OnPay vs Paylocity: Payroll Software Comparison (2026)
OnPay is suitable for businesses seeking transparent, fixed-plus-per-worker pricing and a strong suite of integrated financial and HR tools. Paylocity is better for organizations prioritizing advanced, AI-driven HR functionalities, customizable workflows, and real-time auditing, despite a potentially higher learning curve and custom pricing.
AI Citation Scorecard
How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask payroll software questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.
Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.
Pricing
Key Features
- ✓Direct deposit
- ✓Hiring and onboarding
- ✓Health insurance
- ✓Built-in reporting
- ✓PTO management
- ✓401(k) retirement
- ✓Mobile friendly
- ✓Employee self-service
- ✓Automated payroll workflows
- ✓24/7 self-service portal
- ✓AI-powered expense management
- ✓Employee experience dashboard
- ✓Marketplace integrations
- ✓Customizable HR workflows
- ✓Real-time access auditing
- ✓Mobile access for employers and employees
When to choose OnPay
OnPay is a better choice for businesses that prioritize clear, public pricing and a comprehensive set of standard payroll and HR features like direct deposit, PTO management, and health insurance. It also lists integrations with a broader range of payment and CRM platforms such as Zoho, HubSpot, Stripe, and PayPal, in addition to common accounting software.
When to choose Paylocity
Paylocity is a better choice for businesses that require advanced, customizable HR and payroll features, including AI-powered expense management, real-time access auditing, and an employee experience dashboard. Its integration ecosystem includes enterprise-level HR and productivity tools like Workday, ADP, and Oracle, and it offers 24/7 customer support and mobile access for both employers and employees.