Alternatives to Paychex

Last updated: 2025-11-27

Paychex: Payroll and HR services provider offering payroll plus optional HR and benefits-related add-ons.

Best for: Businesses that want payroll with the option to add HR services and more hands-on support.

Quick comparison

Tool	Best for	Pricing	Key features
ADP	Businesses that prioritize compliance coverage and prefer a long-established payroll provider.	Custom pricing; varies by plan and services (check vendor site).	Payroll processing Tax services Compliance support Reporting
Rippling	Growing teams that want payroll integrated with broader HR workflows and scalable administration.	Modular pricing; typically per-employee with add-ons (check vendor site).	Payroll processing HR management Workflow automation Integrations
Paylocity	Mid-sized organizations that want a wider HCM suite alongside payroll.	Custom pricing; varies by modules and organization size (check vendor site).	Payroll processing HCM suite Employee self-service Reporting
Justworks	Teams that want a PEO relationship for benefits access and HR compliance support.	Per-employee pricing; varies by services (check vendor site).	PEO services Payroll processing Benefits administration HR compliance support
Zenefits	Small businesses that want HR administration plus payroll in a unified system.	Plan-based pricing, often per-employee (check vendor site).	HR management Payroll processing Benefits administration Employee self-service

If you want the simplest setup and good SMB defaults, prioritize ease of use and support.
If you need benefits, time tracking, or HR add-ons, compare integrations and total cost.
If you have contractors or multi-state complexity, prioritize compliance features.

Common reasons include pricing, feature fit, support, integrations, or needs that change as a company grows.

Start with company size, payroll frequency, benefits needs, and integrations (accounting, time tracking, HR).