QuickBooks Payroll vs OnPay: Payroll Software Comparison (2026)

An independent side-by-side comparison of QuickBooks Payroll and OnPay for payroll software buyers — pricing, features, integrations, and how often each is cited by major AI engines.

AI Citation Scorecard

How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask payroll software questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.

OnPay leads overall43% cited vs QuickBooks Payroll 0% across 60 probes.
ChatGPT
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
OnPayLeads
1 / 6 probes
17%
Average
Perplexity
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
OnPayLeads
4 / 6 probes
67%
Excellent
Gemini
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
OnPayLeads
5 / 6 probes
83%
Excellent
Claude
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
OnPayLeads
1 / 6 probes
17%
Average
Copilot
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
OnPayLeads
2 / 6 probes
33%
Good
Scale:NoneLowFairStrongExcellent

Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.

Pricing

QuickBooks Payroll
Starting price
$88 + $7/employee
Free tier
quickbooks.intuit.com/payroll
OnPay
Starting price
$49/month + $6/worker
Free tier
onpay.com

Key Features

QuickBooks Payroll
  • Full service payroll
  • Next-day direct deposit
  • 1099 E-File
  • Expert product support
  • Auto payroll
  • Health benefits
  • 401(k) plans
  • Track income & expenses
OnPay
  • Direct deposit
  • Hiring and onboarding
  • Health insurance
  • Built-in reporting
  • PTO management
  • 401(k) retirement
  • Mobile friendly
  • Employee self-service

When to choose QuickBooks Payroll

Choose QuickBooks Payroll if your team prioritizes its strengths over OnPay's. Full guidance populates as QuickBooks Payroll's feature data is indexed.

When to choose OnPay

Choose OnPay if your team prioritizes its strengths over QuickBooks Payroll's. Full guidance populates as OnPay's feature data is indexed.

More Payroll Software Comparisons