Paylocity Alternatives 2026: 8 HCM Suites, Priced Where Possible

Paylocity sells by demo: its pricing page asks for a form and promises pricing with a free demo, and it segments buyers into 1-99, 100-499 and 500+ employees. Most of its direct rivals do the same, so a switch decision usually comes down to fit, implementation and the quote you can negotiate rather than a list price. This page ranks eight alternatives on that fit and puts real numbers on the two vendors that print them.

HRpresso data: on Toolradar, the software directory we run, Paylocity is listed as an alternative to 16 other tools and ranks #2 of 33 in HRIS, as of October 2026 (Paylocity alternatives on Toolradar). That makes it one of the most cross-shopped HR suites in the category, which is why the same handful of rivals appears on almost every shortlist below.

A Paylocity alternative is an HR and payroll suite (HCM) that can take over payroll, tax filing, HR records, time tracking and benefits for a company that would otherwise run Paylocity.

The mid-market suites (Paycom, ADP Workforce Now, Paycor, UKG Ready, isolved, Rippling) replace it like for like; BambooHR and Gusto replace it for smaller companies with simpler payroll.

Switching an HCM suite is expensive in time, not only in software fees: payroll history, tax setup, benefits deductions and time-clock rules all move. That is why the pricing model matters as much as the price. Paycom requires a Core bundle and sells the rest as add-ons, BambooHR charges per employee per month with payroll and benefits as add-ons, and Gusto charges a base fee plus a per-person fee.

The other filter is size. Paylocity serves companies from a handful of employees to 500 and more, while the alternatives skew one way or the other: ADP Workforce Now targets 50 to 999 employees and up, and Gusto and BambooHR are strongest under a few hundred. Our best HRIS for mid-market guide covers the HR-first route.

Six of the eight alternatives, like Paylocity itself, sell by quote: Paycom, Rippling, ADP Workforce Now, Paycor, UKG Ready and isolved. Rippling is the only one of the six that prints a figure: plans start at $8 per employee per month with a monthly base fee it does not print. Only BambooHR and Gusto print a full price. All pages were read on 21 October 2026, alongside Paylocity's pricing page.

Our cost comparison: a 100-employee company paying people in several states pays, per month at list rates, $1,280 on Gusto Plus ($80 base plus $12 per person) and $2,380 on Gusto Premium. On BambooHR the HR software alone costs $1,000 on Core, $1,700 on Pro and $2,500 on Elite, before the payroll and benefits add-ons it quotes separately. Totals are our arithmetic on published prices; BambooHR lists volume discounts, so a quote can come in lower.

Watch out: ask every quote-based vendor for the implementation fee, the per-employee rate, which modules are required and the contract term, then compare them on the same headcount. Paycor's site runs a promotional offer; leave it out of a multi-year comparison.

Paycom if you want to replace Paylocity like for like with a single database and a dedicated specialist. Rippling if IT and finance should live next to HR, or you hire abroad. ADP Workforce Now if you need ADP's compliance depth or payroll in many countries; our ADP review and Rippling vs ADP compare those two.

Paycor, UKG Ready or isolved if you are a small or midsize employer that values guided implementation and service, with UKG Ready strongest for hourly teams. BambooHR or Gusto if you are under a few hundred employees and want a printed price; see our BambooHR pricing and Gusto pricing breakdowns.