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Paychex Flex vs QuickBooks

Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Software

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paychex Flex paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee; QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • They diverge on capability: Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paychex Flex and QuickBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Paychex Flex and QuickBooks differ
AttributePaychex FlexQuickBooks
Starting price$39/month$30/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded19711983

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Only in QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Paychex Flex

  • Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot QuickBooks
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot QuickBooks
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot QuickBooks

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot Paychex Flex
  • Invoicingnot Paychex Flex
  • Expense trackingnot Paychex Flex
  • Financial reportingnot Paychex Flex
  • Tax preparationnot Paychex Flex

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Paychex Flex

  • Paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • Pricing is obtained only by requesting a quote or calling sales
  • Product capability is split across three packages, so features are tied to a tier whose price is not disclosed

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Paychex Flex

$39/month
  • Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Select$undefined/month
    • All Essentials features
    • HR Administration
    • Onboarding

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

Which should you pick?

Choose Paychex Flex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax administration.
Paychex Flex review

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Questions people ask

Is Paychex Flex or QuickBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and QuickBooks at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paychex Flex or QuickBooks?
Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and QuickBooks at $30/month.
Does Paychex Flex or QuickBooks run on more platforms?
Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android. QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Paychex Flex best used for?
Paychex Flex is most often used for running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses, combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor, handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax forms. Of those, running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses and combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor are not what QuickBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Paychex Flex do that QuickBooks cannot?
Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.
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