Every business, at any stage of growth, needs to manage its human capital effectively to ensure sustainability and growth. Choosing the right Human Capital Management (HCM) software can help alleviate the burden of repetitive administrative tasks by automating them. Additionally, advanced analytics, reporting capabilities, and integrations allow business owners to make data-driven, informed decisions and connect seamlessly with mission-critical technologies.
The best HCM solution for your business depends on its growth stage, specific needs, and industry. However, two of the most popular options in the HCM space are Paycom and Paycor.
While both serve as comprehensive payroll software plus HR solutions, they also offer some distinct functionalities that will make one option more suitable to your business than the other. Continue reading this Paycom vs. Paycor comparison to learn which vendor provides the solution best suited to address your business's unique challenges.
Real-time error-checking, mobile pay access, OnDemand pay option, tax filing, W-2, and 1099 processing,
Benefits And Compliance Administration
Integrates benefits with payroll in one single system, ACA and COBRA compliance
Customizable benefits integrate with payroll, support ACA, and compliance alerts
Ease-Of-Use
User-friendly, guided setup, ideal for non-tech users
Modern interface, ideal for growing businesses, implementation process can be a little challenging
Pricing
Custom pricing based on business needs
Modular pricing, tailored to selected features and company size
HR Services
Full suite: recruitment, onboarding, performance tracking
Combines HR with IT, AI-powered LMS, automatically scouts new talent, includes talent management and performance tools
What Is Paycom?
Paycom is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solution that empowers companies to manage every stage of the payroll life cycle. Its comprehensive suite of applications covers various HR functions, including talent acquisition, payroll management, benefits administration, and performance management.
The platform stands out for empowering employees to manage their payroll and benefits, allowing them to add hours, PTO, overtime, etc. This self-service feature enables the HR team to review the entries instead of manually adding the requests. This results in improved operational efficiency and data accuracy, leading to a well-run, highly automated HR environment.
Unique Features Of Paycom
GONE: Introduced in 2023 and named Top HR Product in 2024, this automation tool allows managers to set criteria for time-off requests and enables employees to apply for them. The system then automatically approves or denies requests,
promoting fairness, building trust, and preventing understaffing
Payroll Integrity With BETI: Better Employee Transaction Interface (BETI) is a self-starting payroll system that automatically pulls data and checks for any error before the payroll is run. It identifies discrepancies early and allows
employees to fix errors, leading to a smoother, more reliable payroll cycle
Employee Self-Service App: The Paycom mobile app enables employees to manage their HR and payroll data, including time tracking, benefits enrollment, and payroll adjustments. Allowing self-service updates and requests reduces the administrative
burden on HR teams
Who Are The Main Users Of Paycom?
Paycom’s global HCM platform caters to businesses of all sizes across various industries, including but not limited to;
Retailers
Technology
Hospitality
Manufacturing
Healthcare
Education
Pros And Cons Of Paycom
Pros
Automates real-time data flow to reduce errors and manual entries
Ensures regular and automated updates for tax laws, labor regulations, etc.
Integrates HR, payroll, and employee self-service tools in one platform, eliminating the need for multiple systems
Cons
Limited customization options
Some users find the Paycom mobile app less feature-rich compared to the desktop version
What Is Paycor?
Paycor is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) system that automates routine HR tasks, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, and compliance management. Known for its modular and scalable approach, Paycor's user-friendly interface simplifies complex HR operations through industry-specific tools.
Additionally, its AI-powered learning management system (LMS) delivers customizable employee training modules tailored to specific organizational needs across various industries.
Unique Features Of Paycor
AI-Powered LMS: Paycor’s learning management system leverages the power of AI to offer customizable training modules. This ensures a more personalized learning experience tailored to the specific needs of the trainees
Industry-Specific Tools: It provides specialized solutions with industry-specific tools to help businesses tackle sector-related challenges. This proves beneficial for industries like retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, which often
need more tailored solutions
Automated Talent Scout: The software offers an advanced recruiting system that automatically screens candidates, posts jobs, and schedules interviews. This reduces the turnaround time following an employee's offboarding
Who Are The Main Users Of Paycor?
Paycor caters to small to large-sized businesses across various industries and sectors, including:
Professional Services
Manufacturing
Retail
Technology
Healthcare
Nonprofits
Education
Pros And Cons Of Paycor
Pros
Simplifies complex HR and payroll tasks through its easy-to-navigate interface
Offers a huge suite of industry-specific tools and integrations
Many users have appreciated Paycor's responsive support team for quick and helpful customer service
Cons
Some users observed occasional system glitches
Some clients reported poor experience of implementation, citing confusion during the process of setting up
Paycom Vs Paycor – Key Features Comparison
Payroll
Paycom efficiently streamlines payroll management with automation tools like BETI and GONE. Pulling live data from employee inputs before each pay cycle ensures compliance and reduces errors. Automatic payroll adjustments, comprehensive
tax compliance, and self-service payroll verification enable Paycom to manage every stage of payroll processing.
Paycor, on the other hand, integrates payroll management with employee lifecycle management. Though it offers comprehensive features to run payroll, the tools lack the depth Paycom offers. Key functionalities include flexible pay options,
real-time calculations, earned wage access, tax compliance alerts, and an intuitive mobile app.
Winner: Paycom excels in reducing payroll errors with innovative tools, making it the clear winner for payroll management.
Talent Acquisition And Management
Paycom offers a comprehensive suite of tools for talent acquisition and management, including applicant tracking, onboarding, enhanced background checks, and performance and compensation management. The system is fully automated, meaning
HR executives can scout, hire, and manage the entire employee life cycle in this single HCM software.
Paycor places a stronger emphasis on talent management than Paycom. In addition to what Paycom offers, it also features tools for AI-powered learning and development, automated talent sourcing, and career management solutions.
Winner: Paycor wins this round as it is a better fit for businesses seeking to focus on talent acquisition and retention. Although Paycom does offer tools for performance management, its core strength lies in payroll and compliance.
Employee Self-Service Tools
Paycom's mobile app and desktop platform allow employees to fully control their HR information, including managing time-off requests, updating personal data, and adjusting benefits selections. They can also review and approve their
paychecks before payday, minimizing the workload for HR teams and boosting employee satisfaction.
Paycor also offers self-service tools that help employees manage their time off requests, personal data, and benefits. The OnDemand Pay add-on allows employees to access their earned wages before the scheduled payday. However, these
features feel less advanced than Paycom’s GONE and BETI solutions.
Winner: Paycom takes the lead in employee self-service tools with its advanced features like paycheck review and approval before payday, which actively reduce payroll errors and HR workloads.
Time And Labor Management
Paycom comes with highly advanced time and labor management tools like geofencing and IP filtering, which help track time more accurately and prevent time theft. These tools are particularly beneficial when it comes to managing remote
or field-based teams.
Paycor also offers time and labor management but integrates it with scheduling and compliance tools to provide more detailed labor insights. This is part of its broader suite of workforce management tools, making it suitable for businesses
that need to manage complex scheduling and compliance across large teams.
Winner: Paycor wins because of its more comprehensive approach to workforce management.
Integration And Customization
Paycom is an all-in-one solution to streamline core HR functions; its customization options are rigid, and it does not offer integration with other external systems.
Paycor on the other hand, offers more customization options, industry-specific tools, and integrations for businesses looking to tailor workflows and HR processes to their specific needs. This feature is more geared towards industries
with unique challenges, such as professional services, hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Winner: Paycor stands out for its flexible and intuitive features that allow businesses to customize workflows and integrate with other systems more easily.
Paycom Vs Paycor: Which One To Choose?
After considering all the factors, we now know that both Paycom and Paycor have their own strengths and powerful features. However, Paycor stands out in the Human Capital Management (HCM) software space thanks to its comprehensive HR tools, actionable insights, and cutting-edge technology that makes employee lifecycle management a breeze. That said, if you are looking to automate your payroll management, Paycom remains the go-to solution.
