All Comparisons

Payrollix vs SurePayroll

SurePayroll, now owned by Paychex, hits a lower price than its parent — $29/mo + $7/employee for Full Service, or $20 + $4 for Self-Service if you want to file your own taxes. The Paychex parent gives you a real escalation path for tax issues, which is genuinely valuable. Like all per-company-base products though, the math compounds across an accounting firm's client list.

Pricing Comparison

Payrollix

$12/client/mo flat. 5 employees included; $2/mo each additional.

SurePayroll

Full Service: $29 + $7/employee per company. Self-Service: $20 + $4 (you file taxes). Year-end W-2/1099: $50 + $5/form (annual).

50 clients × 6 employees on Full Service: $29×50 + $7×6×50 = $1,450 + $2,100 = $3,550/mo. Payrollix: ~$700/mo. Annual delta: ~$34,200, plus year-end form fees.

Feature Comparison

FeaturePayrollixSurePayroll
Per-client flat pricing$12/client$29 base × N clients
Parent company tax-resolution escalationNone (we are the parent)Paychex tax-resolution team behind the product
PEO option (if you outgrow them)Paychex PEO available
Time in marketNew (2025)Founded 2000; Paychex-acquired 2011
Multi-client dashboardNativeBasic accountant view
IRS e-filingDirect MeF (in-house)Via SurePayroll
Tax penalty protectionProvider-error scopeYes (Full Service)
W-2 / 1099 generationBatch, no per-form fee$50 + $5/form annual
Mobile app (iOS + Android)Employee + client portalsEmployee app only
Dedicated client portal
Time trackingBuilt-in + geofencingIntegration only
QuickBooks / XeroBidirectional
Odoo / FreshBooks / Wave / SageNative
Onboarding packet (8655 + state POAs)One e-signPiecemeal
API accessAgency+

Why Choose Payrollix

Flat per-client pricing — no base × N clients math
No annual per-form fee for W-2s / 1099s
iOS + Android apps for both employees and clients
Built-in geofencing time tracking
Native bidirectional integrations beyond QuickBooks/Xero
In-house IRS MeF — not routed through Paychex/SurePayroll

SurePayroll Limitations

Per-company $29 base multiplied across the client list
$50 + $5/form annual fee for year-end W-2s and 1099s
No dedicated mobile app for employer/client
Time tracking requires integration with a third-party tool
Multi-client workflow is basic vs. true bureau platforms
Honest concession: the Paychex escalation path for tax issues and audits is a real safety net we don't (yet) have at parent-company scale

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