5 Best Auris Alternatives for Retail and Restaurant Businesses in 2026

Auris is the new name for Heartland Payroll, rebranded after Acrisure acquired the business from Global Payments in October 2025. The platform’s roots go back to Heartland Payment Systems, a card-processing company whose payroll product grew as a cross-sell to retail and restaurant merchants who were already running credit cards through Heartland.

That history shows up in reviews. Some customers describe quick, helpful support. Others describe an outdated interface and configuration steps, like changing a pay category name, that require a call to support instead of a few clicks. For a retail or restaurant operator whose payroll needs have grown more complex than a single-location merchant’s, it’s worth knowing what else is out there.

This guide compares five of the most-searched Auris alternatives in 2026 for retail and restaurant businesses, evaluated on hourly workforce fit, service reliability, interface quality, and implementation.

How We Evaluated These Platforms

Auris grew as a bundled add-on to card-payment processing, which shapes how it fits retail and restaurant operators today. We evaluated each alternative on hourly and multi-location workforce fit, interface quality, service responsiveness, and implementation experience.

Independent reviewer data was sourced from G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau. Auris (formerly Heartland Payroll) holds a 4.2/5 rating on G2 (136 reviews) and 4.3/5 on Capterra (102 verified reviews). Claims verified as of September 2026.

#1 Netchex – Best Overall Auris Alternative

Auris’s strengths trace back to its payments-company roots, which is a different kind of company than one built specifically for HR and payroll. Netchex is built for a different priority: businesses with 50 to 5,000 employees, particularly hourly, multi-location retail and restaurant operators where payroll accuracy and service reliability drive real day-to-day value.

Tip management, shift differentials, and overtime calculations connect directly from time and attendance to payroll, and your own team can make configuration changes without waiting on hold or mailing in a form. OneScreen payroll runs in about 15 minutes. Implementation is white-glove and project-managed, typically completed in six weeks with a 96% implementation satisfaction score. And when something needs a human, the US-based, FPC-certified team answers 90% of calls in under a minute with a dedicated Account Manager.

We switched because our old provider felt like an add-on to a payments company, not a real HR platform. Netchex actually feels built for what we do every day.

– Verified Reviewer, G2

Feature	Netchex	Auris
G2 rating	4.5/5 (7,500+ businesses)	4.2/5 (136 reviews)
Interface	✅ Modern, mobile-first	⚠ Described as basic and outdated by reviewers
Self-service configuration changes	✅ No support ticket needed	⚠ Some changes reportedly require calling support
Implementation	✅ Free, 6 weeks, 96% satisfaction	Not documented in this research
Support team location	✅ US-based	⚠ Off-shore support centers reported by reviewers

#2 ADP Workforce Now – Broad Reach, Familiar Trade-offs

ADP Workforce Now offers deep multi-state compliance and a wide integration library, appealing to retail and restaurant groups that have outgrown a payments-bundled payroll add-on and want a bigger name behind them. For businesses with complex multi-entity structures, that breadth is a real advantage.

The tradeoffs are consistent with ADP’s product line across market segments: a lengthy sales process before you get a straight answer on fit, support routed through a general queue, and a system complex enough that day-to-day tasks often take more clicks than operators expect.

Getting a straight answer took longer than it should have / Support routes through a shared queue with no dedicated contact / Simple tasks take longer than they should because of how the system is structured

– G2 / Capterra reviewers, 2025

Strengths	Considerations
✓ Deep multi-state compliance and reporting	✗ Lengthy sales process before a clear fit assessment
✓ Broad third-party integration ecosystem	✗ Support routes through a shared queue
✓ Strong fit for complex multi-entity organizations	✗ Navigation complexity for day-to-day tasks

Sources: ADP on G2 | ADP on Capterra | Trustpilot

#3 Paychex Flex – Well-Known Name, Uneven Local Experience

Paychex operates one of the largest branch networks in the payroll industry, giving it a familiar, national footprint that appeals to retail and restaurant groups expanding into new markets. The platform covers payroll, tax filing, HR, and benefits administration.

Reviewers frequently note that the actual experience varies a lot depending on which local branch and representative you end up with. For a multi-location operator, that inconsistency can show up differently at each site.

Our experience really depended on which rep we got assigned / Response times were inconsistent from one issue to the next / Great when it worked, frustrating when we needed something fixed fast

– G2 / Capterra reviewers, 2025

Strengths	Considerations
✓ Large national branch network	✗ Experience varies significantly by local branch
✓ Established brand recognition	✗ Response consistency is a recurring reviewer concern
✓ Broad core feature coverage	✗ No dedicated single point of contact the way Netchex assigns

Sources: Paychex Flex on G2 | Paychex on Capterra | Trustpilot

#4 Gusto – Simple Start, Limited at Scale

Gusto is an accessible entry point for very small businesses with straightforward, salaried-first payroll. Clean interface and fast setup make it appealing for a single-location shop just getting its first real payroll system in place.

As a retail or restaurant business grows past roughly 50 employees, adds hourly staff, or opens a second location, Gusto’s limitations show up quickly. Tip management and shift differentials aren’t core features.

We outgrew Gusto once we added hourly staff across two locations / Support couldn’t keep up with our needs as we scaled / No real way to handle our shift differential pay structure

– G2 / Capterra reviewers, 2025

Strengths	Considerations
✓ Clean, accessible interface for small businesses	✗ Limited tip management and shift differential support
✓ Fast setup for salaried-first companies	✗ Multi-location support limited at scale
✓ Straightforward for a first payroll system	✗ Support quality reported to decline as company size grows

Sources: Gusto on G2 | Gusto on Capterra | Trustpilot

#5 Paylocity – Strong Engagement, Rocky Rollout

Paylocity’s employee engagement tools, social recognition features, and modern mobile app appeal to retail and restaurant operators trying to improve retention in a high-turnover workforce. For businesses where that’s a priority, it’s a legitimate Auris alternative.

Implementation is the recurring concern in reviews. Multiple 2025 reviewers describe account manager changes during onboarding and technical glitches that disrupted early payroll runs.

Got off to a rocky start with frequent account manager changes / Slow responses left issues unresolved for too long / Technical glitches during setup disrupted our early payroll runs

– G2 / Capterra reviewers, 2025

Strengths	Considerations
✓ Strong employee engagement and recognition tools	✗ Implementation frequently described as rocky
✓ Modern, mobile-first interface	✗ Account manager turnover during onboarding
✓ Solid core payroll and HR functionality	✗ Technical glitches during setup noted by reviewers

Sources: Paylocity on G2 | Paylocity on Capterra | Trustpilot

Feature Comparison: Auris Alternatives

Capability	Netchex	ADP	Paychex	Gusto	Paylocity
Hourly workforce fit	✅ Purpose-built	⚠ Moderate	⚠ Moderate	⚠ Limited	⚠ Moderate
Implementation quality	✅ 96% satisfaction	⚠ Complex	⚠ Varies by branch	✅ Fast for small teams	✗ Rocky per reviews
Modern interface	✅	⚠ Moderate	⚠ Moderate	✅	✅
Dedicated Account Manager	✅ Included	✗ Shared queue	⚠ Varies by branch	✗ Not standard	⚠ Turnover reported
Service response time	✅ Under 1 min, 90% FCR	✗ Long waits reported	⚠ Inconsistent by branch	⚠ Declines at scale	⚠ Inconsistent
G2 service ranking	✅ #1	Not top-ranked	Not top-ranked	Not top-ranked	Not top-ranked

Frequently Asked Questions

See the full comparison: Netchex vs. Auris, including service, features, and switcher reviews.

This guide reflects publicly available product information and independent reviewer data (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, Reddit, Software Advice, GetApp) as of 2026. Feature availability may vary by plan. Contact each provider for current details.

Disclaimer: Any product roadmap or future plans provided herein are for informational purposes only. They do not represent a commitment to deliver any material, code, feature, or functionality. Plans may change without notification. The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described remain at the sole discretion of Netchex, its affiliates, and partners. Netchex does not give legal, tax, or accounting advice. You are responsible for ensuring your use of Netchex product meets your individual business and compliance requirements.

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