Paycom vs Heartland Payroll

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Our analysts compared Paycom vs Heartland 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.

Heartland Payroll Software Tool

Product Basics

Paycom is a cloud-based payroll management software designed to streamline payroll processing for businesses of all sizes. It automates tasks like calculating taxes, generating paychecks, and filing reports, saving time and reducing errors. Paycom is particularly well-suited for companies with complex payroll needs, such as those with multiple locations, international employees, or union contracts. Some of Paycom's key benefits include its ease of use, scalability, and compliance support. The software is known for its intuitive interface and comprehensive features, making it easy for both administrators and employees to navigate. Paycom can also be customized to meet the specific needs of different businesses, regardless of size or industry. Additionally, Paycom stays up-to-date on all tax and regulatory changes, ensuring that businesses are always in compliance. When compared to similar payroll products, Paycom generally receives positive reviews from users for its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, and reliable customer support. However, it is also known to be one of the more expensive options on the market, with pricing based on the number of employees and the complexity of payroll needs.

Pros
  • Easy to use interface
  • Comprehensive features
  • Reliable customer support
  • Scalable for businesses of all sizes
  • Strong compliance support
Cons
  • Higher cost compared to competitors
  • Complex pricing structure
  • May require additional setup for complex needs
  • Limited reporting customization options
  • Not ideal for very small businesses
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Heartland Payroll is an online bookkeeping software that handles payment processing, Point of Sale interactions, capital and engagement with customers. It can manage compensation for retail, restaurants and multiple other industries both onsite and offsite. It also handles compensation, recruiting, benefits, time and attendance and more. Users looking for more full-service care can access services such as HR management, guidance with the Affordable Care Act and loans.
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$25/Employee, Monthly
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$89 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Reduced errors and improved accuracy: Paycom automates manual tasks and calculations, minimizing the risk of human error in payroll processing. This leads to more accurate paychecks and fewer compliance issues.
  • Increased efficiency and time savings: Streamlined workflows and automation free up HR teams from tedious tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives. Employees can also access self-service tools for faster issue resolution and time off requests.
  • Enhanced compliance: Paycom stays updated with complex tax regulations and automatically calculates and files payroll taxes accurately and on time. This reduces the risk of penalties and fines associated with non-compliance.
  • Improved employee satisfaction: Self-service portals and mobile access empower employees to manage their own payroll information, paystubs, and benefits enrollment. This transparency and convenience contribute to a more positive employee experience.
  • Scalability for growth: Paycom adapts to growing businesses by accommodating changes in employee numbers, pay structures, and complex payroll needs without requiring additional software or integrations.
  • Data-driven decision making: Robust reporting and analytics provide valuable insights into workforce trends, compensation costs, and other payroll data. This empowers informed decision-making and strategic HR planning.
  • Improved communication and transparency: Paycom facilitates clear and timely communication between HR, managers, and employees regarding payroll information, policy changes, and benefits updates.
  • Reduced administrative burden: Automated workflows and paperless processes minimize manual tasks and paperwork, freeing up HR teams to focus on higher-value activities.
  • Enhanced security and data protection: Paycom employs robust security measures and data encryption to protect sensitive employee information and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations.
  • Dedicated customer support: Paycom offers comprehensive customer support, including training resources, online help, and dedicated representatives, to assist users with any questions or issues.
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  • Accurate Payroll: Automate the entire operation to cut down on errors and changes in data made by human error. Handle the complexities of benefits, retirement and more with accurate calculations.
  • Timer Saver: Cut down on paperwork and save time that would otherwise be spent filling out data. It automates payment, benefits, workers’ compensation and other necessary compensation processes, freeing up time to find and analyze issues.
  • More Engaged Customers: Draw in customers with rewards programs and gift cards while monitoring and analyzing their behavior to improve processes and bring up the bottom line. The simplification of POS interactions also makes them more likely to return and reflect positively on the experience. Monitor customer activity, build relationships with customers, analytics the metrics and send custom emails to keep in touch.
  • Better Insights: Analyze data to better understand how campaigns are affecting the bottom line. This includes reporting on customer intelligence, performance, reputation management and benchmarking on competitors.
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  • Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Build customizable databases to view relevant applicant information and track candidates as they move through the application process. Managers can search and sort applicants by information such as degree, specific skill sets, work history and more. 
  • Compensation Management: Define budgets, award bonuses and integrate with payroll to ensure that all employees receive fair compensation without overspending. 
  • Job Posting: Allows managers to post open positions to thousands of job boards. Managers can also rely on recruitment data to build reports to determine if their recruiting efforts are working. 
  • Payroll: Calculate taxes, process payroll, account for employee expenses and more, directly through the platform. Automate payroll processing, ensuring that employees are always paid the accurate amount at the correct time. 
  • Performance Management: Schedule and facilitate employee performance appraisals directly through the platform. 
  • Reporting: Leverage Paycom’s built-in analytics to generate reports on a variety of processes, including payroll, time and attendance, compensation and more. 
  • Scheduling: Create and edit employee schedules and approve requests for time off through the system’s calendar. Automate time tracking and integrate with payroll to streamline pay processing. 
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  • Payment Processing: Give and receive payments easily through rapid authorization and fast funding. To help customers, the POS systems can accept money from ACH, digital wallets, EMV chips cards and gift cards. This system is supported online, through mobile, by the virtual terminal. Other options include a merchant administrative portal, work orders, invoicing, custom forms, e-commerce and integrates with Plaid, QuickBooks and Zapier.
  • Tax Management: Oversee business withholdings for the year, whether from health benefits, unemployment, social security or workers’ compensation.
  • Recruiting: Execute talent acquisition activities such as posting jobs, scheduling interviews, getting applications, onboarding new hires and keeping their eyes on potential candidates with the applicant tracking system. The system also offers to screen companies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
  • Affordable Care Act: See which employees need health insurance and use the ACA reporting tool to determine the large employer status. It comes with monthly reporting that shows the number of full-time employees and equivalents, shows the total paid and unpaid hours for workers and helps with completing the 1094-C and 1095-C forms.
  • Benefits: The solution integrates with the benefits management system Ease. Administrators can transfer employee updates, new hire information and deductions to the payroll system.
  • Surcharge: The surcharge program charges customers 3.5% for credit card transactions. Deposit the next day and get reports on the amount that’s been regained from the venue.
  • Loans: Apply for loans through the Lendio loan marketplace, which provides access to various partners. Loans range from $5,000 to $5 million. Users can have a credit line of up to $250,000. The approval process generally takes about 15 minutes and the approval process is generally done within 48 hours.
  • HR: Services include coaching for issues in management, compensation, access to hiring documents, alerts for state and federal labor law changes and more.
  • Point of Sale: Accept multiple payment options. It works offline, can integrate with third-party apps and can enable purchases with the system, by a kiosk, in a drive-through and more.
  • Time and Attendance: Register punches, track hours, monitor schedules, handle PTO and create reports for various metrics.
  • Other Integrations: Integrations also include time and attendance, 401(k), general ledger and accounting systems and workers’ compensation.
  • Billing: Process billing in a streamlined manner by cutting down on late payments, paper documentation and tracking expenses through analytics. The solution is PCI level 1 certified to help with compliance purposes and serves as bookkeeping software.
  • Online, Mobile and Devices: Check accounts, send billing and pay online, through a tablet, by mobile or by other devices. It also can operate as a POS. Customers access the e-commerce features for a convenient buying experience.
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Product Ranking

#2

among all
Payroll Software

#51

among all
Payroll Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Paycom
Heartland Payroll
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Benefits Management Dashboard And Reporting Expense Management Mobile Capabilities Payroll And Tax Management Platform Capabilities Security And Compliance Time And Attendance Management 85 100 100 87 91 87 100 95 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2809 reviews
Poor User Sentiment 10 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Paycom has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 2809 user reviews from 6 recognized software review sites.

56%
of users recommend this product

Heartland Payroll has a 'poor' User Satisfaction Rating of 56% when considering 10 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.4 (14)
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4.2 (935)
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4.34 (672)
2.8 (5)
4.4 (640)
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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Paycom and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Expense Management.

Expense Management Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly: 85% of reviews mentioning the interface noted the platform has an intuitive layout, with all features organized and easy to locate.
Customer Service: Customer support is highly responsive, as asserted by 100% of reviews referencing it.
Employee Self-Services: All users referring to self-service observed that employees can easily upload documents, view information and track performance.
Performance Reviews: An open dialogue tool makes employee performance reviews more effective, as indicated by 70% of reviews mentioning this feature.
Use Anywhere: The mobile app is easy to use and has all desktop features available, as asserted by 100% reviews on this feature.
Customization: Customization for most features helps cater to a company’s unique requirements, as noted by all reviews on product customization.
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Simple Interface: Users appreciate the clean and straightforward interface, finding it easy to navigate and locate necessary features without unnecessary complexity.
Tax Compliance: Heartland Payroll automatically calculates and files payroll taxes, ensuring businesses remain compliant with federal and state regulations, alleviating concerns about potential penalties or audits.
Direct Deposit: The direct deposit feature streamlines the payment process, allowing employees to receive their wages electronically and eliminating the need for paper checks, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
Employee Self-Service: The employee self-service portal empowers employees to access and manage their personal information, pay stubs, and tax documents independently, reducing administrative burdens on HR and payroll teams.
Reporting Capabilities: Heartland Payroll offers comprehensive reporting tools that provide insights into payroll data, enabling businesses to track expenses, analyze trends, and make informed decisions regarding their workforce.
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Login Process: All reviews on the login process observed that employees need to log in every time they open the software, as there’s no password save feature.
Challenging Transition: Transitioning between the client and employee side is challenging and cumbersome, as users need to log in to both systems, according to all reviews on this aspect.
Learning Curve: All users reviewing learning noted that the platform has a steep learning curve, making adaptation difficult for new users.
Integration Capabilities: The system doesn't provide integration with major third-party platforms without using SFTP or API, as indicated by 100% of reviews on this feature.
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Dated Interface: Heartland's user interface appears outdated and clunky, making navigation and task completion cumbersome for users accustomed to modern software design.
Customer Service Issues: Heartland's customer service has received negative feedback, with users reporting long wait times and unhelpful responses. This can be frustrating for users seeking timely assistance with payroll issues.
Limited Integrations: Heartland Payroll may not integrate seamlessly with other business software, such as accounting or HR platforms, leading to manual data entry and potential errors.
Pricing Structure: Heartland's pricing structure can be complex and opaque, making it difficult for businesses to anticipate costs and compare options effectively.
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Paycom users in the past year have expressed both enthusiasm and concerns about the software. Many praise its user-friendly interface, mobile app convenience, and comprehensive feature set, which includes payroll, HR, benefits administration, and talent management. Compared to competitors, users find Paycom to be more intuitive and integrated, streamlining HR processes and saving time. Additionally, customer service is often lauded as responsive and helpful. However, some drawbacks are also mentioned. Implementation can be complex and require significant initial effort. Pricing concerns surface, with Paycom perceived as costlier than some competitors. While offering a wider range of features, this may not be necessary for all businesses, leading to potential overpaying for unused functionalities. Overall, Paycom seems to be a powerful and user-friendly option for companies seeking a one-stop HR and payroll solution. However, its complexity and cost warrant careful consideration, especially for smaller businesses or those with simpler needs. Comparing features and pricing with competitors is crucial to ensure Paycom aligns with your specific requirements and budget.

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Is your payroll process stuck in the dark ages? Heartland Payroll might just be the knight in shining armor your business needs. Heartland Payroll generally receives positive feedback, with users praising its comprehensive features and ease of use. The platform's ability to automate payroll calculations, tax filings, and payments is a major time-saver for businesses. Users also appreciate the self-service portal, which allows employees to access their pay stubs and W-2 forms electronically. Affordability is another plus, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. However, some users have reported occasional glitches and a lack of customization options. Compared to competitors like ADP and Paychex, Heartland Payroll may not have as many bells and whistles, but it offers a solid core feature set at a competitive price point. This makes it an attractive option for businesses that prioritize simplicity and affordability over advanced functionality. Heartland Payroll is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward payroll needs. Its user-friendly interface and core features make it easy to manage payroll without a steep learning curve or a hefty price tag. However, larger businesses or those with complex payroll requirements may find the platform's limitations restrictive. It's important to note that software capabilities and user experiences can change over time, so it's always a good idea to check the latest reviews and information before making a decision.

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