Paychex

Score6.9 out of 10

617 Reviews and Ratings

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Paychex

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What is Paychex?

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.

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Screenshot of Employee Background Checks

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Screenshot of Paychex Payroll Dashboard

Performance tracking
Performance tracking allows managers to track individual progress against goals as a component of overall performance.
Category average: 7.8
Individual goal setting
Individual goal setting is the ability to define individual goals that align to organizational and subordinate goals.
Category average: 7.7
Line-of sight-visibility
Line-of-sight visibility is the provision of line-of sight visibility for each goal to see how goals support overall corporate objectives.
Category average: 7.8

Ability to combine HR data with external data
Ability to bring data from external systems like CRM and combine with HR data.
Category average: 6.8
Applicant Tracking
Applicant tracking allows recruiters to assign applicants to various stages so others can see status at a glance
Category average: 7.9
Duplicate Candidate Prevention
Duplicate candidate prevention prevents candidates already in the system from being added
Category average: 7.5

Most Frequent Users

Top 3 industries using Paychex.

Based on HG Insights installation data

View all Reviews

#1 most frequent

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

13.5%

925 installations of 6,849

#2 most frequent

Manufacturing

11.5%

789 installations of 6,849

#3 most frequent

Health Care and Social Assistance

10.3%

703 installations of 6,849

Pros

Efficient and streamlined payroll processing
User-friendly interface for administrators and employees
Accessible and comprehensive report generation (e.g., quarterly payroll)

Cons

Challenging and inflexible reporting system
Inconsistent customer service knowledge and high agent turnover
Clunky and non-intuitive user interface/navigation

Adrian Andrade View profile

Payroll Manager in Human Resources at Motiva Associates (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use it for processing Payroll, creating Manual Checks, downloading and creating of types of reports, adding new staff, obtain W2 and 1095-Form, for compliance and establish records. This platform helps us organize and accomplish a secure an exact pay date for all staff as to keep them updated all the time with notifications, active balances and pay stubs. Any problem, we have an immediate agent that provide us an answer as also through their different departments they keep us in compliance with the requirements.

Pros

Uploading Payroll to their software.
Saving employee's information.
Protecting their direct services accounts and secure transactions.
Pay on time.
Processing Payroll.
Creating and sending Taxes documentations as W2 & 1095-F.

Cons

Should be more flexible on creating new reports.
Sometimes there are glitches creating manual check that you end up doing all over again.
Time Accrual needs more freedom to adjust to one's specific formula.

Return on Investment

We have 100 employees and only one or two times have we had an issue that ended up taking care.
Now that employees needs to validate their direct accounts, it became safer to do transfers.
Due to being with them for almost 1 years, they give us a special discount of almost 50%, therefore we save money while keeping their services.
Employees can download all their pay stubs, W2 or 1095s by themselves.
It is connected to Cal Savers, therefore they automatic applies their deductions as the same with medical insurances.
We save a lot of time on W2 Forms, Taxes and helps us with compliance.

Usability

Other Software Used

Rethink Behavioral Health, KPA EHS Software, B&P EASE ERP

Jamie Lopes

Chief Operations Officer at Senior Placement Services, LLC (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Paychex Flex for our payroll needs. We find that it keeps everything in one place for each of our employees and assists with tracking and submitting all necessary tax documents and filings throughout the year. We appreciate that we don't have to take time away from our day to day to monitor and track all of the necessary back-end tasks related to payroll and tax reporting. We also participate in a SimpleIRA plan which is separate from Paychex but we are still able to utilize the tracking and withholding to make it easy for everyone. The reports are useful and easy to manage. They offer support when needed. We have been a customer since 2014, and we appreciate the partnership. They have made that side of our business much smoother and streamlined. Ensuring employees pay is recorded accurately and timely is extremely important, as well as knowing it is all easily accessible for both employer and employee.

Pros

organization
tax documents
reporting
perks

Cons

Support when assigned a specialist, actually speaking directly to them
when self-reporting payroll, a free-text field to add notes
some HR options that don't require an entire package to manage

Return on Investment

Efficiency
Employee Self-Service
Time saving 100%

Usability

Other Software Used

QuickBooks Online, Google Workspace

Phil Knapp View profile

Quality Manager in Quality Assurance at Laser North Inc. (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Paychex for a multi-functional solution covering payroll, benefits management, training, and compliance-related operations. Our department heads can manage employee time tracking, PTO requests, and monitor overtime in real time through their standard Paychex logins. We're just getting started with the software, and we still haven't fully realized its benefits. We expect to nearly double our use of the software in 2026.

Pros

Payroll management.
Benefit enrollment & management.
PTO requests and approvals.
Calendar management.
401k management and monitoring.
Safety training.

Cons

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.

Return on Investment

This software has provided visibility to shift managers and department leads that they never had before in managing their subordinates. They now have an easy-to-use go-to source for seeing who has PTO, how much they have available, and what the work calendar looks like, allowing them to make better-informed decisions.
With this software to manage open enrollment, we can now get through that process with a tool we use regularly, rather than jumping into enrollment management software only once a year and having to relearn it each year.
Literally thousands of steps are saved each week by not needing to traverse the entire shop floor or track people down to clear up questions with time cards. With everything digital, so much can be observed and addressed in real-time through the app.

Usability

Other Software Used

ProShop ERP, Autodesk Fusion, Hexagon

Ondrea Dory, PHR, SHRM-CP View profile

Director of Human Resources in Human Resources at Brevard College (501-1000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Paychex was our payroll system from March 2024 - December 2025. It couldn't handle multiple jobs for one student worker so we still had paper timesheets for over 400 student workers.

Pros

Payroll processing was streamlined. I liked that you had stop signs on each timesheet that had an issue.

Cons

Hiring module was clunky and not user friendly.
Couldn't handle multiple jobs in different departments for one person.
Glitchy system that frequently didn't do what it was built to do.
Reporting wasn't intuitive.
We couldn't change tax settings on a person. Had to email our account person.

Return on Investment

None

Usability

Other Software Used

UKG Ready, Jenzabar Internet Campus Solution (JICS), discontinued

Mike Ryan View profile

Operations Manager in Manufacturing at RH Quinn & Company, Inc. (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Paychex Flex for the Company payroll. One benefit is having a representative assigned to your account that can help you deal with unusual situations that may occur. They have flexible pricing tiers depending on what services you may need. They provide reminders for payroll submission and quarterly reporting. The payrolls are always processed quickly and accurately.

Pros

Easy to use.
Accurate and timely reports.
Knowledgeable and helpful staff at Paychex Flex.
State and Federal taxes are always taken care of.

Cons

The price per payroll submission could be a bit lower.
Being able to directly contact your Payroll Representative.

Return on Investment

Paychex Flex is quick and easy.
Reporting is accurate.
Payroll is prompt.

Paychex

What is Paychex?

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Paychex Key Features

Top Performing Features

Performance tracking

Individual goal setting

Line-of sight-visibility

Areas for Improvement

Ability to combine HR data with external data

Applicant Tracking

Duplicate Candidate Prevention

Who Buys & Uses Paychex

Most Frequent Users

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Manufacturing

Health Care and Social Assistance

Most Frequent Users

Small Businesses

Mid-sized Companies

Enterprises

Most Frequent Users

United States of America

Canada

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Most Frequent Users

Finance

HR

Admin

Paychex Reviews

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