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A salon owner in St. Louis Park is closing out the books for tax season while three stylists wait on their pay stubs. She’d rather call one firm for both jobs than juggle two logins and two invoices. That’s exactly the pitch behind CSI Accounting & Payroll, and it’s why small business owners comparing Netchex vs. CSI Accounting and Payroll are really weighing two different kinds of company.
CSI is an accounting firm first, with payroll built on isolved and timekeeping on SwipeClock. Netchex is a payroll, time, HR and benefits company that builds and owns its own platform. That difference runs through everything below.
Last updated: September 2026. CSI Accounting & Payroll information comes from the company’s own website and its Clutch profile. Netchex figures come from G2 and Netchex’s own customer data.
The Short Version
CSI Accounting & Payroll has been in business since 1966, according to its Clutch profile. It’s based in St. Louis Park, in the Twin Cities, with a second office in Columbia, Maryland, and its site says it serves small businesses nationwide. The firm’s core work is bookkeeping, financial statements and tax preparation, and payroll rides alongside that, delivered through isolved with SwipeClock for timekeeping. Its stated sweet spot is clients with 1 to 50-plus employees, though it says it will take on new payroll clients with up to 500 employees. On Clutch, it holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating across 12 reviews.
Netchex was founded in Louisiana more than 20 years ago for the businesses that keep America running: restaurants, hotels, dealerships, clinics. It builds and owns its payroll, time, HR and benefits software, so one company handles both the platform and the phone. The US-based, FPC-certified support team answers 90% of calls in under a minute, customers rate that service 4.8 out of 5, and Netchex holds an 8.9/10 Quality of Support score on G2.
Company Overview
| Netchex | CSI Accounting and Payroll | |
| Roots | Louisiana, 20+ years | St. Louis Park, MN, since 1966 (Clutch) |
| What it leads with | Payroll, time, HR and benefits software | Bookkeeping, tax prep and financial statements, with payroll alongside |
| Who builds the payroll software | Netchex, in-house | isolved (payroll) and SwipeClock (timekeeping) |
| Typical client size | Hourly and multi-location businesses of many sizes | 1 to 50-plus employees, up to 500 (its site) |
Netchex vs. CSI Accounting and Payroll on Payroll and Time
Picture a Friday afternoon at a small construction firm. Crews are still on site, hours need approving, and payroll has to go out before the weekend. CSI’s client portal shows exactly how that works on its side: employers log into a Payroll Portal built on isolved to enter hours, preview and approve payroll, and print checks and stubs. Timekeeping runs through a separate SwipeClock login, for both employees and employers.
Netchex keeps that whole process in one place. Time and attendance and Scheduler live in the same system as payroll, so hours and shift rules flow straight through without a second login or a data hand-off. OneScreen Payroll pulls onboarding, overtime, benefits and taxes into one readiness view, and most teams finish a run in under 15 minutes.
| Feature | Netchex | CSI Accounting and Payroll |
| Payroll and tax filing | ✅ Built by Netchex | ✅ Delivered on isolved |
| Employee self-service and timekeeping | ✅ Native, with Scheduler | ✅ Employee Self Service, timekeeping on SwipeClock |
| Payroll and timekeeping in one login | ✅ One Netchex platform | ✗ Separate isolved and SwipeClock logins |
| Platform built by the provider | ✅ | ✗ isolved and SwipeClock build it |
Bookkeeping, Tax Prep and Compliance
This is CSI’s real home turf, and it’s worth saying plainly. Bookkeeping, financial statements and tax preparation are the firm’s core services, with payroll and timekeeping sold alongside them. For an owner who wants one firm handling the books and the paychecks, that’s a genuine convenience, and CSI’s site frames it as one less hand-off between separate vendors.
Netchex doesn’t do your books or file your business taxes. It works directly with the CPA and benefits broker you already have, and it keeps payroll, HR and hiring on one employee record through Netchex Recruit. With its in-house benefits solution, ACA Central tracks hours and coverage offers across full-time, part-time and seasonal staff, and Netchex files Forms 1094-C and 1095-C. (The IRS reporting rules for applicable large employers spell out what’s required.)
We didn’t find benefits administration or ACA tracking listed among CSI’s services, so if that’s part of what you need, ask before you sign.
Service and Support
CSI’s reviews back up a firm that answers the phone. On Clutch, where it holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating across 12 reviews, one client put it simply.
They are professional, easy to get a hold of, quick to respond to requests.
– Owner, Spring-Green Lawn Care, via Clutch
The open question for any isolved-based bureau is what happens when the software itself is the problem. isolved’s own support FAQ says employers who license isolved through a partner firm “receive support directly from that service provider”. Day to day that’s fine, since CSI is the one you call. When something’s wrong with the payroll engine underneath, the request still has to travel further.
Netchex keeps that chain short. The company that writes the code also answers the phone. Ninety percent of calls are picked up in under a minute with first-call resolution, and every customer gets a dedicated Account Manager.
Netchex has the best support of any service provider I’ve ever worked with. There aren’t any hoops to jump through with Netchex support.
– Mary Lang, Accounting and Financial Control Director, Atlanta Air Charter
Pricing and Implementation
CSI doesn’t publish a rate card. Its payroll page says pricing depends on the features a client needs and that it can’t offer a one-size-fits-all number, so budgeting means requesting a custom quote.
Netchex also quotes based on your setup, but implementation is free and project-managed, usually finishing in about six weeks, with free data imports and a 96% implementation satisfaction score. We didn’t find a published implementation timeline on CSI’s site, so if you’re comparing, ask for one in writing.
Who Each Is Built For
CSI Accounting and Payroll may fit if: your business is small to midsized, you want one accounting firm handling bookkeeping, tax prep and payroll together, and you’re comfortable with isolved and SwipeClock as the software underneath.
Netchex may fit if: you’d rather have a dedicated payroll, time, HR and benefits platform than an accounting-first bundle, you want to keep the CPA and benefits broker you already trust, and you want one company accountable for the software and the support. For more on the platform underneath, see our Netchex vs. isolved comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
CSI runs payroll through isolved, confirmed on its own client login portal, which lets employers enter hours, preview and approve payroll, and print checks and stubs. Timekeeping runs separately through SwipeClock. Netchex is different: it builds its own payroll, time, HR and benefits platform, so hours and pay flow through one system with no separate logins.
It’s an accounting firm first. CSI’s core services are bookkeeping, financial statements and tax preparation, with payroll and employee timekeeping offered alongside that work. Netchex is built the other way around: payroll, time, HR and benefits software is the core product, supported by its own in-house team.
No. Netchex focuses on payroll, time and attendance, HR and benefits, and it works directly with the CPA and benefits broker a client already uses rather than replacing them. If bundling bookkeeping and payroll under one firm matters most to you, that’s a genuine reason to look at an accounting-led provider like CSI instead.
Netchex implementation is free and project-managed and usually takes about six weeks, including free data imports. Customers give the process a 96% implementation satisfaction score. A dedicated team handles setup from the first data pull through the first live payroll, so the switch isn’t riding on one office manager.
Ready to Compare Netchex and CSI Accounting & Payroll for Your Business?
See how Netchex runs payroll, time, HR and benefits on one platform, and works alongside the CPA and broker you already have.
Related: 5 Best CSI Accounting and Payroll Alternatives | 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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