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Try It FreePaylocity built a name for itself as a modern, well-reviewed HCM platform, but "modern HCM platform" and "what a 15-person shop actually needs" aren't always the same thing.
If you're here, you're probably looking for something different — clearer pricing, a simpler implementation process, built-in time tracking, or a platform that's better sized for a small business.
Here, we'll compare the best Paylocity alternatives for 2026, including what each platform does well, where it falls short, how much it costs, and which types of businesses it suits best.
Quick Picks: The Best Paylocity Alternatives
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OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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Gusto: Best for HR Depth Without the Enterprise Overhead
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OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
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Paycom: Best for Businesses Comfortable With Employee-Driven Payroll Review
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Rippling: Best for Businesses That Want a Broader HR/IT Platform
How We Evaluated These Paylocity Alternatives
Paylocity is built for growing, mid-market businesses with more complex HR and workforce-management requirements. Most businesses looking at alternatives aren't looking for more of that; they're looking for less complexity, clearer pricing, and a system sized to match their actual team.
With that in mind, we evaluated each Paylocity alternative based on:
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Whether pricing is published and predictable, or quote-based and modular
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Whether time tracking is built in or requires a separate product
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Implementation complexity and cost
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Support model and availability
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Overall fit for a small business, not a mid-market one
The Best Paylocity Alternatives for 2026
OnTheClock: Best for Connected Time Tracking and Payroll
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Paylocity is a broad HCM suite: modular, quote-based, and built for HR teams managing complex workforce needs. For many small businesses, that's simply more software than they signed up for.
OnTheClock takes the opposite approach. Employee time tracking is the foundation, and payroll connects directly to the timecards your team is already using, without a separate module or a separate quote.
What Makes OnTheClock Different From Paylocity?
The biggest difference is scale and pricing structure. Paylocity's pricing is quote-based rather than published, with reported per-employee costs in the ~$22-$32 PEPM range, plus implementation fees typically running 10%-20% of the annual contract. That structure makes sense for a mid-market HR buyer comparing modular HCM platforms. For a small business, it often means paying for functionality that won't get used and not knowing the real total cost until deep into a sales conversation.
OnTheClock's pricing is flat and published upfront, and the platform itself is built specifically for small businesses with hourly teams, not scaled down from an enterprise HR suite.
OnTheClock Key Features
OnTheClock Integrations:
OnTheClock Pros
OnTheClock Cons
OnTheClock Pricing
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Time tracking: $5 per month base fee + $4 per hourly employee/month
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Payroll: $40 per month base + $6 per employee/month
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Salaried employees: Time tracking fees are waived for salaried employees enrolled in OnTheClock Payroll.
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Payroll Implementation: One-time $250 payroll implementation fee
A business with 10 hourly employees would pay $145 per month for OnTheClock time tracking and payroll, plus the one-time implementation fee, a fixed, predictable cost compared to Paylocity's modular, quote-based structure.
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Gusto: Best for HR Depth Without the Enterprise Overhead
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If Paylocity's HR functionality, structured onboarding, compliance tools, and benefits administration appeal to you, Gusto covers much of the same ground without the quote-based sales process or mid-market implementation timeline.
Gusto's Simple plan starts at $49/month plus $6 per employee for straightforward single-state payroll. Its Plus plan, $80/month plus $12 per employee, adds multistate payroll and time tracking, as well as deeper HR tools.
Who Is Gusto Best For?
Gusto makes sense for a business that genuinely wants more than payroll, including structured onboarding, compliance support, and multistate capability, but doesn't want the size and sales complexity of a platform built for much larger companies.
If your main goal is simply getting hourly employee timecards connected to payroll without extra HR overhead, you may be paying for more than you need, even on Gusto's entry tier.
Gusto Key Features
Gusto Integrations:
Gusto Pros
Gusto Cons
Gusto Pricing
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Simple: $49/month + $6 per employee (single-state, no time tracking)
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Plus: $80/month + $12 per employee (multi-state, time tracking, deeper HR tools)
OnPay: Best for Flat, No-Tier Pricing
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OnPay's approach is simplicity: One plan, published pricing, and every core payroll feature is included without a tiered structure or a sales quote to negotiate.
For a business coming from Paylocity's modular pricing model, that alone can be a relief. You know the cost before you sign up, not after several conversations with a sales rep.
The trade-off is that OnPay doesn't have a native time clock, so hours need to come from elsewhere.
Who Is OnPay Best For?
OnPay fits well for a business that wants predictable, published payroll pricing and doesn't need employee time tracking built into the same platform, either because they already have a system they like or don't need one.
OnPay Key Features
OnPay Integrations:
OnPay Pros
OnPay Cons
OnPay Pricing
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Flat plan: $49/month base + $6 per employee/month
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No separate tiers; all core features included
Paycom: Best for Businesses Comfortable With Employee-Driven Payroll Review
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Paycom's signature feature, Beti, lets employees review and approve their own paychecks before payday. It's a distinctive approach that gives employees greater visibility into their pay before payroll is finalized, but it may not appeal to businesses that prefer to keep payroll review primarily within the administrators' purview.
Paycom uses quote-based pricing, so businesses need to contact the company for a customized rate. Reported estimates suggest businesses may also encounter costs beyond the base per-employee rate, including setup, implementation, and per-paycheck processing fees. Because these costs can vary considerably by business and configuration, it's important to request a complete breakdown of both recurring and one-time fees when comparing Paycom with other providers.
Who Is Paycom Best For?
Paycom can fit a business that likes the idea of employees directly reviewing and approving their own pay each cycle and is comfortable with quote-based pricing and a heavier implementation process to get there.
Paycom Key Features
Paycom Integrations:
Paycom Pros
Paycom Cons
Paycom Pricing
Reported Pricing Estimates
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Payroll only: approximately $12-$18 per employee per month
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Implementation: reported at 15%-35% of the year-one cost
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Per paycheck: approximately $4-$6 per employee
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Pricing is quote-only; these are reported figures, not a published rate available to every business
Paycom does not publish standard pricing for every business, so these figures should be treated as reported estimates rather than guaranteed rates. Actual pricing depends on the services selected and the quote provided to each business.
Rippling: Best for Businesses That Want a Broader HR/IT Platform
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Rippling is a well-regarded, modular HCM suite that goes well beyond payroll, covering HR, IT device management, and a wide range of add-on modules. Like Paylocity, it's built for businesses that want a broad platform, but for a small business primarily looking for straightforward payroll, that breadth often means more functionality and cost than the job requires.
Payroll on Rippling is sold as a separate module alongside its required core platform. Rippling lists its core HRIS at $8 per employee per month and Domestic Payroll at an additional $8 per employee per month, with other HR, IT, finance, and global workforce modules available separately.
Who Is Rippling Best For?
Rippling makes the most sense for a business that wants a single platform spanning HR, IT, and payroll together and expects to use that broader functionality. For a small business that mainly needs reliable payroll, that's often more system than necessary.
Rippling Key Features
Rippling Integrations:
Rippling Pros
Rippling Cons
Rippling Pricing
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Core HRIS: $8 per employee/month
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Domestic Payroll: $8 per employee/month
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Additional modules are priced separately
Paylocity Alternatives: Side-by-Side Comparison
Why Choose OnTheClock?
See how OnTheClock stacks up against other Paylocity alternatives.
| Tool | Best For | Pricing | Time Tracking | Sales Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTheClock | Connected time tracking + payroll | Published, flat | Native | No quote required |
| Paylocity | Mid-market HR depth | Quote-based, modular | Available | Sales quote required |
| Gusto | HR depth without mid-market scale | Published, tiered | Plus tier and above | No quote required |
| OnPay | Flat, no-tier pricing | Published, flat | Not included | No quote required |
| Paycom | Employee-run payroll review, businesses OK with quote-based pricing | Quote-based | Available | Quote required |
| Rippling | Broader HR/IT platform | Platform fee + separate payroll module | Available | Quote required |
Pricing and product capabilities can change. Confirm current pricing and features directly with each provider before making a purchasing decision.
Which Paylocity Alternative Is Best for Your Business?
If Paylocity feels like more platform than your business actually needs, the right alternative depends on what you're actually trying to solve for.
If the core frustration is a disconnect between time tracking and payroll, or you want predictable pricing without a sales quote, OnTheClock is the strongest fit in this comparison for small, hourly-heavy teams.
If you still want meaningful HR depth, just without Paylocity's scale and quote-based pricing, Gusto is worth a look.
If you want the simplest possible pricing structure and don't need built-in time tracking, OnPay is hard to beat.
If the idea of employees reviewing and approving their own paychecks appeals to you, and you're comfortable with quote-based pricing, Paycom is worth a look. Just be sure to ask for a complete breakdown of recurring and one-time costs when reviewing your quote.
If you want a broader HR and IT platform alongside payroll and expect to use that added functionality, Rippling offers that breadth, with the platform fee and payroll module priced separately.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paylocity Alternatives
What is the best Paylocity alternative for a small business?
For a small business with hourly employees that wants time tracking and payroll connected under one predictable price, OnTheClock is a strong fit. Gusto suits businesses that want HR depth without Paylocity's scale, while OnPay is a good option for businesses that want the simplest possible pricing.
Why do businesses look for Paylocity alternatives?
Businesses often look for Paylocity alternatives when they want more transparent pricing, simpler implementation, built-in time tracking, or fewer HR tools to manage. For small businesses that don't need a full HCM platform, a more focused payroll and time-tracking solution may be a better fit.
Is OnTheClock cheaper than Paylocity?
It's difficult to compare directly since Paylocity's pricing is quote-based and modular rather than published. OnTheClock's pricing is flat and published upfront, which makes the total cost easier to know in advance.
Does Paylocity offer published pricing?
No. Paylocity uses a quote-based, modular pricing model, so the total cost depends on which modules and features a business selects during the sales process.
Do Paylocity alternatives handle payroll taxes?
OnTheClock, Gusto, and OnPay all include applicable federal, state, and local payroll tax filing as part of their payroll service.
Is switching from Paylocity to another payroll provider difficult?
The difficulty depends on your workforce size, how much payroll history needs to be migrated, and the implementation support your new provider offers. Switching at the start of a calendar year, rather than mid-year, generally simplifies the process.
Does Paycom have additional fees to consider?
Paycom uses quote-based pricing, and reported costs can include setup, implementation, and per-paycheck processing fees in addition to the base rate. Businesses considering Paycom should request a complete breakdown of recurring and one-time costs before signing.
Is Rippling more expensive than Paylocity?
It depends on the configuration. Both use modular, quote-based pricing rather than a single published rate, and both require a core platform or base fee before adding a payroll module. Businesses comparing the two should request a full quote covering the platform fee, payroll module, and implementation cost for an accurate comparison.
