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.
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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:
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.
Workforce Premium includes everything in Workforce Payroll and adds time tracking, same-day direct deposit, HR support resources, automated I-9s, hiring and onboarding tools, and payroll setup review. 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.
Workforce Elite is the best choice for 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 includes everything in Premium, plus expert setup, a personal HR advisor, project tracking, performance reviews, unlimited HR workflows, and tax penalty protection.
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.
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.
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
Workforce Premium includes Workforce Payroll features, plus time tracking, same-day direct deposit, payroll setup review, and HR tools. It’s a strong fit if hourly work, time-off requests, and payroll approvals need to move through the same system instead of bouncing between spreadsheets, emails, and separate apps.
QuickBooks Time with scheduling: Lets employees clock in and out, check schedules, track time from mobile devices or a kiosk, and send time data into payroll for review.
HR service center: QuickBooks’ partnership with Mineral lets you access customized job descriptions, compliance alerts, a handbook creator, and other HR resources.
Expert setup review: Be sure you’re starting payroll on the right foot. Have a QuickBooks Workforce 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: You get recruiting tools to post jobs and track applicants. Offer letters and automated I-9s are also available to streamline the hiring and onboarding processes.
Manager approvals: Allows people managers to approve requests, view their team’s employee profiles, and complete tasks.
Workers’ compensation: QuickBooks’ broker, NEXT insurance, 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 Workforce Elite is ideal for business owners that want the most support from QuickBooks and need more than payroll basics. It offers everything in Premium, plus expert setup, more advanced HR tools, project tracking, and tax penalty protection.
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.
Performance management: Includes goals tracking, feedback, and performance reviews tools.
Expert setup: Spare your HR team the headaches of setting up QuickBooks Workforce. 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 made the mistake, provided you send the tax notice to QuickBooks within 15 days of having received it.
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.
In comparing Workforce Payroll 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 are 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 Workforce Payroll 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 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.
