Paycom Review 2024: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Paycom is a spectacular payroll and human resource software for labor-strapped small businesses. Its novel approach to administration charges employees with handling their own timecards. So if you can lend some extra trust, you stand to do more with fewer HR professionals.

This innovative system can help you save time and money. The platform is also incredibly comprehensive, with everything a small business needs to grow. But it has its downsides. There is no global payroll support, despite some misleading verbiage. And you’ll have to go through discussions with a sales agent for pricing — so if you’re looking for an immediate solution, that could be inconvenient.

Let’s investigate and see if Paycom is right for your business.

Paycom’s pricing

Unfortunately, none of the platform’s pricing is public. You’ll need to chat with a sales agent to nail down costs, with part of that process including a personalized demo. Then, after determining your unique needs based on discussions and said demo, you’ll get a custom quote for your business.

This opaque scheme isn’t unusual among payroll software, and it can be painless. But it can be something of a hassle for some, and it can make it more difficult to compare costs between solutions.

To help you develop reasonable expectations, here are starting prices for select competitor software titles alongside Paycom:

Paycom’s key features

Daily payroll runs

One marquee perk is Paycom’s Everyday function. This feature gives staffers the chance to get paid on a daily basis. This frequent cycle is far more alluring than the traditional weekly or biweekly payroll runs. And while some competitors charge for this early payout, the platform delivers it for free. So, you can make workers happier without any extra out-of-pocket costs.

Elaborate self-service app

Breaking with tradition, Paycom’s mobile application “Beti” shifts the responsibility of payroll processing from HR to employees. It allows staffers to process their pay submissions and correct errors via the app. This novel approach takes self-service a step further than competitors. As a result, it reduces the workload on administrative staff, which is a boon for labor-strapped entities.

Lifespan dedicated support

Paycom distinguishes itself with its dedicated customer service approach. Each client is assigned a specific service representative who becomes familiar with their business and needs. This representative assists with the initial transition to Paycom and remains a consistent point of contact for ongoing support. This personalized service model ensures that businesses receive tailored assistance for their payroll and HR needs.

Paycom pros

Top-notch wage garnishment support

If you’re particularly worried about legal compliance, you’re in luck. Paycom offers a full-service wage garnishment perk. The unique benefit is that the company handles every step of this nuanced process from start to finish and will send payments to the appropriate agencies in both paper check and electronic formats, taking the burden out of your hands. Every U.S. state is supported, which is especially valuable since each locale has different laws.

Comprehensive all-in-one value

One of the chief advantages of Paycom is its comprehensiveness. Paycom offers a wide array of integrated functionalities that cover the entire employee lifecycle. This menu includes not only payroll services but also talent acquisition, performance management and time tracking, among other tools. Plus, this one-stop-shop appeal allows for seamless information flow and management. There is no need for additional software or manual data importing. This all-inclusive nature sets it apart from other platforms like Gusto, which primarily focuses on payroll services.

Paycom cons

Confusing titles

Sure, the platform delivers plenty of functions. But many of them are under the guise of a confusing name. In fact, the titles are so unconventional that most of them are trademarked.

For example, the Clue tool tracks vaccination records for COVID-19 and other diseases. And that’s just the start:

• Beti refers to employee-facing payroll error notifications.
• GL Concierge is an analytics tool.
• Vault is a debit card for employees to receive pay.
• Paycom Pay fronts cash for paychecks using Paycom funds and debits you later.
• Manager On The Go refers to their mobile app for administrators.
• Direct Data Exchange is a labor expense analytics tool.

These are just a few of the obscure names given to otherwise typical features.

You may find the titles exciting, which is great. But for many people, especially more junior payroll administrators, these labels can feel unnecessarily confusing.

Lack of global payroll support

Paycom’s international infrastructure focuses primarily on data storage and basic human resource functions. It isn’t designed for actual payroll processing, tax compliance and payments in different countries. As a result, you’ll need a third-party solution to pay people abroad.

This shortcoming isn’t obvious because the company boasts support for “more than 180 countries” yet fails to clarify that it doesn’t cover payments. If you need to make international payments, consider alternatives like Rippling or ADP.

If Paycom isn’t ideal for you, check out these alternatives

Paychex

Paychex stands out as a top alternative to Paycom. It’s particularly ideal for business owners seeking customizable and scalable payroll solutions. Plus, it sports full-service tax filing, which is a must-have.

Unlike Paycom, which caters to a broad range of business sizes, Paychex specializes in meeting the unique needs of small to medium-sized entities. This focus is evident in its flexible pricing structure, allowing businesses to select and pay for only the services they need.

One of the key strengths of Paychex is its user-friendly interface. Small-business owners often have limited time and resources to dedicate to payroll management. Paychex addresses this by offering a streamlined, intuitive platform that simplifies payroll processing. This ease of use is a significant advantage over Paycom, as some users find Paycom to be more complex and less intuitive.

BambooHR

This competitor emphasizes an employee-centric approach to payroll management. As a result, BambooHR is tailored to businesses wishing to improve the employee experience.

BambooHR’s user interface is designed to be accessible and straightforward. This user-friendliness is a notable contrast to Paycom, which can feel geared more towards administrators than employees.

Moreover, the title boasts excellent customer support and a wealth of educational online resources. Small-business owners, who often wear multiple hats and may lack specialized HR expertise, find this support invaluable.

ADP

ADP is a major household name in the payroll space. It is particularly well-suited for businesses with ambitious growth plans. Indeed, the title stands out with its extensive experience in the payroll and HR industry, bringing a level of expertise and reliability that’s hard to match.

One of the key benefits of the platform over Paycom is its scalability. As small businesses grow, their payroll and HR needs become more complex. Thankfully, the title is designed to evolve too. You can start simple and tack on advanced features like detailed reporting, compliance support and international payroll capabilities. No need is left unsolved with ADP.

And if you have a favorite enterprise software title, you’re in luck. ADP seamlessly connects to a broad array of third-party applications. This connectivity allows for a more streamlined workflow, as payroll data can easily be synchronized with other systems like accounting or time-tracking tools.

Review methodology

We carefully analyzed Paycom’s ease of use and overall value for money. We also researched competitor offerings, customer feedback, technical documentation, functionality geared toward small-business owners and other factors.