Dayforce Powerpay vs. Paychex Flex

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
N/A
Dayforce Powerpay allows small businesses to pay and manage employees. It is used to simplify and automate payroll processes with automatic payroll calculations and remittances to the CRA and RQ, and streamlines payroll with connected time and attendance tracking to help ensure people are paid accurately.N/A
Paychex Flex
Score 6.4 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
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
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
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Features
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
8.9
15 Ratings
8% above category average
Paychex Flex
8.2
300 Ratings
3% above category average
Pay calculation9.115 Ratings8.9283 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors9.24 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.79 Ratings7.5143 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.85 Ratings7.6165 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.013 Ratings9.0282 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.812 Ratings8.2201 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.97 Ratings8.3112 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.7
258 Ratings
16% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings7.7207 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.3231 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.5165 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.2162 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings7.7147 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.3138 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.2
152 Ratings
12% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings6.9108 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.6144 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings7.0118 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
7.9
259 Ratings
3% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.2237 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.4249 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.2115 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings7.7176 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
5.4
42 Ratings
38% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings5.442 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
5.9
170 Ratings
25% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings6.4140 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings6.9160 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings4.687 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
6.1
166 Ratings
26% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.1159 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings5.2102 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Dayforce Powerpay
-
Ratings
Paychex Flex
5.2
62 Ratings
39% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings4.634 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings5.532 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings4.525 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings4.532 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings5.331 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings5.936 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings6.156 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Small Businesses
OnPay
OnPay
Score 9.1 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 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
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(15 ratings)
7.4
(312 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.0
(42 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(10 ratings)
7.8
(252 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(11 ratings)
Performance
9.1
(1 ratings)
7.8
(11 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(4 ratings)
7.4
(257 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
4.5
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(1 ratings)
7.3
(12 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.4
(8 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(11 ratings)
Professional Services
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 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
Dayforce PowerpayPaychex Flex
Likelihood to Recommend
Dayforce
We are a small business - and even though we are small and don't make near use of all of the options in the program, I love it because all my remitting is done for me, all the calculating, all the vacation pay, holiday pay, overtime, everything is kept track of really well and I don't have to worry about missing information if I was to do this myself. I also love the direct deposit options and my employees love it and the paystubs and the ability to put messages on their paystubs! I honestly can't think of a scenario where Dayforce Powerpay wouldn't be suitable!! I wouldn't change companies, even if it saved me money as I love all the functions, the information and the ease of ROE and T4's.
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Paychex, Inc.
It's better for larger businesses (50+) with various types of pay structures. Employees need to be comfortable with technology to take advantage of the self-service features. I've struggled with the default in the state tax section; extra steps must be taken when an employee lives in a different state than they work, and we don't know where they live until after completing their profile. So we have to go into the system and make the corrections, then notify the employee to go in and complete the state-specific withholding forms and follow up to confirm they do so.
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Pros
Dayforce
  • Ceridian Powerpay simplifies the payroll process, very little manual work involved during each payroll run.
  • Ceridian Powerpay is mostly an intuitive interface with easy to understand workflows to allow for multiple users to be able to use the system if required.
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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.
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Cons
Dayforce
  • Adjustment - Reversal sometimes gives an error
  • Emergency Contact Comments field - would be nice if it would accept more characters in this field
  • A warning that 'no ROE will be created' popup when EI or other related fields are marked Exempt
  • Rate history on an employee's page would be nice
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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.
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Likelihood to Renew
Dayforce
Powerpay exceeds my expectations: it's easy to use and does not 'eat' my time by wondering what the end result will be. I can see what each employee's pay statement will look like before I submit the payroll for processing. Monthly processing fees are not exorbitant and the service from support it top notch, quick and awesome when you need it! What's not to like? It's a terrific company to have on your side!
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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
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Usability
Dayforce
Dayforce is easy to use and intuitive. When things are less familiar, the chat support is speedy and friendly, so I never have to worry or struggle to figure something out. Once support shows me how to do something, it is easy to remember and not need help next time.
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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.
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Reliability and Availability
Dayforce
I have never experienced application errors or unplanned outages. I do know that I could phone Dayforce Powerpay and give them hours and other deductions and they would do the payroll and I could either have them deliver the completed payroll by courier (there are small extra charges for this) or I could download the completed payroll on pay day. I have also been able to complete payroll our payroll at home instead of at the office. Dayforce is very accessible by phone or online.
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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.
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Performance
Dayforce
Pages online load in seconds. Click and it's instantly there! I have never had pages not loading properly or taking time to load. Payroll reports also downloads quickly. We do not interface Dayforce Powerpay with anything else
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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
Dayforce
Regardless the issue, the Customer Support team is offering outstanding services! When I am calling, the wait time is reasonable, and the team members will ensure you receive the right support in a timely manner, with politeness and kindness. If you reach out the team that it's a guarantee that your issue will be solved!
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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.
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In-Person Training
Dayforce
No answers on this topic
Paychex, Inc.
We did online training only
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Online Training
Dayforce
I have used Powerpay before (at a previous employer) but a few years had elapsed. I had a quick online training session (less that 30 minutes) to recover basic knowledge and I was away. I still from time to time have to do something that i am not quite sure of and pick up the phone! Every one that works at Ceridian - now Dayforce - have been able to answer my question and tell me where to go in the program, click on what and do what I need to do. The support is out-of-this-world good!
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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
Dayforce
I initiated the implementation. I answered all the questions I was asked, prepared the documentation and sent it off and it was done! Quickly, efficiently and done well!
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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
Dayforce
Being able to remit payroll directly to CRA reduces the number of steps in payroll processing. It also means that there is no way for us to forget a remittance. This is important to us because it's all-in-one software. I did like that QB would have the entry directly there so that I don't need to record it.
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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.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Dayforce
Pretty standard contract terms. Unit pricing is about 30% less than the previous provider - service is about 150% better with Dayforce Powerpay that with the previous provider! We are billed twice per month as we do payroll twice per month.
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Paychex, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Scalability
Dayforce
We have a small staff of less than 20 employees. We moved our payroll from a previous provided because of terrible and expensive service. Dayforce is much, much easier to use and costs about 30% less than the previous provider. Dayforce Powerpay also seem to have people that speaks clearly and are efficient in everything they do so that less time is wasted by phone calls that has you on hold for 3 hours!
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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
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Professional Services
Dayforce
They are all professional, knowledgeable, very pleasant to interact with and extremely helpful. They consistently take customer services to a higher level. Great people to deal with!
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Paychex, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Dayforce
  • The return on investment has been substantial for our company. Having a payroll system that calculates everything for you, processes important documents, and only takes minimal time and effort allows us to focus more time on running the business and generating revenue.
  • Instead of having a user spend half a day (or potentially a full day) processing payroll, it only takes a couple hours (obviously depending on how many employees need to be processed).
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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

Paychex Flex Screenshots

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