Paycor vs Paylocity
We give Paycor a 2.2 GPA and Paylocity a 2.4, out of 4.0. Paylocity grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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
Paylocity
Payroll, HR, finance and IT platform for US employers, by quote
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPaycorFair | 2.4GPAPaylocityFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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. The 50% off for 6 months is a discount on a paid plan, not a way to try it. | 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 | 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. | 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 | B4.53 from about 33,700 App Store ratings for Paycor Mobile, where staff see pay stubs, request time off and enroll in benefits. | 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. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations, though Core adds 401(k) integrations and partner apps handle payroll abroad. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus kiosks and time clocks for hours. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. |
| Best for | employers under 50 who want HR to grow into | 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: Paycor and Paylocity. How we grade
Where they differ
- Paylocity also covers time tracking.
At a glance
| Paycor | Paylocity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $99 per month, plus $5 per employee | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Paycor, Inc. | Paylocity |
| Price read from | paycor.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Paycor
- US businesses under 50 employees that want to see a price before calling sales
- Employers that want payroll, onboarding and HR advice from one provider
- Hourly teams that want early wage access and a mobile app
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Paylocity
Pricing could not be confirmed. See paylocity.com.
Ways to pay less
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.
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.
