Paychex Flex vs Paylocity
We give Paychex Flex and Paylocity 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.
Paychex Flex
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote
Paid
Paylocity
Payroll, HR, finance and IT platform for US employers, by quote
Paid
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAPaychex FlexFair | 2.4GPAPaylocityFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo prices are published: every package is quoted after a demo request, so there's no five-person figure to compare. Expenses, corporate cards and IT tools are sold as separate products on top of payroll. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FNo free plan, no trial and no self-serve sign-up. A one-month-free payroll offer is advertised for small businesses, without its terms. |
| Features | 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. | BPayroll with 40+ audits before you process, tax filing in all 50 states and US territories, time and scheduling from phone, kiosk or clock, early wage access, and payroll for staff in 100+ countries. The whole job. |
| Ease of use | 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. | A4.81 from about 681,000 App Store ratings, the most in this category, for the app staff use to check pay, clock in and ask for time off. It works only for staff of client companies. |
| Platforms and 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus kiosks and time clocks for hours. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | growing firms that may add benefits or a PEO later | US employers with hourly staff and a growing HR team |
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: Paychex Flex and Paylocity. How we grade
Where they differ
- Paylocity also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
In commonWebiOSAndroidAI featuresReportsPayroll
At a glance
| Paychex Flex | Paylocity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Paychex, Inc. | Paylocity |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Paylocity
- US companies that want payroll, HR and time tracking in one system
- Employers with hourly staff who clock in by phone, kiosk or time clock
- Companies paying some staff abroad alongside US payroll
Worth knowing
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.
Paylocity
- No prices are published: the pricing page asks for a demo request form, and quotes follow from sales.
- Tax filing covers the US, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam; payroll in 100+ other countries is a separate global payroll service.
- There is no free trial or self-serve sign-up; the app works only for staff of companies that are already clients.
- Expense management, corporate cards, procurement and IT tools are sold as separate products alongside payroll.
Key features
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.
Paylocity
- Payroll with built-in audits
- A Payroll Readiness Dashboard lists tasks before processing day, and more than 40 audits flag likely errors such as unexpected pay spikes.
- Tax services
- Paylocity files as a Registered Reporting Agent with the IRS in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, and checks each employee's tax location.
- Time and scheduling
- Hours are collected by mobile, web, kiosk or time clock, with geofenced clock-in, shift swaps and scheduling rules that feed payroll.
- Expense management and cards
- Employees snap receipts for AI-coded expense reports, and virtual and physical corporate cards come with policy controls and automatic reconciliation.
- Global payroll
- Domestic and international employees are managed and paid from one system, with payroll data gathered across more than 100 countries.
- Mobile app and Community
- Employees check pay, clock in, request time off and draw earned wages early in the app, and Community gives them a company social feed and chat.
Plans
Paychex Flex
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paychex.com.
Paylocity
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paylocity.com.
Ways to pay less
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.
Paylocity
- Other savings
One month of free payroll for small businesses
Paylocity's payroll page advertises a limited-time offer of one month of free payroll, and more, for small businesses, without stating the terms.
