Top 6 Paylocity alternatives and competitors (in-depth comparison)

Nothing’s more frustrating than getting a brilliant idea but not finding the time to execute it. But when you’re a small business owner, you have to take care of paperwork before you can consider implementing any new schemes.
If you experience that a lot, it could be why you’re considering software like Paylocity to reduce administrative tasks and free up your time for big-picture ideas that’ll move your business forward.
But you may have discovered that Paylocity doesn’t suit all your needs, and now you’re looking for a similar platform that ticks all your boxes. To narrow down your search, we’ve researched all the best Paylocity alternatives using independent software review platforms like G2 and Capterra. We compare them here in this article based on their essential features, pricing, and user experiences.







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What is Paylocity and what is it used for?
Cloud-based Paylocity is one of the leading human resources and payroll platforms in the United States. In addition to accounting software, it offers team, benefits, and performance management. Paylocity also has a range of employee experience tools like surveys and user videos to boost your team’s morale and enhance their well-being.
Paylocity mostly caters to medium to large businesses in the healthcare, tech, and nonprofit industries. Its benefits administration feature is ideal for low-turnover organizations like hospitals, IT firms, and charities, where staff are more likely to prioritize insurance and retirement funds over hourly rates.
Why might you choose a Paylocity alternative?
If Paylocity doesn’t work for your small business, you may have encountered one of the following issues.
Too complex
While Paylocity markets itself to companies of all sizes, it mostly caters to large organizations. That means it includes features like benefits management and compensation tools that small businesses with hourly teams won’t need. All these different features make the software more demanding to use. And because Paylocity has a steeper learning curve, it can lead users to find implementation “ difficult and stressful ” or even “ chaotic .”
Unresponsive customer support
Complex software doesn’t have to be a deal breaker for small businesses if they get the right support. Unfortunately, Paylocity users say customer support isn’t responsive. Many report a “ delay in follow up ” and “ many tickets outstanding for a while .” So, unless you’re especially tech-savvy, you may struggle to get Paylocity to do everything you need it to.
Unintuitive design
Paylocity users also say the software “ could be simplified ” and has  “ extra steps than […] required .” This can lead to a challenging user experience where the platform is “ difficult to navigate ” or “ frustrating to find information .” 
So, managing Paylocity may end up canceling out much of the time you save on scheduling and payroll.
Key features to look for in a Paylocity alternative
Before we delve into our software comparison, let’s clarify the essential characteristics of top HR and payroll platforms:

Built-in payroll : Compliantly paying your team is time-consuming and errors can be costly. You risk late paychecks, unhappy staff, and even hefty tax fines. Payroll software lets you automate the process to save time and make sure everything’s correct — even better if it’s a built-in tool rather than an integration.
HR and compliance features : Labor laws are complicated and change constantly. To avoid penalties, you should get a platform that keeps you updated by alerting you to potential compliance issues and advising you on tricky situations like terminations and employee disputes.
Employee management tools: Scheduling and time tracking features help you maintain optimum staffing levels, pay teams correctly, and comply with labor laws. A good HR platform lets you perform these tasks quickly and accurately with tools like automation, built-in chat apps, and employee self-service tools that keep your team engaged and accountable.
Integrations : You probably use other apps like point of sale systems (POS) and inventory management tools. The best HR software lets you integrate with the most popular business apps so you can transfer data seamlessly across all the platforms you love using.
Affordable pricing: Cost shouldn’t be your only consideration, but you should still choose a platform that suits your budget and allows you to add features as you grow. Even better if there’s a free plan available.

The breakdown: 6 top Paylocity alternatives
Here are the six platforms we’ll compare in the article below. We’ve chosen them based on how they match Paylocity’s strengths and compensate for its weaknesses.

1. Homebase: Best all-in-one solution
2. Paychex: Best for reporting and analytics
3. Gusto: Best for international payroll
4. BambooHR: Best for performance management
5. APS: Best for ACA compliance management
6. Namely: Best for company newsfeeds

1. Homebase : Best all-in-one solution
Homebase’s all-in-one solution lets you manage all your payroll and HR tasks in one place.
Designed with small businesses in mind, Homebase has a comprehensive set of features built specifically for hourly teams. You can create schedules , track hours , and pay hourly workers with ease. We also specialize in North American labor laws, so we can offer you guidance on your HR and compliance issues. That way, you can steer your business away from fines and stressful issues with employees.
Payroll
Homebase syncs timesheet data with payroll so you can pay staff accurately and effortlessly.
Unlike some competitors, Homebase provides scheduling , time tracking , and payroll in one place. That means data syncs seamlessly, which eliminates the need to juggle different apps or manually enter numbers into any of your systems.
HR and compliance
Homebase offers a variety of HR tools and services to help you stay on top of compliance.
The trick to staying compliant is:

Writing clear business policies
Catching potential issues before they happen
Navigating complex situations as they arise

Homebase can help with all this. We offer a bespoke employee handbook service based on a 30-minute interview with you. Then, our range of compliance triggers and alerts allows you to spot problems like missed breaks and staff approaching overtime. For when the worst happens, like disciplinary action and termination, we have on-demand HR professionals to advise you.
Employee management
Homebase combines scheduling , time tracking , and communication to make team management as efficient as possible.
For businesses with hourly workers, accurate payroll and compliance management depend on effective scheduling and time tracking . For example, you need to assign and notify staff of their shifts in accordance with local labor laws. And, you have to monitor staff to check they take all their breaks. That’s why Homebase provides team management tools to let you collect availability, streamline scheduling, and track your team’s hours. Plus, our team communication app makes it easy to share updates and stay connected day-to-day.
Pros and cons
Pros