QuickBooks Payroll vs Shape Payroll
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
QuickBooks Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Shape Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Shape Payroll leads on verified reviews by 0.2 of a point — 4.2 against 4.0 for QuickBooks Payroll.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | QuickBooks Payroll | Shape Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | On request | Free |
| Free version | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 218 reviews | 250 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about. The widest gap is customer support, at 0.3 of a point.
- QuickBooks Payroll
- Shape Payroll
| Dimension | QuickBooks Payroll | Shape Payroll | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Value for money | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Customer support | 3.8 | 4.1 | 0.3 to Shape Payroll |
| Functionality | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to Shape Payroll |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Payroll | 39% (86 reviews) | 35% (76 reviews) | 14% (31 reviews) | 8% (18 reviews) | 3% (7 reviews) |
| Shape Payroll | 47% (118 reviews) | 33% (83 reviews) | 11% (27 reviews) | 7% (17 reviews) | 2% (5 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 17%
- Only QuickBooks Payroll
- 747%
- Only Shape Payroll
- 747%
15 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
QuickBooks Payroll
7- Annual legislative updates
- Automatic payroll journal posting
- Employee self service portal
- Payslips and P60s
+ 3 more in the table below
Shape Payroll
7- Automatic legislative updates
- Cloud based
- Employee records
- Free Basic tier
+ 3 more in the table below
Showing 15 of 15 features
| Detail | QuickBooks Payroll | Shape Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 14 | ||
| Annual legislative updates | YesYes | NoNo |
| Automatic payroll journal posting | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee self service portal | YesYes | NoNo |
| Payslips and P60s | YesYes | NoNo |
| Pension auto enrolment and assessment | YesYes | NoNo |
| Pension provider connections | YesYes | NoNo |
| Statutory sick and parental pay | YesYes | NoNo |
| Automatic legislative updates | NoNo | YesYes |
| Cloud based | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee records | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free Basic tier | NoNo | YesYes |
| Payslips | NoNo | YesYes |
| Pension auto enrolment | NoNo | YesYes |
| Statutory payments | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 1 | ||
| RTI submissions to HMRC | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | QuickBooks Payroll | Shape Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| RTI-compliant payroll | YesYes | YesYes |
| Pension auto-enrolment | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK-based support | Telephone and chat support | UK support team |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
QuickBooks Payroll
Shape Payroll
QuickBooks Payroll
Contact vendor
- Paid add on to any QuickBooks Online plan
- Priced by employee count
- RTI submissions
Basic
Free
- Free payroll
- RTI submissions
- Auto enrolment
No comparable tier listed
Pro
£5/mo
- Up to 5 employees paid
- £1 per additional employee
- Priority support
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose QuickBooks Payroll if
- It lists 7 features Shape Payroll does not, including annual legislative updates.
Choose Shape Payroll if
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which QuickBooks Payroll does not offer.
- Reviewers score it higher on support — 4.1 against 3.8.
- It lists 7 features QuickBooks Payroll does not, including automatic legislative updates.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Shape Payroll currently rates 4.2 against 4.0 for QuickBooks Payroll. That gap is not the whole story: QuickBooks Payroll starts at a quoted price and Shape Payroll at Free, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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