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Payroll & Benefits · head to head

Paychex Flex vs Time Doctor

Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Payroll & Benefits

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Time Doctor logo

Time Doctor

Productivity

Employee time tracking and productivity monitoring

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Time Doctor historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • They diverge on capability: Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paychex Flex and Time Doctor actually diverge.

Attributes where Paychex Flex and Time Doctor differ
AttributePaychex FlexTime Doctor
Starting price$39/month$4/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
CategoryPayroll & BenefitsProductivity
Founded19712011

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Paychex Flex

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

Only in Time Doctor

  • Time tracking with timer
  • Activity monitoring
  • Screenshots
  • GPS tracking
  • Webcam monitoring
  • Reports and invoicing
  • Mobile apps
  • Team management

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 Time Doctor
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot Time Doctor
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot Time Doctor

Time Doctor

  • Productivitynot Paychex Flex
  • Collaborationnot Paychex Flex
  • Task managementnot Paychex Flex
  • Organizationnot Paychex Flex

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

Time Doctor

  • Historical tracking data retention is capped by plan: 3 months on Basic and 6 months on Standard, versus 2 years on Premium and Enterprise
  • HRIS and Payroll native integrations are paid add-ons at $200 per integration per month
  • Software Cost Insights add-on costs $3 per user per month on top of the base plan

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

Time Doctor

$4/month
  • Basic$4/month
    • Time tracking
    • Reports
    • Mobile apps
  • Standard$6/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Activity monitoring
    • Screenshots
  • Premium$10/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • GPS tracking
    • Webcam snapshots

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 Time Doctor if

  • You need time tracking with timer.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want activity monitoring.
Time Doctor review

Questions people ask

Is Paychex Flex or Time Doctor better?
Neither clearly leads. Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and Time Doctor at $4/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paychex Flex or Time Doctor?
Paychex Flex starts at $39/month and Time Doctor at $4/month.
Does Paychex Flex or Time Doctor run on more platforms?
Paychex Flex runs on Web, Ios, Android. Time Doctor runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
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 Time Doctor is typically brought in for.
What can Paychex Flex do that Time Doctor cannot?
Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Time Doctor covers Time tracking with timer, Activity monitoring, Screenshots, GPS tracking.
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