Paychex vs Paylocity Pricing (2026)

Paychex vs Paylocity

HR/HRIS pricing comparison · 2026

Paychex pricing ranges from $39–$149/month, while Paylocity ranges from $20–$40/user/month. Paylocity is typically 62% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

HR/HRIS

Paychex

$39–$149
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
HR/HRIS

Paylocity

$20–$40
/user/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Paychex and Paylocity both operate in the hr/hris category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Paychex Paylocity
Paychex Go $39 /month base + $5/user $20 /user/month
Paychex Flex Essentials $79 /month base + $8/user $30 /user/month
Paychex Flex Select $119 /month base + $12/user $40 /user/month
Paychex Flex Pro $149 /month base

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Paychex

3 scenarios
$39/month
Starter Setup
$79/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)

Paylocity

6 scenarios
$20/month
Starter Setup
$30/month
Growing Business
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)
See all 6 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

Paychex

Median annual cost
$480
Based on
45 deals

Paylocity

Median annual cost
$42,240
0
Based on
13 deals

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Paychex 4 hidden costs

medium
Unexpected Fees and Unauthorized Charges 5-10% of license costs
high
Poor Benefits Administration Support 10-20% of license costs
medium
Customer Service Inefficiency Costs 5-15% of license costs
medium
Cancellation Difficulties $1,000-$5,000
See all Paychex hidden costs →

Paylocity 6 hidden costs

medium
Annual Price Increases 5-10% of license costs
medium
BaseHR Package Requirement $1,000-$3,000
medium
Implementation Support Time $5,000-$15,000
high
Customer Service Delays 10-20% additional labor time
medium
FSA Administration Issues 5-10 hours/month administrative time
See all Paylocity hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Paychex Paylocity
Auto-renewal No
Cancellation No official renewal required
Minimum commitment Typically 1 year
Price escalation Standard annual increase around May, amount varies. Can be avoided with multi-year lock-in.
Can downgrade Yes