Paylocity

Paylocity is a cloud payroll and HR platform for mid-size companies — payroll, benefits administration, time and labor, recruiting, onboarding, and talent management in one system with a mobile-first employee app.

What is Paylocity?

Paylocity is a cloud-based human capital management platform built for mid-size organizations, typically 50 to 1,000 employees. It started as a payroll company and grew into a full HCM suite: payroll, benefits administration, time and labor tracking, recruiting and onboarding, performance, employee engagement, learning, and workforce analytics — all under one login, with a mobile-first employee app that reviewers consistently praise. TrustRadius lists Paylocity as a Top Rated HR product for three years running, and reviewers highlight accurate automated payroll, responsive phone support, and a genuinely unified platform. The criticisms are about craft rather than capability: a learning curve for admins, complex custom reporting, occasional rough releases, account-manager turnover, and quote-based pricing that hides the real cost. Paylocity targets the middle market where ADP and UKG are the legacy alternatives and Gusto and BambooHR are the simpler ones. For a US-based mid-size company that wants a serious all-in-one HRIS and is willing to invest in implementation, it is consistently one of the most respected choices in its class — provided you budget for the setup and the learning curve.

Key Features

• Payroll — Automated pay runs, tax filing, and direct deposit
• On-demand pay — Employees access earned wages before payday
• Benefits administration — Enrollment, open enrollment, and carrier feeds
• Time & labor — Scheduling, time tracking, and labor cost management
• Recruiting & ATS — Job posts, candidate tracking, and hiring workflows
• Onboarding — New-hire paperwork and task checklists
• Performance management — Reviews, goals, and compensation flow-through
• Employee engagement — Recognition, surveys, and communication tools
• Learning management — Training courses and compliance tracking
• Reporting & analytics — Custom reports, data insights, and OSHA/WC reporting

Who is it for?

• Mid-size US companies (roughly 50-1,000 employees) outgrowing basic payroll
• HR teams that want payroll, benefits, time, and talent in one system
• Companies upgrading from QuickBooks or paper-based payroll
• Organizations that value responsive phone-based customer support
• Teams that need strong time-and-labor management for hourly workforces

Who is it NOT for?

• Small businesses — Gusto or QuickBooks payroll is cheaper and simpler
• Global companies — Paylocity is US-only
• Teams without an HR specialist to lead implementation and configuration
• Buyers who need transparent published pricing
• Companies wanting ultra-custom reporting out of the box — it takes training