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Rippling: Best for global workforces
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Paylocity: Best for time and attendance tracking
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Paychex Flex: Best for customer service
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Paycom: Best for employee self-service
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Workday HCM: Best for reporting
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ADP Workforce Now: Best for tax processes
Payroll software can help organizations streamline their payroll operations, ensuring precision and efficiency. As a payroll software solution, Paycor offers an extensive array of tools with robust automation features, making it a valuable asset for businesses seeking accuracy, efficiency and actionable insights in their payroll processes.
Choosing the right payroll solution is vital for the success of your organization. This article will evaluate Paycor and conduct a comparative analysis with several other well-known payroll software solutions. This way, you can determine which competing solution has the necessary features to best serve the needs of your organization.
Jump to:
- Top Paycor competitors and alternatives: Comparison table
- Top Paycor competitors
- Is Paycor worth it?
- Paycor pros and cons
- Do you need an alternative to Paycor?
- Methodology
Top Paycor competitors and alternatives: Comparison table
Paycor offers advantageous payroll features, but how does it stack up to its competitors? Refer to the table below to see how Paycor and each of its rivals approach key features typically found in payroll software solutions.
Employee onboarding features | Employee self-service features | Built-in time-tracking tools | International payroll processing | Starting price per month | ||
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Paycor | Yes | Yes | No | No | Custom | Try Paycor |
Rippling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $8/user | Try Rippling |
Paylocity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Custom | Try Paylocity |
Paychex Flex | Yes | Yes | No | No | $39 fixed rate + $5 per employee | Try Paychex Flex |
Paycom | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Custom | Try Paycom |
Workday HCM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Custom | Try Workday HCM |
ADP Workforce Now | No | Yes | Yes | No | Custom | Try ADP Workforce Now |
Top Paycor competitors
Let’s take a look at several prominent Paycor competitors in the payroll software market, evaluating their features, advantages, disadvantages and pricing.
Rippling: Best for global workforces
Rippling offers a comprehensive payroll software solution that empowers businesses to oversee their worldwide workforce effectively. As a cloud-based platform, Rippling seamlessly integrates payroll, HR and IT management, automating employee data and system access across the entire organization. This all-in-one solution streamlines HR, payroll and IT functions, offering advanced global payroll management capabilities.
With Rippling’s advanced technology, organizations can effortlessly recruit talent from anywhere, efficiently handle payroll and HR processes and generate comprehensive employee data reports, all within a unified system. By leveraging automation and synchronized data for payroll operations, Rippling enables businesses to establish customized workflows for team efficiency. This centralized solution allows businesses to manage employee data, payroll, benefits and IT system access and activities from a user-friendly dashboard.
Features
- Automatic tax filing.
- Global payment in local currencies.
- International payroll compliance features.
- Overtime and leave enforcement.
- Mobile app.
Pros
- Guaranteed 100% accuracy, ensuring dependable compensation for both employees and contractors.
- Robust integration capabilities that support popular third-party solutions for a more unified system.
- Automated notifications to keep staff members updated on payroll adjustments.
- Automatic organization and synchronization between payroll and finance data and users’ general ledger — for easy reconciliation.
Cons
- New users are required to commit to a one-year contract, according to online reports.
- Lacks payroll automation features.
Pricing
Even though pricing starts at $8 per user, you’re still required to contact Rippling for a custom quote as each plan is tailored to the needs of the business.
Paylocity: Best for time and attendance tracking
Paylocity provides cloud-based payroll and human resource management services to businesses of all sizes. This software streamlines and automates payroll tasks, HR processes and benefits administration for businesses in the United States and more than 100 international locations. By automating many of the manual processes involved in payroll and HR management, Paylocity can save you time and reduce errors.
One notable feature is Paylocity’s time and attendance module, which empowers managers to establish and monitor employee schedules, approve or reject time-off requests, manage overtime and breaks and generate reports for analyzing employee attendance patterns. This module greatly benefits organizations that pay their employees on an hourly or project basis, enabling managers to review and track employee hours worked.
Moreover, Paylocity allows employees to clock in and out using their mobile devices — and it even has the option of clocking in based on geolocation, which is especially beneficial for remote field workers who need to track their work locations accurately.
Features
- Expense management.
- Internal Revenue Service reporting agent.
- Garnishment-managed services.
- Global payroll capability.
- HR support.
- Employee self-service features.
- Federal and state unemployment tax returns.
Pros
- Various avenues of support for customers seeking assistance.
- Extensive integrations.
- Tools for administering global payroll.
- Useful for teams of all sizes.
Cons
- Lacks transparent pricing and doesn’t offer a free trial.
- Complex setup process.
Pricing
Intending customers must fill out the demo and pricing request form on Paylocity’s website to receive a custom price quote.
Paychex Flex: Best for customer service
Paychex Flex offers an all-in-one payroll solution that includes HR capabilities, automated payroll features and benefits outsourcing services. The software is customizable based on the size and needs of businesses, with options for small-business payroll or midsize to enterprise payroll. Paychex Flex provides various payment methods to employees, such as direct deposit, paper checks and payroll cards, with flexibility in payment frequency.
This cloud-based payroll and HR solution offers a range of services, including tax preparation, benefits administration and attendance tracking. Paychex offers valuable compliance support from knowledgeable professionals who can assist businesses in managing federal, state and local payroll taxes, along with unemployment reporting and payments.
These dedicated professionals can also provide guidance and support in various areas like workforce management, job costing, workers’ compensation claims administration, expense management, SOC 1 Type II audit of payroll data and various other services.
Features
- Online payroll processing.
- Pay through direct deposit, paycards, paper checks and online tip sharing.
- On-demand access to earned wages.
- Free mobile app for business leaders and employees.
- Robust reporting and analytics for insights into payroll and HR data.
- 24/7 customer service and technical support.
Pros
- Reliable 24/7 U.S.-based customer support.
- Users can receive software help through a dedicated point of contact and have 24/7 access to the customer support center.
- Over 200 compliance experts monitor changes and updates to tax laws and regulations.
- Provides a range of optional employee benefits offerings for no extra charge.
Cons
- Paychex charges additional fees per employee to process year-end W-2s and 1099s.
- Pricing information for higher-tier package options is not available online.
- Access to Paychex’s State Unemployment Insurance Services is limited to users subscribed to the highest-priced Paychex Flex Pro plan.
Pricing
Paychex offers three different package tiers for its payroll solutions:
- Paychex Flex Essentials: $39 per month, plus $5 per employee.
- Paychex Flex Select: Custom pricing information is available upon request.
- Paychex Flex Pro: Custom pricing information is available upon request.
Paycom: Best for employee self-service
Paycom is a comprehensive cloud-based application offering various modules for employee time management, talent management, talent acquisition, tax compliance and — you guessed it — payroll. With its centralized payroll system, Paycom simplifies payroll processes for employers and employees alike through its specialized capabilities and features.
An example is the Beti tool, which empowers employees to take control of their payroll with guided self-service functionality. Moreover, Paycom facilitates easy reimbursement of employee expenses by integrating data with the payroll system.
Paycom’s payroll solution can also enhance your business’s hiring and retention efforts through its convenient and sought-after Vault Visa Payroll Card, which offers employees greater financial convenience and early access to payments. In addition, the employee expense report software allows employees to upload photos to the app or email them for automatic parsing, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Features
- Payroll tax management.
- Expense management.
- Garnishment administration.
- Check reconciling.
- GL Concierge feature that helps business owners maintain their general ledger data and track labor costs.
Pros
- Continuous updates for compliance with industry changes.
- Comprehensive payroll features.
- Advanced customization options.
- Real-time data access for informed decision-making.
- User-friendly and intuitive interface for easy navigation.
Cons
- Paycom’s payroll features are more suited to medium-sized to large companies, and there may be a learning curve for smaller businesses.
- Limited third-party integrations and extensions.
- Less advanced analytics compared to other payroll solutions.
Pricing
Paycom doesn’t provide payroll solution pricing online and instead encourages interested buyers to request a demo, with a custom quote based on their needs and use cases.
Workday HCM: Best for reporting
Workday‘s cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) software offers a range of features for managing talent, compensation, and payroll; scheduling; and tracking time. By leveraging payroll data, people analytics and intelligent automation, Workday HCM empowers organizations to reach deeper insights from data, automate tasks and boost staff productivity. With its access to valuable key metrics and insights into emerging trends, Workday HCM is an ideal choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations.
Workday HCM’s software goes above and beyond in uncovering valuable insights between organizations and their payroll processes. The built-in reporting and analytics tools allow them to access data from pay results and run reports, and users can run customized reports or utilize the system’s prebuilt payroll reports on subjects like pay calculation results and pay balance summaries. And when businesses identify insights that require immediate action, they can adjust their payroll processes in real time.
Features
- Continuous payroll processing.
- Consistently updated general ledger.
- Highly flexible, anytime audits.
- Built-in reporting and analytics.
- Mobile-first employee experience.
- Automatic tax updates.
- System-to-system integration with the Office of Child Support Enforcement for e-IWO.
Pros
- Comprehensive payroll tools.
- Advanced analytics and machine-learning capabilities.
- Extensive third-party integrations and customizability.
- Designed for medium-sized to large organizations, allowing scalability for growing businesses.
Cons
- May be overly complex for businesses with simpler needs.
- Steep learning curve for new users.
Pricing
Interested shoppers can contact the Workday sales team for customized pricing information.
ADP Workforce Now: Best for tax processes
ADP Workforce Now is a payroll software solution tailored for midsize and large businesses, so it’s prepared to foster business growth. If you’re seeking an all-inclusive solution encompassing HR, payroll and talent acquisition tools, ADP Workforce Now is an excellent choice. It streamlines processes and saves time through its payroll functionalities, employee onboarding capabilities, comprehensive reports, intuitive dashboards and convenient self-service features.
An exceptional aspect of this software option is its tax capabilities. It helps businesses with tax and compliance management by syncing tax deductions with payroll systems for federal, state and local taxes. So if you’re looking for ease and flexibility in managing onboarding and payment processes — all while benefiting from insightful statistical reports through smarter leadership decisions — ADP Workforce Now could be the right fit for you.
Features
- Talent recruitment and enrollment.
- Intuitive dashboards.
- Mobile app and self-service payroll.
- Advanced tax management tools.
- HR security features.
Pros
- Web-based software and mobile app for convenient, on-the-go access to the system.
- User-friendly, employee-facing dashboard.
- Talent management through comprehensive reports and job board integration.
- Efficient report generation for optimizing payroll strategies.
Cons
- No online pricing information and no free trial.
- Can be difficult to navigate initially.
Pricing
There are four different pricing options for businesses working with ADP Workforce Now. These are:
- Essential.
- Enhanced.
- Complete.
- HR Pro.
For specific price figures, curious businesses can reach out to ADP directly to request a tailored quote.
Is Paycor worth it?
Paycor is cloud-based payroll software renowned for its robust payroll functionality, complemented by human capital management tools available in its upgraded pricing plans. The software’s automation features are particularly noteworthy and contribute to its appeal.
The payroll and tax features of Paycor include federal and state tax filing, direct deposit, employee self-service and new hire filing. The AutoRun feature is especially beneficial for businesses managing large teams as it automates payroll processing on specific days and times. The software also includes a scheduling feature, so businesses can assign shifts and conveniently view the entire team’s schedule all in the same place — all while minimizing human error and duplicate data entries for more accurate payroll processing.
Additionally, Paycor provides additional HR and benefits features. The advanced plans of Paycor streamline the open enrollment process through automated workflows. The platform also facilitates EDI connections to transmit enrollment data to insurance carriers, and it supports pay-as-you-go automatic insurance payments for proactive workers’ compensation management throughout the year.
Paycor’s analytics module empowers businesses to gain deeper insights into their workforce. It allows analysis of staff composition based on age, gender and ethnicity, with the ability to sort data by department, job type or location for additional insights. Users can import this data into reporting templates or create custom reports to visualize and share the information. These analytics and reporting features enable teams to evaluate pay practices, benchmark against competitors and make informed data-driven business decisions.
Paycor pros and cons
Pros | Cons |
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Paycor pricing
Paycor is currently running a Limited Time Offer, providing businesses with a 50% discount for the first six months. On its website, Paycor showcases four plans specifically designed for small businesses with less than 50 employees — however, the pricing for each plan is not publicly disclosed:
- Paycor Basic Plan.
- Paycor Essential Plan.
- Paycor Core Plan.
- Paycor Complete Plan.
For businesses with more than 50 employees, you have to contact Paycor for a custom quote. Additionally, Paycor offers a 14-day free trial, allowing potential customers to try the software before making a purchase.
Do you need an alternative to Paycor?
Although Paycor offers a range of features and automation capabilities in its payroll software, there are instances where businesses may seek an alternative to the Paycor payroll software. For example, Paycor does not provide a general ledger report with the most basic plan, and organizations may be deterred from this option if they desire that feature in a lower-cost solution.
While Paycor offers integration capabilities, its supported connection options are limited. Businesses with extensive existing systems or specific integration requirements might be dissatisfied with Paycor’s integration options. So, if seamless integration with specific third-party applications or systems is essential, you’ll possibly want to look elsewhere.
Furthermore, Paycor’s pricing structure is not provided online, and it may not align with the budgetary constraints of every business. And some features are only offered as add-ons with additional fees, in which case you should explore alternative options to find something with everything you need at a more affordable price.
Businesses should always carefully assess their specific needs, scalability requirements, integration capabilities, budget, analytics needs and desired level of support when choosing a software solution for their workforce. So take a moment to outline your must-haves to ensure you find the most suitable option.
And if you didn’t find the solution you’re looking for here, feel free to take a look at our list of favorite payroll software to widen your search.
Methodology
This is a technical review using compiled literature researched from relevant databases. The information provided within this article is gathered from vendor websites or based on an aggregate of user feedback to ensure a high-quality review.