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Paychex vs QuickBooks

Paychex logo

Paychex

Software

HR solutions built for your business

From
$29/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 paychex Flex pricing is not published; it depends on employee count and business needs and requires contacting sales for a custom quote across Select, Pro and Enterprise tiers; 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 covers Payroll processing, QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paychex and QuickBooks actually diverge.

Attributes where Paychex and QuickBooks differ
AttributePaychexQuickBooks
Starting price$29/month$30/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded19711983

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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

  • Payroll processing
  • HR services
  • Benefits administration
  • Time & attendance
  • PEO services
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Sage

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

  • Businesses with 1 to 250+ employees needing payroll, willing to get a custom quote rather than self-serve pricingnot QuickBooks

QuickBooks

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paychex

  • Paychex Flex pricing is not published; it depends on employee count and business needs and requires contacting sales for a custom quote across Select, Pro and Enterprise tiers

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

$29/month
  • Flex Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll
    • Tax administration
    • Direct deposit
  • Flex Select$59/month
    • HR administration
    • State unemployment insurance
    • New hire reporting

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 if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want hr services.
Paychex 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 or QuickBooks better?
Neither clearly leads. Paychex starts at $29/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 or QuickBooks?
Paychex starts at $29/month and QuickBooks at $30/month.
Does Paychex or QuickBooks run on more platforms?
Paychex runs on Web, Ios, Android. QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Paychex best used for?
Paychex is most often used for businesses with 1 to 250+ employees needing payroll, willing to get a custom quote rather than self-serve pricing. Of those, businesses with 1 to 250+ employees needing payroll, willing to get a custom quote rather than self-serve pricing is not what QuickBooks is typically brought in for.
What can Paychex do that QuickBooks cannot?
Paychex covers Payroll processing, HR services, Benefits administration, Time & attendance. QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting.
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