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Paychex Flex vs Sage Payroll

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Our analysts compared Paychex Flex vs Sage Payroll based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Overview Pricing Benefits & Features User Ratings Analyst Summary Screenshots
Paychex Flex Software Tool
Sage Payroll Software Tool
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Product Basics

Paychex Flex is a cloud-based compensation and HR solution with the capability to serve thousands of employees. While there is an essential core version that mainly handles financials, it runs a wide range of departments and tasks. Some of its functions include payment management, benefits, talent management, time clocks, attendance, workforce management and more.


It’s a scalable option with unique versions for small, medium and large businesses with different versions for groups of varying sizes, including one to nine, 10 to 49, and 50 to thousands. It also has distinct user roles for workers, managers or administrators. A winner of multiple industry awards, its automation cuts down on time doing manual operations like processing payments, auto calculating taxes and staying up to date with current rates and compliance.
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Sage HRMS Payroll is an HR system used by businesses of all sizes across all industries. It enables organizations to process pay in-house. It streamlines tasks such as tallying hours worked, calculating tax and managing data. The single platform approach lets users streamline their pay processes and ensure employees receive accurate paychecks at the end of each pay period. If you integrate with a full suite, users can automate various tasks concerning processing payments, including time and attendance tracking, benefits management and recruitment.
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$39 Monthly
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$595 Annually
Free Trial is available →
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Videos
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Email
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FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Better Organization: Centralize important files and payroll data in one centralized location, making it easier to access. Assign user roles through administration; organizations control the dissemination of sensitive data.
  • Greater Accuracy: Run auto calculations for taxes and direct deposit and sync the general ledger making it easy to plug the information into an integrated accounting program. Creates a streamlined, easy way to manage all of the relevant data.
  • Increased Efficiency: Save time and work by decreasing the amount of manually input data. Record attendance within the application, making payment more straightforward. Auto-calculate local, state and federal taxes saving tons of manpower and time.
  • Better Scalability: Grow the platform as the company experiences exponential growth. Go from workplaces with as few as two employees to workforces that number in the thousands. Each level comes with more functionality and increased administrative and HR control over the processes.
  • More Open Communication: Use notifications, mass emails and electronic bulletin boards to promote an easy flow of information. Communicate enrollment reminders, announcements or company news seamlessly. Ensure employees, managers, executives, contractors, remote workers and other employees are all on the same page.
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  • Tax Assistance: Electronically generate and complete tax forms such as I-9s and file them automatically. In addition to guiding users through these forms, the web-based system can check forms against current regulations to ensure compliance.
  • Ensure Compliance Provide compliance with all local, state and federal tax, payroll and reporting regulations. Receive peace of mind about not getting penalized for inaccurate tax calculations or failure to submit accurate reports when necessary.
  • Automated Labor Data: Track information about employee worked hours and pay rates to make it easy to generate reports and minimize instances of overtime or improper pay.
  • Automated Deductions: Save time and energy by allowing the system to calculate employee deductions automatically. Account for factors like benefits plans or wage garnishments.
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  • Online Payroll: Handle payroll management. Automatically calculate taxes, payments and files. View critical data, including the cash required for upcoming paydays. Use safeguards such as notifications to prevent errors. Employees can access direct deposit and pay stub information directly. Last, administrators can access documentation and records like cash requirements, the payroll journal and tax deposit notices.
  • Tax Administration: Calculate taxes, add hours to each pay period, file returns and set up direct deposit.
  • Mobile: Access information on W-2s, direct deposit and other important information. For organizations that want to use the solution’s attendance functionality, workers can easily punch in and out on the app. Run it on smartphones and tablets with iOS or Android. It requires iOS 12.0 or higher and an Android OS of 7.0 or higher to run.
  • Reporting: Comes with over 160 dashboards and reports. Access reporting for payroll journals, department summaries, notices of tax deposits and cash requirements. For businesses looking for more robust options, look into the workforce management options.
  • Multiple Versions: Choose from a variety of purchase options to select the option that best meets business needs. The packages include:
    • Small Business Payroll: Use for businesses with under 50 workers. Use payment processing and access to the mobile app. Calculate state, federal and local taxes. Finish onboarding, complete forms, edit personal info and see compensation data. Provide direct deposit, pay cards and paper check for payment options. For businesses with multiple worker types, offer payment hourly, by salary or by contract. Provide help with labor compliance, garnishment payments, new hire reporting and over 160 reports for analytics.
    • Mid-Sized Business Payroll: Use for businesses with 10 to 49 employees. Handle applicant tracking, attendance, recruiting, onboarding, hiring, health benefits, retirement, health insurance and other similar administrative tasks. Expand the platform HR capabilities by including HR record management, an events calendar and reporting and analytics for the department.
    • Enterprise Payroll Management: Use for 50 to over 1,000 workers. Provide more robust HR abilities in addition to compensation management. Works for hiring, recruiting, training, compliance, handling offboarding, applicant tracking, time and attendance, health benefits, HR record management, an events calendar, retirement and expanded HR analytics.
  • Benefits: Complete the benefits management process. Run enrollment and analyze data. Manage group health insurance, retirement, section 125 plans, FSAs, POPs, retirement and more. Update information in real time and change benefit data easily. Give employers more control over invoices, benefit costs and bill reconciliations. Work with financial advisers and educate staff about the retirement plan offerings.
  • Compliance: Keep up with new tax laws and determine the status of essential laws like the Affordable Care Act.
  • Workplace Analytics: Analyze data and create a staff and workforce strategy. Create reports for analytics, HR, payroll and benefits. Generate customized reports for more detail. Provide accountants, financial advisors or bookkeepers with the access they need. Access the quick answers function, giving info on total earnings, net pay, tax liability and hours without pulling a full report. View live reporting to see information as it happens. Export information in various file types, including CSV, fixed-width, PDF and XLS. Send data to third-party software where users can add fields, adjust formatting or even build graphs.
  • Time and Attendance: Provide several options for tracking time and clocking in and out. It integrates with other solutions to track labor costs.
    • Time Kiosk: Allow employers to turn a tablet into a time clock where employees can punch in and out, do job transfer and register lunches and breaks.
    • TrueShift: Offer a time clock that has automated tracking and reporting, making it easy to import to payroll. Use biometric technology to prevent buddy punching. Track up to 500 workers per clock and connect to up to 32 other clocks. Punch in via web or mobile and use a backup camera to verify punches and keep compliant. It can track overtime pay and other wage requirements. Print and email timecard reports and clock in or out with a fingerprint, proximity badge, web punch or PIN entry.
    • InVision Iris Recognition Time Clock: Use iris recognition to ensure employees are working. Integrate with the rest of the HR and time and attendance. Prevent rework and cut down on errors. It works with contacts, goggles, glasses and face masks up to 15 inches away. Track up to 50,000 workers. Unlike a retinal scanner, it doesn’t store images. Instead, encrypt templates to guarantee privacy.
  • Online Learning: Use the built-in learning system. Provide eight free courses to users and customize/build current training, classes, quizzes and videos. Promote skill acquisition, up-skilling and career development. Run classes for on and offsite students. Use the calendar to schedule an in-person training, track transcripts and create content. Access the additional content libraries for purchase and provide surveys so employers can get feedback. Subjects include business, HR compliance, leadership, management, sales, software and workplace safety.
  • Payment Options: Gives options for paying employees, including same-day ACH capability, direct deposit, paper checks and pay cards.
  • Accounting: Manage payment and HR data with the accounting-specific dashboard. Access a library of resources, including tax forms and CPE courses. Import files through the general ledger service and post payroll data through the enterprise solution. Integrate with Sage Intacct, QuickBooks and Xero. Upload or download many files for one or multiple companies from one location.
  • Workers Compensation: Handle workers’ compensation covering medical expenses and lost wages while still ensuring stable cash flow. Provide insurance plans from A-rated national carriers.
  • Onboarding: Give new employees paperwork to fill out online. Customize the experience with personalized messages, welcome videos or other information about the company culture.
  • Payroll Protection: Let managers extend funds from a bank account for up to seven days without services being interrupted or charges for insufficient funds. Process two same-day ACH requests for a last-minute payroll, correcting pay or adding an employee. Help build business credit, deal with fraud, gain small business loans and more.
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  • Tax Filing: Deposit, file and pay all payroll taxes directly through Sage Payroll. For additional peace of mind, Sage pledges to pay all fines and penalties for any errors if they are the party at fault.
  • Benefits Management: Administer and manage benefits, including flexible spending accounts and retirement plans such as 401k and simple IRAs.
  • Time and Attendance Management: Allow employees to clock-in and clock-out directly through the system. Timeclock information can then be used to calculate employee hours for payroll processing.
  • Employee Self-Service: Log into the system to view essential documents like pay stubs and year-end tax documents (including W-2s).
  • Integration: Compatible with a variety of third-party vendors. For users with additional payroll needs, the system also offers various add-on products, including HR compliance, recruiting and data management.
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Product Ranking

#6

among all
Payroll Software

#24

among all
Payroll Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2205 reviews
Good User Sentiment 92 reviews
83%
of users recommend this product

Paychex Flex has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 2205 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

70%
of users recommend this product

Sage Payroll has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 70% when considering 92 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.5 (24)
5.0 (1)
4.2 (1114)
3.3 (30)
4.1 (976)
n/a
n/a
3.6 (56)
3.8 (91)
3.0 (5)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly: Just under 50% of reviews said the user experience was good and the interface worked well.
Good Support: Around 40% had good interactions with customer service and were happy with their level of care.
Proper Functionality: One-third of reviewers felt that the system was fully equipped with the tools they needed and especially liked the efficient payroll processing, benefits management, the transparency employees had on their payments and the PTO features.
Value for Price: Around 20% of reviews felt happy with the price and said it was well worth it.
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Excellent HR Functionality: Over 90% of reviewers discussing the HR functions said it worked well.
Useful Reporting: Commenters liked reporting in just under 90% of reviews that discussed it.
Successful Functionality: More than 80% of users who talked about the features were pleased with their functionality.
Great Price: Reviewers were pleased with the price in over 70% of reviews discussing the cost.
Helpful Customer Service: Over 70% of commenters that discussed support felt it was pleasant and useful.
User Friendly: Reviewers felt the system was easy to use in over 60% of comments about the platform’s usability.
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Issues with Features: Just under 40% of reviewers felt the features were lacking. The biggest concerns were that the UI was difficult to learn initially and the reporting wasn’t sophisticated enough.
Time and Attendance Systems: Over 20% of users had problems with the punching system or the biometric clocks.
Poor Customer Service: While users felt that the customer service was helpful overall, they noted a high rate of turnover with their reps which often led to gaps in service.
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Performance Issues: Over 80% of users who talked about the system’s performance said they ran into some bugs and crashes.
Bad Setup: Reviewers ran into issues and sharp learning curves during implementation in over 60% of comments about it.
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Paychex Flex is a solid payroll processing system best liked for its ease of use, positive customer service interactions, fair price and useful functionality. However, it comes with several drawbacks as well. While it’s easy to use, the onboarding takes time and can be initially frustrating. The customer service is good but the high turnover with representatives can be trying. A small but significant percentage had problems with the time and attendance features, either having issues with their punches not being registered or issues with the physical biometric clocks. Overall, it seems best for small and medium businesses looking to automate their payroll. Any organization with multiple types of workers, complex pay rules or many different kinds of income to report should be sure to demo the system carefully and may want to find a more complex option.

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Sage HRMS Payroll is a payment solution that’s part of the broader software suite. Users enjoyed its useful functionality, ease of use, intuitive layout and good HR features. The reporting features were prevalent because of the comprehensive breakdowns and different levels of permissions on the report. Many also liked that there was no hard close after closing the payroll. Users also felt that customer service was polite and was able to help many through challenges. Overall, reviewers also said it was well-priced and affordable. Its biggest drawback came in the form of performance issues. Users experienced instances of getting kicked out or running into programs that were buggy or crashed. Reviewers were also displeased with the setup process they felt was over-complicated and took far too long. Sage HRMS Payroll may be a good choice for medium and large enterprise organizations who are looking to integrate HR functions as well.

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