Paychex vs Paycor

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Our analysts compared Paychex vs Paycor based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Paychex provides payment processing, time-keeping and other general human resource software. They offer this to self-employed users, small businesses, medium business and large enterprise ventures. Buyers can choose from various pricing plans and payment options such as direct deposit, real-time transfers and same-day ACH. Most versions have some core HR management and pay processing functionalities.

Based in the cloud, it assists with hiring, onboarding, tax filing, benefits management, business insurance, startup services and more. Users can customize it to meet their specific needs, adding only what they use. This allows administrators to ensure it fits their requirements, whether they be simple or complex.
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Best for: Employee engagement and document management

Ranked at number two on our best HR software list, Paycor is a comprehensive, cloud-based HR system designed for businesses of all sizes that serve industries like healthcare, manufacturing, retail and technology.

It supports key HR functions, including talent management, benefits administration, payroll processing and compliance, catering to teams ranging from a single employee to over 1,000.

Paycor is a SelectHub award winner in employee onboarding and administration, self-service and performance management. It’s also in our top ten for applicant tracking and recruiting, benefits management, compensation management, and succession management.

The platform’s mission is to empower leaders with easy-to-access resources and personalized experiences featuring customizable homepages and learning paths. Managers can gain valuable insights to evaluate performance, track wins and identify areas for improvement.

Struggling with employee retention? Paycor helps by providing data on recognition frequency, promotion rates, pay adjustments and completed one-on-ones.

For recruiters, Paycor offers tools to enhance job postings and streamline the hiring process, utilizing AI for smart candidate sourcing. Key features include performance management, applicant tracking, recruiting, benefits management, compensation management, employee engagement, onboarding and employee self-service.

84% of users give it two thumbs up, noting its straightforward performance, payroll and scheduling management. In contrast, some have encountered complex reporting issues and occasional bugs following updates.

Pricing starts at $99 per user per month, with a free trial available.

To view other popular Paycor solutions, visit our Paycor company page.

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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Reduce Errors: Ensure accuracy in payroll processing with the help of a variety of safeguard features, such as sending managers notifications when the system detects potential issues so that these problems are avoided entirely.
  • User Support: Access 24/7 online support to assist with all aspects of processing, and the option for a dedicated specialist that can act as a personal support expert for both payment and tax needs.
  • Convenience: The mobile app enables employers and employees to access the system from any device. By leveraging the cloud, they can start work on a desktop and pick up right where they left off directly from their mobile device, allowing them to complete core tasks from anywhere.
  • Informed Employees: Employees can get information about their time off, upcoming paychecks, benefits information or retirement funds. This saves time from HR and accounting by answering their more pressing questions while also building transparency and trust in the entire process.
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  • Centralize HR: Complete all core HR tasks through one unified platform, eliminating multiple logins on different systems. Track and consolidate data so HR managers can generate comprehensive reports that summarize HR practices. Interview management, document access control, AI-based benefits advisor, budget allocation, compensation grid, automated tax filing, mobile scheduling, charts and visualizations are all fully supported for every aspect of HR.
  • Improve Document Management: Add flexibility with Paycor’s document management function, which is rated 100 in our analysis. This system includes fully supported features such as a document repository, document search and sharing capabilities. Digital signatures and a range of compliance documents further enhance the process, particularly during onboarding.
  • Boost Employee Engagement: Gauge employee engagement with pulse surveys that earn our highest rating. They measure engagement and job satisfaction, while self-paced learning fosters career development. Additionally, Paycor provides easy access to employee information, including pay, time tracking and time-off requests.
  • Streamline Data Entry: Upload applicant information and automatically import data, modifications and relevant fields to eliminate duplicate entries.
  • Strengthen Applicant Tracking and Recruiting: Manage all job candidates, their statuses and priority job listings efficiently. Assign specific hiring processes to each job record and use AI to generate job descriptions. Rated 86 out of 100, this function also streamlines the post-interview process by automatically saving feedback with user-friendly scoring.
  • Save Time: Automate workflows, reminders and notifications to reduce tedious, time-intensive manual tasks. Let employees focus on the critical, ROI-enhancing tasks.
  • Facilitate Onboarding and Administration: Establish timelines and provide training resources tailored to business needs. Paycor offers status calls, project scopes and demos for comprehensive support throughout onboarding, earning a 96 for this module.
  • Tailor Experiences: Customize homepages and their features for efficiency and comfort.
  • Enhance Visibility: Put important information at the forefront with homepage-based trends and alerts.
  • Get Tax Assistance: Monitor tax registrations and get tax recommendations, including notifications on employee location changes.
  • Empower Managers: Sharpen soft skills, including coaching, optimizing and retaining employees. Paycor’s core leadership model focuses on helping employees set goals, get feedback, stay motivated and celebrate successes.
  • Provide Leader Insights: Give managers insight into who's clocked in and who's nearing overtime, snapshots of employee records, time-off requests, upcoming birthdays, and anniversaries.
  • Plan for the Future: Keep employees and managers informed on individual progress and areas for improvement with assessments and role profiles. Help managers plan by finding talent gaps and risks via dashboards and insights. New to succession management? Paycor has a succession planning template for beginners.
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  • Products: It has many different products for different applications. Here are the most important:
    • Payroll: The platform offers payment for businesses with one employee, under 10 employees, from 10-49 employees and from 50 to over 1,000 workers. This includes online payroll, taxes, deductions and many tools to generate reports and look at costs.
    • Time and Attendance: The online time and attendance function ties in directly to payroll, saving time when trying to calculate paychecks. In addition to the software, it also offers TrueShift physical time clocks and the InVision iris recognition clocks. Users can track team activity in real time through the manager’s dashboard, and allow employees to record time, approve timecards and check schedules through the employee dashboard.
    • HR: It has a range of HR services and software including employee development, hiring, records administration, compliance, benefits administration, learning management and more.
      • Professional Employer Organization: This is a full-service HR consulting program that helps organizations with liability issues, daily worker problems, risk management, benefits administration and other related issues.
      • Hiring Service: The software can make the hiring process easier with applicant tracking, screening, recruiting and onboarding capabilities. Please note, they don’t have employee leasing, temp staffing or contract staff services.
      • Employee Benefits: Managers and workers alike can get access to health insurance for groups or individuals, financial wellness and retirement planning.
    • Business Insurance: Users can get property and casualty insurance with the help of agents who assist in the selection and implementation process for the new benefits. This includes business owner policies, cyber liability and workers’ compensation.
    • Finances and Payments: Besides payroll, this program also has business loans, expense management, tax administration and processing for payments.
    • Startup Solutions: For new businesses, it offers guides, consulting, advice and more for multiple aspects of the process. They give aid with marketing, the incorporation process, business management and access to free online tools.
  • Payroll and Tax Filing: Process payroll and automatically calculate taxes. Paychex can calculate, file and pay taxes at the federal, state and local level automatically. The platform can calculate hours, doing setup for direct deposit and setting hours per pay period.
  • General Ledger: Synchronize payroll data with integrations offered by Paychex. The system is compatible with a variety of popular accounting systems, including QuickBooks Online and Xero.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate custom analytics and reports or choose from over 160 customizable templates to track and visualize relevant data.
  • Learning and Development: Employees can take advantage of online courses to stay educated on relevant topics. Not only does this increase productivity, but it makes employees feel more invested in.
  • Core HR: It gives employee feedback, manages employee training and tracks important documents through the system’s interface.
  • Onboarding: Applicants and new hires can complete new hire documents, such as tax forms, and set up direct deposit directly through the platform.
  • Paycheck Protection Program: Introduced by the CARES Act as a measure for economic stability during the COVID pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program loans encourage small businesses to keep or rehire workers that have been furloughed. This system offers a quick way to apply for this loan.
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  • Leader Insights: Just like report cards, give new managers a detailed look at their successes and areas for growth. Managers view the number of completed 1-on-1s, pay rate changes and recognition, supporting employee development and engagement.
  • Benefits Management: Centralize employee information and empower employees to self-enroll in benefits plans through the system. Gain high-level insights into maximizing employee benefits packages with analytics.
  • Compensation Management: Ensure workers are getting paid the correct amount based on experience, skillset, education, certifications, job title and performance (great for reducing turnover and boosting morale).
  • Career Development: Let everyone know when there’s an opportunity for advancement, develop goals that align with larger business objectives and reward high performers.
  • Learning Management and Development: Search for courses, take notes, provide feedback and access various learning tools from any internet-connected device.
  • Payroll Management: Enable easy access to pay stubs, history and tax forms without admin intervention. Ensure accurate payroll processing, calculations and deductions. Automate payroll calculations, tax withholdings and direct deposits, reducing manual entry errors.
  • Time and Attendance: Monitor employee hours and forecast labor costs using historical data. Clock in and out from Paycor's app. Manage time-off requests and resolve time clock errors.
  • Scheduling: Ensure peak productivity with real-time analytics. Manage leaves and sick days, ensuring there are enough people to get the job done when unexpected call-outs occur.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Combine HR, payroll and time data into a single report. Track, store and compile data to provide managers with insights into business practices.
  • Smart Sourcing: Use Paycor's AI smart sourcing to analyze job descriptions, focusing on key factors like responsibilities and experience to find the best candidates. Run targeted campaigns to attract and engage potential hires, speeding up your talent search.
  • Job Posting Assistance: Paycor has customizable templates and AI to take skills recruiters type in and turn them into job descriptions. The platform connects to various job sites, including Facebook and LinkedIn, letting managers see which employees share job postings.
  • Compliance: Paycor offers comprehensive compliance solutions, from application tracking and EEO/OFCCP compliance reporting to simplifying ACA requirements with detailed reports and employee eligibility tracking. They also have online resources on compliance updates and changes to state laws.
  • Performance Management: Ensure regular 1-on-1s, track goals and collect feedback. Use job assessments, role profiles, templates and role-based reviews.
  • Learning Management: Get self-paced tailored training and coaching. Employees and managers can take bite-size learning courses on key topics like compliance.
  • Pulse Surveys: Turn employee feedback into actionable improvements. Empower staff to share their experiences and identify needed changes to mitigate turnover.
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
Payroll Software

#48

among all
Payroll Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Dashboard and Reporting
Expense Management
Platform Capabilities
Security and Compliance
Benefits Management
Benefits Management
Security and Compliance
Payroll and Tax Management
Platform Capabilities
Time and Attendance Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Paychex
Paycor
+ Add Product + Add Product
Benefits Management Dashboard And Reporting Expense Management Mobile Capabilities Payroll And Tax Management Platform Capabilities Security And Compliance Time And Attendance Management 94 100 100 81 90 100 100 91 100 80 50 67 93 91 100 91 0 25 50 75 100
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88%
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

71%
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2800 reviews
Great User Sentiment 4226 reviews
83%
of users recommend this product

Paychex has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 2800 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

85%
of users recommend this product

Paycor has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 4226 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

4.5 (24)
4.3 (14)
4.2 (1342)
4.1 (758)
4.1 (1122)
n/a
n/a
4.4 (2846)
n/a
4.5 (11)
3.9 (312)
3.7 (597)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Paychex and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Payroll Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Expense Management and Platform Capabilities.

Analysts' Pick Award
Expense Management Award
Platform Capabilities Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Paycor and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Benefits Management.

Benefits Management Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly UI: A total of 80% of reviewers who mentioned the UI felt it easy to use.
Price Within Budget: Around 50% of reviewers that mentioned price were satisfied with the pricing structure and found that the system was worth it.
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Time Tracking: 86% of users like Paycor's time tracking feature for its simplicity and accessibility.
Payroll: 88% of users found payroll processing convenient and reliable, particularly when processing bi-weekly payroll.
Ease of Use and Navigation: 77% of users appreciate Paycor's intuitive platform, noting that it’s easy to use and navigate, which simplifies daily HR tasks.
Integration and Customization: The platform's ability to integrate various features and customize settings to meet specific needs is frequently highlighted as a strength.
Training Opportunities: Paycor offers a variety of training options, including online webinars, recorded sessions and certification courses, which users find beneficial.
Employee Recognition and Communication Tools: Features that support employee recognition and communication are well-regarded. Users find these tools effective in engaging and managing their workforce.
Onboarding: The onboarding feature is praised for its effectiveness in streamlining the new employee integration process.
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Late Submissions and Missed Deadlines: Around 80% of reviewers that mentioned taxes ran into issues, with around 70% saying they had to pay penalties as a result.
Terrible Customer Service: Clients complained that the customer service was rude, unqualified, ill-informed, unhelpful and had high turnover in almost 70% of reviews that mentioned customer service.
Broken Features: Over 50% of reviews that mentioned the features said they were left wanting. The most common issues were communication problems. Just under 20% of all reviewers complained about errors made by either the solution or the staff.
Late Cancellations: Around 20% of reviewers that discussed price complained that they had canceled the program, but it had kept taking money out of their account.
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Login Frustrations: Users note that the login process can be inconvenient as it adds an extra step to accessing information.
Customer Service: Some recent reviews cite difficulties with the support process, specifically over the phone with wait times.
Timecard Issue: A recent review notes experiencing a glitch with timecard integration, which impacted payroll processing.
Reporting: Users find the reporting features cumbersome and inconsistent. The complexity of reports and the lack of simplicity in generating them are notable pain points.
Integration With Third-Party Platforms: There are some minor issues with integrating Paycor with third-party platforms, such as benefits systems, which can lead to excessive delays and unresolved problems.
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Paychex incorporates a range of different solutions and is used widely by small, medium and large-sized companies. While around 40% of users were happy with the functionality of the system, the majority expressed dissatisfaction with its tax capabilities, pricing and customer service. Many described it as dishonest and complained especially that they were oversold on its capabilities and that the salespeople used pushy tactics to try and upsell them. Other complaints of the system included making errors, overpaying employees or even miscalculating taxes resulting in serious penalties. Current and former clients greatly disliked the service. The UI was the most positively reviewed element of the platform with around 80% expressing satisfaction with the design and navigation. Around 50% were happy with the pricing structure and a minority of around 30% of users said they had positive experiences with some select customer service members. This disparity in experiences may be in part to the high turnover rate in representatives which is mentioned many times during the reviews. This solution could be appropriate for small and medium-sized businesses. It supports larger enterprises, but buyers should make sure it has the necessary functionality before purchasing.

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Paycor is a popular HR management software designed for both in-office and remote teams, as well as HR managers aiming to improve performance management. Suitable for small, medium, and large businesses across the United States, Paycor supports teams of 50 to 500 employees and can scale to accommodate organizations with up to 2,500 members.Key features include personalized coaching, Smart Source recruiting, online learning and leader insights. Financial managers benefit from Paycor’s analytics tool, which helps with compensation planning, pay equity monitoring and trend analysis. The software also integrates with general ledger data and offers self-service options for employees to access pay stubs, history and tax forms.Jumping on a live chat, I found Paycor's the most personable experience compared to competitors. I selected “just browsing” and received prompts for webinars, compliance checks, product info, and pricing. The only downside was there wasn't an option to start a new chat and the previous conversation kept reappearing even after refreshing.The mobile app provides employees with easy access to their wages, flexible pay options and paycheck details from anywhere. They can view deductions and adjust federal and state tax withholdings directly through the app.Users appreciate Paycor for its intuitive navigation, self-service features and employee recognition tools. However, some have experienced extended wait times for customer support and challenges with implementation, which sometimes require additional support team intervention.Pricing for Paycor begins at $99 per user per month. A free trial is available for prospective users to evaluate the platform before committing.I found Paycor’s platform pretty straightforward after trying it out, specifically when it came to managing compliance and employee details. I appreciate how the system highlights potential compliance issues and provides clickable warnings for detailed insights. For example, if there's a tax registration issue, I can quickly see specifics like the tax authority, client ID, and tax code, as well as the exact problem, such as a missing tax ID. The platform then guides me to a resolution page where I can easily add the necessary tax ID to fix the issue.When it comes to managing employees, I found the “Manage People” section intuitive. I can filter employees by department, location, title, or status, including options like 3rd-party payable, Active, FMLA, Laid off, or on paid leave. To perform tasks such as assigning a new responsibility, I simply check the box next to the employee’s name. If an employee needs a specific form or document, checking their name is all it takes.The homepage is handy for checking time-related information at a glance. I can see scheduled absences, approaching overtime, and current clock-in or break statuses without needing to dig through multiple screens.For new hires, I can view their name, hire date, email and onboarding progress in one place. Clicking on their name provides access to important details for updates, such as tax information, compensation, and work schedule adjustments.Sharing documents is simple with the “Bulk Actions” feature. I can select and send documents like the employee handbook, PTO policy, or exit interview questions by setting a date and clicking “share form(s).” I can also track the status of these documents in the Forms & Documents Tracking Center.I like the drag-and-drop menu options for customizing my homepage. Managing my tasks is made easier with the “My Task” option, and viewing my available PTO balance and requesting time off are just a few clicks away. I can specify the dates and whether it’s a full or partial day leave, add any necessary notes for my supervisor, and submit the request easily.Accessing and downloading my pay stubs and tax documents directly from the platform is convenient, and setting up direct deposit is straightforward. I can even split my paycheck between two accounts if needed, with one as the primary. Plus, I can check how many days are left until my next paycheck right from the homepage.I'm a fan of the Recognition Center because it lets me view positive comments from colleagues and leave recognition for others.Overall, Paycor’s platform has simplified many of my HR tasks and made the process more efficient.

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