Paylocity vs Payroll4Free

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Paylocity vs Payroll4Free based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Payroll4Free Software Tool

Product Basics

Paylocity is an all-in-one cloud payroll solution that enables organizations of every size to execute administrative tasks such as talent acquisition, time and labor management, and other core processes. Its functionality includes multiple configuration options that allow companies to customize according to their needs.

It contains robust security measures such as encryption, real-time backups and secure data centers. It also has a user-friendly mobile app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
read more...
Payroll4Free offers online payroll services and professional support to small businesses. It is easy-to-use, secure and was built to handle both simple and complex payroll requirements. It tackles all payroll matters for businesses, including direct deposits, employee and contractor payments and tax form calculations.

Its basic features are available free of charge for small businesses with less than 25 employees. It helps businesses pay employees via paper check, direct deposit or a combination of both. Companies can use it to make payments to contractors and file year-end taxes. It also calculates federal, state and local taxes and grants access to filled out tax forms.

It offers an employee portal that helps staff members edit or access their personal information from anywhere. It can be used to generate reports that offer insight into a company’s taxes, earnings, benefits and more.
read more...
$19/Employee, Monthly
Free Trial is unavailable →
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$35 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Streamlined Talent Acquisition: The software is equipped with capabilities that make the recruiting process more manageable. Users can automate tasks, create custom workflows for hiring, post jobs internally, configure applications and post jobs. 
  • Simplified Onboarding: The portal centralizes information to create a simplified process for new hires. It can be configured to gather necessary employee details such as contact info, withholding forms and an employee handbook with e-signature functionality. 
  • Competent Employees: The platform facilitates easy-to-understand training that equips employees with critical skills, regardless of the initial skill set or position. The built-in LMS suite offers multiple methods and formats that fit the user’s preferred learning style. 
  • Compliance Peace of Mind: The software can train users on compliance topics and assess them on a regular basis. It also aggregates news and industry trends into a feed to keep users updated on compliance laws. 
  • Automatic Notifications: Users can easily stay informed with push notifications that automatically send updates about new hires, changes, time off approvals and terminations. 
  • Employee Engagement: The platform offers engagement tools that promote community interactions, gather feedback and support peer recognition. This boosts engagement within teams and across departments, as well as improves productivity. 
  • Administrative Add-Ons: Services like FSAs, HSAs, TMAs and COBRA supplement standard plans with complementary programs, giving employees a wide choice of benefits to meet their specific needs. 
read more...
  • Quick Setup: Businesses opting for Payroll4Free can get it up and running quickly and easily. It comes with a guided, step-by-step account set-up tool for prompt installation. 
  • Easy-to-Use: It is easy to navigate and requires minimal training to get the hang of its offerings. Its interface has a menu bar at the top of the screen and a number of tiles to perform payroll-related functions. Hitting a relevant tile takes users to a grid-style data-entry screen. Administrators can add employees, log their working hours and process payroll on this grid screen. All employee details are visible on the grid screen, and businesses have the option to pay them via checks or direct deposits. 
  • Integrations: Payroll4Free allows its users to export their payroll data to third-party accounting programs like Quickbooks, banks, benefit companies and more. It lets users import employee working hours from a time clock file. 
  • Affordable: It offers free payroll services to businesses with less than 25 employees who are on a tight budget. It simplifies payroll for new companies, and it can also be used by companies with more than 25 employees for a minimal subscription fee. 
  • Friendly Assistance:  It offers additional support from experienced payroll and tax professionals, who can be contacted for payroll-related advice in tricky scenarios. 
read more...
  • Payroll: Companies can simplify multiple financial tasks related to payroll with this feature. It automates payroll processes and takes care of tax compliance, expense reimbursements into paychecks, garnishment services and custom reports that derive whatever data that’s needed. It provides employees with the flexibility to access a portion of their earned wages when needed. 
  • Workforce Management: This feature helps eliminate the need for manual tracking of tasks, reduces administrative work and maintains accurate records of individual employees. The review forms can be customized to promote employees to set goals via an insight chart. 
  • Employee Self-Service: The software provides users with admin analytics, 24/7 secure access, enrollment and insurance access, and internal plans. This feature helps employees and employers to access, update, enroll and administer data respectively. 
  • Time and Labor Management: Workers can clock in and out via the mobile app, and managers can set geofencing rules that ensure accurate clock-punching. It also syncs with payroll automatically and allows managers to create and adjust schedules as needed, without manually correcting payroll data. 
  • Data Insights: The platform allows users to access demographic information, utilization, headcount, labor costs, position insights, turnover and retention. It also features real-time employee data, analytics for employment trends, strategic hiring and budgeting decisions, and programs to build a diverse workforce. 
  • Reports: The system comes with over 100 standard reports along with an ad hoc reporting tool. Users can schedule reports to automatically generate and track key reports with a favorites feature. 
  • Compensation Management: With this feature, administrators can configure settings such as the approval process and eligibility requirements. It also supports the customization of compensation plans to match organizational pay cycles. Company leaders gain a view into budgets and allocations, while managers can provide increases and view employee data like performance and pay history.  
  • Marketplace Integrations: Organizations can extend Paylocity’s capabilities to streamline the payroll regularity and HR data management across all policies. The solution connects with partner solutions in 20 categories, including single sign-on (SSO), ERP and a variety of HR-related functions. More than 300 integrations are available in the vendor marketplace. Data can flow into or out of Paylocity, or in both directions, depending on the integration. 
read more...
  • Pay Employees and Contractors: Payroll4Free lets businesses make payments to contractors and pay salaries to their employees. It gives users the option to clear contractor payments from the new employee setup screen. Businesses can choose to process a 1099 form end at the end of the year for newly hired contractors rather than using a W-2. 
  • Tax Forms and Calculations: It takes care of all tax preparations and filings for businesses. It computes all federal, state and local taxes for its users and provides access to completed tax forms. It also makes all requisite deposits and tax filings, including W-2, at the end of the year. 
  • Paper Checks or Direct Deposits: It facilitates payments to employees and contractors through paper checks or direct deposits. Businesses can also choose to make payments using a combination of both methods according to their convenience. 
  • Employee Portal: Payroll4Free comes with an employee portal that gives staff members access to their personal information online, using any device. Employees have access to previous and current salary slips and year-end tax forms like W-2s. Employees can also edit their personal information, review leave statuses and manage their vacation time and requests. 
  • Track Employee Time-Offs: It gives businesses numerous options to track employee vacations, sick leave and PTO. It calculates the total number of working hours per employee based on their time spent with the company. This data can then be used to compute remuneration and overtime payments, if any. 
  • Detailed Reporting: Payroll4Free offers detailed reporting options to keep businesses updated on their payroll information. It provides detailed reports on earnings, benefits, taxes, accrued time off and a payroll journal. These reports offer deep insights into a company’s performance and help users make smart business decisions. 
read more...

Product Ranking

#3

among all
Payroll Software

#45

among all
Payroll Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

81
47
80
73
60
40
80
0
Show More Show More

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Paylocity
Payroll4Free
+ Add Product + Add Product
Benefits Management Dashboard And Reporting Expense Management Mobile Capabilities Payroll And Tax Management Platform Capabilities Security And Compliance Time And Attendance Management 80 60 80 63 87 77 77 100 73 40 0 0 71 41 60 20 0 25 50 75 100
75%
0%
25%
67%
0%
33%
60%
0%
40%
40%
0%
60%
80%
0%
20%
0%
0%
100%
60%
0%
40%
0%
0%
100%
87%
0%
13%
66%
3%
31%
78%
0%
22%
44%
0%
56%
80%
0%
20%
60%
0%
40%
100%
0%
0%
13%
0%
87%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

86%
0%
14%
21%
0%
79%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 5068 reviews
Fair User Sentiment 9 reviews
84%
of users recommend this product

Paylocity has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 84% when considering 5068 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

64%
of users recommend this product

Payroll4Free has a 'fair' User Satisfaction Rating of 64% when considering 9 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (21)
n/a
4.5 (2500)
n/a
4.5 (825)
n/a
n/a
3.2 (9)
4.4 (245)
n/a
3.5 (1477)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Paylocity and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Time and Attendance Management.

Time and Attendance Management Award

we're gathering data

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly Interface: 60% of users suggested that the interface is user-friendly, with automated payroll and simplified workflows that make it easy to operate and monitor teams.
Unified Dashboard: Paylocity enables HRIS, payroll, timekeeping and admin-related tasks to be handled from a single location, according to 60% of users.
Performance Benefits: It eases task management for essential activities such as checking time off balances and paychecks, conducting goal assessments and achievements, performing year-end reviews, and more.
Easy PTO: It’s easy to use and implement in a day-to-day work routine, with 30% of users mentioning they can check staff availability before approving leaves.
Streamlined Onboarding: The onboarding process checks in candidates and sends paperwork before they start, making it 10%-20% easier for admin setup and paperwork completion according to users.
Show more
Easy to Use: Users praise Payroll4Free for its intuitive design and ease of use, making payroll processing straightforward even for those without prior experience.
Affordable Pricing: Many users appreciate the cost-effectiveness of Payroll4Free, especially smaller businesses or startups with limited budgets.
Reliable Customer Support: Users highlight the responsive and helpful customer support provided by Payroll4Free, ensuring any issues or questions are addressed promptly.
Show more
Support Team: Paylocity's support process is lengthy according to 30% of users, requiring a lot of back and forth to get an issue resolved, which usually takes days.
Cumbersome Payroll: The payroll module requires set up by different people and doesn’t function accurately according to 10% of users.
Timesheets: Tracking time is difficult, as Paylocity doesn’t update and capture time entries until a shift is completed.
System Logouts: Despite automation, additional verification is required when logging in, causing 10% of users to completely exit and then log in again.
Tracking: Tracking functionality doesn’t work well for all the features in the experience of 10%-20% of users.
Show more
Limited Customer Support: Users have reported difficulties reaching customer support and receiving timely assistance when encountering issues.
Occasional System Glitches: Some users have experienced occasional system errors or glitches that disrupt their payroll processing.
Basic Feature Set: Payroll4Free is generally considered suitable for businesses with straightforward payroll needs, as it may lack some advanced features found in other payroll software.
Show more

Paylocity is a user-friendly HCM solution that works well for SMBs and delivers an array of features such as payroll management, hiring and talent management in a unified suite. Self-service capabilities help employees access their information. Some users found issues with its payroll, tracking and timesheet capabilities, reducing accuracy and limiting what can be done. However, it offers an intuitive interface, with tools like onboarding and PTO that make tasks easier while speeding up processes. Businesses looking for an end-to-end system to manage HR functions should consider this as a good contender.

Show more

Is Payroll4Free truly free, or is there a hidden cost? User reviews from the past year suggest Payroll4Free delivers on its promise of a free and easy-to-use payroll solution, particularly for small businesses with 25 or fewer employees. Users praise its intuitive interface, highlighting the guided account setup wizard and straightforward navigation. They appreciate the software's ability to handle both employee and contractor payments, simplifying the payment process. The automatic tax calculations are a major plus, easing the burden of payroll tax compliance. Some users even compared their manual calculations to Payroll4Free's reports, finding them to be spot-on. However, the "free" aspect comes with caveats. The software is ad-supported, which some users find intrusive. While the free version allows for 12 pay runs per year, exceeding this limit requires an upgrade. Additional fees apply for features like direct deposit, contractor payments, and multi-state employee payments. Users also point out limitations in functionality, noting that Payroll4Free is best suited for basic payroll needs. Larger companies or those requiring advanced features like robust reporting, automation, and analytics might find Payroll4Free lacking. Alternatives like OnPay, with its base price of $40 per month plus $6 per employee, offer more comprehensive features. In conclusion, Payroll4Free is a viable option for startups and small businesses with limited budgets and straightforward payroll requirements. Its ease of use, free basic features, and accurate tax calculations make it an attractive choice for those seeking a no-frills payroll solution. However, businesses with more complex needs or a larger workforce might find themselves outgrowing Payroll4Free's capabilities and needing to consider paid alternatives.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Payroll Software


ADP Workforce Now

APS Payroll

Gusto

Namely

OnPay

Patriot Payroll

Paychex

Paycom

Paycor

Payroll4Free

QuickBooks Payroll

Rippling

TriNet

Workday HCM

Related Categories

Show more

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings