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Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) vs. QuickBooks Online

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AIntuit Online Payroll was a small business payroll option available as a standalone SaaS solution, that Intuit announced it was discontinuing in favor of Quickbooks Online Payroll, available via Quickbooks.

    $22.50

    per month

    QuickBooks Online

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.

    $38

    per month

    Pricing
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Editions & Modules
    Core
    22.50 + $4 per employee
    per month
    Premium
    37.50 + $8 per employee
    per month
    Elite
    62.50+ $10 per employee
    per month
    Simple Start
    $38
    per month
    Essentials
    $75
    per month
    Plus
    $115
    per month
    Advanced
    $275
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Considered Both Products
    Intuit
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    Intuit Payroll is easier to use. It’s more robust than QuickBooks Online.
    Incentivized
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    It's a payroll software with decent customer support readily available and direct integration with my accounting tools. This made it a prime fit for me, and made payment and tax reporting relatively simple, and errors readily correctable. It does not have time tracking, and I …
    Incentivized
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    Paychex
    Quickbooks Integrated payroll
    Paycor
    Incentivized
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    Paychex is more automated and user-friendly in the day-to-day operations of the payroll. We also have a great sales rep who has helped us with the whole process.
    Incentivized
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    I like maintaining one very strong accounting/ERP ecosystem that I trust and that is why I selected Intuit Payroll. The system is trustworthy/reliable, runs on the cloud and integrates with existing QuickBooks products. The pricing becomes more competitive when it is bundled …
    Incentivized
    Chose Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    This is a different product in my eyes. Most of the "outsourcers" really take over the entire payroll function, which divorces it from your accounting records --- and then later they try to stuff the results back into accounting through a GJE entry.
    If the circumstances are …
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    Tried Xero briefly but did not like it. Seemed less well organized and used too many terms commonly used outside the US. Xero also lacked payroll processing at the time. We looked a couple lower end products but did not like them. You cannot go wrong with QuickBooks in the US. …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    We have clients who have used Sage/Peachtree and Quicken. QuickBooks Online seems a little more user-friendly for the average user, as well as offering a better interface. There seems to be more training and help available for the common person with QuickBooks than with other …
    Incentivized
    Chose QuickBooks Online
    I haven't looked at too many competitors in the past few years. We have a few clients that also use FreshBooks for the invoicing, which seems to work well, but it is definitely not a full accounting package. I still prefer QuickBooks Online's invoicing over FreshBooks'.
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    50%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    81%
    Would buy again
    89 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    50%
    Delivers good value for the price
    4 Answers
    84%
    Delivers good value for the price
    85 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    63%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    80%
    Happy with the feature set
    88 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    57%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    4 Answers
    80%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    70 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    71%
    Implementation went as expected
    5 Answers
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    83 Answers
    Features
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    7.3
    10 Ratings
    12% below category average
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    81 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pay calculation8.99 Ratings7.872 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors2.26 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.95 Ratings7.033 Ratings
    Direct deposit files3.89 Ratings9.067 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management9.27 Ratings9.046 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.78 Ratings9.548 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    8.3
    71 Ratings
    8% above category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings8.757 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings8.058 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    9.7
    112 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings9.684 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings9.7106 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    8.1
    136 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.6128 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.1132 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.5120 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    8.5
    147 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings9.1125 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings9.4135 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings8.7123 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.1141 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings8.7125 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings7.057 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings8.055 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.024 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings9.145 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings9.241 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings9.368 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings8.869 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings8.018 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.737 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.731 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.376 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.027 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.740 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings8.326 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.452 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    7.5
    49 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings8.046 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings7.023 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings8.023 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings7.018 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued) and QuickBooks Online
    Feature
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Online
    8.4
    90 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Pricing00 Ratings8.056 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings8.054 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings8.566 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.370 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings8.022 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.021 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings8.019 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Small Businesses
    OnPay
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Sage Accounting
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    APS
    Score1.4 out of 10
    MYOB
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.4 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score6.8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    3.0
    (17 ratings)
    8.7
    (165 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    1.8
    (24 ratings)
    Usability
    3.8
    (2 ratings)
    8.7
    (80 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    2.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (4 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.5
    (5 ratings)
    1.1
    (68 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.0
    (6 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.4
    (18 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.3
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Intuit Online Payroll (discontinued)QuickBooks Online
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Intuit
    I believe the ideal scenario is when you are already using the Intuit family of products and the payroll bolts on to your existing QuickBooks infrastructure. Payroll software products have been around a long time, and this is a very competitive niche. Most of the companies do a good job of filing taxes promptly, reporting W-2 items properly, providing good reports, etc. Where you might really get some extra efficiency and benefit is the fact that the payroll is woven into the accounting system, creating one seamless enterprise solution. Also, where it might be less appropriate is in a really simple use case such as a one person company where there aren't complex fringe benefits to deal with. In that scenario, you can set up the ACH debits directly with the state agency and the IRS and possibly file your own 941, 940, W-2/W-3 and state equivalent forms. Of course, if you're willing to do this and are good with details, you can save yourself some money.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Intuit
    • Integration with QuickBooks Desktop. This is the key strength of IP... it is a complete, native integration and let's you maintain all employee records and time keeping in QuickBooks
    • Job Costing. Another key differentiation -- some payroll outsources say they do true job costing (by work or item code). Don't believe them. If its' not integrated with your accounting system, you will not get "TRUE" job costing. You can get costs ASSIGNED to jobs (which may be fine), but you won't get item level detail in QuickBooks from anyone but Intuit.
    • Variety of Payment options. Use Direct Deposit or manual checks... or whatever you want. Since its in QB, you can make payments any way you want.
    • Cash Flow. This is both good and bad, but IP will not take taxes out of your bank account until they are due. That's different than some other providers that want assurance that you have the tax payments available at the moment you push "SUBMIT."
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
    • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
    • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
    • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
    • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Intuit
    • My biggest issue is that they do continue to raise their prices on a regular basis and it makes people feel stuck when there are so many clients already using the system.
    • They do not support roaming employees, so employees that cross over into various tax jurisdictions in one pay period pose a challenge for calculating taxes and pay.
    • The setup can be a bit daunting still if you are not familiar with the system or the various taxes and requirements for reporting.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • The upsells have gotten worse over time and are on every screen in the most awkward positions. I don't need a constant reminder to upgrade, especially on a very old account that's paid thousands over the years.
    • The interface has never been especially intuitive, but I was an old Quicken user and it was somewhat familiar. Over time, it's gotten worse, and in the last 2 years, the program seems to move things more often than I would expect.
    • The software constantly adds features that I don't want and want to turn off, but the interface is so difficult to use that I find myself skipping it. Imagine seeing a message that the system recognized invoices that hadn't been paid so it prepared reminder notices for you that can be sent at the click of a button. Who thinks using canned reminders that you've never seen is a good thing?
    • A lot of functionality seems to derive from connecting your bank accounts to QBO. I don't want Intuit to have an always-on connection to any bank accounts, even checking.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Intuit
    Works perfectly as advertised. Our simple needs are well taken care of.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Intuit
    I would rate it a 0. It gets worse and worse all the time. It seems like every time I go into IOP to run a payroll for one of my clients, I have one more problem.
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Intuit
    The customer support personnel have always walked me through the steps they need to take to assist me. Never rushed through anything. Always exceptionally thorough, answering all my questions and even sharing my screen visually (I have control, not them). It actually helps me to resolve future issues and questions, if they should arise.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Intuit
    It's a payroll software with decent customer support readily available and direct integration with my accounting tools. This made it a prime fit for me, and made payment and tax reporting relatively simple, and errors readily correctable. It does not have time tracking, and I still believe that this software is overpriced, but it's the best fit for me right now.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    As a freelance bookkeeper, the Desktop version of QuickBooks Online doesn't allow for ease of access from any device. Having to be on a computer with the software downloaded creates additional work to gain access to all required filings etc. Also, I personally find the linking functionality on the Online version to be much more streamlined and user friendly.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Intuit
    As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Intuit
    • Positive: Less of a learning curve to train payroll accountants, as they are already familiar with using Intuit. Also, in general there are a larger pool of candidates who know this system than many of the other "niche" lesser known payroll products.
    • Positive: More options to choose from depending on the level of service needed. For example, there is a Full Service offering if needed. This might apply to an organization that doesn't have the resources available or an internal person who has the time/bandwidth to handle the entire company's payroll. Thus, it is possible to cherry pick the level of service needed depending on the type of company/situation.
    • Positive: Good audit trail. This can be extremely important and cost efficient when a business is going through an external audit by an outside CPA firm and the payroll accounting function is undergoing testing (ie. less time required by the external auditor would likely lower their bill for their services).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
    • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
    • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    QuickBooks Online Screenshots

    Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard