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It's a split decision.
Choose Heartland Payroll if you want payroll, tax, time, hiring and HR in one suite and fit its $89/month Essentials plan for 1–5 employees. Choose PrimePay if you want the lower listed entry price: Base starts at $55/month plus $5 per employee, with one state of tax filing included. Pro is $85/month plus $6 per employee and adds multi-state filing, time tracking and HR expert support. Neither publishes a free plan; compare final quotes and any add-on costs before switching.
01Side by side
| Heartland Payroll | PrimePay | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $89/month for 1–5 employees | $55/month + $5 per employee |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Businesses wanting payroll and HR tools together | Businesses wanting payroll with tiered HR support |
| Core strength | Payroll, tax, time, hiring and HR suite | Lower entry price with tax filing included |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations / data | Integration and data-export details not published | Pre-built integrations on Custom; export details not published |
| Team / seat costs | Essentials covers 1–5; extra-seat pricing unpublished | $5/employee Base; $6/employee Pro |
| Support | Live HR support; plan-level terms not published | Phone/chat Base; HR expert Pro; named PEO advisor |
Heartland Payroll Choose Heartland Payroll if
- Choose Heartland Payroll if you want payroll and HR tools bundled.
- Choose Heartland Payroll if 1–5 employees fit Essentials.
- Choose Heartland Payroll if hiring and time tools matter.
PrimePay Choose PrimePay if
- Choose PrimePay if the lower starting price matters most.
- Choose PrimePay if you need multi-state filing in Pro.
- Choose PrimePay if you want phone and chat support in Base.
02Pricing compared
PrimePay has the lower listed starting price, but its per-employee charges change the total. DIY (Base) is $55 per month plus $5 per employee. It includes unlimited payroll runs, one state of tax filing, two-day direct deposit, and phone and chat support. Expert Assist (Pro) is $85 per month plus $6 per employee, with multi-state filing, time and attendance, and HR expert support. Additional states cost $7.50 each, up to four states; several other add-ons have no published prices.
Heartland Essentials is $89 per month for businesses with 1–5 employees. The pricing information does not state a per-employee fee. Advanced and Complete require custom pricing, and Heartland Time is an add-on with no published price. Neither product lists a free plan or trial. Get a quote that spells out employee fees, state coverage and add-ons before comparing totals.
03Features and depth
Heartland’s listed suite brings payroll, tax administration, time and attendance, hiring, HR tools and employee self-service together. It calculates, withholds, remits and electronically files federal, state and local payroll taxes. The time tools cover hours, schedules, estimated overtime, labor and PTO. Hiring features include applicant tracking, job postings, screening and paperless onboarding; HR resources include templates, a handbook builder, credential tracking and live support. Employees can view pay stubs and tax forms, update personal details and submit hours.
PrimePay’s Base plan is narrower on the listed features: payroll, federal and single-state tax filing, two-day direct deposit and paycards. Pro adds multi-state filing, time and attendance, and on-demand HR expert support. Custom adds a dedicated account manager, pre-built integrations and bespoke reporting. Its PEO option lists benefits administration, a named HR advisor, full payroll management and a co-employer relationship. So Heartland presents a broad payroll-and-HR suite, while PrimePay separates features and service levels by plan. Confirm which features and support are included in your quote.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Our review scores give Heartland a slight edge for ease of use: 7 versus PrimePay’s 6. That is a modest difference, not proof that one interface will suit every payroll team.
The plan structure gives a clearer way to judge the likely workload. PrimePay Base is for businesses managing payroll themselves; Pro adds HR expert support, and the PEO option outsources more HR operations. Heartland lists live HR support and employee self-service alongside payroll and HR tools, but the available pricing details do not explain setup, training or implementation. Ask both vendors who handles migration, tax setup and employee onboarding, and whether that help costs extra.
Questions people ask
What happened to Heartland payments?
The information available here describes Heartland Payroll, a cloud payroll, tax and HR platform. It does not explain what happened to Heartland payment services or establish whether they changed ownership, branding or availability. Check current information from the specific Heartland payments business before making a decision.
Who are ADP’s main payroll competitors?
The source information for this comparison does not provide a full list of ADP competitors. It covers Heartland Payroll and PrimePay, so we can compare those two options here, but we can’t name or rank ADP’s main competitors from the published facts alone.
How much does Heartland charge for payroll?
Heartland Essentials is listed at $89 per month for businesses with 1–5 employees. Advanced and Complete are custom-priced, and Heartland Time is an add-on with no published price. The available pricing details do not state annual pricing, so ask Heartland for a quote covering your team and required features.
Is Heartland payment services legit?
The published information covers Heartland Payroll, not the legitimacy or current status of Heartland payment services. It is not enough to verify a payments provider. Confirm the exact business name, website and terms through current official sources before sharing financial details or signing an agreement.