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It's a split decision.
Choose PrimePay if you want a published starting rate for payroll: its Base plan is $55 per month plus $5 per employee, according to the published pricing details. UKG Pro is the better fit to consider for broader HR, payroll, scheduling and workforce management, including global payroll, but its rates are not published. Neither product lists a free plan. Compare PrimePay’s per-employee fees with a UKG quote before deciding; the available information does not establish which costs less at your headcount.
01Side by side
| PrimePay | UKG Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $55/month + $5 per employee | Custom quote; no rate published |
| Free plan | No free plan | No free plan |
| Best for | Businesses managing payroll themselves | Organizations needing HR, payroll, workforce management |
| Core strength | Payroll, tax filing, direct deposit | HR, payroll, scheduling, workforce analytics |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Custom plan lists integrations and bespoke reporting | Analytics listed; integrations not published |
| Team/seat costs | +$5 or $6 per employee monthly | Custom quote; seat pricing not published |
| Support | Phone/chat; HR experts on Pro | Not published |
PrimePay Choose PrimePay if
- You want published monthly payroll pricing.
- You manage payroll yourself and need tax filing.
- You want phone and chat support listed on Base.
UKG Pro Choose UKG Pro if
- You need HR, payroll and workforce management together.
- Global payroll is a requirement.
- You want scheduling and workforce analytics tools.
02Pricing compared
PrimePay publishes a starting rate; UKG Pro does not. PrimePay’s DIY (Base) plan is $55 per month plus $5 per employee, billed monthly, according to the published pricing details. Expert Assist (Pro) is $85 per month plus $6 per employee. The page lists no annual rates. Additional states cost $7.50 each, up to four states; other add-on prices are not published. Custom and Full Service (PEO) pricing is also not published.
UKG Pro lists no monthly or annual rate and directs buyers to sales for a custom quote. Neither product lists a free plan, and free-trial availability is not published. We can’t establish which costs less without your headcount and a UKG quote. Compare PrimePay’s base fee and employee charges with the full quote, including any services you need.
03Features and depth
PrimePay covers payroll processing, wages, taxes and deductions. Base includes one state of tax filing, unlimited payroll runs, two-day direct deposit and paycards. Pro adds multi-state tax filing, time and attendance, and on-demand HR expert support. Custom adds a dedicated account manager, pre-built integrations and bespoke reporting. Its Full Service PEO option includes benefits administration, full payroll management and a named HR advisor, alongside a co-employer relationship.
UKG Pro is positioned more broadly around HR, payroll and workforce management. Its listed capabilities include global payroll, workforce scheduling—including union workforce scheduling—analytics, employee engagement support and compliance tools. That gives organizations with wider workforce operations more areas to assess than PrimePay’s published core payroll plans. However, the available UKG information does not specify plan-level features, limits or prices. Ask UKG to confirm which capabilities are included in its quote, and compare them with the specific PrimePay tier you would buy. The materials do not establish that either platform is better for every organization.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The available information does not detail either product’s setup process, training, interface or implementation timeline, so we can’t make a firm ease-of-use comparison. PrimePay’s plan descriptions do make the service levels clearer: Base is for businesses managing payroll themselves, while Pro adds HR expert support and PEO adds a named HR advisor.
The published review summaries score PrimePay’s ease of use at 6 and UKG Pro’s at 4, but they do not provide enough detail to explain the gap. Treat those scores as a prompt to ask for a walkthrough focused on payroll tasks, manager workflows and employee self-service. For UKG, confirm what implementation and ongoing support are included in the custom quote; those details are not published here.
Questions people ask
Is it UKG or UltiPro?
The published product information calls the platform UKG Pro and does not mention UltiPro. It does not explain the naming history, so we can’t verify whether a particular reference to UltiPro means the same product or version. Confirm the product name and scope with UKG when requesting a quote.
Does UKG let you borrow money?
The available UKG Pro information does not mention borrowing, advances or earned-wage access. It describes HR, payroll and workforce management capabilities, but that is not enough to confirm whether borrowing features are available through UKG or a partner. Ask UKG which options, if any, apply to your plan.
Is UKG a good system?
UKG Pro lists broad HR, payroll and workforce management features, including global payroll, scheduling, analytics and compliance tools. The published review summary gives it a 5.8 overall score and a 4 for ease of use. Whether it fits depends on your needs, quote and employee workflows; those details require checking.
Is UKG better than Paylocity?
The available information does not compare UKG Pro with Paylocity, so we can’t say which is better or cheaper. UKG’s pricing is custom and not published here. Compare quotes and confirm the features, implementation and support each vendor includes for your organization before choosing.