Justworks vs Paychex Flex
We give Justworks and Paychex Flex the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Justworks
Pay, benefits and HR platform for employers, with an app for staff
Paychex Flex
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAJustworksFair | 2.4GPAPaychex FlexFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe Payroll plan is $50 a month plus $8 an employee, $90 for five, above the middle of this category. Time tracking is another $8 a person. Its EOR plan, a different kind of service, is $599 a person, $2,995 for five, the same as Deel and Remote. | CNo prices are published: Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete are each quoted after a form or a call, so there's no five-person figure to compare. Time and attendance and state unemployment service are add-ons on some or all packages. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record. You pay from the first month. | FNo free plan or trial. New clients who sign a one-year deal for Foundations or above by 31 October 2026 pay no payroll fees until April 2027, but that's a contract, not a trial. |
| Features | BUS payroll with HR tools and expert support, a PEO that brings small teams big-company health plans and 401(k), employer of record abroad, and contractors in 60+ countries. Staff handle pay stubs, time off, expenses and timecards in the app. | BUnlimited payroll runs, Taxpay filing federal, state and local taxes, checks for missing punches before payday, OSHA and EEO-1 reports, e-signatures and a self-service portal. The whole job, with more HR in the higher packages. |
| Ease of use | A4.84 from about 5,200 App Store ratings for the app staff use for pay stubs, time off and expenses. A shared iPad can be the team's time clock, with a PIN for each person. | A4.84 from about 576,000 App Store ratings for the Paychex Flex app, where staff see pay stubs and W-2s. Chat support comes with every package; phone and email agents are add-ons on the lower ones. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, and an iPad can run as a time clock. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct and NetSuite for accounting and When I Work and 7shifts for scheduling. No desktop app. |
| Best for | small teams after big-company benefits | growing firms that may add benefits or a PEO later |
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: Justworks and Paychex Flex. How we grade
Where they differ
- Justworks also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- Paychex Flex also covers reports.
At a glance
| Justworks | Paychex Flex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $50 per month, plus $8 per employee (Payroll) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Justworks, Inc. | Paychex, Inc. |
| Price read from | justworks.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Justworks
- Smaller employers that want benefits normally offered by large ones
- Teams that clock in on a shared iPad
- Employers whose staff submit expenses and time off from a phone
Paychex Flex
- US businesses that want payroll taxes filed by a large provider
- Companies planning to add benefits, 401(k) or a PEO later
- Employers who want staff to find pay stubs and W-2s themselves
Worth knowing
Justworks
- Payroll and the PEO plans are for US teams. Staff abroad go on the $599 employer-of-record plan, or are paid as contractors in 60+ countries at $39 each a month.
- Health insurance through the PEO plans needs the co-employer arrangement; on the Payroll plan it is an $8-a-month add-on per benefits-eligible employee.
- Time tracking is $8 a month per employee on every plan, and dedicated HR consulting is $30 per employee.
- The employee app needs an account set up through an employer that uses Justworks.
Paychex Flex
- No prices are published: Basic, Foundations, Advanced and Complete are each quoted after a form or a sales call.
- Time and attendance, applicant tracking, state unemployment service and job costing are add-ons on some or all packages.
- Online chat support comes with every package; phone and email agents and a dedicated payroll specialist are add-ons on the lower packages.
- The pages read describe US payroll only: federal, state and local tax filing, and W-2 and 1099 forms.
Key features
Justworks
- Pay stubs and earnings
- Employees review payments, share pay stubs and see year-to-date earnings in the app.
- Benefits at hand
- Insurance details are available and shareable from the app, so staff do not need to carry a card.
- Time off requests
- Employees request time off in the app, and managers review and approve requests there.
- Expense reimbursements
- Staff upload receipts when they spend and submit reimbursement requests under the company's rules.
- Time tracking and Terminal Mode
- Clock in and out, manage breaks and shifts and submit timecards; Terminal Mode turns a shared iPad into a PIN-based time clock.
- Company calendar and directory
- A shared calendar of pay dates, holidays, time off and birthdays, and a directory of colleagues grouped by department.
Paychex Flex
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Enter hours, salaries, bonuses and time off, then pay by direct deposit, paper check, pay card or tip disbursement, from a computer or the app.
- Taxpay tax administration
- Calculates, pays and files federal, state and local payroll taxes with the right agencies, and provides W-2s and 1099s online.
- AI checks before payday
- Automations flag missing time punches and other issues before payroll is due, check employee data and handle timesheet entries.
- HR and compliance tools
- Depending on the package: OSHA and EEO-1 compliance reports, document management with e-signatures, HR approval workflows and a custom employee handbook.
- Employee self-service and Perks
- Staff see pay stubs and W-2s in a 24/7 portal and app, and Paychex Flex Perks adds discounts and earned wage access at no extra cost.
- Accounting and time integrations
- Connects to QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct and NetSuite for accounting, and to scheduling apps such as When I Work and 7shifts.
Plans
Justworks
Payroll$50
per month, plus $8 per employee
Payroll for US employees with HR tools, expert support and access to time tracking. US-based contractors are $8 a month each.
PEO Basic$79
per employee / month
Justworks becomes the co-employer: payroll, compliance, HR consulting, 24/7 support and 401(k). No base fee.
PEO Plus$124
per employee / month
Everything in PEO Basic plus medical, dental and vision administration, HSA and FSA accounts. Marked popular. No base fee.
EOR$599
per employee / month
Employer of record for hiring full-time staff abroad, with global HR and compliance support. No base fee.
Paychex Flex
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paychex.com.
Ways to pay less
Justworks
No public discounts listed.
Paychex Flex
- Other savings
Free payroll until April 2027
New clients with 1 to 250 employees who sign a one-year agreement for Foundations, Advanced or Complete between October 12 and 31, 2026 pay no payroll fees through April 2027.
