Paychex vs. SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Paychex
Score 6.8 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.N/A
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
SmartRecruiters was acquired by SAP in late 2025, and its functionality will be integrated into SAP SuccessFactors HCM. Check out the Sap SuccessFactors HCM listing for the latest updates.N/A
Pricing
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Editions & Modules
Paychex Flex Pro
Custom Pricing
per month/+$4 per employee
HR Pro
Custom Pricing
HR PEO
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Select
Custom Pricing
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Custom Pricing
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional DetailsThe software subscription is determined by the number of a company's full time employees. There is a one time cost to set up software, including customizations, integrations, data migration and training.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Features
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
6.7
272 Ratings
19% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data7.8219 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.1242 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.8177 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.8172 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting1.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management7.5158 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.7146 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.7
313 Ratings
5% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
Pay calculation8.0295 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.1153 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.9174 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.3294 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.0209 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management7.7118 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.3
159 Ratings
11% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.3113 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.5151 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.0119 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.8
270 Ratings
5% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information7.8248 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information7.9260 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation7.7121 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history7.9184 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
4.9
43 Ratings
49% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets4.943 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
5.9
177 Ratings
24% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
Report builder6.3147 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports6.3165 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.191 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
6.4
173 Ratings
22% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
-
Ratings
New hire portal6.7165 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.1109 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
5.2
70 Ratings
40% below category average
SmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
8.6
127 Ratings
8% above category average
Job Requisition Management5.536 Ratings9.8109 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.234 Ratings9.9114 Ratings
Publish to Social Media4.728 Ratings7.5112 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.235 Ratings8.0116 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention4.734 Ratings9.6114 Ratings
Applicant Tracking4.839 Ratings9.9126 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts5.964 Ratings9.9119 Ratings
Customized Application Form00 Ratings9.7104 Ratings
Resume Management00 Ratings5.6119 Ratings
Candidate Search00 Ratings8.1122 Ratings
Collaboration00 Ratings9.6117 Ratings
Task Creation and Delegation00 Ratings9.997 Ratings
Email Templates00 Ratings9.7114 Ratings
User Permissions00 Ratings9.7109 Ratings
Reporting00 Ratings1.7105 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.1 out of 10
Breezy HR
Breezy HR
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
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Likelihood to Recommend
6.2
(321 ratings)
7.9
(129 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
1.2
(44 ratings)
6.0
(15 ratings)
Usability
6.7
(264 ratings)
9.1
(12 ratings)
Availability
5.5
(12 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
7.1
(12 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
6.1
(264 ratings)
9.0
(10 ratings)
In-Person Training
4.5
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
5.3
(13 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Configurability
5.0
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(3 ratings)
7.1
(12 ratings)
Product Scalability
5.9
(12 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
2.2
(33 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
3.2
(34 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
PaychexSmartRecruiters, now part of SAP SuccessFactors
Likelihood to Recommend
Paychex Inc.
Paychex is great option for smaller employers as the site offers perk benefits to employees at no cost to the employer. I don't see anything like this being offered at competitors such as ADP RUN/Total Source, Bamboo, Trinet, Justworks or Gusto. Also, the initial set up is relatively easy and the dedicated support for set up is great along with our regular dedicated payroll support.
Read full review
SAP
SmartRecruiters has allowed us to enable our hiring managers to self-service their requirements for recruitment, simplifying our internal processes. We have visibility of recruitment requirements and significantly improved our approvals process using the software. We have been able to configure our hiring processes relevant to different areas of the business. Collaboration for our hiring teams (managers and business partners) is simple and effective. Candidate experience is enhanced and engaging. The platform has brought many benefits to our Resourcing business partners and hiring managers. We have visibility and insightful data which has integrity, allowing us to make informed business decisions. Our offer process has seen significant improvements and provides an engaging candidate experience, previously this was a labour-intensive process that is now streamlined and automated. The recently launched Community for collaboration amongst customers is very helpful and insigtful for how other people are using the software and exploring ideas with each other
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Pros
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
SAP
  • Job Referrals - can easily refer others to a job posting and view the status
  • Job Postings - can easily search for job openings and read job description and criteria
  • Application online - Can easily apply for the job directly and see who the hiring manager and hiring recruiter is
Read full review
Cons
Paychex Inc.
  • I understand logging you out is a security function, but I'd prefer it not to log you out so soon.
  • The training we received for the team's meeting was subpar, in my opinion. Probably better geared for people with little to no computer experience. Very slow pace; we could have easily received all of this from some tutorials in a few minutes.
Read full review
SAP
  • Settings page can be difficult to navigate & find what you're looking for
  • Job approval chains would be better with additional qualifying fields so that we can segregate different areas of the business better
  • The ability to edit an existing offer template in-system would improve the experience, rather than having to edit offline and upload a whole new version.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
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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SAP
I thoroughly enjoy using SmartRecruiters and have shared this feedback with those responsible, however I am not a decision maker in the process. I understand that at the moment there are lots of factors affecting the economy and business outcomes, so I cannot comment with certainty on the renewal of SmartRecruiters at this time, not involved in the confirmation of renewal.
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Usability
Paychex Inc.
Employee usability is very good and user-friendly. For the most part, the employer usability is good, but for complicated rules and policies, it requires technical assistance, which in our case, was clunky and slow in implementation. Once is place, everything works as it should
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SAP
I would give this rating as overall it a great combo of all your problems. With just one click you can get away with all your problems such as recruitment, candidate update, Interview scheduling, updating candidates, reports of a job perspective, and recruiters perspective. Usability is worth of SmartRecruiters. The dashboard is also very attractive and once you open you will love working on this platform again and again. I would say it is the best platform to use once for smooth work in your organization.
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Reliability and Availability
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
SAP
Rarely is there an issue and if the product is down, it typically is restored quickly.
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Performance
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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SAP
I have no complaints about performance. The system works virtually flawless.
Read full review
Support Rating
Paychex Inc.
Chat has been helpful but the person I chat with isn't always able to help me with my questions. Phone support is ok, depending on your payroll specialist. We have a great one currently, but the few before that were never available and did not return calls.
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SAP
Response is normally very fast. There are times, however, when the response is not useful. It is difficult to work with the reporting and the offer letter templates, and the front line support agents usually are not very knowledgeable. Second, if there are any issues with integrations, the regular support agents will not be able to help you. You'll have to create that ticket and ask them to escalate it to an integration specialist.
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In-Person Training
Paychex Inc.
We did online training only
Read full review
SAP
Quick and easy to learn.
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Online Training
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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SAP
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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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SAP
It really was a painless and easy process to switch to SmartRecruiters.
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Alternatives Considered
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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SAP
I've really enjoyed using SmartRecruiters, but these other ATSs that we've checked out offer better reporting features and price points. Over time, we may be transitioning off of SmartRecruiters to one of these ATSs because the price is a set price where SmartRecruiters has employee-based pricing model. Also, these other software products offer better reporting features that would eliminate some of our manual tracking process that we're currently doing.
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Scalability
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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SAP
No explanation really, just a great product.
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Return on Investment
Paychex Inc.
  • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
  • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
  • Lost checks is a thing of the past
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SAP
  • In terms of ROI, SR helped our business greatly in returning precious time to my productivity in business management, as well as my team's, so that we could get back to the main work we were hired for. The SR process did most of the heavy lifting.
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ScreenShots

Paychex Screenshots

Screenshot of Paychex Payroll DashboardScreenshot of Employee Background ChecksScreenshot of Paychex HR DashboardScreenshot of Paychex Flex Perks