Asure vs Paycor (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Paycor grades higher than Asure: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Paycor grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Paycor
US payroll and HR software, with published prices under 50 staff
Which one is for you
Pick Asure if
- Fits if you are a US employer who wants payroll, time tracking and benefits from one vendor
- Works for businesses that might later hand payroll to a managed service
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price up front, because none is published
- Skip it if you employ outside the US, since the pages describe a US employer focus
- Watch out: AsureCentral and AsureWorks are separate delivery models, so check which one a quote covers
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Pick Paycor if
- Fits if you have under 50 employees and want to see a price before calling sales
- Works for hourly staff who want to draw some of their pay before payday
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're small, at $124 a month for five against $79 at Gusto or OnPay
- Skip it if you need onboarding on the lowest plan, as it starts on Essential
- Not for you if you have 50 or more staff and want a published price, as those go to sales
- Watch out: time tracking, scheduling, benefits administration and recruiting cost extra on every bundle
- Watch out: setup fees of $59 to $199 are shown as waived, and the sign-up step shows lower per-employee charges than the table
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAAsureWeak | 2.2GPAPaycorFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; the site offers Get Pricing and Talk to an Expert, so it sits at C. | CBasic is $99 a month plus $5 an employee, $124 for five: above Gusto and OnPay at $79 and QuickBooks at $85, though under Deel's $145. Onboarding needs Essential, $184 for five. Setup fees are waived and the first 6 months are 50% off. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. | FNo free plan or trial. The 50% off for 6 months is a discount on a paid plan, not a way to try it. |
| Features | CPayroll, time and attendance, recruiting, benefits and an AI assistant. The self-run platform and the managed service are separate ways to buy it, and the pages describe US employers only. | BPayroll with federal and state tax filing and unlimited runs, compliance alerts before payroll, early wage access for staff, onboarding with E-Verify from Essential, and HR advice and analytics on Core. The whole job across its bundles. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record, and you pick a delivery model and set up payroll before using it. | B4.53 from about 33,700 App Store ratings for Paycor Mobile, where staff see pay stubs, request time off and enroll in benefits. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. | BWeb, iPhone and Android. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations, though Core adds 401(k) integrations and partner apps handle payroll abroad. |
| Best for | US payroll with an optional done-for-you service | employers under 50 who want HR to grow into |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Asure and Paycor. How we grade
Where they differ
- Asure also covers time clock, applicant tracking, employee records and time off.
- Paycor also covers reports and expense tracking.
At a glance
| Asure | Paycor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $99 per month, plus $5 per employee |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Asure Software | Paycor, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | paycor.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Asure
- No prices are published; the site offers Get Pricing and Talk to an Expert.
- Managed AsureWorks service and self-run AsureCentral are separate delivery models.
- The vendor's pages describe a US employer focus.
Paycor
- Runs US payroll across all 50 states; payroll in other countries comes through partner apps in Paycor's marketplace.
- Prices are published only for businesses under 50 employees; larger ones get a quote from sales.
- The same page lists setup fees of $59 to $199, shown as waived, and a sign-up step with lower per-employee charges than the main table.
- Time tracking, scheduling, benefits administration and recruiting cost extra on top of the bundles.
Key features
Asure
- AsureCentral platform
- Process payroll, manage employee records, track time, administer benefits and give employees self-service access.
- AsureWorks managed service
- Asure specialists handle payroll, tax filings, HR compliance and benefits administration on the employer's behalf.
- Time and attendance
- Tracks employee hours and leave accruals.
- Recruiting and benefits
- Recruiting, benefits administration, health insurance and 401(k) plans are listed alongside payroll.
- Luna AI assistant
- An embedded assistant answers employee questions and helps managers act.
Paycor
- Payroll and tax filing
- Paycor calculates pay, files federal and state payroll taxes and handles W-2 and 1099 processing, with no limit on payroll runs a month.
- Compliance alerts
- A compliance dashboard flags missing or invalid tax IDs, address problems and direct deposit discrepancies before payroll runs.
- OnDemand Pay
- Employees can draw up to 50% of the wages they have earned before payday, or be paid onto the Paycor Visa card.
- Onboarding and E-Verify
- From Essential, new hires fill in forms, I-9s and tax documents online before their first day and sign documents electronically.
- Paycor Mobile
- Employees view pay stubs and tax forms, request time off, check schedules and enroll in benefits from the iPhone and Android app.
- Add-on modules
- Time and scheduling, benefits administration, recruiting and workers' compensation can be added to any small business bundle.
Plans
Asure
Pricing could not be confirmed. See asuresoftware.com.
Paycor
Basic$99
per month, plus $5 per employee
Payroll with federal and state tax filing, direct deposit, new hire filing, employee self-service, standard reports and OnDemand Pay.
Essential$149
per month, plus $7 per employee
Adds onboarding and E-Verify, the HR Support Center, time-off tracking and labor law posters. The page's sign-up step shows $6 per employee.
Core$199
per month, plus $8 per employee
Shown as COR. Adds on-demand HR advice, Paycor Analytics, 401(k) integrations and wage garnishment payments. The sign-up step shows $7 per employee.
CompleteCustom
Adds Paycor HR, career management, compensation planning and talent development. No price in the main table; the sign-up step shows $199 plus $12 per employee.
Ways to pay less
Asure
No public discounts listed.
Paycor
- Other savings
50% off for the first 6 months
Paycor's small business pricing page offers new customers 50% off for 6 months as a limited-time offer, with some restrictions. Other parts of the page advertise free months of payroll instead.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Asure or Paycor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Asure has no price we could confirm, and Paycor starts at $99 per month, plus $5 per employee.
Which has a free plan, Asure or Paycor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Asure nor Paycor has a free plan.
Which platforms do Asure and Paycor run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Paycor lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.

