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A law firm in Columbia, Maryland, is adding a fourth associate and wants payroll that keeps up without a spreadsheet. A construction company outside Minneapolis just crossed 40 employees and started hearing about overtime rules it never had to worry about before. Either one could be a CSI Accounting & Payroll client today. This guide covers five CSI Accounting and Payroll alternatives worth a look, and what each one does well.
CSI is an accounting firm based in St. Louis Park, in the Twin Cities, with a second office in Columbia, Maryland, serving small businesses that its site says range from 1 to 50-plus employees up to as many as 500. Its core work is bookkeeping, tax prep and financial statements, and payroll rides alongside that, delivered on isolved with SwipeClock timekeeping. Businesses usually start comparing when payroll and hourly scheduling become the harder problem, or when they want a dedicated HCM platform instead of an accounting-first bundle.
5 Best CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternatives for Small Businesses
- Netchex – Best overall for hourly, multi-location businesses that want one company behind the payroll platform and the support.
- isolved (direct) – The same payroll engine CSI resells, bought from the source.
- Paychex Flex – A national brand with local reps and a PEO option.
- Paylocity – Deep integrations and engagement tools, with a longer ramp-up.
- Gusto – Simple and friendly for very small teams, limited as headcount grows.
How We Evaluated These CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternatives
We looked at who builds the payroll software, how support actually works, fit for hourly and growing teams, and what switching looks like. CSI’s own details come from its website and its Clutch profile. Details on the other providers come from their own sites and independent review platforms, as of September 2026.
Credit where it’s due, too. CSI genuinely bundles accounting and payroll under one roof, and none of the five options below is also going to do your bookkeeping or file your business taxes. If that combination is what matters most to you, weigh it.
#1 Netchex – Best Overall CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternative
Netchex was founded in Louisiana more than 20 years ago for the businesses that keep America running: restaurants, hotels, dealerships and clinics. It builds its own payroll, time, HR and benefits platform instead of reselling one, so the team that answers the phone is the team that owns the product.
For a growing small business, that means time and attendance, Scheduler and payroll all share one system, so nobody’s re-keying hours between a timekeeping app and a payroll portal. OneScreen Payroll gets most teams through a run in under 15 minutes. A US-based, FPC-certified support team answers 90% of calls in under a minute, every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager, and Netchex works directly with the CPA and benefits broker you already use.
The entire staff, from sales to implementation to service, has been stellar in their delivery. The culture of Netchex is one of a company that demonstrates the importance of relationships with clients.
– David Faunce, Partner, KM Consulting
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ One company builds the platform and answers the phone | ✗ No global payroll for teams outside the US |
| ✓ 4.8/5 customer satisfaction and 8.9/10 G2 Quality of Support | ✗ Doesn’t handle bookkeeping or tax prep, so you keep a separate accountant |
| ✓ Free, project-managed implementation in about six weeks, 96% satisfaction |
#2 isolved (Direct) – The Same Engine, Without the Bureau
CSI’s payroll runs on isolved, so some businesses skip the accounting firm layer and buy isolved directly. isolved’s People Cloud is a broad platform covering payroll, HR records, time, benefits and recruiting through an ApplicantPro integration, and its own FAQ says direct customers get a dedicated support team and account manager.
Going direct changes who you call, but the software itself and its usability complaints come along for the ride. You’d also lose CSI’s bookkeeping and tax work, since isolved doesn’t do that.
The workflows are click-heavy and not always intuitive. / Support response times have been inconsistent depending on who we’re routed to.
– G2 / Capterra reviewers, 2025
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Same payroll engine current CSI clients already know | ✗ Capterra rating of 3.9/5 across roughly 650 reviews |
| ✓ Broad People Cloud feature set | ✗ “Not Intuitive” is a common G2 complaint tag |
| ✓ Direct customers get their own support team | ✗ No bookkeeping or tax prep, unlike CSI |
More detail: Netchex vs. isolved comparison.
#3 Paychex Flex – National Reach, Rep-Dependent Service
Paychex has local reps in most US markets, including the Twin Cities and the DC-Baltimore corridor, plus retirement services and a PEO option. For a business that’s outgrown a small local bureau, the brand alone feels like a safe next step.
The recurring complaint is consistency. Service tends to depend on which rep a client gets, and some reviewers describe cycling through several on a single issue.
I went through 6 reps… and signed 5 power of attorneys and it still isn’t corrected.
– Verified Reviewer, G2
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Local reps in most US markets | ✗ Trustpilot score of 1.7/5 across 826 reviews |
| ✓ Retirement services and a PEO option | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 8.3/10 |
| ✓ Well-known brand | ✗ Shift differentials are limited |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paychex.
#4 Paylocity – Big Integration Library, Steeper Learning Curve
Paylocity offers 350+ native integrations, a compliance dashboard multi-state employers like, and employee engagement tools such as social feeds and peer recognition. For a law firm or a services business adding staff across state lines, that compliance layer is a real draw.
For a business used to a small firm’s hands-on service, the jump can feel bigger. One analyst site estimates 8 to 12 weeks to implement core modules, and “Poor Customer Support” is the most common complaint tag on its G2 profile.
Our transition to Paylocity was nothing short of atrocious. Our internal team had to self-teach the software due to a convoluted implementation process.
– Reddit user
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ 350+ native integrations | ✗ “Poor Customer Support” is its most common G2 complaint tag |
| ✓ Compliance dashboard for multi-state employers | ✗ Core implementation estimated at 8 to 12 weeks |
| ✓ Engagement and recognition tools | ✗ Shift differentials require configuration |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paylocity.
#5 Gusto – Easy Start, Limited Room to Grow
Gusto is known for a clean interface, unlimited payroll runs on every plan, and month-to-month contracts. A five-person shop that just left a bookkeeper’s spreadsheet could be running payroll the same week.
It’s built for small, simple setups. Reviewers say it struggles once a business adds multiple states or more complex hourly pay rules, which matters as a CSI client grows past the low end of its client range.
Gusto is not well suited for companies operating in multiple states. It works for simple setups but does not scale well as payroll becomes more complex.
– HR Director, Mid-Market, G2 (2025)
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Clean, easy interface | ✗ No native shift differentials or multiple hourly rates |
| ✓ Unlimited payroll runs on all plans | ✗ Not built for multi-state, multi-location operations |
| ✓ Month-to-month contracts | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 8.2/10 |
More detail: Netchex vs. Gusto.
How the CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternatives Compare
| Capability | Netchex | isolved (direct) | Paychex Flex | Paylocity | Gusto |
| Best for | Hourly, multi-location businesses | Current CSI clients who want to keep the same engine | Small businesses wanting a local rep or a PEO | Growing multi-state teams with dedicated HR | Very small, single-state teams |
| Payroll and timekeeping in one login | ✅ | ⚠ Separate People Cloud modules | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Support model | ✅ Dedicated Account Manager | ⚠ Depends on how you buy | ⚠ Varies by rep | ⚠ Rep changes reported | ⚠ Chat and ticket support |
Frequently Asked Questions
For hourly or multi-location small businesses, Netchex is the strongest overall fit. It builds its own payroll, time and HR platform, so there’s no separate timekeeping login to manage, and a US-based team answers 90% of calls in under a minute. It also works with your existing CPA, so you don’t have to give up an accountant you already trust.
CSI is an accounting firm with payroll alongside its bookkeeping and tax work, delivered on isolved and SwipeClock. Businesses often compare alternatives once they want a dedicated payroll and HR platform, once they cross into more complex hourly pay rules, or once they’d rather have one company own both the software and the support.
It can be, especially if you already know the software from your CSI login. isolved’s own FAQ says direct customers get a dedicated support team and account manager. Keep in mind you’d lose CSI’s bookkeeping and tax work, and reviewers still flag the platform’s workflows as click-heavy in places.
Ask who builds the payroll software, whether timekeeping lives in the same login as payroll, who answers support calls, and how implementation actually works. Get a timeline in writing rather than an estimate, and check independent reviews rather than relying only on testimonials a company publishes about itself.
Ready to See Netchex Alongside Your Other CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternatives?
See how Netchex handles payroll, time, HR and benefits for growing small businesses, all from one company.
Related: Netchex vs. CSI Accounting and Payroll | Netchex vs. isolved comparison | Netchex vs. Paychex
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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