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An urgent care group in the Piedmont Triad opens a third clinic, this time across the state line in South Carolina. A family dealership that’s used the same local payroll firm since it opened now wants time and pay to live in one system instead of two. Both could easily have started with ChoicePay HCM, a Kernersville, North Carolina firm that’s been family-run since 2002. Growth is usually what sends an owner looking at ChoicePay HCM alternatives.
ChoicePay delivers its services on UKG Ready and leans on more than 20 years of local relationships. Here are five alternatives worth comparing, and where each one actually fits.
5 Best ChoicePay HCM Alternatives for Southeast Businesses
- Netchex – Best overall for growing, multi-location Southeast businesses that want one company behind the platform and the support.
- UKG Ready (direct) – The same software ChoicePay uses, bought straight from the company that builds it.
- Paylocity – A large integration library and engagement tools, with a longer setup and rep turnover reported.
- Paycor – A modern interface, now a Paychex business unit, with time and scheduling sold as add-ons.
- ADP Workforce Now – A wide compliance and reporting toolset, with support wait times reviewers flag often.
How We Evaluated These ChoicePay HCM Alternatives
Growing Southeast businesses tend to ask the same handful of questions. Who actually builds the software? Who answers when something breaks on a Friday afternoon? Can the system follow you across a state line without starting over? And how long before you’re live? ChoicePay’s details come from its own website and local press coverage. Details on the other providers come from their own sites, analyst estimates and independent review platforms, as of September 2026.
One thing worth saying up front: ChoicePay’s family-run, hands-on service is a genuine draw for a lot of its clients. Any alternative worth switching to should be measured against that.
#1 Netchex – Best Overall ChoicePay HCM Alternative
Netchex builds its own payroll, time, HR and benefits platform instead of reselling someone else’s. That single fact changes what happens on the weeks that matter most.
Picture a dealership group adding a third rooftop across a state line. Multi-location and multi-EIN businesses run from one login, Scheduler and payroll share the same system, and OneScreen Payroll gets most teams through a run in under 15 minutes. Netchex’s in-house benefits solution keeps enrollment, ACA tracking and onboarding on one employee record, and ACA Central tracks hours and coverage offers across full-time, part-time and seasonal staff. A US-based, FPC-certified support team answers 90% of calls in under a minute, and every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager, not a rotating one.
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 | ✗ Built for operating businesses, not for building custom HR tech in-house |
| ✓ Free, project-managed implementation in about six weeks, 96% satisfaction |
#2 UKG Ready (Direct) – Same Software, No Partner in the Middle
Since ChoicePay runs on UKG Ready, the most direct alternative is UKG itself. UKG’s own site describes geofenced mobile punching, biometric clock options and automated shift-differential and overtime rules. UKG Ready was named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Workforce Management, and UKG holds ISO 27001 certification with annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II audits.
Time and service are the trade-offs. UKG’s own site puts implementations at 3 to 12 months depending on modules, with an accelerated path that can get core UKG Ready live in under 100 days. Support runs through a tiered program instead of one named account manager, so you’d also lose ChoicePay’s local, family-run relationship.
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ No software change for current ChoicePay clients | ✗ Implementation typically 3 to 12 months, per UKG’s site |
| ✓ ISO 27001 certified, with annual SOC audits | ✗ Tiered support rather than one named account manager |
| ✓ Deep time and attendance tools | ✗ G2 rating of 4.4/5 for UKG Ready, below Netchex’s 4.5/5 |
More detail: Netchex vs. UKG comparison.
#3 Paylocity – Big Integration Library, Longer Ramp-Up
Paylocity brings 350-plus native integrations, a compliance dashboard multi-state employers like, and engagement features such as social feeds and peer recognition. Its mobile app earns solid marks from reviewers.
Multi-rate hourly staff take more setup. One HRIS-analyst site estimates 8 to 12 weeks for core modules, and reviewers flag account-manager turnover mid-implementation. Shift differentials and piece-rate pay aren’t native, they need configuration.
The system has ‘glitches’ that prevent it from correctly calculating overtime for hourly employees. Our account manager said the system simply couldn’t handle the calculation.
– Reddit user
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ 350+ native integrations | ✗ “Poor Customer Support” is a top G2 complaint tag |
| ✓ Strong mobile experience | ✗ Shift differentials require configuration |
| ✓ Engagement and recognition tools | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 7.7/10 |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paylocity.
#4 Paycor – Modern Interface, Now Part of Paychex
Paycor earns praise for an easy-to-use interface and its COR Leadership Insights tools for performance management. Since being acquired by Paychex, it operates as a standalone business unit, and customers keep their existing service relationships, according to Paycor’s own FAQ page.
Watch the fine print on hourly features. Time tracking and scheduling are sold as add-ons rather than bundled into base plans, and shift differentials, piece rate and multi-rate pay all need custom setup instead of coming built in.
The lack of knowledgeable customer support is appalling.
– Verified Reviewer, Capterra
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Easy-to-use interface | ✗ G2 rating of 4/5, 2,001 reviews |
| ✓ COR Leadership Insights for performance management | ✗ Time tracking and scheduling sold as add-ons |
| ✓ Existing clients keep their service team post-acquisition | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 7.5/10 |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paycor.
#5 ADP Workforce Now – Broad Compliance Toolset
ADP Workforce Now brings a large third-party marketplace, broad compliance and reporting tools, and global payroll for businesses with people outside the US. For a Southeast company that’s expanding internationally, that reach can matter.
For a business that’s simply adding a second or third state, it’s often more system than needed. Reviewers regularly point to support wait times, and ADP’s own site puts Workforce Now implementations at several months rather than weeks.
The worst thing about ADP Workforce Now is its customer service. It is terribly hard to reach someone, and when you do reach someone, they can’t always answer your question.
– Verified G2 Reviewer
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Large third-party marketplace | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 7.9/10 |
| ✓ Global payroll for international teams | ✗ Shift differentials require custom setup |
| ✓ Broad compliance and reporting | ✗ Implementation typically runs several months, per ADP’s own site |
More detail: Netchex vs. ADP.
How the ChoicePay HCM Alternatives Compare
| Capability | Netchex | UKG Ready (direct) | Paylocity | Paycor | ADP Workforce Now |
| Support model | ✅ Dedicated Account Manager | ⚠ Tiered support program | ⚠ Rep changes reported | ⚠ Support quality varies, per reviewers | ⚠ Long hold times, per reviewers |
| Shift differentials | ✅ Native | ✅ Automated rules | ⚠ Config required | ⚠ Custom setup | ⚠ Custom setup |
| Typical implementation | ✅ About 6 weeks, free | 3 to 12 months (UKG’s site) | 8 to 12 weeks (analyst estimate) | 2 to 3 months (analyst estimate) | Several months (ADP’s site) |
Frequently Asked Questions
For businesses adding locations or crossing state lines, Netchex is the strongest overall fit. It builds its own platform, so time, scheduling and payroll share one system under a single login. A US-based team answers 90% of calls in under a minute, and every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager.
ChoicePay HCM delivers its services on UKG Ready, software another company builds and updates. Owners often start comparing alternatives when they add locations or states, want time and payroll running in one native system, or want the software and the support to come from a single company.
It can be. Going direct keeps the software your team already knows and removes the reseller layer. The trade-offs are UKG’s own stated implementation window of 3 to 12 months, a tiered support program rather than one named account manager, and losing ChoicePay’s local, family-run relationship.
Ask who builds the software your provider sells and who fixes it when something breaks. Ask how a multi-state move gets handled and get an implementation timeline in writing. Then check independent reviews rather than relying only on the testimonials a company publishes about itself.
Ready to See Netchex Alongside Your Other ChoicePay HCM Alternatives?
See how Netchex handles payroll, time, HR and benefits for growing Southeast businesses, all from one company.
Related: Netchex vs. ChoicePay HCM | Netchex vs. UKG comparison | Netchex vs. Paylocity
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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