OnPay vs. Paychex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
OnPay
Score 9.7 out of 10
N/A
OnPay's payroll and HR is designed for people who want to spend more time running their business, and less on back-office tasks. The application aims to enable users to: • Run payroll • Automate taxes • Let employees do more themselves • Simplify HR processes • Offer benefits in any state OnPay is $49 plus $6 per person each month. The monthly fee includes integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and time-tracking software, as well as all quarterly and year-end…
$49
per month +$6 per month, per person
Paychex
Score 5.5 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Pricing
OnPayPaychex
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
OnPayPaychex
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional DetailsFirst month free, then $49 + $6 per employee each month.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
OnPayPaychex
Considered Both Products
OnPay
Chose OnPay
Overall OnPay was the best bang for my buck. Had a lot to offer and was cheaper than the rest of the people we looked into
Chose OnPay
I've also used 3py Payroll/staffing companies. I found those competitors clunky, slower in support, overly complicated, and overpriced. OnPay has been my favorite experience in Payroll over the past 20 years.
Chose OnPay
While different payroll software options cater to various business needs, OnPay's standout features in terms of usability, affordability, accuracy, scalability, and support often place it favorably among businesses seeking a reliable and user-friendly payroll solution.
Chose OnPay
I personally did not like Paychex. I found their reporting antiquated, cumbersome, and not easily readable. Reporting is very important to me as it serves as a marketing tool. I can highlight the quality of our services by providing informative and easy-to-read reports. The …
Chose OnPay
Great value and easy to use without a masters degree in payroll. Great customer service, not having to wait on hold or chat for hours in the hope someone can help you.
Chose OnPay
From employee controls, overall pricing, multiple pay runs per month, tax filings, WC services, ease of platform, and customer support, OnPay beats them in spades. I have worked with PayChex and QuickBooks for years. They are expensive and bundle items which increases prices. …
Chose OnPay
ADP run was very slow and clunky. It probably has the ability to do a lot but the actual process of entering payroll was not user-friendly and literally took all Day sometimes. Onboarding with Paychex felt really repetitive and sometimes HR would have to enter information after …
Chose OnPay
The support with OnPay is on a different level. So far, OnPay has delivered all payrolls without any problems. They are easy to use, and the user interface is the best I have seen. There is a lot of customization allowed in OnPay that is not permitted in other applications.
Chose OnPay
OnPay is much easier to use and much more cost effective.
Paychex

No answer on this topic

Features
OnPayPaychex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
9.8
50 Ratings
17% above category average
Paychex
9.1
299 Ratings
13% above category average
Pay calculation9.747 Ratings9.6282 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.616 Ratings8.6164 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.945 Ratings9.6281 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management10.034 Ratings9.1200 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.621 Ratings9.5111 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings8.0142 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
7.3
257 Ratings
7% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings7.6206 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings9.4230 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings8.8164 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings8.3161 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings9.0146 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.1137 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
8.4
151 Ratings
5% above category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.2107 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings8.5143 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings8.5117 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
8.8
258 Ratings
9% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings9.1236 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.6248 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings9.7114 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings7.9175 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
7.5
41 Ratings
7% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings7.541 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
7.0
169 Ratings
7% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.8139 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings8.3159 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings5.086 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
7.0
165 Ratings
12% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.8158 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings6.3101 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
OnPay
-
Ratings
Paychex
8.0
61 Ratings
3% above category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings8.033 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings9.531 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.124 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.131 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings8.030 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.135 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings8.155 Ratings
Best Alternatives
OnPayPaychex
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
OnPayPaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
9.7
(50 ratings)
6.0
(309 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(3 ratings)
9.0
(42 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(21 ratings)
8.3
(251 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(1 ratings)
7.4
(11 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(1 ratings)
7.4
(11 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(21 ratings)
7.5
(256 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.3
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(2 ratings)
6.5
(12 ratings)
Configurability
9.1
(1 ratings)
7.4
(8 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.1
(11 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.1
(1 ratings)
8.9
(31 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.2
(32 ratings)
User Testimonials
OnPayPaychex
Likelihood to Recommend
OnPay
I'd say if you had someone who wasn't educated on how Payroll should be setup and function OnPay is less ideal. But even then you've got things so well setup and cost efficient, they could afford to put some focus on training. In my mind I imagine OnPay is the best solution for small to mid, even early large, company Payroll processing. We're a small company so I'm unaware of the options provided to streamline importing of large group payrolls, but that might be an area where the interface could provide challenges.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
For the most part, Paychex Flex is a very good payroll system and is well suited for a small business. Most basic features are simple and user friendly. For businesses that have hourly employees, its timeclock system is a good feature. For businesses that have a large number of employees and more complicated rules and policies, it might not be as appropriate because of the difficulty to set up for these rules and policies
Read full review
Pros
OnPay
  • Communication - From my first call I was so impressed at the level of care and compassion OnPay expressed. I was assigned specific employees who were available in the sign up process to walk me through each step and to answer all my questions. I know some of my questions were probably "stupid" but OnPay never minded answering them and I was always treated with respect.
  • On Boarding - The nightmare I had experienced with a competitor became a dream with OnPay. They said if I would authorize them to sign onto my account they would take care of the sign up process. And they did!!! They also did it correctly. All of the numbers and information was error free. The only information I was required was input was direct deposit bank information.
  • Resolving an Issue - I have only had one issue that needed to be resolved. The person I talked to had to check with another person for an answer but she stayed on the line with me to make sure the problem was resolved. Then I received a follow up email outlining exactly what action they had taken.
  • Ease of using the website - I can find what I am looking for! I like the verification code. And every time I sign on to my account the red heart by our company name makes me smile.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
Cons
OnPay
  • You can add additional additions or benefit items such as a car allowance. The process required me to contact a representative as that wasn't as easy to navigate.
  • The process for handling additional withholdings for pre-payed taxes required support to ensure the calculations were accurate.
  • Process for on-boarding is a little tricky if you don't start the process from the point of hire. You can add various things easily but it reflects differently in terms of completion of an Employee file.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
  • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
  • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
OnPay
We have used OnPay for a few years now and we do continue to renew our annual use of OnPay. We are only a small organization and although OnPay provides a lot of additional services that larger organizations might ind useful, OnPay still meets our limited requirements of running bi-weekly payroll and submitting our quarterly state and federal tax documents, and at a price that we still find affordable.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great
Read full review
Usability
OnPay
OnPay is very easy to use. The computer interface is setup very well. You can quickly add people, enter your Payroll, print reports, etc. If your Payroll doesn't change from pay period to pay period (example, salaried employees) it takes mere seconds to enter in your Payroll.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
OnPay
OnPay immediately responds to any of my inquiries.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
Read full review
Performance
OnPay
No complaints on OnPay's integration with Xero.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
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Support Rating
OnPay
They have always solved my problems and answered the questions I had. In the earlier years, they were much better and faster but in recent years there appears to be not as much people available so this results in more email requests.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.
Read full review
In-Person Training
OnPay
No answers on this topic
Paychex Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
Online Training
OnPay
No answers on this topic
Paychex Inc.
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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Implementation Rating
OnPay
Easy to implement and easy to convert any other payroll reports to the OnPay system when making the switch
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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Alternatives Considered
OnPay
OnPay is tremendously less expensive and technically superior to Quickbooks in my opinion. OnPay is less expensive and offered the ease of managing a restaurant payroll that was better in my opinion than When I Work. My experience when evaluating all of the payroll products that I felt the company could afford was that OnPay had a superior staff of professionals who knew their product and could explain how to use it most clearly.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.
Read full review
Scalability
OnPay
OnPay works.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
I generally do payroll at the office, however I have had to go remote due to internet issues and also had to take payroll on vacation with me. Very easy to log in wherever you are and manage your TAA and payroll
Read full review
Return on Investment
OnPay
  • Massive time savings. Wonderfully easy to use interface.
  • I've loved the Chat feature. It's provided quick clear direction from your staff for me at times when it was needed.
  • I've had very minimal worry about the tax filings and am grateful for that component of your automation.
  • During the recession we experienced as a result of COVID19 I was particularly grateful we were able to have guidance from your team on how we needed to handle ERC credits. We did run into filing issues there, but were able to resolve them in the end.
Read full review
Paychex Inc.
  • I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
  • One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?
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ScreenShots

OnPay Screenshots

Screenshot of full-service payrollScreenshot of multiple pay rates and schedulesScreenshot of employee self-onboarding and org charts, which are built-inScreenshot of an e-signable offer lettersScreenshot of calendars, where PTO is managed and approvedScreenshot of centralized finances, viewed with over 20 reports for analyzing employment-related expenses

Paychex Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of