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Software · head to head

Paychex Flex vs Paylocity

Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Software

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Software

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; 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: Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Paylocity covers Payroll.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Paychex Flex and Paylocity differ
AttributePaychex FlexPaylocity
Starting price$39/monthOn request
Founded19711997

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • Xero
  • Sage
  • Microsoft 365

Only in Paylocity

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

Both cover

  • Benefits Administration
  • QuickBooks
  • Google Workspace
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Paychex Flex

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

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

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

Paychex Flex

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

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 Paychex Flex if

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

Choose Paylocity if

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

Questions people ask

Is Paychex Flex or Paylocity better?
Neither clearly leads. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and Paylocity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paychex Flex or Paylocity?
Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and Paylocity at On request.
Does Paychex Flex or Paylocity run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Paychex Flex best used for?
Paychex Flex is most often used for running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses, combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor, handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax forms. Of those, running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized us businesses and combining payroll with benefits administration and hr services from one vendor are not what Paylocity is typically brought in for.
What can Paychex Flex do that Paylocity cannot?
Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Time and Attendance. Paylocity covers Payroll, HR Management, Time and Labor, Talent Management. Both handle Benefits Administration, QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Web support.

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