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Communication & Collaboration · head to head

Flock vs Paychex Flex

Flock logo

Flock

Communication & Collaboration

Organized team communication platform

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 Flock has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Flock the Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10; 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: Flock covers Team chat, Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Flock and Paychex Flex differ
AttributeFlockPaychex Flex
Starting priceFree$39/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCommunication & CollaborationPayroll & Benefits
Founded20141971

Identical on both: 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 Flock

  • Team chat
  • Channels
  • Threads
  • File sharing
  • Polls
  • Integrations
  • Mobile apps
  • Slack

Only in Paychex Flex

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

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Flock

  • Team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharingnot Paychex Flex
  • Running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspacenot Paychex Flex
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing for small teamsnot Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex

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

Where each one falls short

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

Flock

  • The Starter plan only makes the most recent 10,000 messages searchable and caps public channels at 10
  • Starter storage is 5 GB for the entire team, against 10 GB per member on Pro and 20 GB per member on Enterprise
  • Starter allows a single team admin and a single approved domain
  • Group video calls and screen sharing require the Pro plan; Starter is limited to 1-1 video calls
  • Group video calls are capped at 20 participants even on Enterprise
  • Single Sign-On and Active Directory sync are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise is quote only, with no published rate, and is positioned for organisations with 100 or more members
  • Unlimited auto-join and announcement channels require Enterprise; Starter and Pro get one of each

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

Flock

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chats
    • Channels
    • File sharing
  • Pro$5/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Advanced search
    • API access

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 Flock if

  • You need team chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want channels.
Flock 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 Flock or Paychex Flex better?
Neither clearly leads. Flock 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, Flock or Paychex Flex?
Flock has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Flock and $39/month for Paychex Flex.
Does Flock or Paychex Flex run on more platforms?
Flock runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Flock for free?
Yes. Flock has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month.
What is Flock best used for?
Flock is most often used for team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing, running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace, video conferencing and screen sharing for small teams. Of those, team messaging with channels, direct messages and file sharing and running polls, to-dos and reminders inside a chat workspace are not what Paychex Flex is typically brought in for.
What can Flock do that Paychex Flex cannot?
Flock covers Team chat, Channels, Threads, File sharing. Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

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