Paychex vs. Proliant

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Paychex
Score 5.2 out of 10
N/A
Paychex Flex, of Paychex' Online Payroll Services, is a cloud-based human resource management and payroll platform. Paychex offers core and specialized services, and scales to meet the needs of small businesses, SMBs, and large enterprises.
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Proliant
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
Proliant provides a cloud-based human capital management solution designed to simplify payroll and HR processes, improves accuracy, and ensures industry compliance. Proliant is an all-in-one solution for workforce and talent management across the entire employment life cycle. Specializing in payroll, Proliant helps users pay people accurately, on time, and without risk from the IRS, supporting tax filings, contractor payments, and unlimited payroll runs. Proliant also streamlines…N/A
Pricing
PaychexProliant
Editions & Modules
Paychex Go
$59
per month/+$4 per employee
Paychex Flex Service
Contact sales team
Paychex Flex Enterprise
Contact sales team
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
PaychexProliant
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
PaychexProliant
Considered Both Products
Paychex
Chose Paychex
They were alright, some of the same issues. Lots of turnover with payroll consultants.
Chose Paychex
More accessible and cost effective for our small business.
Chose Paychex
Both ADP and Paychex are very good at informing businesses of the latest changes regarding payroll. Not sure which one is better, but very much get the most out of each. Both are informative and always looking at additional topics in a world that is constantly changing. …
Chose Paychex
Paychex has been around for a long time and have used it at other organizations. The payroll functionality is the best out of the other systems I have used. They all are great with handling the HR needs of our organization but Paychex is the most streamlined.
Chose Paychex
We use BambooHR in tandem with Paychex. BambooHR is our timesheet service, and Paychex issues the checks/payments to our employees. Ideally we would use one service instead of two to achieve our payment and timesheet needs.
Chose Paychex
Paychex Flex has some room for improvement, I would choose ADP out of the different HRIS's I have used in the past
Chose Paychex
More user friendly works better for self service
Chose Paychex
I far prefer Rippling to Paychex Flex, with its easy to navigate interface and user friendly model. I also appreciate the payday emails from Rippling and the paystub breakdown. It is also very easy and simple to request and view PTO in Rippling. I really dread having to use …
Chose Paychex
In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting …
Chose Paychex
I did not select Paychex. It was at 2 companies I started with and ended up having them switch out
Chose Paychex
Looking to switch over to ADP.
I think they are much less expensive
Chose Paychex
Based on what I've noticed, Paychex is comparable to DayForce, which has similar timekeeping functions. I think DayForce has a few easier-to-navigate tools from an Employee Self Service standpoint. iSolved is much better all around from my personal usage. If my company had more …
Chose Paychex
Gusto is more intuitive than Paychex and easier for smaller companies. Paychex has better customer support than Paylocity. Paychex is easier to navigate than Paycom.
Chose Paychex
I'm unable to give you a comparison because Paychex is the only payroll service I've used since I started my business over ten years ago. I've had no reason to explore other payroll services or make a change. I trust it will remain that way for as long as I'm in business.
Chose Paychex
The could not match the price we pay for the same service.
Chose Paychex
User interface and functionalities of Paycor edge out Paychex Flex, however, in my experience, Paycor has horrible service resulting in our discontinuation of services. I think Paychex Flex service is leaps and bounds above that of Paycor.
Chose Paychex
We didn't consider any other products.
Chose Paychex
many of your competitors are either more complicated to use or have major mistakes while using
Proliant
Chose Proliant
We chose Proliant due to local customer service and pricing.
Chose Proliant
Proliant is outstanding in comparison to TimeClock Plus, Timeclock Plus was terrible when it came to reports, integrations. Not user-friendly at all, too many manual processes, not able to process the entire payroll, just a timekeeping tool basically.
Chose Proliant
Proliant is the only payroll software I have used, and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon. It gives me everything I need in simple, easy-to-use software. If I have questions they have quality customer service. I get calls weekly to change to other payroll services, …
Features
PaychexProliant
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.3
Ratings
7% below category average
Proliant
8.3
Ratings
6% above category average
Employee demographic data7.30 Ratings8.80 Ratings
Employment history9.40 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.00 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.8.50 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Organizational charting1.00 Ratings6.00 Ratings
Organization and location management9.20 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)6.70 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
9.2
Ratings
14% above category average
Proliant
9.6
Ratings
19% above category average
Pay calculation9.70 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.20 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.90 Ratings8.30 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.70 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.20 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.60 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
8.6
Ratings
7% above category average
Proliant
8.1
Ratings
1% above category average
Approval workflow8.50 Ratings9.20 Ratings
Balance details8.70 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.60 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
8.7
Ratings
8% above category average
Proliant
8.4
Ratings
4% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information9.10 Ratings8.50 Ratings
Update personal information8.40 Ratings8.70 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.80 Ratings8.30 Ratings
View job history7.60 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings7.70 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.5
Ratings
7% below category average
Proliant
10.0
Ratings
21% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets7.50 Ratings10.00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.0
Ratings
7% below category average
Proliant
8.5
Ratings
13% above category average
Report builder7.90 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Pre-built reports8.20 Ratings8.40 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data5.00 Ratings9.50 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
6.9
Ratings
14% below category average
Proliant
9.3
Ratings
16% above category average
New hire portal7.60 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Manager tracking tools6.30 Ratings9.30 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
7.9
Ratings
2% above category average
Proliant
4.0
Ratings
64% below category average
Job Requisition Management7.80 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.30 Ratings5.00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting7.10 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.00 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking8.10 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.10 Ratings3.00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
-
Ratings
Proliant
8.0
Ratings
1% above category average
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
-
Ratings
Proliant
9.2
Ratings
16% above category average
Performance plans00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings10.00 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Paychex
-
Ratings
Proliant
6.3
Ratings
21% below category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings4.00 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings4.00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
PaychexProliant
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
PaychexProliant
Likelihood to Recommend
5.4
(0 ratings)
8.8
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
7.4
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
4.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
6.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
7.4
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.9
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
PaychexProliant
Likelihood to Recommend
It's better for larger businesses (50+) with various types of pay structures. Employees need to be comfortable with technology to take advantage of the self-service features. I've struggled with the default in the state tax section; extra steps must be taken when an employee lives in a different state than they work, and we don't know where they live until after completing their profile. So we have to go into the system and make the corrections, then notify the employee to go in and complete the state-specific withholding forms and follow up to confirm they do so.
Read full review
This is solely based on two things: the fact that we have been unable to have issues fixed after more than a year of dealing with them AND since a key contact for us left we are unable to get a fast turnaround on many questions unless we contact the person who handles our payroll. I like the platform and it's easy to use, but when it's not functioning how we need it to, that's a problem. I still cannot see what my actual PTO balance is on my dashboard (the same for three other employees). This is an issue.
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Pros
  • It provides a well account of Retirement Plan Account Information.
  • Alerts are sent to email when there is new information to access.
  • Employee access both online and thru app.
  • Paperless options.
  • Easy and quick access to paystubs and tax forms.
  • Easy employee retirement management.
Read full review
  • Fantastic customer service!!
  • Well implemented products.
  • Well rounded choices for all HR needs.
Read full review
Cons
  • When it comes to audit reports, Paychex Flex could improve on helping clients locate the correct reports for audit purposes more easily
  • When a client receives a discount, it would be helpful if the discount were automatically provided each year, or if the Paychex rep proactively reached out to the client first, versus the client having to call and request that the discount continue.
  • It would be helpful if the invoice was emailed to the client versus the client logging in to access invoices.
Read full review
  • I cannot get RPO to be changed to how it needs to be for our business needs (when T&L employees move to salaried, for example). I have had several meetings regarding this and it still is not fixed -- more than a year later
  • Slow response from employee.helpdesk@proliant.com often leads me to send messages to payroll administrator for response
  • I believe we are paying for some added services; I do not know what these services are and I've asked on several occasions to have someone contact me about this.
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Likelihood to Renew
there are a lot of competitors on the market such as BambooHR and Insperity. Paychex need to make significant improvement on their offline customer service in order to compete with the other guys. Everything is online now and timely response to customer's questions is vital. Customers won't enjoy being put on hold for 45 mins every time they have a question regarding their HSA problems
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.
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Super user friendly!
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Reliability and Availability
We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.
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No answers on this topic
Performance
Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Neil Williams makes this entire system work - without our direct contact with our professional advisor - this would be just like any other platform and the relationship would not have the dimension that is has. Using chat or phone support with a new person every time you need support wastes time, as generally the person you are talking to does not have an intimate knowledge of our company. By having an assigned professional representative that knows our companies, this provides a level of confidence of caring coming from the Paychex side.
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No answers on this topic
In-Person Training
We did online training only
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
In addition to the ones listed above, we also used BenePay, a local payroll company. We found Paychex Flex priced in the middle, with ADP the most expensive and too complicated, with many features that were unnecessary for us. We found that Paychex Flex's features and reporting to be sized right for our size (around 30 employees). Paychex Flex also offered a very reasonable service to apply for the ERTC
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Proliant is the only payroll software I have used, and I don't plan on changing that anytime soon. It gives me everything I need in simple, easy-to-use software. If I have questions they have quality customer service. I get calls weekly to change to other payroll services, and I don't consider changing because there is no need to change - I have everything I need here. Proliant does exactly the job I am looking for it to do.
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Scalability
Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • With Paychex Flex we have been able to improve our compliance with required documentation for new/rehires
  • Moving everyone to direct deposit and mobile clock in/out eliminated lines at punching stations and paycheck pickup stations
  • Lost checks is a thing of the past
Read full review
  • All of my employees use the app on a regular basis and love it.
  • Proliant has helped us solve tax issues our last payroll company could not
Read full review
ScreenShots

Paychex Screenshots

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