The Check Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Check in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Check
The Insider’s Guide
Payroll infrastructure and API for software platforms
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from Check’s own pages.
Made by Check Technologies, Inc. · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Check’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Check’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.4
GPA, above 0 of the 63 other HR software we grade
Check supplies payroll as an embedded service that other software companies build into their own products, rather than a payroll app a business signs up for directly. Its platform covers tax calculation and filing, money movement, deductions, garnishments and add-ons such as 401(k), health benefits and workers' comp. The company says it serves software platforms in workforce management, vertical SaaS and accounting.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Check, taken from its own pages and our grades.
A business that just wants to pay its own staff would use a product built on Check, not Check itself.
- 1
Best for software platforms adding payroll
No price is published and /pricing returns a not-found page.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
Embedded payroll
Software companies build a native payroll product on Check's infrastructure instead of writing payroll themselves.
- 4
Tax calculation and filing
Handles tax calculation, tax filing and tax notices, according to the product pages.
- 5
Money movement
Includes real-time payments, voids, deductions and garnishments, plus custom pay rates.
- 6
A 1.4 GPA, above 0 of 63
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace Check you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Check at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Check Technologies, Inc.
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 1.4 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for software platforms adding payroll
Check is payroll infrastructure that software platforms build into their own product: tax calculation, filing and money movement through an API. No price is published and /pricing returns a not-found page. A business that just wants to pay its own staff would use a product built on Check, not Check itself.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price is published; the site directs visitors to contact the team. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. |
| Features | C | Embedded payroll, tax filing, money movement and risk tools, for US payroll. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than an HR system and is sold to platforms. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. It is an API that a developer has to build into another product, so it is not something an employer signs up for. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with an API at its core. No apps and no integrations list on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Check is for
- Fits if you run a software platform and want to offer US payroll inside it
- Works for engineering teams that want payroll as an API
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you only want to run payroll for your own staff
- Skip it if you are outside the US, as its pages describe US payroll terms only
- Skip it if you want to see a price, as none is published and /pricing is a dead page
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Good to know
Good for
- Software companies that want to add payroll to their own product
- Workforce-management, construction and vertical SaaS platforms
- Product teams that prefer an API to building tax and payment logic
Worth knowing
- No pricing is published; the site directs visitors to contact the team, and /pricing returns a not-found page.
- Check sells to platforms, so a business that only needs payroll for its own staff would use a product built on Check, not Check itself.
- The pages read describe US payroll terms such as tax filing and 401(k); other countries are not mentioned.
- Payments are handled by Check Payments LLC, shown in the site footer with an NMLS number.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Check's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No price is published; the site directs visitors to contact the team.
We could not confirm Check’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. checkhq.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Payroll infrastructure and API for software platforms. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, payroll.
Embedded payroll, tax filing, money movement and risk tools, for US payroll.
- Embedded payroll
- Software companies build a native payroll product on Check's infrastructure instead of writing payroll themselves.
- Tax calculation and filing
- Handles tax calculation, tax filing and tax notices, according to the product pages.
- Money movement
- Includes real-time payments, voids, deductions and garnishments, plus custom pay rates.
- Configurable experience
- Partners can configure the payroll experience and choose how much of the onboarding and support Check handles.
- Benefits and extras
- Health benefits, 401(k), workers' comp and accounting connections can be added beside payroll.
- Credit, risk and fraud tools
- The platform menu lists credit, risk and fraud protection among the services it provides to partners.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Check is made by Check Technologies, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/63
Other HR software it is graded above
Check's GPA of 1.4 is higher than 0 of the 63 other HR software we grade.
It stands best on value for money (C, above 5 of 63) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 64 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. Check’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 63
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 63
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 63
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 63
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 63
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Check you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 63 of the 63 other HR software grade higher.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. Check’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Gusto, Rippling, Justworks, OnPay and Paychex Flex
The 5 tools Check is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Gusto
From $49/mo
Payroll and HR for small businesses, with apps for owners and staff.
- Only Gusto lists iOS and Android apps.
- Gusto also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
Rippling
Paid
HR, IT and finance platform with US and global payroll, by quote.
- Only Rippling lists iOS and Android apps.
- Rippling also covers workflow automation, time tracking and expense tracking.
- 2.4GPA
Justworks
From $50/mo
Pay, benefits and HR platform for employers, with an app for staff.
- Only Justworks lists iOS and Android apps.
- Justworks also covers time tracking and expense tracking.
- 2.6GPA
OnPay
Free trial · from $49/mo
US payroll with published prices, plus HR and time add-ons.
- Only OnPay lists iOS and Android apps.
- OnPay also covers time tracking and reports.
- 2.4GPA
Paychex Flex
Paid
Paychex's payroll, tax filing and HR platform, priced by quote.
- Only Paychex Flex lists iOS and Android apps.
- Paychex Flex also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Check free?
No. Check is a paid product.
What platforms does Check work on?
Check is available on Web.
Does Check have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Check is listed for Web.
Does Check have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Check is listed for Web.
Is Check open source?
Check is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Check have an API?
Yes. Check offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes Check?
Check is made by Check Technologies, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Check?
The closest alternatives to Check in our directory are Gusto, Rippling, Justworks, OnPay and Paychex Flex.
How does Check compare with other HR software?
Check's GPA of 1.4 is higher than 0 of the 63 other HR software we grade.
Could I make my own version of Check?
To replace Check you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Check’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Check's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Check Technologies, Inc. Prices change, so check checkhq.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Check, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/check
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Check: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/check
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/check/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after Check, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 64 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- Leave Dates Insider's GuideAnnual leave planner and absence tracker for small teams2.6 GPA
- TalentHR Insider's GuideHR records, time off, hiring and reviews for small teams2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Check’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Check is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Check Technologies, Inc. Prices and plans change: check checkhq.com before you buy.