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Payroll · head to head

Paychex Flex vs Paylocity

Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Payroll

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Payroll

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Paychex Flex no published pricing rates available; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

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 (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 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

  • No published pricing rates available
  • Pricing varies significantly based on employee count and business needs
  • All pricing requires direct contact with sales team

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.
Paychex Flex review

Choose Paylocity if

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

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.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paychex Flex: How much does Paychex Flex cost?

Paychex does not publish specific pricing rates. Pricing depends on your employee count and specific business needs. Customers must contact the sales team at 833-729-8200 or use the Request Pricing option for a custom quote.

Source
Paychex Flex: What Paychex Flex packages are available?

Three main payroll packages are offered: Paychex Flex Select, Paychex Flex Pro, and Paychex Flex Enterprise. There is also an Express package for specific scenarios like one-employee payroll.

Source
Paychex Flex: Does Paychex offer promotional pricing?

Paychex offers a promotion providing three months of free payroll services for new clients who process their first payroll by June 18, 2027, and maintain continuous payroll processing for 12 consecutive months. Eligible companies have 1-250 employees.

Source
Paychex Flex: What factors affect Paychex Flex pricing?

Pricing is based on employee count, specific features needed including HR, benefits, time tracking, insurance, and your chosen service tier.

Source
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