Paychex Flex vs Sage HR
Verified ratings, feature by feature comparison and real pricing. Everything a North American business needs to pick between these two.
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Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension. Paychex Flex against Sage HR, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
23Paychex Flex 2, Sage HR 3
Paychex Flex vs Sage HR, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+1.2
Sage HR leads on value for money
Verified reviews
328
87 for Paychex Flex, 241 for Sage HR
Paychex Flex87 verified reviews
Sage HR241 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Paychex Flex
- Sage HR
Share of verified reviews
Which product reviewers actually write about.
- Paychex Flex87
- Sage HR241
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Sage HR is the cheaper way in. Lower is not automatically better, so weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Paychex Flex | Sage HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Reviews | 87 | 241 |
| Ease of use | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| Value for money | 3.0 | 4.2 |
| Customer service | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Starting price | $39/mo | $6.50/mo |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free version | No | No |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Paychex Flex | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Full service US payroll | ||
| Dedicated payroll specialist | ||
| Automatic federal, state and local filing | ||
| Garnishment payment service | ||
| New hire reporting | ||
| Benefits administration | ||
| HR support and handbook builder | ||
| Time and attendance | ||
| Workers compensation | ||
| Employee self service | ||
| General ledger integration | ||
| Employee records and self service | ||
| Leave and absence management | ||
| Accrual and carryover rules | ||
| Shared team calendar | ||
| Performance reviews as a module | ||
| Shift scheduling as a module | ||
| Timesheets as a module | ||
| Expense claims as a module | ||
| Recruitment as a module | ||
| Org chart |
Pricing
Both price lists, side by side
Every plan from both vendors, side by side, priced in US dollars.
Paychex Flex plans
Essentials
$39 base plus $5 per person. Self service payroll and filings.
$39/mo
per month
- Full service payroll
- Automatic federal and state filing
- New hire reporting
- Employee self service
- 24/7 support
Select
Quoted. Adds a dedicated specialist and more HR tooling.
Custom
quoted by the vendor
- Everything in Essentials
- Dedicated payroll specialist
- Learning management
- Garnishment payment service
- General ledger integration
Pro
Quoted. Full HR support and analytics.
Custom
quoted by the vendor
- Everything in Select
- HR professional access
- Employee handbook builder
- Workers compensation administration
- Advanced analytics
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Paychex for the figure you will actually pay.
Sage HR plans
Core HR and Leave Management
Per employee per month. The base everyone starts on.
$6.50/mo
per month
- Employee records
- Leave and absence management
- Approval workflows
- Shared team calendar
- Employee self service
- 30 day free trial
Performance
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Goal setting
- Review cycles
- 360 feedback
- One to one tracking
Timesheets
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$3.25/mo
per month
- Time capture
- Project time
- Approval workflow
- Timesheet reporting
Expenses
Per employee per month. Added to Core HR.
$1.75/mo
per month
- Expense claims
- Receipt capture
- Approval chains
- Reimbursement tracking
Get current pricing
These are list prices and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Sage for the figure you will actually pay.