Skip to content
ToolGPA

The Paylocity Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about Paylocity 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.

Download the PDF
Pass it onEmailLinkedInXWhatsApp
ToolGPAOctober 2026

Paylocity

The Insider’s Guide

Payroll, HR, finance and IT platform for US employers, by quote

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

Made by Paylocity · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.4GPA

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 Paylocity’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Paylocity’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

2.4

GPA, above 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade

Paylocity is a payroll and HR platform for US employers, from small businesses to companies with thousands of staff. Payroll comes with tax filing, time and attendance, benefits, recruiting and an employee app, and the platform has grown to cover expenses, corporate cards, accounts payable and IT access. Every package is priced by quote after a demo request.

To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Paylocity, taken from its own pages and our grades.

But there's no price, no trial and no sign-up without a demo.
From our report card of Paylocity
  1. 1

    Best for US employers with hourly staff and a growing HR team

    It now reaches into expenses, corporate cards and IT too.

  2. 2

    It runs on 3 platforms

    Web, iOS and Android.

  3. 3

    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.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    A 2.4 GPA, above 6 of 18

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

  7. 7

    Keep it

    To replace Paylocity 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.

Paylocity at a glance

Pricing
Paid
Free plan
No
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web, iOS, Android
Made by
Paylocity
Category
Payroll
Our grade
2.4 GPA, fair
Store rating
4.8 on the App Store, 681,367 ratings

The report card

Best for US employers with hourly staff and a growing HR team

Paylocity is payroll, HR and time tracking for US employers of any size, with a lot of checks before payroll runs and an app staff rate highly. It now reaches into expenses, corporate cards and IT too. But there's no price, no trial and no sign-up without a demo.

ToolGPA report cardPaylocityGraded Oct 17, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyCNo 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 trialFNo free plan, no trial and no self-serve sign-up. A one-month-free payroll offer is advertised for small businesses, without its terms.
FeaturesBPayroll 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 useA4.81 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 integrationsBWeb, iPhone and Android, plus kiosks and time clocks for hours. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations.
Grade point averageFair, out of 4.02.4

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 Paylocity is for

  • Great if your hourly staff clock in by phone, kiosk or time clock
  • Handy when you pay a few people abroad alongside US payroll
  • Good for employers who want 40+ checks to catch mistakes before payday

Who it is not for

  • Skip it if you want a price or a trial before a sales demo
  • Not for you if you want to sign up and start the same day, as there's no self-serve route
  • Tight if you want it all on one bill, as expenses, cards and IT are sold separately

Good to know

Good for

  • 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

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

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

Paylocity's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.

No prices are published: every package is quoted after a demo request, so there's no five-person figure to compare.
From our grade for value for money

We could not confirm Paylocity’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. paylocity.com has them.

Ways to pay less

  • 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.

    Stated on paylocity.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

Payroll, HR, finance and IT platform for US employers, by quote. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, time tracking, reports, expense tracking, payroll.

Web, iPhone and Android, plus kiosks and time clocks for hours.
From our grade for platforms and integrations
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.

Where it runs

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

What it works with

Its own pages name no integrations.

Paylocity is made by Paylocity.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

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

6/18

Other payroll services it is graded above

Paylocity's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.

It stands best on ease of use (A, above 9 of 18) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).

Each grade against the category

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

  • CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 18
  • FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 18
  • BFeaturesAbove 6 of 18
  • AEase of useAbove 9 of 18
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 18

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 Paylocity 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.

What you could make

  • Time tracking, expense tracking and reports: 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.
  • AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
  • The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

What this rests on. Paylocity’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

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

The 5 tools Paylocity 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

11

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 Paylocity free?

No. Paylocity is a paid product.

What platforms does Paylocity work on?

Paylocity is available on Web, iOS and Android.

Does Paylocity offer any discounts?

Paylocity publicly lists the following: One month of free payroll for small businesses.

How is Paylocity rated?

Paylocity's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 681,367 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

Does Paylocity have a Windows app?

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

Does Paylocity have a macOS app?

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

Is Paylocity open source?

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

Who makes Paylocity?

Paylocity is made by Paylocity.

What are the alternatives to Paylocity?

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

How does Paylocity compare with other payroll services?

Paylocity's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 6 of the 18 other payroll services we grade, and level with 9.

Could I make my own version of Paylocity?

To replace Paylocity 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 Paylocity’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 Paylocity'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 Paylocity. Prices change, so check paylocity.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, "Paylocity: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/paylocity

Know someone choosing between payroll services?

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

ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa

See our other guides

The best-graded payroll services after Paylocity, 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 Paylocity’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. Paylocity is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Paylocity. Prices and plans change: check paylocity.com before you buy.