FreeAgent
Paylocity
| Feature | FreeAgent | Paylocity |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $14/mo | Contact sales |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | uk-freelancers, sole-traders, small-businesses, contractors | mid-size-businesses, hr-teams, payroll-managers, growing-companies |
| Founded | 2007 | 1997 |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Expenses | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tax Returns | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bank Reconciliation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Time Tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Payroll | ✗ | ✓ |
| Benefits Administration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Talent Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Attendance | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hr Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Employee Experience | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ FreeAgent Pros
- Great for UK businesses
- HMRC compliant
- Easy invoicing
- Bank feeds
✗ FreeAgent Cons
- UK-focused
- Limited for larger businesses
- No inventory management
✓ Paylocity Pros
- Strong payroll processing
- Good employee self-service
- Modern community features
- Comprehensive benefits admin
✗ Paylocity Cons
- Implementation can be lengthy
- Pricing not transparent
- Customer support varies
The Verdict
FreeAgent is built for uk freelancers and sole traders, with a focus on invoicing and expenses. Paylocity targets mid size businesses and hr teams and leads with payroll and benefits-administration.
Paylocity uses custom enterprise pricing, while FreeAgent starts at $14/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Neither tool offers a free plan, so factor the subscription cost into your decision from the start.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.