Paycom vs Paylocity: costs, contracts and which fits
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Neither Paycom nor Paylocity publishes a price: Paycom's pricing page says it "provides customized pricing" plus a one-time implementation fee, and Paylocity offers only a pricing form (both checked October 16, 2026). Third-party estimates differ in shape: Fit Small Business reports a Paycom quote of $4 to $6 per employee per pay run (July 2026), and OutSail puts Paylocity at $18 to $22 per employee per month for payroll and HR (July 2026).
Paycom fits a midsize or larger employer that wants employees to check their own paychecks before payroll runs. Paylocity fits a company of roughly 20 to 1,000 people that wants a full HR suite with a strong employee app. They tie at 12 out of 100 on our payroll scale, which rewards published prices and terms; both lose most points for publishing almost none.
Where the points come from
Scores from our published method, checked October 17, 2026. Bars show the share of each criterion's points earned.
On this page
Paycom vs Paylocity in brief
- Paycom
- Quote onlyplus a one-time implementation fee
- Paylocity
- Quote onlypricing form; no figures on site
- Estimates
- Per run vs per monthPaycom $4 to $6 per run; Paylocity $18 to $22 PEPM
- Payroll score
- 12 vs 12Paycom vs Paylocity, out of 100
Both are full HR and payroll suites (HCM) sold through sales reps, aimed at companies that have outgrown small-business payroll. What either costs, how long the contract runs and how you leave are not on their websites. This page shows what each does publish, what third parties have reported with dates, and the questions that fill the gaps. For small-team payroll with posted prices, see payroll software ranked by score.
Paycom and Paylocity side by side
| Item | Paycom | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| HRPricing payroll score | ||
| HRPricing HR software score | Not scored | |
| Published price | "Paycom provides customized pricing" | Quote only, through a pricing form ("priced for your budget") |
| Third-party estimate | $4 to $6 per employee per pay run; $6.95 per W-2; $75 annual transmittal fee; $4 more per employee for time and attendance (Fit Small Business, Jul 7, 2026, from one quote) | $18 to $22 per employee per month for core payroll and HR; $26 to $33 for full HCM (OutSail, Jul 24, 2026, mid-market advisory data) |
| Fee model | Per employee per pay run (per the quote above) | Per employee per month (per the estimate above) |
| Implementation | One-time fee confirmed, amount not stated. Quote: $500 for 15 employees, $1,200 for 40 | Not published; OutSail estimates 10% to 20% of first-year spend |
| What it includes | Single-database HCM; Beti, where employees review their own payroll before it runs | Payroll, HR, time, benefits, recruiting, employee community app; global payroll in 100+ countries |
| Who it targets | No size bands on the pricing page; our research places it with midsize and larger employers | Site sorts buyers into 1 to 99, 100 to 499 and 500+ employees |
| Tax filing | Lists "payroll tax management and filing"; no guarantee terms published | Lists "accurate, on-time tax filings"; no guarantee terms published |
| Contract terms | Not published beyond the implementation fee | Not published |
| Exit terms | Not published | Not published |
| Support | "Ongoing support from a dedicated specialist is provided to clients at no cost"; channels and hours not published | Administrator and employee support pages and an in-app knowledge base; hours not published |
| Ratings | G2 4.7 from 11,663; Trustpilot 3.9 from 718 (seen Oct 16, 2026) | G2 4.4 from 6,311; Trustpilot 1.3 from 129 (seen Oct 16, 2026) |
Sources: Paycom and Paylocity pricing pages, Paylocity support page, checked Oct 16, 2026; Fit Small Business Paycom review (Jul 7, 2026); OutSail Paylocity cost article (Jul 24, 2026). Estimates are third-party, not vendor prices. Scores per our scoring method.
Estimated first-year cost for 15 and 40 employees
These are labeled estimates, not quotes. The Paycom figures come from one quote Fit Small Business received; the Paylocity figures come from OutSail's mid-market advisory data. They also cover different things: the Paycom figure is payroll processing, while OutSail's low band is payroll plus core HR. We assume biweekly pay (26 runs a year).
| Team | Paycom (estimate) | Paylocity core payroll and HR (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 employees | ($4 to $6) x 15 x 26 runs = $1,560 to $2,340, plus 15 W-2s x $6.95 = $104.25, $75 transmittal and $500 implementation: $2,239.25 to $3,019.25 | ($18 to $22) x 15 x 12 = $3,240 to $3,960, plus implementation at 10% to 20% of that ($324 to $792): $3,564 to $4,752 |
| 40 employees | ($4 to $6) x 40 x 26 runs = $4,160 to $6,240, plus 40 W-2s x $6.95 = $278, $75 transmittal and $1,200 implementation: $5,713 to $7,793 | ($18 to $22) x 40 x 12 = $8,640 to $10,560, plus implementation at 10% to 20% ($864 to $2,112): $9,504 to $12,672 |
Sources: Fit Small Business, Paycom review (Jul 7, 2026, from a quote); OutSail, Paylocity cost article (Jul 24, 2026). Our arithmetic. Neither vendor publishes these figures.
Two things move these numbers more than the base rate:
- Pay frequency at Paycom. A per-run fee doubles if you pay weekly (52 runs) instead of biweekly. Ask whether the quote is per run or per month.
- Modules at Paylocity. OutSail puts full HCM at $26 to $33 per employee per month, or ($26 to $33) x 40 x 12 = $12,480 to $15,840 a year for 40 people before implementation. Time and attendance at Paycom adds $4 per employee in the same Fit Small Business quote.
Employer payroll taxes come on top at either vendor: 7.65% Social Security and Medicare on wages (Social Security up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500), net FUTA of $42 per employee, and your state's unemployment tax. See what payroll services cost for providers that post prices, and run your own team in the employee cost calculator.
Choose Paycom if
- You have enough staff that payroll corrections are a weekly chore, and you want employees to check their own pay before it runs (Paycom's Beti).
- You want one database for payroll, HR and time, with a dedicated specialist assigned at no extra cost.
- A per-pay-run price suits you, for example if you pay biweekly or monthly rather than weekly.
Paycom
Quote only, plus a one-time implementation fee (checked Oct 16, 2026). Third-party quote: $4 to $6 per employee per pay run (Fit Small Business, Jul 2026).
How the score adds up
- Price0/25
- Tax filing3/20
- Features2/20
- Contract and exit2/15
- Support1/10
- Complaints record4/10
Choose Paylocity if
- You want a full suite with recruiting, benefits administration and an employee community app, priced as one per-employee figure.
- You have, or expect, staff abroad: Paylocity lists global payroll in 100+ countries.
- You are a midsize company (Paylocity's site sorts buyers into 1 to 99, 100 to 499 and 500+ employees) and can budget for implementation.
Paylocity
Quote only (checked Oct 16, 2026). Third-party estimate: $18 to $22 per employee per month for payroll and HR (OutSail, Jul 2026).
How the score adds up
- Price0/25
- Tax filing3/20
- Features6/20
- Contract and exit0/15
- Support1/10
- Complaints record2/10
What neither publishes
Here is what neither company publishes, and what to get in writing from the rep:
| Term | Paycom | Paylocity | Ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract length and renewal | Not published | Not published | Term in months, auto-renewal, and notice to stop it |
| Implementation fee | Confirmed, amount not stated | Not published | A fixed dollar amount and what it covers (data load, tax setup, training) |
| Price increases | Not published | Not published | A cap on yearly increases, in the contract |
| Tax filing guarantee | None published | None published | Who pays penalties and interest if the vendor files late or wrong |
| Cancellation and exit fees | Not published | Not published | Notice period, early exit fee, final-quarter filings |
| Data and W-2s after you leave | Not published | Not published | Export format, cost, and how long admin and employee access lasts |
Source: Paycom and Paylocity pricing and support pages, checked Oct 16, 2026.
Without these, a quote is hard to compare. Ask both reps for a sample order form or master agreement before the demo ends.
Switching from one to the other
Moving between two HCM suites is mostly a data project. Plan for:
- Year-to-date wages. If you switch midyear, the new system needs each employee's YTD earnings and taxes so Social Security withholding stops at $184,500 and the year-end W-2 is complete.
- Who files what. Get in writing which vendor files each quarter's Form 941 and state wage reports and who issues the 2026 W-2s. The Q4 2026 941 is due February 1, 2027 (IRS).
- Implementation overlap. Both charge for implementation, so you may pay the old vendor's monthly fee while the new one loads your data. Ask for a start date and a parallel payroll.
- Exports. Download registers, tax filings, time records, I-9s and benefits elections before your old access ends. Neither vendor publishes how long access lasts.
- State accounts. Keep your own state unemployment and withholding account numbers. A missed quarterly wage report after a switch can push your rate up; one Hacker News commenter says theirs went from 0.8% to 12.75% (HN, Aug 17, 2026).
January 1 is the cleanest switch date: no YTD wages to load and one vendor per tax year.
Ratings and complaints
Paycom
Paycom rates 4.7 from 11,663 reviews on G2 and 3.9 from 718 on Trustpilot (seen Oct 16, 2026). We have not catalogued its complaint themes from dated reviews, so we do not list any. Its Trustpilot score is the higher of the two by a wide margin.
Paylocity
Paylocity rates 4.4 from 6,311 reviews on G2 but 1.3 from 129 on Trustpilot (seen Oct 16, 2026). That is one of the widest gaps between the two sites in our research. Across payroll vendors, the Trustpilot reviews we read are mostly billing, cancellation and support disputes. We have not yet catalogued Paylocity's complaint themes from dated reviews, so we do not list them here. Read the most recent one-star reviews yourself before you sign, and ask the rep how billing disputes and cancellations are handled.
More comparisons
Read the full Paycom review and Paylocity review. Other comparisons with these suites: Paycor vs Paylocity, ADP vs Paylocity, Rippling vs Paylocity and Paylocity vs Paychex. For larger teams, enterprise payroll options covers more suites, and HR and payroll software ranked by score puts Paylocity next to tools that post prices. If you are weighing a PEO instead of an HCM, start with the best PEO companies and what a PEO costs.
Bottom line: Paycom and Paylocity tie at 12 on our payroll scale, and neither posts prices or terms. Choose on fit (Paycom's employee-checked payroll and per-run pricing, or Paylocity's broader suite and global payroll), and make both reps put contract length, implementation fee, price caps and exit terms in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paycom cheaper than Paylocity?
Does Paycom charge an implementation fee?
What is the difference between Paycom and Paylocity?
Do Paycom or Paylocity have a tax filing guarantee?
How are Paycom and Paylocity rated?
Can I cancel Paycom or Paylocity anytime?
Sources (12)
- Paycom: Paycom pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Fit Small Business: Paycom review (updated Jul 7, 2026, from a quote) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- G2: Paycom reviews (4.7 from 11,663) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Paycom reviews (3.9 from 718) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Paylocity: Paylocity pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Paylocity: Paylocity client support page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- OutSail: How much does Paylocity cost in 2026 (Jul 24, 2026, advisory data) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- G2: Paylocity reviews (4.4 from 6,311) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Paylocity reviews (1.3 from 129) (seen Oct 16, 2026)
- IRS: Employment tax due dates (checked Oct 16, 2026 (last reviewed Apr 21, 2026))
- Social Security Administration: Contribution and benefit base (2026: $184,500) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Hacker News: Comment on a SUTA rate jump after a provider switch (Aug 17, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.