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Try OnTheClock Payroll
Run payroll faster with time tracking and payroll connected in one simple, affordable system.
Try It FreeQuickBooks Payroll makes a lot of sense for businesses that are already neck deep into QuickBooks accounting and want their payroll to live in the same ecosystem.
If you're paying for QuickBooks Payroll mostly because you already use QuickBooks for accounting, not because it's the best payroll experience on its own, it's worth considering other options. That's especially true heading into mid-2026, when Intuit's own pricing is set to increase.
Here, we'll compare the best QuickBooks Payroll alternatives for 2026, including what each platform does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and which types of businesses it suits best.
Quick Picks: The Best QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives
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OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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Gusto: Best for HR Depth and Multistate Growth
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OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
How We Evaluated These QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives
QuickBooks Payroll's biggest advantage is convenience if you're already using QuickBooks for accounting. Its biggest weakness is that convenience only cuts one way: The product is built around the accounting workflow, not necessarily around the day-to-day experience of running payroll for a small team.
With that in mind, we evaluated each QuickBooks Payroll alternative based on:
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Whether the platform depends on you also using a specific accounting tool
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Whether time tracking is built in or requires a separate product
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Total monthly cost, including recent or upcoming pricing changes
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Support model and availability
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Overall fit for a small business with hourly employees
The Best QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives for 2026
OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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QuickBooks Payroll is built around QuickBooks accounting. That's a real strength if your business already runs on QuickBooks and wants everything tied together, but it also means the product is designed to keep you inside that ecosystem, not necessarily to be the best possible payroll experience on its own.
OnTheClock takes a different starting point. Employee time tracking is the foundation, and payroll connects directly to the timecards your team is already using. If you still want your accounting to sync with QuickBooks Online, that connection is available, too. It just isn't the only reason to use the product.
What Makes OnTheClock Different From QuickBooks Payroll?
The core difference is what the product is actually built around. QuickBooks Payroll's pricing (published at roughly $50-75/month base plus about $6.50 per employee) assumes you're also paying for QuickBooks accounting to get the most out of it, and a fee increase occurred July 1, 2026, adding roughly $2 per employee on Time plans. Support and billing are also common complaints in public reviews.
OnTheClock is built around the relationship between time tracking and payroll first. If your accounting already runs through QuickBooks Online, you can still connect it, but you're not paying for payroll as an add-on to an accounting product. You're paying for a payroll product that also syncs with your accounting.
OnTheClock Key Features
OnTheClock Pros
OnTheClock Cons
OnTheClock Pricing
- Payroll: $40 per month base + $6 per employee/month
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Implementation: One-time $250 payroll implementation fee
A business with 10 hourly employees would pay $145 per month for OnTheClock time tracking and payroll, plus the one-time implementation fee.
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Gusto: Best for HR Depth and Multistate Growth
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Gusto is a strong QuickBooks Payroll alternative for businesses that want more than payroll. Structured onboarding, HR tools, compliance support, and multistate payroll are among its more popular options.
Gusto's Simple plan starts at $49/month plus $6 per employee for single-state payroll. Its Plus plan, which costs $80/month plus $12 per employee, adds multistate payroll and time tracking along with deeper HR functionality.
Who Is Gusto Best For?
Gusto makes sense for a business that expects its HR needs to grow, plans to hire across state lines, or wants more structured onboarding and compliance tools without tying payroll to a specific accounting platform.
If your main goal is simply to connect hourly employee timecards to payroll, you may end up paying for HR functionality you don't need, especially once you move beyond the Simple plan for time tracking.
Gusto Key Features
Gusto Integrations:
Gusto Pros
Gusto Cons
Gusto Pricing
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Simple: $49/month + $6 per employee (single-state, no time tracking)
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Plus: $80/month + $12 per employee (multi-state, time tracking, deeper HR tools)
OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
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OnPay's approach is simple: One plan, published pricing, and every core payroll feature included without needing to layer on a specific accounting product to make the pricing worthwhile.
It includes multistate payroll and year-end tax forms without requiring a higher tier, and its integrations, including QuickBooks, are optional rather than a requirement to get full value from the platform.
Who Is OnPay Best For?
OnPay is attractive for businesses that want simple, predictable payroll pricing regardless of which accounting software they use, or whether they use one at all. The tradeoff is that OnPay doesn't offer a native employee time clock, so businesses that need time tracking will need a separate system.
OnPay Key Features
OnPay Integrations:
OnPay Pros
OnPay Cons
OnPay Pricing
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Flat plan: $49/month base + $6 per employee/month
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No separate tiers; all core features included
QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
Why Choose OnTheClock?
See how OnTheClock stacks up against other QuickBooks Payroll alternatives.
| Tool | Best For | Time Tracking | Tied to Specific Accounting Software | Pricing Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTheClock | Connected time tracking + payroll | Native | No, syncs with QuickBooks Online optionally | Flat, published |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Businesses already running QuickBooks accounting | Add-on | Best value assumes QuickBooks accounting | Tiered, increasing mid-2026 |
| Gusto | HR depth + growing businesses | Plus tier and above | No | Tiered |
| OnPay | Simple payroll pricing | Not included | No | Single flat plan |
Pricing shown reflects publicly available vendor pricing as of 2026 and is subject to change. Confirm current pricing directly with each provider before making a purchasing decision.
Which QuickBooks Payroll Alternative Is Best for Your Business?
The right answer here comes down to one honest question: Are you using QuickBooks Payroll because it's the best payroll product for your business, or because it's already built into the software you use for something else?
If you're manually moving employee hours between a time clock and payroll, OnTheClock is the strongest fit in this comparison, and you don't have to give up your QuickBooks Online accounting sync to get there. If you want more HR depth and multistate support without being tied to a specific accounting platform, Gusto is worth a look. If you just want the simplest, flattest payroll pricing available, OnPay is hard to beat.
Frequently Asked Questions About QuickBooks Payroll Alternatives
What is the best QuickBooks Payroll alternative?
For businesses that want time tracking and payroll connected, without being tied to QuickBooks accounting to get full value, OnTheClock is a strong alternative. Gusto suits businesses wanting more HR depth, while OnPay is a good fit for businesses that want the simplest possible pricing.
Why do businesses look for QuickBooks Payroll alternatives?
Common reasons include a scheduled 2026 pricing increase, a desire for payroll that isn't tied to a specific accounting platform, and dissatisfaction with support, both of which show up frequently in public reviews of QuickBooks Payroll.
Does switching away from QuickBooks Payroll mean giving up QuickBooks accounting?
Not necessarily. OnTheClock, Gusto, and OnPay can all sync with QuickBooks Online for accounting purposes, so switching payroll providers doesn't automatically mean switching your accounting software too.
Is QuickBooks Payroll increasing its prices in 2026?
According to Intuit's own announced pricing changes, a payroll fee increase occurred on July 1, 2026, adding roughly $2 per employee on Time plans.
Do QuickBooks Payroll alternatives handle payroll taxes?
OnTheClock, Gusto, and OnPay all include federal, state, and local payroll tax filing as part of their payroll service.
Is switching payroll providers difficult?
The difficulty depends on your workforce size, how much payroll history needs to be migrated, and the implementation support your new provider offers. Switching at the start of a calendar year, rather than mid-year, generally simplifies the process.
