Though SurePayroll and Paychex are each Paychex options, they’re very completely different in choices, particularly in interfaces, and serve completely different buyer bases. In evaluating SurePayroll vs Paychex, we discovered the previous higher for small companies with easy pay processing wants. Paychex, however, is good for these needing versatile options that may scale with their enterprise. It has a wider suite of HR options and might even work as knowledgeable employer group (PEO), taking over all of your HR and payroll wants.
- SurePayroll: Greatest for startups, family payroll, and companies on a good finances
- Paychex: Greatest for companies that count on to develop into bigger companies and will wish to go from easy payroll to full PEO companies
Undecided what a PEO is? Learn our PEO information to know extra about its options and what it could actually do for your small business.
SurePayroll vs Paychex In contrast
You could find out extra about how the 2 evaluate in our purchaser’s guides.
When to Use SurePayroll & Paychex
SurePayroll is a member of the Paychex household, which implies it makes use of Paychex’s connections for advantages and different capabilities. Nonetheless, its system is completely different from that of Paychex’s payroll software program, Paychex Flex. Its platform isn’t as full-featured as Paychex Flex however presents you the choice of paying taxes your self or having SurePayroll do it with a full tax penalty assure. Its plans are total cheaper than Paychex’s, making it a better option for startups, budget-minded small companies, and family employers. It even topped the record of our greatest nanny payroll companies.
Professionals
- Simple-to-use software program
- Inexpensive
- Versatile payroll packages with a do-it-yourself (DIY) tax submitting choice
- Presents plans good for nanny and family payroll
Cons
- Integrates with solely time monitoring and accounting instruments; some integrations price additional
- Few HR assets
- Restricted onboarding (you need to enter new rent particulars your self
- Greater pricing for family payroll
Paychex is a extremely versatile payroll and HR service, which may help rising companies, from solopreneurs to massive enterprises. Its payroll software program, Paychex Flex, doesn’t solely have pay processing instruments; it additionally comes with HR options for managing hiring, onboarding, worker attendance, advantages, studying administration, and efficiency opinions.
It comes with a number of plans and add-ons, a few of which require you to get a quote. Whereas Paychex Flex is inexpensive, it could actually get expensive as you add options. Nonetheless, the HR and payroll options are scalable, which makes it good for rising companies. You possibly can even advance to a full PEO and let Paychex deal with your payroll and HR duties.
Professionals
- Inexpensive starter plan; very straightforward so as to add companies
- Fee choices embrace pay playing cards and checks (with examine signing companies)
- Devoted payroll specialist
- Versatile plans take you from startup to massive company, DIY to PEO
Cons
- Pricing isn’t fully-transparent; some plans require calling Paychex for a quote
- Yr-end tax reporting, efficiency opinions, hiring, advantages, and time monitoring price additional
- Pre-employment screening, studying administration, and staff’ compensation fee companies can be found in larger tiers
Alternate options to Paychex & SurePayroll
SurePayroll or Paychex might not be the perfect payroll resolution for everybody. In the event you’re on the lookout for one thing else, contemplate the next alternate options.
Want extra payroll supplier choices? Take a look at our greatest payroll companies and prime payroll software program guides to see our really useful options. In the event you aren’t positive what options to search for, learn our information on how to decide on the correct payroll service for your small business.
Greatest for Affordability: SurePayroll
For pricing, SurePayroll is the plain winner as its full-service payroll plan is inexpensive than Paychex Flex’s starter tier ($29.99 + $5 per worker month-to-month vs $39 + $5 per worker month-to-month). This makes SurePayroll an amazing choice for budget-constrained small companies which have easy payroll and HR wants.
It presents a good cheaper plan with its “No Tax Submitting” choice. For a month-to-month payment of $19.99 + $4 per worker, SurePayroll will deal with the calculations of all earnings, deductions, and taxes for you—however you’ll should handle the tax funds and kind submissions your self. Startups and really small companies (with fewer than 10 staff) can profit from this plan, supplied they’ve an in-house payroll accountant who can deal with the tax submitting transactions.
Plus, you don’t should pay additional for off-cycle payroll as a result of SurePayroll presents limitless pay runs (Paychex doesn’t). This implies you possibly can course of payroll as many instances as you want and need in a month. Nonetheless, the draw back to utilizing this supplier is the add-on charges for multistate payroll and OH/PA native tax filings—companies that Paychex presents totally free.
The bottom month-to-month payment of Paychex Flex’s starter tier could also be larger than SurePayroll’s Full Service plan ($39 vs $29.99), however you get extra functionalities and companies, reminiscent of new rent self-onboarding instruments and entry to monetary wellness options, together with money movement help to your staff. This makes Paychex ideally suited for companies that want greater than fundamental HR and payroll instruments.
Nonetheless, Paychex Flex’s starter plan is simply restricted to companies with as much as 19 staff. You’ll should improve to its subsequent tier if in case you have 20 and extra staff, so it could actually get costly. And whereas Paychex presents a couple of months totally free and discounted charges within the first yr, you might even see a worth improve when it comes time to resume—though we’ve been instructed that it’s negotiable.
Greatest for Payroll: Paychex
Paychex has a really versatile system for creating and working payroll. You possibly can even customise it so that you simply get entry to the data you want within the pay grid format that’s snug for you. We like the various checks and balances it presents, reminiscent of automated compliance checking and a pre-check service, which provides an extra evaluation cycle for employers and staff. You possibly can even set it to run in as little as two clicks when payroll is fundamental.
It’s total extra highly effective than SurePayroll, because it has examine signing and stuffing companies, whereas SurePayroll solely permits you to print guide checks. Paychex additionally has a pay card choice not discovered with SurePayroll. Better of all, it gives you the choice to submit payroll through telephone to your devoted payroll specialist (SurePayroll doesn’t provide this service).
One disadvantage to Paychex is that you don’t get limitless pay runs. You’re charged by the run, so whilst you can set completely different schedules, you’re higher off financially placing everybody on the identical schedule.
Paychex Flex has a vibrant, trendy interface that’s user-friendly. (Supply: Paychex)
Whereas extra fundamental, SurePayroll could be very straightforward to make use of. It, too, enables you to run payroll in a matter of minutes and has an autorun function if in case you have the identical payroll every month. Much like Paychex, it helps a number of pay charges/schedules and has self-service instruments the place staff can view payslips, fundamental info, and tax kinds on-line. It is also the higher choice if you wish to pay staff on completely different schedules, because it permits limitless pay runs.
SurePayroll makes it straightforward to create and approve payroll. (Supply: SurePayroll)
Greatest for HR Options
When evaluating Paychex vs SurePayroll for HR help, Paychex is certainly the strongest selection. Its instruments take you from hiring to retiring, and it presents entry to each advantages plans that embrace non-standard choices like cashflow help and a monetary wellness program. As well as, in case you desire to outsource your HR, Paychex PEO can deal with all of your duties for you. Take into accout, nevertheless, that Paychex might cost additional for some companies—so it could actually get costly as you add options.
Paychex additionally has over 160 customizable studies that cowl the gamut from payroll and job costing to compliance studies like Inexpensive Care Act studies or Equal Employment Alternative studies. SurePayroll solely presents some fundamental payroll studies.
Paychex has HR instruments that will help you all through your worker’s time along with your firm. (Supply: Paychex)
You probably have your individual HR crew and have a extremely small, easy enterprise, SurePayroll does provide some instruments. Its doc library incorporates kinds and templates, plus compliance posters. Primary reporting and commonplace advantages choices are additionally obtainable, together with pre-employment screening options. General, it’s an economical strategy to get some fundamental help.
SurePayroll presents a number of HR paperwork and kinds for obtain. (Supply: SurePayroll)
Greatest for Ease of Use & Buyer Help: Paychex
Paychex is simple to be taught and use, with an interface that’s extra modern-looking than SurePayroll. The wide selection of integrations makes it a flexible product, and it presents 24/7 help in case you require technical help or have questions on its options.
When to Contemplate SurePayroll
SurePayroll’s interface seems older however remains to be straightforward to observe. It doesn’t provide the plethora of integrations that Paychex does, though it could actually combine with time monitoring and accounting software program.
SurePayroll additionally has extra demo movies on its YouTube channel than Paychex and presents how-to tips about the software program itself. Nonetheless, its on-line data base consists of common data articles and FAQs, lots of which say to contact customer support.
Greatest for Consumer Recognition: SurePayroll
To check SurePayroll vs Paychex on consumer recognition, we checked every suppliers’ common total rankings and the variety of opinions on third-party evaluation websites (reminiscent of G2 and Capterra). When it comes to rankings from customers, SurePayroll outscored Paychex (4.25 vs 4.1 out of 5), however the latter has a bigger variety of consumer opinions with practically 1,500 opinions (SurePayroll has fewer than 500).
Right here’s what customers should say about each suppliers.
How We Evaluated SurePayroll and Paychex
We evaluated SurePayroll vs Paychex by wanting on the payroll and HR options supplied, together with the shopper help choices obtainable. We additionally thought-about pricing, ease of use, and suggestions from purchasers who left opinions on well-liked evaluation websites.
Backside Line
Each Paychex and SurePayroll are good payroll companies, and since SurePayroll is a part of the Paychex household, they provide comparable advantages. SurePayroll is inexpensive and extra restricted in what it presents, nevertheless. Thus, if you’re budget-minded, have easy wants, or are a family employer, SurePayroll is the higher selection.
Paychex, in the meantime, presents extra for small and midsize companies (SMBs) whereas nonetheless being accessible to solopreneurs and startups. In case you are a rising enterprise which will want a wider vary of instruments sooner or later, it’s the system that may develop with you. At any time, in truth, you possibly can transition to a full PEO and allow them to deal with all of your payroll and HR be just right for you. Contact a Paychex consultant to debate your wants and get a quote to get began.
