QuickStub vs PayStubDirect
Both tools sell the same thing: a paystub PDF you prepare yourself. This page puts them side by side — what each charges, what each gives away free, and where PayStubDirect is the better pick. Every PayStubDirect figure was checked August 2026 and is not independently audited.
What both tools actually produce
QuickStub and PayStubDirect both produce a self-prepared payment record — your own account of income you earned. Neither is an employer-issued paystub, a payroll filing or a tax return, and no generator can promise a lender or landlord will accept one. Pair it with a tax return and bank statements. QuickStub is for documenting income you actually earned; misrepresenting income to obtain credit, housing or a benefit is fraud.
The short answers
Is QuickStub cheaper than PayStubDirect?
For one clean PDF, yes: QuickStub charges $2.99 and PayStubDirect charges $7.97, checked August 2026. For a large batch in one sitting the answer flips — PayStubDirect's $29.97 unlimited session has no per-stub cost once bought, while ten QuickStub PDFs cost $12.99.
What does PayStubDirect do that QuickStub does not?
PayStubDirect sells an unlimited one-session pass at $29.97. QuickStub has no session pass; its closest equivalent is $39.99 a year for unlimited clean PDFs, which keeps working every time you come back. For one large batch in a single sitting the session pass is cheaper; across a year of recurring stubs the annual plan is.
Is either document employer-issued?
No. Both produce a self-prepared payment record. A paystub issued by an employer comes out of a payroll system that also remits the withholding; a document you generate about your own income is evidence you prepared, and it belongs alongside a tax return and bank statements.
Side by side
| What you're comparing | QuickStub | PayStubDirect |
|---|---|---|
| One clean PDF | $2.99 | $7.97 |
| Free preview | Unlimited watermarked preview, no account and no email | Verify on vendor site |
| Templates | 30 designs, every one previewable free at one price | Verify on vendor site |
| W-2 and 1099 forms | No — QuickStub makes paystubs only | Verify on vendor site |
| Honest-use policy | Attestation at checkout plus a published Acceptable Use Policy | Verify on vendor site |
| Where the numbers are calculated | In your browser until you save or download | Verify on vendor site |
| Interface languages | 8 — English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Japanese | Verify on vendor site |
| Credit expiry | Credits never expire | Verify on vendor site |
QuickStub's column describes shipped behaviour. The PayStubDirect column was checked August 2026 against the vendor's public site and is not independently audited — verify on vendor site before you buy.
What each one costs
QuickStub: the watermarked preview is free, unlimited and needs no account. A clean, watermark-free PDF costs $2.99 once, $4.99 for three, $12.99 for ten, or $39.99 a year for unlimited downloads. Credits never expire.
PayStubDirect lists $7.97 for one stub, $14.97 for three, and $29.97 for unlimited stubs inside a single session, checked August 2026. The session pass is the figure to weigh: if you need a year of back-dated stubs in one sitting it can beat per-stub pricing outright.
Moving from PayStubDirect: what maps to what
- Open the last stub you bought from PayStubDirect and note its period end date and year-to-date totals — those are the only two things you have to carry across.
- In QuickStub, pick the classification that matches how you are paid (1099, W-2 or owner's draw) rather than the template name PayStubDirect used.
- Enter those year-to-date figures as your opening balance. QuickStub carries YTD forward from there, so you type them once for the whole pay year.
- Check the free preview against the PayStubDirect stub line by line before you spend $2.99. The preview is unlimited and needs no account.
Where PayStubDirect is stronger
- A $29.97 pass for unlimited stubs inside one session — cheaper than QuickStub if you need more than about ten documents in a single sitting.
- Publicly listed bundle pricing with no per-feature add-ons.
Choose PayStubDirect if…
Choose PayStubDirect if you have one long session of back-dated stubs to produce and the $29.97 unlimited pass works out cheaper than buying credits. At that volume it is a genuinely good deal.
Choose QuickStub if…
Choose QuickStub if you need one document or a few: $2.99 each, credits that never expire, an unlimited free preview before you pay, 30 templates at one price, and an attestation plus a published Acceptable Use Policy at checkout.
PayStubDirect and QuickStub — questions people ask
How much does a single paystub cost on each?
QuickStub charges $2.99 for one clean PDF. PayStubDirect charges $7.97, checked August 2026. Prices change — verify on the vendor's site before you buy.
Can I try either one before paying?
QuickStub gives an unlimited watermarked preview with no account and no email. Whether PayStubDirect offers a free preview was not confirmed in the August 2026 check, so verify on vendor site.
Do QuickStub credits expire if I do not use them?
No. Credits never expire, so a three-pack bought today can be spent across three different months or three different years.
Does QuickStub generate W-2 or 1099 forms?
No. QuickStub makes paystubs only. If you need a W-2 or a 1099 alongside the stub, a generator that also produces tax forms will serve you better.
PayStubDirect prices and features on this page were checked August 2026 against the vendor's public site. QuickStub does not independently audit competitors and vendors change pricing without notice; rows that read “verify on vendor site” are ones QuickStub could not confirm. QuickStub's own figures describe live product behaviour.