Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ascentis (discontinued)
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.N/A
Paycom
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Paycom is an automated HCM platform, built on a single database that eliminates redundant data entry through automation. A payroll and HR software solution, Paycom is used by organizations of all sizes to access employee data without navigating multiple systems.N/A
Pricing
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Considered Both Products
Ascentis (discontinued)
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
We selected Ascentis because the features and price were a reasonable match for our business objectives at the time. What stood out about Ascentis was the ability to customize and integrate with our internal tools.

We are currently starting to evaluate other software and are …
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
Unlike the others, Ascentis was built as an HR solutions platform--not an extension of a payroll company looking to expand into HR. The payroll side is well-represented with founders who are ex-ADP employees, but by being focused on HR as a whole, this puts the emphasis on …
Chose Ascentis (discontinued)
Paycom. We went with Ascentis because Paycom did not have the ability to customize our performance management tool
Paycom

No answer on this topic

Features
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.1
150 Ratings
14% below category average
Paycom
8.1
560 Ratings
0% below category average
Employee demographic data6.7137 Ratings8.9514 Ratings
Employment history7.3140 Ratings8.1494 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.9128 Ratings8.2494 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.6.7126 Ratings8.1495 Ratings
Organizational charting5.290 Ratings7.6399 Ratings
Organization and location management8.0109 Ratings8.0438 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.8102 Ratings8.1410 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
125 Ratings
4% below category average
Paycom
8.3
560 Ratings
2% above category average
Pay calculation7.1115 Ratings8.8544 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.162 Ratings6.447 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.328 Ratings8.593 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.7108 Ratings8.4478 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.2100 Ratings9.1541 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.692 Ratings8.4452 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.851 Ratings8.3314 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
105 Ratings
4% below category average
Paycom
8.5
491 Ratings
4% above category average
Approval workflow7.999 Ratings8.5465 Ratings
Balance details7.099 Ratings8.4466 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.484 Ratings8.5391 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.0
153 Ratings
16% below category average
Paycom
8.7
562 Ratings
6% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.8138 Ratings9.0552 Ratings
Update personal information8.6151 Ratings9.2558 Ratings
View company policy documentation5.4110 Ratings8.7497 Ratings
Employee recognition6.061 Ratings8.0274 Ratings
View job history7.3108 Ratings8.6459 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.8
33 Ratings
32% below category average
Paycom
4.9
26 Ratings
49% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets5.833 Ratings4.926 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.3
147 Ratings
18% below category average
Paycom
7.2
497 Ratings
4% below category average
Report builder7.0144 Ratings7.9490 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.5142 Ratings7.9485 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data4.673 Ratings5.855 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.1
98 Ratings
44% below category average
Paycom
8.4
490 Ratings
5% above category average
New hire portal5.398 Ratings8.5484 Ratings
Manager tracking tools4.976 Ratings8.3422 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.2
57 Ratings
11% below category average
Paycom
6.3
291 Ratings
25% below category average
Corporate goal setting6.743 Ratings4.236 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.653 Ratings8.0269 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.138 Ratings4.835 Ratings
Performance tracking7.250 Ratings8.0286 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.0
63 Ratings
28% below category average
Paycom
7.9
368 Ratings
0% below category average
Performance plans5.659 Ratings7.8340 Ratings
Performance improvement plans5.650 Ratings7.8323 Ratings
Review status tracking5.857 Ratings8.0328 Ratings
Review reminders6.555 Ratings8.0336 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.650 Ratings7.8300 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.9
27 Ratings
29% below category average
Paycom
7.9
92 Ratings
0% above category average
Create succession plans/pools6.421 Ratings7.952 Ratings
Candidate ranking6.421 Ratings7.870 Ratings
Candidate search5.027 Ratings7.987 Ratings
Candidate development5.823 Ratings7.973 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.5
89 Ratings
35% below category average
Paycom
7.6
366 Ratings
3% below category average
Job Requisition Management5.485 Ratings7.8329 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.279 Ratings8.0324 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.659 Ratings7.4256 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.871 Ratings7.8300 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention5.657 Ratings6.9279 Ratings
Applicant Tracking5.783 Ratings7.7336 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts5.369 Ratings7.9347 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 10.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(164 ratings)
8.7
(732 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.3
(12 ratings)
9.0
(31 ratings)
Usability
7.6
(44 ratings)
9.0
(124 ratings)
Availability
6.7
(5 ratings)
9.5
(4 ratings)
Performance
7.1
(4 ratings)
9.0
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(150 ratings)
8.9
(59 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(4 ratings)
7.9
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.3
(5 ratings)
6.5
(9 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
3.0
(1 ratings)
8.5
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
6.7
(4 ratings)
7.5
(4 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.6
(3 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.6
(3 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
User Testimonials
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Likelihood to Recommend
Discontinued Products
In working with Ascentis in payroll, the program makes my job so much easier. I am new to this position and the learning process has been so much easier with this product than those in the past. I appreciate the patience I am given when I call in for assistance as well.
Read full review
Paycom
As I mentioned, the onboarding process is incredibly easy. We have around 300 employees and are constantly hiring, so Paycom has been a huge help. In fact, the ATS functionality was a major factor in our decision to switch to Paycom.
Read full review
Pros
Discontinued Products
  • Easy to use software. I have had several new HR employees comment on how easy the system is to learn!
  • Problem Solving- Ascentis is always problem solving! When we were in the process of selecting a new payroll company, we needed unemployment claims management assistance for our locations, something Ascentis did not currently offer. The sales rep went out of his way to find a unemployment claims management company that would work with Ascentis and us. That company has helped us keep an 80% win rate for our claims!
  • User conference- Engage is an awesome way to learn more about the products Ascentis has available as well and meet up with the staff you work with every day!
Read full review
Paycom
  • I like the employee self-service feature. It's very straightforward and easy to use. I also like my representative, Mikey. He's been very helpful—every time I call him, I get the assistance I need. I also appreciate how quickly I can get someone on the phone and get help when needed.
Read full review
Cons
Discontinued Products
  • Updating the system so it is one platform and not two.
  • Create changes to the benefit enrollment process and upgrade the system so hire dates do not need to be changed to trigger benefits for status changes.
  • Focus updates on HR Admin, mobile application, ATS and transitioning to one platform. Larger areas of focus have been on the payroll portion of the system with a few updates to other areas.
  • When something is broken, quicker turn time on fixing the issue.
  • System needs updates to support AAP reporting.
Read full review
Paycom
  • I am not a fan of the most recent update. I wasn't prepared for the change especially given it came right before payroll was processed. I'm told given time, I will get used to it and I'm always open to change for the better.
  • IWant™ feature isn't what I hoped it would be. I haven't used it much given the information I need in Paycom I can find quickly on my own. I have heard however that several employees utilize and appreciate the IWant™ feature.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Discontinued Products
This rating would be a 10 if it were not for some issues we have been having recently with the benefit carrier connections. The carrier connections are critical for us so how these issues are resolved will be key in our renewal decision.
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Paycom
we are having no problems with how the system works and our support system at paycom is the best - we are learning more and using the system in more ways all the time the only thing that could be better is pricing on some things
Read full review
Usability
Discontinued Products
I'd give it a 7.5. If the modules were easier to access and not so buried (or placed in left field to find), I would give it a higher rating. As I said, as the potential to be great if ACCESS to other modules was easier.
Read full review
Paycom
I'm probably going to have to go seven and three-quarter to eight, and that may be user error to me because I know Paycom has got it figured out, but there's times I just can't figure it out, even with some of the tutorials, the university, the show-mes, and calling Alex, our representative. He can hold my hand and walk me through that process, and it just may be I didn't get it, but that's why I gave that score. I'd give it a solid nine.
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Reliability and Availability
Discontinued Products
They normally give you notice when an update will affect the use of the system. Otherwise, when we have an error , we send a message to the support team. Sometimes someone will get right back with you and sometimes it takes a while.
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Paycom
They are very dependable and I have never experience any outages
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Performance
Discontinued Products
Yes, this pages do load pretty good but there are times when things are slow and I believe that's because they are sometimes trying to do updates.
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Paycom
Yes load quickly
Read full review
Support Rating
Discontinued Products
Support is attentive and quick to answer the call and get the answer for you. If they for any reason cannot answer right then, they are back to you within a day and always seem to have a sense of urgency. You truly get the impression that they are aiming to make you happy.
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Paycom
In 6 years, we've never had a bad experience with client support. We implemented during COVID, and I was the only person in HR at the time. I was also having to homeschool our children, which meant bizarre work hours and limited time to focus on platform build at times. There were nights that I was literally on calls at 11 pm and the implementation team was unbelievably supportive. Recently, a Position Seat specialist came on site to help us set up for our 5 client codes - the experience was transformative for how we use the platform and an absolute game changer. I trust Paycom because I trust our representatives. They truly are strategic partners for us, and work to ensure we're maximizing the platform and that our needs are being met
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In-Person Training
Discontinued Products
First, to clarify our "in-person" training was done mainly through Web-X meetings and conference calls. It was the closest thing we got to as far as an "in-person" training for this software. However, for the large majority of it, this type of training worked out well. We were able to share our screens and the trainer was able to share his/her screen. We could follow along with what we were doing in our database in real time and see how different functions worked and how manipulating our information could produce different results. It was also nice in that it provided for real-time results if something hadn't been coded correctly or we were having issues as to why something wasn't working the way we thought it should be. However, it did have some downsides in that we often had to rely on a conference phone and that made it difficult to hear people on both sides. Also, sometimes the trainers had internet difficulties when working from home and that caused issues with the WebX meetings.
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Paycom
Tadd and Ellie have been great! They have show us many aspects that implementation did not. They are very personable and action oriented as well. Anytime we need them they offer to swing in.
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Online Training
Discontinued Products
Ascentis HR has a number of online training videos to watch on a number of different topics. I gave it a lower rating because there is not much interactivity with the videos and it seems to cater to really only one or two learning styles. Plus, one has to be pretty motivated to go to a separate area to access the videos and then pull up a specific one to watch it and then learn. From my experience, people know that they are there, many just don't take the time and effort to go find them and actually watch them - especially since the username and password are different from their normal username and password.
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Paycom
It was good, but hard to know what questions you need to ask until you actually get in there and start working with a live product. But Paycom is also very helpful every time I call and can't figure something out. Nathan has been very friendly and helpful no matter what I call him about. He is always eager to help out.
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Implementation Rating
Discontinued Products
It was very easy to implement, but the customization pieces should really be fleshed out in order to determine the full need of an organization at the time of implementation. I believe if a little more time was spent on the requirements, the recruiting module would not have to be customized again at a cost at a later date.
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Paycom
Not at all satisfied it was a nightmare we spent over 8 months with the implementation team having issues after issues all related to the Puerto Rico regulations (half my employees are in Puerto Rico) and at the end we were moved over from the implementation team to the production team without all the issues being resolved
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Alternatives Considered
Discontinued Products
Ascentis has far better customer service and the implementation experience was also better. The ability to do a lot of customization is also easier with Ascentis as it's smaller organization. The payroll has positive and negatives compared to ADP but the accuracy is the same in both. Ascentis just started their community site which doesn't have a lot of traffic but hopefully can become more like ADP's community site, which was extremely helpful to me as an administrator.
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Paycom
I have not currently used any other products. I'm still kind of new to the HR industry. The only other thing that I really have to compare it to is Vonmar's system, which they created themselves, and it was not user-friendly.
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Scalability
Discontinued Products
Large acquisition would be very complicated, seems more appropriate for companies under 100
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Paycom
They are not able to meet our current needs
Read full review
Return on Investment
Discontinued Products
  • HR DPT. is much more effective, as we can assess any employee information no matter where we are, etc. This helps to provide information immediately when requested!
  • Employees have access to Ascentis, and therefore to their timecard, open enrollment, etc., from anywhere at any time!
  • Time, PTO requests, employee goals, and evaluations can be approved from anywhere at any time!
  • Recruiting can be accessed any where at any time, and this helps with hiring, internal communication, etc.
Read full review
Paycom
  • It's helped us save time. We've been able to automate a number of payroll and accounting functions. It's also enabled our employees to use the ask gear feature. So it's really saved time, and also we've not gotten hacked, which is always a plus.
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ScreenShots

Ascentis (discontinued) Screenshots

Screenshot of Access all of your details including, paychecks, personal file, timeclock, etc via our mobile app.Screenshot of Punch-in and punch-out on the go.Screenshot of Centralized location for everything related to a user or admin.Screenshot of Every employee has access to their personal information in one location.Screenshot of Pre-built reporting along with Ad Hoc reporting gives you the ability to understand your business as a whole.Screenshot of Benefit enrollment made easy for your employees.

Paycom Screenshots

Screenshot of A new study that reveals that for a composite organization representative of interviewed clients, unifying HR and payroll in a single-database software with automation and streamlined workflows achieved a three-year 362% ROI and resulted in: $1.4M net present value*; over 45% total time saved by HR; 80% time saved on compliance work.Screenshot of Full-Solution Automation and Auto-Decisioning Powered By a Single DatabaseScreenshot of Employee Self-Service