Paychex vs Payroll Mate

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

Product Basics

Paychex provides payment processing, time-keeping and other general human resource software. They offer this to self-employed users, small businesses, medium business and large enterprise ventures. Buyers can choose from various pricing plans and payment options such as direct deposit, real-time transfers and same-day ACH. Most versions have some core HR management and pay processing functionalities.

Based in the cloud, it assists with hiring, onboarding, tax filing, benefits management, business insurance, startup services and more. Users can customize it to meet their specific needs, adding only what they use. This allows administrators to ensure it fits their requirements, whether they be simple or complex.
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Payroll Mate is an on-premise payroll and accounting software that helps prepare pay runs, compensate employees, print pay stubs, calculate taxes, generate reports, process tax forms and more.

It helps control payroll-related functionalities with the help of easier access to staff information, comprehensive reports, compliance to minimum wage laws, instant data backups, holiday and sick leave tracking, employee onboarding, password protection and other business-related functionalities. The product works flexibly with various accounting software including Intuit QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree and Microsoft Accounting.
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$39 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$219 One-Time
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Reduce Errors: Ensure accuracy in payroll processing with the help of a variety of safeguard features, such as sending managers notifications when the system detects potential issues so that these problems are avoided entirely.
  • User Support: Access 24/7 online support to assist with all aspects of processing, and the option for a dedicated specialist that can act as a personal support expert for both payment and tax needs.
  • Convenience: The mobile app enables employers and employees to access the system from any device. By leveraging the cloud, they can start work on a desktop and pick up right where they left off directly from their mobile device, allowing them to complete core tasks from anywhere.
  • Informed Employees: Employees can get information about their time off, upcoming paychecks, benefits information or retirement funds. This saves time from HR and accounting by answering their more pressing questions while also building transparency and trust in the entire process.
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  • Automated Compliance: Calculate error-free net pay, social security tax, medicare, local payroll taxes and more automatically. Prepare 941, 944, 940, W2 and W3 payroll forms and a number of state payroll forms. 
  • Secure: Send regular reminders to users to backup company data each time the software is closed to avoid data loss. 
  • Accessibility: Export report data in PDF, CSV, JPEG, BMP and other formats. 
  • Offline Mode: Manually update software in case of no internet access. 
  • Flexible: Register different jobs and rates on the same check for an employee in case of changing job functions. Supports payroll generation for seasonal and part-time employees. 
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  • Products: It has many different products for different applications. Here are the most important:
    • Payroll: The platform offers payment for businesses with one employee, under 10 employees, from 10-49 employees and from 50 to over 1,000 workers. This includes online payroll, taxes, deductions and many tools to generate reports and look at costs.
    • Time and Attendance: The online time and attendance function ties in directly to payroll, saving time when trying to calculate paychecks. In addition to the software, it also offers TrueShift physical time clocks and the InVision iris recognition clocks. Users can track team activity in real time through the manager’s dashboard, and allow employees to record time, approve timecards and check schedules through the employee dashboard.
    • HR: It has a range of HR services and software including employee development, hiring, records administration, compliance, benefits administration, learning management and more.
      • Professional Employer Organization: This is a full-service HR consulting program that helps organizations with liability issues, daily worker problems, risk management, benefits administration and other related issues.
      • Hiring Service: The software can make the hiring process easier with applicant tracking, screening, recruiting and onboarding capabilities. Please note, they don’t have employee leasing, temp staffing or contract staff services.
      • Employee Benefits: Managers and workers alike can get access to health insurance for groups or individuals, financial wellness and retirement planning.
    • Business Insurance: Users can get property and casualty insurance with the help of agents who assist in the selection and implementation process for the new benefits. This includes business owner policies, cyber liability and workers’ compensation.
    • Finances and Payments: Besides payroll, this program also has business loans, expense management, tax administration and processing for payments.
    • Startup Solutions: For new businesses, it offers guides, consulting, advice and more for multiple aspects of the process. They give aid with marketing, the incorporation process, business management and access to free online tools.
  • Payroll and Tax Filing: Process payroll and automatically calculate taxes. Paychex can calculate, file and pay taxes at the federal, state and local level automatically. The platform can calculate hours, doing setup for direct deposit and setting hours per pay period.
  • General Ledger: Synchronize payroll data with integrations offered by Paychex. The system is compatible with a variety of popular accounting systems, including QuickBooks Online and Xero.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate custom analytics and reports or choose from over 160 customizable templates to track and visualize relevant data.
  • Learning and Development: Employees can take advantage of online courses to stay educated on relevant topics. Not only does this increase productivity, but it makes employees feel more invested in.
  • Core HR: It gives employee feedback, manages employee training and tracks important documents through the system’s interface.
  • Onboarding: Applicants and new hires can complete new hire documents, such as tax forms, and set up direct deposit directly through the platform.
  • Paycheck Protection Program: Introduced by the CARES Act as a measure for economic stability during the COVID pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program loans encourage small businesses to keep or rehire workers that have been furloughed. This system offers a quick way to apply for this loan.
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  • Payroll Management: Process payrolls, print checks, calculate salaries, prepare paystubs and more on a centralized platform. Categorize checks, add or delete employees and allow users to access personal information. 
  • Direct Deposits: Save time and costs by simply sending quick, direct deposits into the beneficiary's account. Automatically generates an ACH file to send to the bank and process payments for employees. 
  • Time-Tracking: Calculate working hours, leaves and absences, paid time offs and more for each employee. When creating a payroll check, the software calculates editable vacation and sick hours earned and used. 
  • Automation: Comes with a built-in tax calculator for payroll and paychecks in accordance with federal and state withholdings. Tax tables and formulas are updated regularly and pushed via a flexible touch-free-auto-update mechanism. 
  • Security: Use the password-protected access system to maintain confidentiality. Mask employees' social security numbers on pay stubs to avoid unauthorized access to the personal information of specific employees by other individuals. 
  • Agriculture Payroll: Benefit from agricultural business tools to manage payroll for farm workers and labor contractors. File IRS annual tax form 943, pay workers' salaries, add payroll income based on the chosen business model while staying in compliance with IRS regulations. 
  • Fringe Benefits: Supports fringe benefits to employees for the performance of services, like when an employee uses a business vehicle to commute to and from work. 
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
Payroll Software

#103

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

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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 94 100 100 81 90 100 100 91 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2800 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 244 reviews
83%
of users recommend this product

Paychex has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 2800 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

94%
of users recommend this product

Payroll Mate has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 94% when considering 244 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.5 (24)
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4.2 (1342)
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4.67 (122)
4.1 (1122)
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4.7 (122)
3.9 (312)
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Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Paychex and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Payroll Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Expense Management and Platform Capabilities.

Analysts' Pick Award
Expense Management Award
Platform Capabilities Award

Payroll Mate stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly UI: A total of 80% of reviewers who mentioned the UI felt it easy to use.
Price Within Budget: Around 50% of reviewers that mentioned price were satisfied with the pricing structure and found that the system was worth it.
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Ease of Use: Many users find Payroll Mate intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those with limited accounting experience. They appreciate the straightforward interface and clear instructions, making it simple to set up and manage payroll tasks.
Affordable Pricing: Compared to other payroll software options, Payroll Mate is often praised for its competitive pricing, especially for small businesses and freelancers. Users appreciate the value for money, especially when considering the features and functionality offered.
Reliable Support: Users consistently highlight the responsive and helpful customer support provided by Payroll Mate. They appreciate the availability of phone, email, and online resources to address any questions or issues promptly.
Time-Saving Features: Payroll Mate automates many payroll tasks, such as calculating taxes and generating paychecks, saving users significant time and effort. Users appreciate the ability to streamline their payroll process and focus on other aspects of their business.
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Late Submissions and Missed Deadlines: Around 80% of reviewers that mentioned taxes ran into issues, with around 70% saying they had to pay penalties as a result.
Terrible Customer Service: Clients complained that the customer service was rude, unqualified, ill-informed, unhelpful and had high turnover in almost 70% of reviews that mentioned customer service.
Broken Features: Over 50% of reviews that mentioned the features said they were left wanting. The most common issues were communication problems. Just under 20% of all reviewers complained about errors made by either the solution or the staff.
Late Cancellations: Around 20% of reviewers that discussed price complained that they had canceled the program, but it had kept taking money out of their account.
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Limited Mobile Functionality: Some users have reported that the mobile app is not as robust as the desktop version, making it difficult to manage payroll on the go. For example, some users have found that they cannot access certain features or that the app is slow and buggy.
Customer Support Issues: Several users have expressed frustration with the customer support experience, citing long wait times and unhelpful responses. For instance, some users have reported that they were unable to get their questions answered or that the support team was not able to resolve their issues.
Integration Challenges: Some users have encountered difficulties integrating Payroll Mate with other business software, such as accounting programs. For example, some users have reported that the integration process was complex or that the software did not work as expected.
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Paychex incorporates a range of different solutions and is used widely by small, medium and large-sized companies. While around 40% of users were happy with the functionality of the system, the majority expressed dissatisfaction with its tax capabilities, pricing and customer service. Many described it as dishonest and complained especially that they were oversold on its capabilities and that the salespeople used pushy tactics to try and upsell them. Other complaints of the system included making errors, overpaying employees or even miscalculating taxes resulting in serious penalties. Current and former clients greatly disliked the service. The UI was the most positively reviewed element of the platform with around 80% expressing satisfaction with the design and navigation. Around 50% were happy with the pricing structure and a minority of around 30% of users said they had positive experiences with some select customer service members. This disparity in experiences may be in part to the high turnover rate in representatives which is mentioned many times during the reviews. This solution could be appropriate for small and medium-sized businesses. It supports larger enterprises, but buyers should make sure it has the necessary functionality before purchasing.

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Payroll Mate is a desktop-based payroll software that's been around for a while, and it's been a popular choice for small businesses. But is it still a good option in today's market? Users praise Payroll Mate for its affordability and ease of use. It's a standalone program, so you don't need to rely on the cloud or a monthly subscription. This is a big selling point for businesses that are concerned about security or prefer to have complete control over their data. Payroll Mate also offers a wide range of features, including the ability to calculate taxes, print checks, and generate tax forms. It's compatible with popular accounting software like QuickBooks and Sage 50, making it easy to integrate into your existing systems. However, Payroll Mate has its drawbacks. Some users have complained about the software's interface, which they find outdated and clunky. Others have noted that the software can be slow and prone to errors. Payroll Mate also lacks some of the advanced features found in cloud-based payroll solutions, such as mobile access and real-time reporting. Overall, Payroll Mate is a good option for small businesses that are looking for a simple, affordable payroll solution. It's not the most feature-rich or user-friendly option on the market, but it gets the job done. If you're a small business owner who prefers to keep things simple and manage your payroll in-house, Payroll Mate might be a good fit for you.

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