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The Paycor Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Paycor 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.

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ToolGPAOctober 2026

Paycor

The Insider’s Guide

US payroll and HR software, with published prices under 50 staff

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among payroll services, read from Paycor’s own pages.

Made by Paycor, Inc. · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.2GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from Paycor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Paycor’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.2

GPA, above 3 of the 18 other payroll services we grade

Paycor is payroll and HR software for US employers, from small businesses to companies with more than 1,000 staff. It runs payroll and files payroll taxes, and adds onboarding, time tracking, analytics and recruiting in higher bundles. Paycor is now a standalone business unit of Paychex, Inc.

To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Paycor, taken from its own pages and our grades.

  1. 1

    Best for employers under 50 who want HR to grow into

    You get early wage access and compliance alerts on it, but onboarding waits for Essential.

  2. 2

    Paid plans start at $99 a month

    As its pricing page puts it: $99 per month, plus $5 per employee.

  3. 3

    It runs on 3 platforms

    Web, iOS and Android.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    Compliance alerts

    A compliance dashboard flags missing or invalid tax IDs, address problems and direct deposit discrepancies before payroll runs.

  6. 6

    OnDemand Pay

    Employees can draw up to 50% of the wages they have earned before payday, or be paid onto the Paycor Visa card.

  7. 7

    A 2.2 GPA, above 3 of 18

    That is against the other payroll services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  8. 8

    Keep it

    To replace Paycor 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.

Paycor at a glance

Pricing
Paid, from $99 per month, plus $5 per employee
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web, iOS, Android
Made by
Paycor, Inc.
Category
Payroll
Our grade
2.2 GPA, fair
Store rating
4.5 on the App Store, 33,689 ratings

The report card

Best for employers under 50 who want HR to grow into

Paycor is payroll and HR from a business that's now part of Paychex, and unlike Paychex it shows prices for employers under 50 people. Basic is $124 a month for five. You get early wage access and compliance alerts on it, but onboarding waits for Essential.

ToolGPA report cardPaycorGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCBasic 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 trialFNo free plan or trial. The 50% off for 6 months is a discount on a paid plan, not a way to try it.
FeaturesBPayroll 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 useB4.53 from about 33,700 App Store ratings for Paycor Mobile, where staff see pay stubs, request time off and enroll in benefits.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb, iPhone and Android. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations, though Core adds 401(k) integrations and partner apps handle payroll abroad.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.2

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 Paycor is for

  • Great if you have under 50 employees and want to see a price before calling sales
  • Handy when hourly staff want to draw some of their pay before payday
  • Good for employers who'll want HR advice and analytics later on

Who it is not for

  • 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 cheapest 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

Good to know

Good for

  • 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

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$99

A month to start

Paycor is a paid product, starting at $99 per month, plus $5 per employee.

  • 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.

  • Complete

    Custom

    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.

Read from paycor.com on Oct 17, 2026.

Ways to pay less

  • 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.

    Stated on paycor.com

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

3

Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android

US payroll and HR software, with published prices under 50 staff. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, expense tracking, payroll.

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.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

Paycor is made by Paycor, Inc.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

3/18

Other payroll services it is graded above

Paycor's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 3 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 2.

It stands best on features (B, above 6 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $99 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 13 of the 13 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 19 payroll services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Paycor’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 18
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
  • BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18
  • BEase of useAbove 5 of 18
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 14 payroll services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Paycor is the marked dot.

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessPaycorDeelSquare PayrollOnPayRoll by ADP

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

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 Paycor 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: 13 of the 18 other payroll services grade higher. It costs $1,188 a year.

What you could make

  • Reports and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
  • A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Paycor’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

Paychex Flex, Paylocity, RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto and Rippling

The 5 tools Paycor is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

13

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 Paycor free?

No. Paycor is a paid product, starting at $99 per month, plus $5 per employee.

How much does Paycor cost?

Paycor lists 4 plans. Basic: $99 per month, plus $5 per employee.

What platforms does Paycor work on?

Paycor is available on Web, iOS and Android.

Does Paycor offer any discounts?

Paycor publicly lists the following: 50% off for the first 6 months.

How is Paycor rated?

Paycor's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.5 out of 5 from 33,689 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Paycor have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Paycor is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Does Paycor have a macOS app?

No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Paycor is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Is Paycor open source?

Paycor is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Who makes Paycor?

Paycor is made by Paycor, Inc.

What are the alternatives to Paycor?

The closest alternatives to Paycor in our directory are Paychex Flex, Paylocity, RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto and Rippling.

How does Paycor compare with other payroll services?

Paycor's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 3 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 2.

Is Paycor good value for money?

ToolGPA grades Paycor C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $99 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 13 of the 13 others that charge start lower.

Could I make my own version of Paycor?

To replace Paycor 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 Paycor’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Paycor's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. 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 Paycor, Inc. Prices change, so check paycor.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

1,858

Tools graded, in 46 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.

ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 1,858

    tools graded

  • 46

    categories

  • 426

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

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, "Paycor: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/paycor

Know someone choosing between payroll services?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/paycor/guide

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded payroll services after Paycor, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Paycor’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Paycor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Paycor, Inc. Prices and plans change: check paycor.com before you buy.