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Payroll · head to head

Branch App vs Paylocity

Branch App logo

Branch App

Payroll

Digital wallet and Mastercard debit card bundled with fee-free earned wage access for US workers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Payroll

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Branch App has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Branch App the fee-free promise applies most fully to funds kept in the Branch Wallet; moving money out instantly to an external bank account can carry a fee, which is easy to overlook.; Paylocity the Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.
  • They diverge on capability: Branch App covers On-demand pay, Paylocity covers Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Branch App and Paylocity actually diverge.

Attributes where Branch App and Paylocity differ
AttributeBranch AppPaylocity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree for employers, fee-free standard access for workersquote
Free tierYesNo
FoundedUnknown1997

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Branch App

  • On-demand pay
  • Branch Wallet
  • Branch Card
  • Branch Embedded
  • Cashless tips and mileage tracking
  • Automatic savings

Only in Paylocity

  • Payroll
  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Labor
  • Talent Management
  • Employee Engagement
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Branch App

  • A healthcare, retail or hospitality employer wanting fee-free earned wage access for shift workersnot Paylocity
  • A gig or shift-scheduling platform wanting to embed pay features under its own brand via Branch Embeddednot Paylocity
  • An employer wanting cashless tipping and mileage tracking bundled with wage accessnot Paylocity
  • A worker who wants a dedicated pay-focused wallet and debit card rather than routing advances to a personal bank accountnot Paylocity

Paylocity

No use cases recorded yet. See the Paylocity review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Branch App

  • The fee-free promise applies most fully to funds kept in the Branch Wallet; moving money out instantly to an external bank account can carry a fee, which is easy to overlook.
  • Because Branch Embedded lets other platforms white-label the same infrastructure, a worker or employer evaluating a differently branded wage access feature may not realise Branch is the underlying processor, complicating vendor due diligence.
  • As with all earned wage access, frequent draws are a symptom of pay not covering living costs between cycles, which the product does not itself remedy.
  • Coverage is US-only, so it does not serve international or multi-country workforces.
  • Adoption value depends on workers actually using the Branch wallet and card day to day; a worker who only wants advances deposited into an existing bank account gets a comparatively thinner experience than one who adopts the full wallet.

Paylocity

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.

Pricing, plan by plan

Branch App

Free
  • BranchFree
    • No employer subscription cost
    • Fee-free earned wage access to the Branch Wallet
    • Instant transfer to external accounts may carry a fee

Paylocity

On request
  • Core Payroll$undefined/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Complete HCM$undefined/month
    • All Core features
    • HR
    • Benefits

Which should you pick?

Choose Branch App if

  • You need on-demand pay.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want branch wallet.
Branch App review

Choose Paylocity if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want hr management.
Paylocity review

Questions people ask

Is Branch App or Paylocity better?
Neither clearly leads. Branch App starts at Free and Paylocity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Branch App or Paylocity?
Branch App has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Branch App and On request for Paylocity.
Does Branch App or Paylocity run on more platforms?
Branch App runs on Web, iOS, Android. Paylocity runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Branch App for free?
Yes. Branch App has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paylocity starts at On request.
What is Branch App best used for?
Branch App is most often used for a healthcare, retail or hospitality employer wanting fee-free earned wage access for shift workers, a gig or shift-scheduling platform wanting to embed pay features under its own brand via branch embedded, an employer wanting cashless tipping and mileage tracking bundled with wage access, a worker who wants a dedicated pay-focused wallet and debit card rather than routing advances to a personal bank account. Of those, a healthcare, retail or hospitality employer wanting fee-free earned wage access for shift workers and a gig or shift-scheduling platform wanting to embed pay features under its own brand via branch embedded are not what Paylocity is typically brought in for.
What can Branch App do that Paylocity cannot?
Branch App covers On-demand pay, Branch Wallet, Branch Card, Branch Embedded. Paylocity covers Payroll, HR Management, Benefits Administration, Time and Labor.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Branch App: Is it free for employers?

Yes, the core earned wage access offering is free for employers and standard access is fee-free for workers.

Branch App: What is Branch Embedded?

A white-label version of Branch's wage access and paycard infrastructure that other software platforms can build into their own branded product.

Branch App: Does it work outside the US?

No, it is a US-only product.

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