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A child care center in Toms River that just opened a second location. A landscaping company along the Jersey Shore whose crew triples every summer. Both might have started with Sharp Payroll Service, and plenty of small business owners along the Shore are happy there. Others start looking at Sharp Payroll Service alternatives once they add a location, want time and pay in one system, or want dedicated HR software instead of a services bundle.
Quick clarification on the name first. This is Sharp Payroll Service, also listed as Sharp Accounting and Payroll Service, based at 928 Arnold Avenue in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It isn’t Sharp Holdings Payroll, Inc., a separate business in Peoria, Illinois that happens to share a similar name. Here are five alternatives worth a look.
5 Best Sharp Payroll Service Alternatives for New Jersey Small Businesses
- Netchex – Best overall for hourly, multi-location businesses that want one company behind the platform and the support.
- Paychex Flex – Local reps and a PEO option, with service that depends on your rep.
- Gusto – Simple, well-reviewed payroll for a single-location shop with straightforward pay.
- ADP RUN – A national small-business option with a large marketplace behind it.
- Paylocity – A big integration library and engagement tools, with a longer ramp-up.
How We Evaluated These Sharp Payroll Service Alternatives
Every option got the same four questions. Who builds the software? Who picks up when payroll goes wrong? Can it handle seasonal or hourly staff without extra setup? And how long until you’re live? Sharp’s details come from its own website and independently verified reviews. Details on the other providers come from their own sites and independent review platforms, as of September 2026.
One thing Sharp does well deserves a mention up front. Its site says every client works with a dedicated specialist, and independent reviews back that reputation up. Any alternative should be judged against that kind of hands-on service.
#1 Netchex – Best Overall Sharp Payroll Service Alternative
Netchex was founded in Louisiana more than 20 years ago for the businesses that keep America running, like restaurants, hotels, dealerships and clinics. It builds its own payroll, time, HR and benefits platform and staffs its own support team. No bundled insurance agency sits in the middle of your payroll relationship.
You feel that on a busy week. Time and attendance, Scheduler and payroll share one system, multi-location and multi-EIN businesses work from a single login, and OneScreen Payroll gets most teams through a run in under 15 minutes. A US-based, FPC-certified team answers 90% of calls in under a minute, so the dedicated-specialist feel Sharp clients are used to doesn’t disappear once you scale past one location. Every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager, and Netchex works directly with your CPA and your existing benefits broker.
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 | ✗ Doesn’t sell insurance or do your bookkeeping |
| ✓ 4.8/5 customer satisfaction and 8.9/10 G2 Quality of Support | ✗ No global payroll for teams outside the US |
| ✓ Free, project-managed implementation in about six weeks, 96% satisfaction |
#2 Paychex Flex – A National Name With Local Reps
If a local point of contact is what you like about Sharp, Paychex offers a bigger version of it, with reps in most US markets. It also sells retirement plan services and a PEO option for owners who’d rather hand off more of HR.
Consistency is the catch. Service tends to hinge on which rep gets assigned to your account, and some reviewers describe bouncing between several of them on one problem.
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 |
| ✓ Familiar national brand | ✗ Support quality reported to vary by rep |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paychex.
#3 Gusto – Simple Payroll for a Single Location
Gusto is built for a small, single-site shop with straightforward pay, not far from where Sharp’s own client base sits. Reviewers consistently praise how easy it is to run a basic payroll.
It gets harder once your business stops being simple.
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
For a camp or child care operator adding a second site, or bringing on seasonal staff across county lines, that’s worth knowing going in.
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Well-reviewed for basic, single-location payroll | ✗ Not built for multi-state or multi-location compliance |
| ✓ Transparent, published pricing | ✗ Trustpilot score of 1.9/5 across roughly 2,500 reviews |
| ✓ Unlimited payroll runs on its plans | ✗ No dedicated account manager on most plans |
More detail: Netchex vs. Gusto.
#4 ADP RUN – A National Option With a Big Marketplace
ADP’s small-business product, RUN, sits alongside Workforce Now and Vantage HCM as ADP scales up. RUN brings a large third-party marketplace and broad compliance and reporting behind it. For a Jersey Shore business planning to expand into new states, that reach is worth something.
For a 10-person child care center, it can be more system than you need. Reviewers regularly point to support as the weak spot.
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 | ✗ Trustpilot score of 1.2/5 across 3,097 reviews for ADP |
| ✓ Broad compliance and reporting | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 7.9/10 |
| ✓ National brand recognition | ✗ Reviewers describe long hold times |
More detail: Netchex vs. ADP.
#5 Paylocity – Big Integration Library, Steeper Learning Curve
Paylocity offers 350+ native integrations, a compliance dashboard multi-state employers like, and engagement tools such as social feeds and peer recognition. Reviewers also give its mobile app good marks.
Hourly and seasonal teams need more setup here. One analyst site estimates 8 to 12 weeks for 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 |
| ✓ Strong mobile experience | ✗ Shift differentials require configuration |
| ✓ Engagement and recognition tools | ✗ Core implementation estimated at 8 to 12 weeks |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paylocity.
How the Sharp Payroll Service Alternatives Compare
| Capability | Netchex | Paychex Flex | Gusto | ADP RUN | Paylocity |
| Best for | Hourly, multi-location businesses | Small businesses wanting a local rep or a PEO | Single-location shops with simple pay | Small businesses planning to expand into new states | Mid-market teams with dedicated HR |
| Support model | ✅ Dedicated Account Manager | ⚠ Varies by rep | ⚠ Pooled support on most plans | ⚠ Hard to reach, per reviewers | ⚠ Rep changes reported |
| Multi-location fit | ✅ Multi-EIN, single login | ✅ Local reps available | ✗ Not built for multi-state complexity | ✅ Broad multi-state reach | ✅ Compliance dashboard for multi-state |
Frequently Asked Questions
For hourly or multi-location businesses, Netchex is the strongest overall fit. It builds its own platform, so time, scheduling and payroll share one system, and the same company answers the phone. Its US-based team picks up 90% of calls in under a minute, which keeps the hands-on service Sharp clients are used to.
Sharp Payroll Service bundles payroll with insurance, bookkeeping and tax services from one New Jersey office. Businesses often look at alternatives once they add a location, want time and attendance built into the same system as payroll, or want dedicated HR software instead of a services bundle built around insurance and bookkeeping.
No. This guide covers Sharp Payroll Service, also listed as Sharp Accounting and Payroll Service, at 928 Arnold Avenue in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Sharp Holdings Payroll, Inc. is a separate, unrelated company based in Peoria, Illinois. The five alternatives here are compared against the New Jersey company’s services.
Ask each vendor who builds the software, who you call when something breaks, and whether it handles multiple locations or states natively. Ask how long implementation takes and who does the work. Get timelines in writing, and check independent reviews rather than relying only on the testimonials a company publishes about itself.
Ready to See Netchex Alongside Your Other Sharp Payroll Service Alternatives?
See how Netchex handles payroll, time, HR and benefits for New Jersey businesses, all from one company.
Related: Netchex vs. Sharp Payroll Service | Netchex vs. Paychex | Netchex vs. Gusto
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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