Heartland Payroll+ vs. QuickBooks Desktop Pro

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Heartland Payroll+
Score 3.5 out of 10
N/A
Heartland Payroll+ is presented as a complete management solution, designed to serve as a single point of contact, making it easy to deal with any issue. Customers have online access to their payroll data and employee information, and Heartland’s tools are accessible on the go.N/A
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Quickbooks Desktop Pro is accounting software from Intuit, Inc. It includes core accounting features, plus analytics and exportable reports. It is offered in on-premise and SaaS forms.N/A
Pricing
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Features
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
8.2
8 Ratings
1% below category average
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
9.3
65 Ratings
26% above category average
Pay calculation9.24 Ratings9.961 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.72 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.72 Ratings9.835 Ratings
Direct deposit files2.87 Ratings9.853 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.25 Ratings9.949 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.01 Ratings7.350 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
7.9
39 Ratings
14% above category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings8.032 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings7.836 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
8.5
93 Ratings
8% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings8.975 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.188 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
8.4
108 Ratings
13% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings9.693 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings7.4108 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings8.1106 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
8.0
112 Ratings
11% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings9.7107 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings7.4109 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings2.297 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.7108 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.899 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings8.747 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings5.964 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings7.927 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings5.652 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings7.239 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.050 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings9.738 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.015 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.837 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings7.438 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings8.517 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.665 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings9.733 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings8.141 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings7.824 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings9.748 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
6.7
56 Ratings
0% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.453 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.132 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings6.229 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings8.216 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Heartland Payroll+
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Desktop Pro
7.3
70 Ratings
3% above category average
Pricing00 Ratings6.550 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings7.449 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings7.148 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.058 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.018 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.021 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings3.216 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed
QuickBooks Self-Employed
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Accounting Seed
Accounting Seed
Score 8.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Likelihood to Recommend
2.4
(8 ratings)
5.6
(124 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(18 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(31 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
1.0
(4 ratings)
2.2
(29 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
1.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Heartland Payroll+QuickBooks Desktop Pro
Likelihood to Recommend
Global Payments
We changed payroll companies from Paycom to Heartland this year at the recommendation of our insurance agent who insisted they would integrate with the EASE system, which tracks employee benefits and deductions. However, 8 weeks into it, I regret my decision, since the setup hasn't been completed yet. The lack of responsiveness in some cases is astounding and often we have to ask 3, 4, and 5 times for something to be done. I hate to think what will happen after we are "handed off" from the payroll implementation team to the regular schmucks. We still are not able to track PTO and time off and we have been begging for the self-service feature to be turned on for employees so they can change addresses, bank account info, etc. Their training is NONEXISTENT and their manual is abysmal. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!! I wish I could go back to Paycom!
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Intuit
I am only going to recommend it because it is currently ubiquitous, and most accountants prefer it at the moment. I do not stand by the company, and will not use the product any longer than I have to. [I believe] the support is lousy, the product is overpriced, but it does the basics of what we need. I'm very happy for all those outside Intuit who make their living supporting QuickBooks Desktop Pro; third-party support is desperately needed. They also doubled their prices for software upgrades this year, and require those who don't pay double what the last upgrade cost, to subscribe every year for $200. If one does not subscribe beyond the first year, one will not be able to use the software beyond the first year. They are moving to a rental model even for those who refuse to use the LOUSY QuickBooks online. They were good company once. Now they just turn out bloatware that everyone uses, so the rest of us have to. I look forward to the day that an honest, better-priced competitor wipes the floor with Intuit.
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Pros
Global Payments
  • White-glove customer support. All employees are in the United States and they must pay them well, because they don't seem to have turnover there.
  • Technology is awesome. We have Payroll, HR, T&A, ATS, and onboarding with them.
  • Their Tax Credit tech is amazing. I received more money in tax credits last year than payroll cost me. That's a net positive!
  • Compliance with their HR team is great, and they don't hit you over the head on the price for it.
  • Pricing is fantastic with a 3-year price lock. No BS discounting that jumps back up a year later.
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Intuit
  • It is easy to manage and adjust inventory on hand.
  • It is easy to make reports and customize them to your needs.
  • We also use it to pay our employees directly.
  • It is easy to make year-to-year comparisons to see where we can make improvements and the current financial situation.
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Cons
Global Payments
  • Sometimes the system (geocode) will not allow me to process address changes by asking for help from our specialist.
  • Response for assistance is usually a lot slower when our dedicated specialist is not available.
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Intuit
  • QuickBooks Desktop Pro has been around for a few years and after an update[,] they force you to look at the changes/updates before you can use [them] after updating.
  • QuickBooks Desktop Pro does not have 2FA.
  • QuickBooks Desktop Pro should offer a way to store backups to a personal cloud without having to map a local network drive.
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Likelihood to Renew
Global Payments
No answers on this topic
Intuit
We've used the program for more than 20 years in our firm both with clients and as our software. For the cost and value of the program it works well for our firms needs and desires for an accounting software program. At this point to switch would not make sense.
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Usability
Global Payments
No answers on this topic
Intuit
It is a great software that does everything a small business needs it to do, but there are just a few bugs and quirks that make additional software necessary. The slowness of the software occasionally might eventually be overshadowed by the quickness of cloud-based software though.
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Reliability and Availability
Global Payments
No answers on this topic
Intuit
I haven't experienced a time when QuickBooks Pro was unavailable when I needed it in the entire 20 years of using the software
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Support Rating
Global Payments
I never have trouble reaching customer support. They always are able to assist with fixing any problems that arise. There honestly haven't been many issues at all. Only ones I've created :)
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Intuit
The support team is not always easy to use or able to understand the problems. There are some difficulties understanding [...] the issues the purchaser has and the solutions are sometimes hard to implement. A lot can be avoided if the users have adequate training and security is set up correctly at implementation.
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In-Person Training
Global Payments
No answers on this topic
Intuit
Best thing I ever did was to attend a two day training seminar on QuickBooks, I learned an immense amount in a short time with hands on training by experts. I strongly recommend such training for anyone using any part of the software. It will pay for itself in the first month.
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Implementation Rating
Global Payments
The Heartland team could care less about how difficult your experience is. In fact, I think they delight in seeing you struggle!
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Intuit
We implemented the software ourselves. The training we received on the software was done by taking a community course teaching us how to use QuickBooks. It allowed me to get started with some basics of how to use the program and have not needed much assistance since completing the course work.
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Alternatives Considered
Global Payments
I've considered moving payroll over to QuickBooks Online so that everything is in one place, but it would probably take too much work considering that our current system works really well. I think QuickBooks would confuse me, honestly. There are other systems that offer different user interfaces that are neat looking, but I haven't done too much research because Heartland Payroll offered me a really good deal for processing since we are a small company.
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Intuit
Zoho had great end-user support and it was almost as simple to learn and was as easy to use. But its reports were not as [customizable] as QuickBooks Desktop Pro, and its job cost and department accounting [were] more cumbersome than QuickBooks Desktop Pro was. In addition, while I like an underdog (Zoho) the fact is that it is easier to find staff that [is] comfortable with QuickBooks Desktop Pro than anything else on the market.
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Return on Investment
Global Payments
  • We have a net positive using Heartland. We actually bring more money in from their tax credits than the payroll service actually costs.
  • I used to have a part-time person handing our payroll/HR needs. Now this is done by me because it's so easy.
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Intuit
  • QuickBooks Desktop Pro is a no hassle accounting solution that ticks a lot of boxes. It almost never disappoints and organizations will usually keep using it for many years. If anything, the only time I've seen an organization migrate away from it is if they have specific accounting needs, or if the organization has grown to the point that they need a more robust accounting solution. Even then, QuickBooks can usually be maintained within another accounting software system for specific functions, like A/R & A/P for example.
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