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A logistics company running trucks out of Johnson City picks up a contract in North Carolina. A home health agency’s caregivers now cross into Southwest Virginia every week. Both might be longtime Time & Pay clients, and both might eventually start looking around. This guide covers five Time & Pay alternatives and what each one actually does well.
Time & Pay is a family-owned payroll firm founded in 1992, running on Payentry, mostly serving East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina. Businesses usually start comparing when they expand outside that region, want the software and the support from one company, or need pay rules that go beyond what a small regional bureau configures.
5 Best Time & Pay Alternatives for East Tennessee and Southeast Businesses
- Netchex – Best overall for hourly, multi-location businesses that want one company behind the platform and the support.
- Payentry (direct) – The same software Time & Pay uses, bought from the source.
- Paychex Flex – National reach with local reps, though service depends on the rep.
- ADP Workforce Now – Broad reach and global payroll, with more system than most small teams need.
- Gusto – Simple and friendly for a single-state, single-location team.
How We Evaluated These Time & Pay Alternatives
We looked at who actually builds the software, how support works when something breaks, fit for hourly and multi-location teams, and what switching looks like in practice. Time & Pay’s details come from its own website and public listings. Details on the other providers come from their own sites and independent review platforms, as of September 2026.
#1 Netchex – Best Overall Time & Pay Alternative
Netchex was founded in Louisiana more than 20 years ago for the businesses that keep America running, restaurants, hotels, dealerships and clinics among them. It builds its own payroll, time, HR and benefits platform and staffs its own support team, instead of reselling someone else’s software the way Time & Pay resells Payentry.
That shows up 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, every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager, and Netchex works directly with your existing CPA and 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 | ✗ 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 tech firms with in-house HR engineering |
| ✓ Free, project-managed implementation in about six weeks, 96% satisfaction |
#2 Payentry (Direct) – Same Software, No Bureau in Between
Because Time & Pay’s portal runs on Payentry, some businesses skip the local bureau and buy from MPAY directly. Payentry owns its own tech stack rather than reselling one, and it gives every client a dedicated Client Advocate along with a published “No hidden fees. No complicated contracts” stance.
Going direct changes who answers the phone, not what the software looks like. Reviewers on Capterra like the people they talk to, but flag a dated interface and thin people-management tools outside of payroll.
The pricing and customer service is what keeps me as a customer.
– Capterra reviewer
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Owns its platform rather than reselling one | ✗ Not BBB accredited (A- rating) |
| ✓ Dedicated Client Advocate per client | ✗ Reviewers describe a dated interface and limited people-management tools beyond payroll |
| ✓ In-house benefits brokerage and retirement plan services | ✗ Loses Time & Pay’s local, decades-long relationship |
#3 Paychex Flex – National Brand, Rep-Dependent Service
Paychex has local reps across most of the country and a broad suite that includes retirement services and a PEO option. For a business leaving a small regional firm, the name recognition alone can feel like a safer bet.
The recurring complaint is consistency. Service quality tends to ride on which rep gets assigned, and some reviewers describe cycling through several of them just to fix one 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 national brand | ✗ Shift differentials are limited |
More detail: Netchex vs. Paychex.
#4 ADP Workforce Now – Built for Scale
ADP Workforce Now brings a large third-party marketplace and global payroll for companies with staff outside the US. For a logistics or manufacturing company expanding across several states or borders, that reach can matter.
For a 40-person crew or clinic, it can be a lot of system to manage. Reviewers regularly point to menus that bury simple tasks and support that’s hard to reach.
ADP can feel a bit complicated at first… Complex menus can make simple tasks feel buried or take extra clicks.
– Verified G2 Reviewer
| Strengths | Considerations |
| ✓ Global payroll | ✗ G2 Quality of Support score of 7.9/10 |
| ✓ Large third-party marketplace | ✗ Shift differentials require custom setup |
| ✓ Broad compliance and reporting | ✗ Trustpilot score of 1.2/5 across 3,097 reviews |
More detail: Netchex vs. ADP.
#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 office in Johnson City could be running payroll within days.
It’s built for simple, single-state setups. Reviewers say it doesn’t hold up once a business adds states, pay rates or shift complexity, which matters the moment a caregiver or crew starts crossing the Virginia or North Carolina line.
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 Time & Pay Alternatives Compare
| Capability | Netchex | Payentry (direct) | Paychex Flex | ADP Workforce Now | Gusto |
| Best for | Hourly, multi-location businesses | Current Time & Pay clients who want to go direct | Businesses wanting a local rep or a PEO | Large, complex or global organizations | Very small, single-state teams |
| Support model | ✅ Dedicated Account Manager | ✅ Dedicated Client Advocate | ⚠ Varies by rep | ⚠ Hard to reach, per reviewers | ⚠ Limited for growing complexity |
| Multi-state, multi-location support | ✅ Single login | ⚠ Varies by setup | ⚠ Limited | ⚠ Config required | ✗ |
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 that writes the software answers the phone. Payentry, bought directly from MPAY, is another option if you want to keep the software Time & Pay already uses.
Time & Pay delivers its payroll on Payentry, software built by a different company, MPAY. Businesses often start comparing alternatives when they expand outside Time & Pay’s East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina footprint, or when they want the software and the support to come from one company.
It can be. Payentry owns its own technology and gives direct clients a dedicated Client Advocate, so the software stays the same while you skip the local bureau layer. You’d give up Time & Pay’s decades of local, personal service, and Capterra reviewers note a dated interface and limited people-management tools beyond payroll.
Ask who actually builds the software, who you call when something breaks, and how long implementation takes and who does the work. Ask whether pay rules handle multiple states cleanly if your team crosses county or state lines. Get timelines in writing, and check independent reviews rather than relying only on testimonials a company publishes about itself.
Ready to See Netchex Alongside Your Other Time & Pay Alternatives?
See how Netchex handles payroll, time, HR and benefits for hourly, multi-location teams, all from one company.
Related: Netchex vs. Time & Pay | Netchex vs. Paychex | Netchex vs. ADP
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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