Rippling vs Paylocity (2026): 100-Employee Costs and Fit
At 100 employees, Rippling HR and payroll runs an estimated $2,000-$3,500 a month and Paylocity's full HR suite $2,600-$3,300. Rippling earns its place when IT needs device and app control tied to hiring. Paylocity earns it when frontline staff need a strong mobile app and time tools.
Rippling vs Paylocity: which is better for your team?
Pick Rippling for an office or remote workforce where IT provisioning is part of every hire: one record drives [payroll](/categories/payroll-software), laptops and app access, at an estimated $20 to $35 per employee for HR and payroll.
Pick Paylocity for hourly, multi-location or frontline teams: its mobile app, time tools and Community feed are built for staff who never sit at a desk, and payroll plus core HR runs an estimated $18 to $22 per employee.
Don't buy Rippling's IT modules if your company has no one to administer device policies. Don't sign Paylocity's typical two-to-three-year term without an increase cap and a named post-launch contact.
Rippling vs Paylocity: what each tool does
Rippling is the HR platform that refused to stay in its lane.
- Starting price
- ~$8/employee/mo + $35-$40/mo (est.) (est.)
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- No free trial (demo only)
Paylocity is payroll and [HR software](/categories/hr-software) for US companies with roughly 100 to 1,000 employees, including benefits and expense tools.
- Starting price
- ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.) (est.)
- Deployment
- Cloud
- Free trial
- No free trial found; demo-led sales
Rippling vs Paylocity: side by side
Rows are grouped by the decision they belong to, and a row is marked where the two products answer differently. Rows they answer the same way stay visible: that is an answer too.
| Pricing | Rippling | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$8/employee/mo + $35-$40/mo (est.)Estimated, quote-based | ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.)Estimated, quote-based |
| Typical cost | $20-$35 per employee/mo with HR + payroll (est.)Estimated, quote-based | $26-$33 per employee/mo for full HCM (est.)Estimated, quote-based |
| Billing unit | per month base + per employee, per module | per employee per month |
| Free trial | No free trial (demo only) | No free trial found; demo-led sales |
| Price transparency | Quote only (range from third-party sources) | Quote only (range from third-party sources) |
Prices verified Sep 2026. Sources: Rippling pricing page (quote request form, no list prices), Rippling: Pin: Rippling pricing 2026 (updated May 9, 2026), Rippling: Vendr Rippling marketplace benchmarks, Rippling: PEO Clarify Rippling PEO review (May 2026), Rippling: South: Rippling pricing 2026, Paylocity: Outsail, Paylocity cost 2026 (July 2026), Paylocity: Vendr Paylocity pricing (updated Feb 2026), Paylocity pricing page (contact form only).
Full plan tables: Rippling pricing, Paylocity pricing.
| Criteria |  Rippling |  Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Commercials | ||
| Starting priceDiffers | ~$8/employee/mo + $35-$40/mo (est.) (estimated, quote-based) | ~$18-$22 per employee/mo (est.) (estimated, quote-based) |
| Pricing modelDiffers | Modular pricing | Custom quote |
| Free trialDiffers | No free trial (demo only) | No free trial found; demo-led sales |
| Typical costDiffers | $20-$35 per employee/mo with HR + payroll (est.) | $26-$33 per employee/mo for full HCM (est.) |
| Who it fits | ||
| Best forDiffers | Tech-forward firms tying HR, IT devices and finance together | Multi-state mid-market employers with complex pay rules |
| Rollout & platform | ||
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Supported platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
Rippling vs Paylocity: key differences
Desk-based IT or frontline time tracking: pick by workforce
Rippling ties HR to IT and finance from one record. Paylocity ties HR to time, scheduling and an employee app built for people away from a desk.
- 90-person software company, everyone on managed laptops: Rippling. Hiring creates accounts and ships a device; termination revokes both.
- 220 employees across clinics or stores, mostly hourly: Paylocity, for time and attendance, the mobile app and Community.
- 130 employees, mixed office and warehouse: price both with the modules each team would use, then compare per-employee totals.
- Finance wants cards and approvals with HR: both now offer spend tools (Rippling spend management; Paylocity via Airbase). See HR software.
Rippling vs Paylocity cost at 100 employees
| Package (estimated) | Per employee / mo | 100 employees / mo | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rippling HR + payroll | $20-$35 | $2,000-$3,500 | $1,000-$5,000 typical |
| Rippling HR + IT + finance | $35-$50+ | $3,500-$5,000+ | Higher with device rollout |
| Paylocity payroll + core HR | $18-$22 | $1,800-$2,200 | 10-20% of annual subscription |
| Paylocity full HCM suite | $26-$33 | $2,600-$3,300 | 10-20% of annual subscription |
Does your team need Paylocity's employee app or Rippling's IT layer?
| Feature | Rippling | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Employee app | Employee mobile app | Mobile app with pay stubs, time off, punches and Community feed |
| Device management | macOS, Windows, iOS, iPadOS; OS patching | No |
| App access | SSO, SAML, SCIM provisioning | No |
| Time and scheduling | Time module available | Time and attendance in full suite |
| Global | Native payroll in 10 countries; EOR in 80; contractors 185+ | Global payroll in 100+ countries |
| Integrations | 650+ apps | Integration Marketplace, hundreds of partners |
| Support | Chat first reply about 30 seconds; email about 2 hours | Assigned account management team |
| Contract | Order-form term; minimum users; auto-renews up to 12 months | Two-to-three-year terms typical; increase cap negotiable |
Switching from Paylocity to Rippling, or the reverse
- 1Read the renewal and notice terms first; both vendors renew automatically.
- 2Set the cutover for January 1 or a quarter start so one provider files each quarter.
- 3Export year-to-date payroll, accrual balances, time-off policies and benefit deductions.
- 4Moving to Rippling: connect identity and devices early, since that is where the value is. Moving to Paylocity: plan device management separately.
- 5Run one parallel payroll and reconcile before going live.
Paylocity reviewers often describe a gap between implementation and ongoing support; Rippling reviewers often describe module costs added after the demo. Ask both vendors for the full module list and the post-launch contact in writing.
Common Rippling and Paylocity complaints
Themes from Capterra, Trustpilot, BBB and TrustRadius, checked October 2026.
- Rippling, add-on module costs applied across the headcount (Capterra).
- Rippling, demoed features missing from the plan sold (BBB complaint).
- Rippling, renewal uplifts that buyers push back on (CostBench). Trustpilot: 4.5/5 from 2,494 reviews.
- Paylocity, long support holds (Trustpilot, 1.3/5 from 129 reviews).
- Paylocity, implementation errors and gaps without a specialist (Trustpilot; TrustRadius).
- Paylocity, frequent glitches and charges above the quote (Trustpilot).
Related: Rippling vs ADP, ADP Workforce Now vs Paylocity, BambooHR vs Paylocity, and Gusto vs Paylocity.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rippling or Paylocity cheaper?
They overlap. At 100 employees, buyer reports put Rippling HR plus payroll at $2,000 to $3,500 a month and Paylocity payroll plus core HR at $1,800 to $2,200, or $2,600 to $3,300 for its full suite. Rippling's IT and finance modules push it to $35 to $50 or more per employee. Both quote, and both charge for implementation.
Which is easier to use, Rippling or Paylocity?
Reviewers describe Rippling as easy once configured, with much of the work automated from one employee record, and Paylocity as strong for employees on mobile but heavier for admins during setup. Ease of use depends on who the users are: IT and office staff tend to prefer Rippling, while hourly staff use Paylocity's app.
Does Paylocity have IT and device management like Rippling?
No. Paylocity has added finance tools, including spend management from its 2024 Airbase acquisition, but it does not manage laptops or app accounts. Rippling includes device management for macOS, Windows, iOS and iPadOS, single sign-on and app provisioning. Paylocity customers typically pair it with a separate device management and identity tool.
Which handles international employees better?
It depends on how. Paylocity's global payroll lets US-based companies pay employees in 100+ countries. Rippling runs native payroll on your own entities in 10 countries, offers EOR in 80 countries as of mid-2025, and pays contractors in 185+. For employees in countries where you have no entity, Rippling's EOR is the more direct route.
How long does implementation take for Rippling vs Paylocity?
Third-party guides estimate 6 to 12 weeks for Rippling and about 2 to 3 months for Paylocity. Paylocity's implementation fee is roughly 10% to 20% of the annual subscription; Rippling's implementation typically costs $1,000 to $5,000, more with professional services. Aim for a January 1 or quarter-start go-live with either.