll Management

Payroll Reporting

Performance Management

QuickBooks Integration

Real-Time Data

Real-Time Updates

Receipt Management

Recruitment Management

Reminders

Reporting/Analytics

Self Service Portal

Succession Planning

Tax Calculation

Tax Compliance

Tax Filing

Tax Forms

Time & Attendance

Time & Expense Tracking

Time Off Management

Timesheet Management

Vacation/Leave Tracking

W-2 Preparation

Wage Garnishment

Workflow Management

Reviews for QuickBooks Payroll come from a wide variety of industries, including construction (11% of reviewers), accounting (11%), and medical practice (4%). The most frequent use case for QuickBooks Payroll cited by reviewers is payroll (78% of reviewers).

Users and use cases

Some users say QuickBooks Payroll offers reasonable pricing and cost-effective features for small businesses, while some reviewers appreciate the free trial. However, some users report unexpected costs, frequent price increases, and extra charges for additional features.

Value for money

The QuickBooks Payroll integration most frequently cited by reviewers is QuickBooks Online, an accounting product rated 4.4 out of 5 for its integration with QuickBooks Payroll.

Integrations

QuickBooks Payroll is a payroll tool offering key features such as tax compliance, tax calculation, payroll management, payroll reporting, direct deposit, and W-2 preparation, among others.

QuickBooks Payroll

Web-based

iPhone

iPad

Android

Simple Start

Essentials

Plus

 Advanced

Accountant

the biggest drawback of QuickBooks Payroll is the poor quality and accessibility of its Customer Support. While the software excels with its seamless integration into QuickBooks accounting, users frequently report frustration with extremely long hold times and being transferred between agents who often lack the specialized knowledge to resolve complex tax or payroll errors, which can be critical for a financial service.

Payroll specialist

QB Payroll has options for setting up state and federal and federal taxes, as well as PTO, and things like wage garnishment.

Administrator

My experience with QuickBooks Payroll was generally good, but we ultimately moved to another provider that offered more robust features, stronger customer support, and better HR and benefits integrations to match our growing needs.

What I liked least about QuickBooks was bugs and issues that the billing department encountered with processing bi-weekly pay roll, it was even worse with cut-off times, deadlines and holidays.

The connected ecosystem saves time, reduces duplicate work, and makes day-to-day payroll tasks feel more straightforward.

Owner

I like the fact that Quickbooks Payroll allows a small buisness owner to keep track of hours worked, employee paychecks and billing all in one platform.

Software enginner

The automation has improved the workflow, allowing me to focus on other business priorities. While there are areas for improvement, especially regarding cost and occasional service delays, it remains a reliable tool for payroll management.

I used to be on a Quickbooks Payroll by an employer and what I liked the most was that I was able to quickly access and view my pay stabs a couple days prior to actual pay day

Director

We use it to import hours, processing payroll, track the taxes, and process W2s for our contractors.

Sales Coordinator

Overall, QuickBooks Payroll is a solid solution for managing payroll. Despite occasional slow support, it simplifies payroll tasks and keeps everything organized.

Electrical engineer

My overall experience with QuickBooks payroll is that it's great to send payments to staff and it identified in a great way

Giving Intuit too much control of our money instead of just helping us track and report our finances.

Assistant

It took some time and training to get familiarized with the features and effectively evaluate it's value and its multiple features and uses.

Dive Operation Manager

Pay stubs and direct deposits are seamless, and banking sync eliminates admin time during busy payroll runs.

I had to write a check and now i have 2 debited payrolls for the employee, 7 days later no refund showing yet despite assurance it will refund soon.

I know it was a nightmare because my employers billing department has to eventually switch payroll companies and we got physical checks for about 2 months during the transition.

Payroll operations were more reliable, and crew payments arrived on time without manual entry, reducing finance burden in peak season.

The ability for my CPA to access my accounts and send them inquiries on specific transactions within the QB system.

Director of Business Affairs

Sometimes it can be difficult to integrate with time tracking software but that is more likely because of the time tracking software than QuickBooks Payroll.

Financial Controller

Not only has this issue not been fixed 4 months later, but we have now discovered system calculations have been incorrect for some time, shorting our employees of vacation earnings. While their engineers have been working on a fix, they managed to delete our payroll data, which they have not been able to recover.

Virus Handler

I loved how the spreedsheets worked and was able to calculate monetary amounts.

Manager of Account and Human Resources

I utilize the download option so I can keep using QuickBooks Desktop.

dispatch

If you don’t understand basic accounting logic, it’s difficult to work. But QuickBooks breaks this convention, such as the most basic and most frequently used function-automatic generation of Invoices.

President

Makes doing payroll a breeze, deals with all the taxes that need to be accounted for and store employee information

It makes it super easy to use, even filing quarterly and annual reports automatically without any input from the owner.

As an employee, it was a fine system to use to log hours and track time.

Bookkeeping

Through QuickBooks desktop payroll we were able to schedule our liability payments as well.

Co-Founder

Automatically calculate taxes on all expenses as well as files them, cloud payroll generation and management.

QuickBooks Payroll is the first software that I used. Although I dont have a formal training but I became expert using this software.

It helped streamlined my payroll for my employees in an easy manner to understand.

Annual price increases — Intuit often raises subscription prices, especially for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

They are consistently adding new features and options that come with no additional cost.

Manager

being able to just input all my hours and numbers and all the hard work is taken care of by Quickbooks

Office Manager

Great way to keep track of invoices, paychecks, and more.

I like that it’s already inside QuickBooks, so I don’t have to deal with extra syncing or posting journal entries.

Founder

Payroll taxes don't happen automatically - admins have to go into QB to approve before sending.

Owner, Accountant

I've had to call support just a few times with minor questions or concerns but was always met with a resolution.

They make it easy to see what taxes will be taken out and have great customer support.

Administrative Assistant

Was very useful to use in managing payroll between all team members and automatically doing the hard work for me

The downside is that it does a lot of things automatically, even if they aren't correct.

Its ease of use and customization lightens the load of an often overworked employer.

I end up finding a work around or fix returns myself when needed to avoid support as much as possible.

Controller

Does not do Certified Payroll - Davis Bacon Wages.  

The experience has been good and the ease of use and the low cost makes it a great software for the beginner or the advanced user.

Marketing Director

As a freelance worker, quickbooks has helped the small businesses I have worked with to automate my pay, and kept direct deposit quick

Overall, it makes my life a lot easier for payroll and figuring out what the payroll taxes are.

The online software does not allow you to make changes as needed.  

The support for direct deposits is also a great advantage, making the payment process efficient for both employers and employees.

The person who helped us promises to followup with a phone call in 2 hours

Payroll

Taxes

Ease of Use

Pricing

Banking and Payments

Online Version

Phone Support

Reviewers highlight QuickBooks Payroll’s direct deposit capabilities as convenient, efficient, and time-saving. Users report setup is straightforward, and employees receive timely payments, including options for same-day or next-day deposits. They say QuickBooks Payroll eliminates the need for paper checks and reduces payment delays. Some mention occasional issues with deposit limits or correcting banking errors, but overall, they find direct deposit easy to manage and essential for payroll. Of the 73 QuickBooks Payroll users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Direct Deposit, 92% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Long waits and limited help

White Glove Wizard

Time drain - Normal issues have either taken multiple calls to resolve, or have taken hours on the phone because if an agent hangs up, they cannot continue to work on your issue - they have to take the next call - so they waste your time waiting while someone tries to read the full manual to figure it out, when in fact, it is a recent programming changes issue.

76% of reviewers feel negative about Phone Support. Users frequently report long hold times, difficulty reaching knowledgeable representatives, and multiple calls needed to resolve issues. Reviewers express frustration with the lack of direct contact options, frequent transfers, and callbacks that do not always occur. Many say support agents often lack the expertise to address problems efficiently, leading to wasted time and unresolved concerns. Users indicate that navigating phone menus and waiting for assistance detracts from their overall experience.

Banking integration frustrations

53% of reviewers feel negative about Banking and Payments. Users report difficulties with linking bank accounts, managing direct deposits, and handling payment processing. Reviewers mention issues such as duplicate transactions, complicated onboarding, and problems updating banking information. Some users experience unauthorized changes, delayed deposits, or unexpected fees, leading to confusion and financial penalties. They also note that resolving banking-related problems often requires multiple calls and can disrupt payroll operations.

High and rising costs

Pastor

QuickBooks Payroll is extremely expensive, and the price changes without much explanation or added benefit.

Managing Member

The overall cost to use the product, largely due to always-increasing subscription prices, is the primary downside to using QuickBooks Payroll, or any Intuit/QuickBooks product.

58% of reviewers feel negative about Pricing. Users frequently mention that the software is expensive, with regular price increases and additional fees for features or updates. Reviewers say the cost can be burdensome for small businesses and nonprofits, especially when compared to the value received. Many users express frustration with unclear pricing structures, unexpected charges, and the need to pay for upgrades or extra services. They feel that the expense is not always justified by the product’s capabilities.

Frequent technical difficulties

Office Administrator

I once had a major issue that required a special department, but every time I called in and asked for that department, I was forced to explain my entire situation and wait an hour for that person to try to fix it, even though I knew they couldn't, before the person would escalate.

67% of reviewers feel negative about Bugs and Issues. Users report experiencing software glitches, crashes, syncing errors, and slow performance. Reviewers mention that updates can introduce new problems, and resolving technical issues often requires multiple interactions with support. Many users find it challenging to correct errors or navigate system changes, leading to frustration and lost productivity. They also note that inconsistent information from support staff can complicate troubleshooting, making it harder to resolve ongoing issues.

Beginner-friendly learning process

85% of reviewers feel positive about Training and Learning Curve. Users report that while there is an initial learning period, the software provides ample resources such as training videos, hints, and support to help them get started. Reviewers appreciate being able to teach themselves or new employees quickly, often mastering the basics after a short time. They find the program approachable for beginners and note that support options like chat are helpful for resolving questions. Many users say the learning process is straightforward and enjoyable.

Seamless software connections

It is directly integrated with our bookkeeping file without the need for manual inputting entries.

90% of reviewers feel positive about Integrations. Reviewers appreciate how easily the software connects with QuickBooks Online and other accounting tools, streamlining payroll, tax compliance, and bookkeeping. Users highlight the benefit of automatic data syncing, which reduces manual entry and errors. They find that integrating with time tracking and banking services simplifies payroll processing and reporting. Many users mention that these integrations save time and make managing finances more efficient, especially for businesses already using QuickBooks products or needing to connect with various platforms.

Effortless initial setup

What I liked the most about this software is the way it is setup and the easiness.

84% of reviewers feel positive about Setup. Reviewers say setting up the software, including adding employees and configuring tax withholdings, is simple and guided. Users mention that clear instructions and helpful support make the process smooth, even for those new to payroll systems. They appreciate that setup is quick, allowing them to start using the product with minimal hassle. Many users highlight the straightforward enrollment and secure setup, noting that the system is ready to use shortly after installation.

Tailored for small businesses

ACCOUNTANT

Overall QuickBooks Payroll is an awesome tool for small business.

80% of reviewers feel positive about Small Business suitability. Users indicate the software meets the needs of small and very small businesses, offering essential payroll and compliance features without unnecessary complexity. Reviewers say it helps them operate more professionally and efficiently, even with limited staff. Many small business owners value being able to handle payroll from anywhere and find the system easy to learn and use. They also mention that the product is flexible enough for startups and small teams, making it a practical choice for their operations.

Freelancers

Small Business

Large Enterprises

Mid-size Business

Intuit

Square Payroll is a cloud-based U.S. solution that handles federal and state payroll taxes including withholdings, payments and filings

QuickBooks Payroll vs Square Payroll Comparison (2026)

QuickBooks Payroll

Square Payroll

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives