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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Paychex

    Score6.9 out of 10
    N/APaychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.N/A

    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AQuickbooks Desktop for Mac is an accounting software designed for Mac users. It is designed to integrate with Apple iCloud. It provides core accounting features in line with the rest of the Quickbooks Desktop product line.N/A
    Pricing
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Editions & Modules
    Paychex Flex Pro
    Custom Pricing
    per month/+$4 per employee
    HR Pro
    Custom Pricing
    HR PEO
    Custom Pricing
    Paychex Flex Select
    Custom Pricing
    Paychex Flex Enterprise
    Custom Pricing
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Considered Both Products
    Paychex Inc.
    Chose Paychex
    I have used other large-scale systems in the past that would be too much overhead for our small organization. I like to keep us lean and focused and spend as little time and resources on overhead as possible. This lets us operate without adding people to handle this function.
    Incentivized
    Chose Paychex
    I used another payroll company years ago and I didn't feel like our business really mattered to them. Even though I don't use many of the different services, I've been with Paychex for over 10+ years and counting.
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    88%
    Would buy again
    269 Answers
    80%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    90%
    Delivers good value for the price
    242 Answers
    80%
    Delivers good value for the price
    4 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    283 Answers
    80%
    Happy with the feature set
    4 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    88%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    203 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    218 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.0
    282 Ratings
    16% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data7.7228 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history7.9252 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration7.7185 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.8183 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting4.66 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management7.1166 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.4151 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.6
    323 Ratings
    8% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    8.9
    13 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Pay calculation8.0305 Ratings8.411 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors6.56 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.4160 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration7.2182 Ratings7.98 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.3302 Ratings10.010 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.0216 Ratings8.47 Ratings
    Reimbursement management7.4124 Ratings10.09 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.2
    163 Ratings
    13% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Approval workflow7.5117 Ratings00 Ratings
    Balance details7.6155 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment6.3122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    7.2
    280 Ratings
    14% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    View and generate pay and benefit information8.1258 Ratings00 Ratings
    Update personal information7.6270 Ratings00 Ratings
    View company policy documentation7.4128 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee recognition5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    View job history7.6193 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.4
    46 Ratings
    23% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets6.446 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.1
    182 Ratings
    22% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Report builder6.5152 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-built reports6.8170 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data5.095 Ratings00 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.8
    180 Ratings
    17% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    New hire portal7.0172 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools6.7116 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    6.2
    3 Ratings
    26% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Corporate goal setting4.82 Ratings00 Ratings
    Individual goal setting5.73 Ratings00 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility5.42 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance tracking8.82 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    5.8
    3 Ratings
    31% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Performance plans6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans6.03 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review status tracking5.73 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review reminders5.73 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency5.73 Ratings00 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    4.6
    4 Ratings
    52% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Create succession plans/pools3.62 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate ranking4.12 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search5.53 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate development5.23 Ratings00 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    5.4
    73 Ratings
    38% below category average
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    -
    Ratings
    Job Requisition Management5.138 Ratings00 Ratings
    Company Website Posting5.235 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media5.729 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting6.137 Ratings00 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention4.635 Ratings00 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking4.741 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts6.267 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    7.5
    12 Ratings
    1% below category average
    API for custom integration00 Ratings7.08 Ratings
    Plug-ins00 Ratings8.011 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    10.0
    22 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Single sign-on capability00 Ratings10.022 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions00 Ratings10.019 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    6.7
    24 Ratings
    15% below category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings5.121 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings7.924 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.024 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    7.6
    26 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Accounts payable00 Ratings8.126 Ratings
    Accounts receivable00 Ratings7.725 Ratings
    Cash management00 Ratings5.520 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.526 Ratings
    Expense management00 Ratings8.622 Ratings
    Time tracking00 Ratings7.514 Ratings
    Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.016 Ratings
    Multi-currency support00 Ratings5.011 Ratings
    Multi-division support00 Ratings6.012 Ratings
    Regulations compliance00 Ratings10.011 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing00 Ratings10.017 Ratings
    Self-service portal00 Ratings7.715 Ratings
    Global Financial Support00 Ratings5.08 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings8.615 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.116 Ratings
    Localizations00 Ratings8.07 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings9.519 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings8.67 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting00 Ratings6.511 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings6.511 Ratings
    Standardized Processes00 Ratings6.915 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    7.4
    17 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Inventory tracking00 Ratings9.516 Ratings
    Automatic reordering00 Ratings6.512 Ratings
    Location management00 Ratings6.911 Ratings
    Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.510 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of Paychex and QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Feature
    Paychex
    -
    Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    9.1
    20 Ratings
    21% above category average
    Pricing00 Ratings9.019 Ratings
    Order entry00 Ratings9.518 Ratings
    Credit card processing00 Ratings9.119 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold00 Ratings9.118 Ratings
    Order Orchestration00 Ratings9.07 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings9.19 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution00 Ratings9.18 Ratings
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    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
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    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
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    Score8.3 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.8
    (338 ratings)
    8.1
    (34 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.2
    (48 ratings)
    8.0
    (9 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (279 ratings)
    6.1
    (8 ratings)
    Availability
    5.2
    (12 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    7.0
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.5
    (278 ratings)
    7.0
    (4 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    4.5
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    2.7
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    5.1
    (13 ratings)
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    5.0
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    5.3
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    5.7
    (34 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.2
    (35 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    PaychexQuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Paychex Inc.
    It is best suited for payrolls from 1 to 150 employees, because their constant attention and flex system are easy to use. Any problem is taking care by your Paychex Agent, and they always listen to you. Better yet, when you become a client with more than 5 years, you get special discount on your renewal. Honestly, I can't not think on nothing that will be less appropriate.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    If you're a freelancer or running a very small business where you do your own bookkeeping I think this is a great option, especially if you're familiar with accounting and bookkeeping in general. If you're not so familiar with bookkeeping, I would say that the learning curve is too steep and you might want to look elsewhere for a more intuitive solution
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Paychex Inc.
    • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
    • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
    • Employee access both online and thru app.
    • Paperless options.
    • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
    • Easy employee retirement management.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • The program is very easy to learn, the interface is incredibly user-friendly and there are tons of free resources and tutorials available
    • It makes managing payroll really easy for the employee and accountant on staff. No more lost time sheets or late paychecks!
    • Managing bills and paying them has become streamlined and it's great having everything in one place so we don't lose track of things.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Paychex Inc.
    • I understand logging you out is a security function, but I'd prefer it not to log you out so soon.
    • The training we received for the team's meeting was subpar, in my opinion. Probably better geared for people with little to no computer experience. Very slow pace; we could have easily received all of this from some tutorials in a few minutes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • The #1 complaint is that setting it up right is a challenge. People waste time trying to figure it out only to realize that they don't know accounting so of course they don't know how an accounting program should be set up. Like any time you are in over your head, reach out to your network and find someone who can log onto your computer and walk you through it.
    • If you need to track the cost of wages to jobs you can't do it with the online payroll, but check for yourself because it's a function that landscaping companies and construction businesses usually need, so maybe they have added it by now. That would really help!
    • It's premise-based software and that means you take on the role of hardware admin, and it's a lot of work for what is increasingly becoming a smaller gap in the functionality between QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Online.
    • QuickBooks for Mac 2015 has been updated consistently over the last 3 years and continues to provide for the bookkeeping needs of small companies using Macs in their offices. However, it has limited job costing functionality. It is similar in functionality to the 2010 version of QuickBooksPro which runs on Windows.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Paychex Inc.
    Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I haven't spent that much time with the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac, but I think I'm seeing it make the much-needed improvements. For example, something as simple as undoing the previous reconciliation was a terrible chore, and I'm glad that feature has been included in the newer versions of QuickBooks for Mac
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Paychex Inc.
    Once you are set up in the system, it is very user-friendly and usability is on par with my expectations. Onboarding new employees is simple, employee access is simple and easy for them to use. Tax documentation, reporting, and entering payroll is easy and user-friendly. Running reports and finding information necessary to keep the flow moving foward is easy to do
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    The Mac version is OK overall. I find the Windows versions to be much more robust but Mac is quite good for Mac users. Though I think die hard Mac users should consider QuickBooks Online instead as there is a new QB for Mac app that makes using QBO much better!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Paychex Inc.
    We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I've been using the QuickBooks online version for a little over 6 months now (upgraded from Mac desktop) and I haven't had any access issues. There have been times when it was down for service/upgrade however there is always plenty of notification time given by the Quick Books Online Support team. These upgrade maintenance time frames are always over night hours and on the weekends so everything can be worked around very easily.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Paychex Inc.
    Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    The dedicated support we are given is good and very responsive. If there is a change to the dedicated support, we are notified quickly and have temporary support in place while we wait for our new rep. The phone support is knowledgeable and quick to help if there is an immediate need. However, the chat support can be the slowest option and doesn't always launch so I rarely use it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    Fortunately, I haven't had to reach out much for support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Paychex Inc.
    We did online training only
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Paychex Inc.
    It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Paychex Inc.
    Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Paychex Inc.
    In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting to be sized right for our size (around 30 employees). Paychex Flex also offered a very reasonable service to apply for the ERTC
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I love using Quickbooks compared to other software we've tried. QuickBooks Online and TSheets interface. Customer service and problem resolution are generally excellent, with well-trained and proficient agents taking calls or on chat. Ease of use and accessibility via the mobile app. Great courses were available to help with learning the basics and some advanced accounting background. I love learning! Online accessibility - it can work anywhere with an internet connection. Linking to bank and credit card accounts is handy.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Paychex Inc.
    I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Paychex Inc.
    • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
    • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
    • Lost checks is a thing of the past
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    • It has allowed us to offer multiple bookkeeping softwares for clients that do not want to change from what they have been using.
    • Payroll filing has given us ease of mind because we can physically make the filings rather than waiting on payroll software to make them for us.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Paychex Screenshots

    Screenshot of Paychex Payroll DashboardScreenshot of Employee Background ChecksScreenshot of Paychex HR DashboardScreenshot of Paychex Flex Perks