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Read More Jul 10, 2023 Filed under: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Invoicing, Small Business
Paycor Review
Looking for top-notch payroll software? Paycor is a great small business solution with strong features, competitive pricing, and an easy-to-use design.
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Expert Analyst & Reviewer
UPDATED
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Paycor
| Total Rating | 4.0 |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Good |
| Features | Good |
| Customer Service | Good |
| Integrations | Good |
| Reviews | Good |
Payroll Processing Time
Same-day to 4-dayPricing
$99/month-$199/month + $5-$14/person paidBusiness Size
Small to large-sized businesses with 1,000+ usersPaycor At A Glance
- Paycor is cloud-based HR and full-service payroll software with features that include unlimited payroll runs, benefits administration, employee management, time tracking, scheduling, payroll tax support, and more
- With pricing that starts at $99/month + $5 per employee per month and several add-on services that cost extra, Paycor is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum for payroll software
- Although Paycor is designed for small to large-sized businesses, the software’s high price point and robust features make it best suited to mid-sized businesses in need of advanced HR support and flexible payroll options
Pros
- Easy to use
- Easy setup
- Strong payroll features
- HR guidance from certified professionals
Cons
- Pricey compared to other options
- Lengthy troubleshooting times
- Only one accounting integration
Table of Contents
What Is Paycor?
Paycor is a cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) program, including full-service payroll, benefits administration, and other HR solutions. The software was designed to streamline services, so it is best suited for an owner-operator or business owner with a small HR department.
Paycor is a solid solution for small to medium-sized businesses looking for enterprise-level HR assistance. However, that assistance comes at a steep price, as Paycor is staunchly on the high end of the payroll software price range.
Paycor Pricing
| Paycor Plans | Price | When To Use |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $99/month + $5 per employee per month | If you need basic payroll features and tax filing for up to 50 users |
| Essential | $149/month + $7 per employee per month | If you need PTO management, onboarding support, and strong reporting options for up to 50 users |
| Core | $199/month + $8 per employee per month | If you need strong HR features and one-one-on guidance from an HR professional |
| Complete | $199/month + $14 per employee per month | If you need advanced analytics and talent management for up to 50 users |
Paycor’s pricing starts at $99/month + $5 per person paid for businesses with under 50 employees. Paycor offers small businesses four pricing tiers to choose from, with each tier adding new features and increasing prices. Businesses with over 50 employees must reach out to Paycor for a custom pricing quote.
Paycor’s pricing is on the steep side, especially for small businesses that only require a basic payroll solution. However, the software does run promotions for new customers to help reduce costs.
Paycor Basic Payroll
Paycor’s Basic plan costs $99/month + $5 per employee and includes:
- Direct deposit and check stuffing
- Reports
- New-hire filing EVS
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Calculates paychecks
- Online pay stub portal
- Reports
- Online check stub
- Basic wage garnishments
- Federal and state payroll tax filing
- Additional local and state tax authorities
- Work number (optional free service)
- On-Demand Pay (optional free service)
Paycor Essential Payroll
Paycor’s Essential plan costs $149/month + $7 per employee and includes everything in the Basic plan, plus:
- Wage garnishment remittance
- Reporting options and customization
- Labor distribution
- General ledger report
- Job costing
- HR support center
- Month-end accounting package
- Labor law poster
- PTO management
- Time off request management
- Electronic custom data file
- Onboarding support
- 401(k) EDI processing (optional free service)
- 360 degree 401(k) integration (optional free service)
- Premium Only plan (optional free service)
- Electronic GL (optional free service)
- E-Verify Service (optional free service)
Core Payroll
Paycor’s Core plan costs $199/month + $8 per employee and includes everything in the Essential plan, plus:
- Expense management
- Reimbursements
- Custom expense policies
- Expense reports
- One-on-one support from a certified HR professional
- Employee record-keeping
- Employee self-service
- HR system automation
- HR Support Center On-Demand
- Employee import
- Online document storage
- Performance management
- Role profiles
- Job assessments
- Establish and manage job competencies
- Talent attributes
- Role-based reviews
Paycor Complete
Paycor’s Complete plan costs $199/month + $14 per employee and includes everything in the Core plan, plus:
- Benchmarking
- Prebuilt analytics dashboards
- Compensation insights
- D&I metrics
- Paycor talent management
Extra Paycor Costs & Fees
| Paycor Extra Costs | Price |
|---|---|
| Workers' Comp | Variable premiums |
| Multistate Payroll Processing | $1-$4 per process/authority |
| Time + Scheduling | Custom |
| Recruiting | Custom |
| Benefits Administration | Custom |
| Learning Management | Custom |
Like most payroll software options, Paycor isn’t without its extra fees and costs. Most of Paycor’s fees are one-off or situational, such as W-2 amendment or late payment fees. However, Paycor also sets workers’ compensation, time tracking and scheduling, benefits administration, and recruiting support as add-on services, so you’ll have to pay extra for them.
That said, treating those services as add-ons allows businesses to build custom service packages that best suit their needs. As such, you may avoid paying extra for services your business doesn’t actually need.
Is Paycor Easy To Use?
Paycor is very easy to use. As cloud-based software, Paycor can be accessed wherever there is a stable internet connection. Off-web, Paycor operates a highly-rated mobile app for employers and employees that can be used on both Android and iOS platforms.
Even if you have never run payroll before, Paycor’s program can walk you through each step of the process. Most businesses hoping to streamline payroll and HR processes will appreciate how intuitive Paycor is, but some may wish for more customization options.
If you’re interested in trialing Paycor, taking Paycor’s online tour or watching the Paycor demo will let you test the software’s ease of use for yourself.
Paycor Features
| Paycor Features | Availability |
|---|---|
| Payroll Tax Support | |
| Auto-Schedule Payroll | |
| Bonus Payroll | |
| Off-Cycle Payroll | |
| Employee Management | |
| Paid Time Off | Essential plan and up |
| Time Tracking | Add-on |
| HR Support | Core plan and up |
| Onboarding Support | Essential plan and up |
| Benefits Administration | Add-on |
| Number Of Reports | 31+ |
Paycor’s robust feature set ranks highly among the top payroll software solutions on the market. As payroll software, Paycor can handle all the basics of payroll for your business — from auto-scheduling payroll runs to filing your business’s payroll taxes. As an HCM software, Paycor also boasts an impressive suite of HR, employee management, and benefits management solutions.
However, Paycor is designed to handle the needs of mid-sized businesses, so smaller businesses may find themselves underutilizing the software’s features. Moreover, Paycor’s pricing plans limit features, such as wage garnishment remittance, PTO management, and online document storage, to its higher plans.
Patriot Payroll or Gusto may be better options if your business is looking for a simple and affordable payroll solution without all the bells and whistles. If you want to learn more about Paycor alternatives, including feature lists, pricing, and more, check out our Patriot Payroll review or Gusto review.
Payroll Processing
Paycor is a full-service payroll solution, offering essential payroll features plus some nice-to-haves, such as payroll automations and an employee mobile app with paystub access.
Paycor’s payroll processing features include:
- Unlimited payroll runs
- Supplemental earnings payroll runs
- Basic wage garnishments
- Wage garnishments remittance (Essential plan and up)
- Federal, state, and local payroll tax support
- Direct deposit and check printing
- OnDemand pay (same day)
- Multiple rates and pay schedules
- Termination payroll automation
- Payroll reports
- Multistate payroll (added cost)
- New hire reporting
- Employee paystub access (web or mobile app)
- Unemployment insurance tax support
Employee Management & PTO
Paycor has multiple features to help you manage your employees and contractors from a single interface, including an employee self-service portal and mobile app.
With Paycor, your business can manage employee information, store essential documents, manage time off, and more — provided you’re a user on the Essential plan or higher.
Check out Paycor’s most notable employee management features:
- Employee and contractor portal
- Org directory
- Holiday and sick pay
- Paystub printing
- PTO policies management (Essential plan and up)
- Sick and vacation days (Essential plan and up)
- Time off requests (Essential plan and up)
- PTO accruement
- Online document storage (Core plan and up)
Time Tracking
Paycor’s time-tracking and scheduling solution is an add-on service and must be purchased separately rather than built into any service package. However, the software’s time-tracking features include all the basics, such as hour tracking and mobile clocking software.
Paycor’s time-tracking integrations are limited and include just Adi Insights, OnShift, and Deputy. Fortunately, Paycor’s time-tracking and scheduling solutions are functional enough to handle most businesses’ clocking needs.
Here are Paycor’s time-tracking features:
- Track employee and contractor hours
- Labor costing
- Scheduling
- Employee portal
- Mobile clock app
- Summary of hours
Payroll Tax Support
As a full-service payroll solution, Paycor offers tax support at all levels. However, local tax support comes at an additional cost. That said, if your business is looking for a payroll solution that can handle your payroll taxes from calculation to payment, Paycor is a solid option.
Here’s a look at Paycor’s tax support features:
- TurboTax integration for employees
- Federal and state payroll tax support
- Local tax withholding and payment
- Online employee tax form access
- Secure document storage
- Custom deductions
- Wage garnishments
- W-2 and 1099 processing
Reporting
Paycor boasts impressive reporting features, even for those on the software’s lowest plan tier. However, Paycor has an uncomplicated and intuitive report builder for those needing advanced reporting and analytics and offers assistance in creating highly-customized reports.
Here are Paycor’s most notable reporting features:
- 31 standard reports
- Build custom reports
- Analytics tracking
- Customizable reports dashboard
HR & Onboarding
Paycor’s HR features are robust enough to manage small and large business needs. However, only those on the software’s Core plan and up can take advantage of all the HR features Paycor offers.
Here’s a breakdown of Paycor’s HR features:
- Secure document storage
- E-signing
- One-on-one guidance from a certified HR professional
- HR process automation
- Compliance support
- Labor law posters
- Employee self-service portal
- Employee management tools
- Customizable offer letters and job templates
- Customizable policy templates
- HR manuals and resources
- Email templates
Benefits Administration
Paycor offers strong benefits administration options for businesses looking to automate and streamline everything from benefits enrollment to benefits benchmarking.
While Paycor’s platform doesn’t have a built-in benefits marketplace, businesses can work with a Paycor-partnered broker or use integrations to manage benefits from within Paycor’s platform.
Paycor’s benefits administration features include:
- Open enrollment support
- Automated benefits workflows
- Custom alerts and reminders
- EDI connections
- Employee benefits portal
- Benefits analytics
- Health insurance broker partners
- Workers’ compensation (add-on)
Paycor Customer Service
| Paycor Support | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| Support Tickets | |
| Live Chat | |
| Dedicated Support Representative | |
| Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
| Videos & Tutorials | |
| Company Blog | |
| Social Media |
Paycor offers users plenty of ways to get in touch when they need support. However, nearly all user review complaints center on a lack of action in times of need or a general slowness in responding to issues.
Like many payroll software solutions, Paycor lacks an easy way to get in touch with payroll experts. Most customer service representatives will be able to help you troubleshoot software issues but may not have the answers to payroll-specific problems. However, Paycor does operate an in-depth payroll support library with up-to-date payroll-specific resources.
Paycor Integrations
Paycor is continuously expanding its integrations. Currently, the platform has 188 available integrations, including Deputy, GoodHire, Indeed, Square, and Toast. However, the platform only supports one accounting integration with Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT. User reviews mention integrations with non-listed partners, meaning the company can create bespoke integrations, depending on need.
The company also has an API available for app creation within the platform. You can visit the Paycor app marketplace for a complete list of currently available integrations.
Paycor Reviews
Paycor’s reviews generally skew positive, with most users satisfied with the software. Customers especially enjoyed the automatic onboarding process, eliminating the slog of paperwork on the employer’s end and the ease of running payroll.
Paycor rates 6.5/10 on TrustRadius (out of 404 reviews), an increase from our last update in 2021. On Capterra, Paycor is rated 4.4/5 (out of 2,315 reviews).
In general, reviews are positive, especially about the payroll platform. However, the functionality of a few other platforms and the inability to talk to an expert immediately were two areas that needed improvement.
Negative Paycor Reviews & Complaints
- Nontransparent pricing and fees
- Cumbersome HR platform
- It takes a long time to get support
Positive Paycor Reviews
- Easy to use
- Constantly updating
- Excellent mobile app
Is Paycor Secure?
Paycor is a secure platform that utilizes industry-standard security features and protocols to keep customer data safe. Paycor does not have a history of data breaches. Data is encrypted at the file level to help protect information from security breaches.
Here’s a look at some of Paycor’s security features:
- Multifactor authentication
- Risk assessment team
- Google Authenticator
- Data encryption
- Intrusion detection
- Vulnerability scanning
- SOC 2 Type 2 certification
Final Verdict: Is Paycor Worth It?
| Paycor Review Summary | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | $99/month-$199/month + $5-$14/person paid |
| Choose If You Need |
|
Paycor is a solid HCM software for businesses looking for an easy-to-use platform with guided assistance from a trustworthy service. However, as a standalone payroll solution, Paycor’s price, limited benefits administration options, and lone accounting integration make it less appealing than options such as Gusto or ADP.
For larger businesses needing advanced HCM software with full-service payroll, Paycor is an excellent option. However, smaller businesses may be looking for simplicity and affordability over advanced features.
If you’re not sure that Paycor is the right choice for your business, you might be interested in considering other payroll software solutions. Check out our best affordable payroll software post for a deep dive into the top payroll software solutions on the market, including pricing, features, and use cases.
Paycor Payroll FAQs
Davina Ward
Expert Analyst & Reviewer
Davina joined Merchant Maverick in 2022, covering small business payroll and accounting. She began writing for small businesses in 2018 and has since gained expertise in the SaaS industry. She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in English Literature from SUNY Geneseo in 2018. She currently resides in New York.
View Davina Ward's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
| Paycor
|
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Paycor for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
| Paycor
|
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Paycor for yourself.
if I could give this pathetic company a negative number, I would; actually a one is far too good for them! This is the WORST payroll company that I have ever had to work with in my 60 years of payroll. The customer service is horrible, nobody, and I mean NOBODY that answers the phone knows how to help. You are left on hold forever while they dial other departments to help solve your issue. They will not escalate to a manager nor transfer you to the department that you are inquiring about. I would not recommend any company large or small do business with them!!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Core Partners HR
Thank you for this review. I am looking Paycor, Gusto & Zenefits currently and this article gave me insight into Paycor that others did not. Thank you for taking the time to research and publish.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.