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Last Updated: February 2026

Paylocity – Payroll & HCM Platform Review & Pricing 2026

Our comprehensive Paylocity review examines pricing, features, and user experience of this growing payroll and HCM platform. Discover how Paylocity's payroll, workforce management, and employee experience tools compare to ADP, Paychex, and Rippling.

8.4
out of 10
Sophie Watkins
Sophie Watkins
HR Technology Expert

Paylocity has quietly become one of the strongest mid-market HCM platforms in the US. What sets it apart is its focus on the employee experience - the Community social collaboration feature, Premium Video tools, and modern mobile app feel more like consumer products than enterprise HR software. Payroll processing is reliable and comprehensive, and the platform handles multi-state payroll well. The talent management suite has matured considerably, with solid performance reviews, learning management, and employee surveys. Pricing requires a sales conversation but typically falls between ADP and Gusto. For US-based companies between 50 and 1,500 employees wanting a modern payroll and HCM platform with strong employee engagement features, Paylocity is a compelling option.

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Watch: Paylocity Overview

Paylocity Review: HCM Platform

Pros & Cons

A balanced analysis of Paylocity's strengths and limitations based on extensive testing and real user feedback.

Pros
  • Modern employee experience with social collaboration features
  • Strong payroll processing with excellent multi-state compliance
  • Good talent management including performance reviews and LMS
  • Premium Video tool enables video-based communication and learning
  • On Demand Payment feature supports employee financial wellness
  • Solid mobile app that employees enjoy using
  • Growing integration ecosystem with open API
Cons
  • Pricing not transparent and requires sales engagement
  • US-only platform with no international payroll capabilities
  • Implementation can take 6-10 weeks for mid-size companies
  • Some advanced features feel bolted on rather than natively integrated
  • Reporting has a learning curve for complex custom reports
  • Benefits administration less robust than dedicated benefits platforms

What Customers Say

Authentic testimonials from verified Paylocity customers across different industries and company sizes.

5/5

"The Community feature transformed our internal communications. Employees actually engage with company updates now - our read rates went from 15% to 80%."

Angela D.
Director of HR, Healthcare Company
4/5

"Paylocity handles our 300-person, 8-state payroll without issues. The compliance dashboard gives us confidence we're always up to date."

Brian K.
Payroll Manager, Retail Company
4/5

"Good platform overall but the implementation was rough. It took 3 months to fully migrate from ADP, though the result was worth it."

Christina M.
CHRO, Professional Services

Pricing & Plans

Detailed breakdown of Paylocity's tiered pricing structure. Choose the plan that fits your business needs.

Payroll

Core payroll and tax management

Custom
typically $6-12/employee/month
  • Payroll processing
  • Tax compliance and filing
  • Direct deposit
  • Employee self-service
  • W-2 and 1099 management
  • Garnishment processing
  • General ledger integration
  • Standard reporting

HR

Payroll plus core HR features

Custom
typically $10-18/employee/month
  • Everything in Payroll
  • Employee records management
  • Onboarding workflows
  • Document management
  • Benefits administration
  • Compliance dashboard
  • HR reporting and analytics
  • Dedicated support

Workforce Management

Complete HCM suite

Custom
typically $15-25/employee/month
  • Everything in HR
  • Time and labour management
  • Scheduling
  • Expense management
  • Talent management
  • Learning management
  • Employee surveys
  • Premium analytics

Add-ons & Additional Modules

  • Community: Social collaboration and recognition platform
  • Premium Video: Video-based learning and communication
  • On Demand Payment: Early wage access for employees

How Paylocity Compares

Side-by-side comparison of Paylocity against leading competitors in the payroll and HR space.

Rating Comparison

Metrics
Paylocity
ADP
Paychex
Rippling
Ease of Use
8.5
7.0
7.5
8.5
Value for Money
8.0
7.0
7.5
8.0
Customer Support
8.0
7.5
8.5
8.0
Functionality
8.5
9.0
8.5
9.5
Analytics
8.0
8.5
7.5
9.0

Feature Comparison

Feature
Paylocity
ADP
Paychex
Rippling
Full-Service Payroll
Payroll processing and tax filing
Benefits Admin
Benefits enrolment and management
Time & Labour
Time tracking and scheduling
Social Collaboration
Employee community and engagement
Learning Mgmt
Training and development platform
Add-on
Pro plan
Performance Mgmt
Performance reviews and goals
Workforce Now
Pro plan
Add-on
On Demand Pay
Early wage access
Video Platform
Video communication tools
Add-on
Global Payroll
International payroll
Mobile App
iOS and Android apps

Ready to Modernise Your Payroll & HCM?

Paylocity offers a comprehensive payroll and HCM platform ideal for mid-market companies that want modern employee experience features alongside reliable payroll and HR tools.

View AlternativesCompare: ADP vs Paylocity
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