QuickBooks Payroll vs Paylocity: Payroll Software Comparison (2026)

An independent side-by-side comparison of QuickBooks Payroll and Paylocity 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.

Paylocity leads overall13% cited vs QuickBooks Payroll 0% across 60 probes.
ChatGPT
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
PaylocityLeads
1 / 6 probes
17%
Average
Perplexity
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Paylocity
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Gemini
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Paylocity
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
Claude
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
PaylocityLeads
2 / 6 probes
33%
Good
Copilot
QuickBooks Payroll
0 / 6 probes
0%
Invisible
PaylocityLeads
1 / 6 probes
17%
Average
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
Paylocity
Starting price
Free tier
paylocity.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
Paylocity
  • Automated payroll workflows
  • 24/7 self-service portal
  • AI-powered expense management
  • Employee experience dashboard
  • Marketplace integrations
  • Customizable HR workflows
  • Real-time access auditing
  • Mobile access for employers and employees

When to choose QuickBooks Payroll

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

When to choose Paylocity

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

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