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Recruitment & ATS · head to head

Factorial vs Paychex Flex

Factorial logo

Factorial

Recruitment & ATS

HR software that employees love

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Payroll & Benefits

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Factorial has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Factorial beyond a $8 per user per month starting price the pricing page publishes no plan tiers and no rate card, directing buyers to request a tailored quote; Paychex Flex paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • They diverge on capability: Factorial covers HR Management, Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Factorial and Paychex Flex actually diverge.

Attributes where Factorial and Paychex Flex differ
AttributeFactorialPaychex Flex
Starting priceFree$39/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryRecruitment & ATSPayroll & Benefits
Founded20161971

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

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 Factorial

  • HR Management
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Documents
  • Payroll
  • Performance
  • Recruiting
  • Shift Management

Only in Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • Xero
  • Sage

Both cover

  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • QuickBooks
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Factorial

  • Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Paychex Flex
  • Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Paychex Flex
  • Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex

  • Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot Factorial
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot Factorial
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot Factorial

Where each one falls short

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

Factorial

  • Beyond a $8 per user per month starting price the pricing page publishes no plan tiers and no rate card, directing buyers to request a tailored quote
  • Time management, talent management, finance and IT management are sold as separate modules rather than included in the base product

Paychex Flex

  • Paychex publishes no rate card for Paychex Flex: the payroll page names the Select, Pro and Enterprise packages but gives no per employee fee, no base monthly fee and no setup fee
  • Pricing is obtained only by requesting a quote or calling sales
  • Product capability is split across three packages, so features are tied to a tier whose price is not disclosed

Pricing, plan by plan

Factorial

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic HR
    • Time Off
    • Documents
  • Business$5/month
    • All Free features
    • Payroll
    • Performance

Paychex Flex

$39/month
  • Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Select$undefined/month
    • All Essentials features
    • HR Administration
    • Onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Factorial if

  • You need hr management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time off.
Factorial review

Choose Paychex Flex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax administration.
Paychex Flex review

Questions people ask

Is Factorial or Paychex Flex better?
Neither clearly leads. Factorial starts at Free and Paychex Flex at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Factorial or Paychex Flex?
Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Factorial and $39/month for Paychex Flex.
Does Factorial or Paychex Flex run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Factorial for free?
Yes. Factorial has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month.
What is Factorial best used for?
Factorial is most often used for managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding, tracking time off, attendance and shifts, running recruitment and performance reviews alongside hr data. Of those, managing employee records, onboarding and offboarding and tracking time off, attendance and shifts are not what Paychex Flex is typically brought in for.
What can Factorial do that Paychex Flex cannot?
Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents. Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Both handle Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks, Web support.
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