Head-to-head · 2026
NetPayGuide vs PaycheckCity
PaycheckCity is the old guard — it's been around since 1999 and is what HR and payroll professionals reach for. NetPayGuide is built for the worker running scenarios for themselves.
Verdict
PaycheckCity is the deeper tool if you need supplemental wage calculators, multiple state withholdings, or are running payroll. NetPayGuide is the cleaner experience if you're a worker or job-shopper estimating take-home pay.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | NetPayGuide | PaycheckCity | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 federal brackets | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| All 50 states + DC | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| FICA (SS + Medicare) | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Pre-tax deductions | 401(k), HSA, FSA, health, other | Comprehensive (401(k), HSA, Section 125, cafeteria, more) | Competitor |
| Supplemental wage / bonus methods | Flat 22% method | Flat + aggregate methods | Competitor |
| Gross-up calculator | No | Yes | Competitor |
| Multi-state withholding | Single state at a time | Yes — for remote workers | Competitor |
| Pay stub generator | No | Yes (paid) | Competitor |
| Shareable URL state | Yes — every input encoded | No | NetPayGuide |
| Per-state landing pages | 50 dedicated URLs | State-page templates | Tie |
| Source citations | Per-figure on /about/methodology/ | General disclaimers | NetPayGuide |
| Email / account required | No | No for calculators, yes for pay stubs | NetPayGuide |
| Ad density | Two slots (gated, currently off) | Multiple slots per page | NetPayGuide |
| Mobile UX | Single-page, no modals | Form-heavy, multi-section | NetPayGuide |
| Price | Free | Free calculators, paid pay stubs | NetPayGuide |
Use NetPayGuide when
- →You're an employee or contractor estimating your own take-home pay.
- →You want a single page that does salary, hourly, bonus, and overtime without switching tools.
- →You want the calculator to remember your scenario via shareable URL.
- →You prefer a clean reading experience over a multi-form payroll-style UI.
Use PaycheckCity when
- →You're running payroll for a small business and need supplemental wage, gross-up, or aggregate-method calculators.
- →You need to model multi-state withholding for remote workers.
- →You want printable pay stub generation from the same tool.
- →You're an HR or payroll professional rather than a wage earner.
Common questions
Is PaycheckCity more accurate than NetPayGuide?▾
For typical W-2 wage calculations both produce the same result within rounding. PaycheckCity offers more sophisticated payroll features — supplemental wages via the aggregate method, gross-up, and multi-state allocation — that NetPayGuide does not. For a worker estimating their own paycheck the difference is rarely material; for a payroll professional running real numbers, PaycheckCity has more depth.
Why is PaycheckCity faster for HR teams?▾
PaycheckCity was built for payroll professionals and exposes the inputs that matter for processing real paychecks: pre-tax health contributions split by Section 125 plan type, supplemental wage flagging, multi-jurisdiction wage allocation, and pay stub generation. NetPayGuide deliberately hides those options to keep the UI simple for end users.
Does NetPayGuide support the aggregate method for bonus tax?▾
NetPayGuide's bonus calculator uses the IRS flat 22% supplemental wage method, which is what most employers default to. PaycheckCity supports both the flat method and the aggregate method (where the bonus is taxed at the marginal rate of combined regular + bonus income). The aggregate method is on the NetPayGuide roadmap.
Can I generate a pay stub with NetPayGuide?▾
No. NetPayGuide shows what a paycheck should look like for a given scenario but does not generate printable pay stubs. PaycheckCity offers paid pay stub generation. Note that pay stubs created by either tool are estimates, not legal payroll documents — your employer is the source of record.
Which calculator is better for comparing job offers?▾
NetPayGuide. The shareable URL means you can run scenarios for two states or two salaries and send both links to compare them side by side. PaycheckCity does not encode state in the URL, so you would need to re-enter inputs each time.
Try the calculator
Run a real scenario in NetPayGuide — federal & state taxes, FICA, 401(k), HSA, and the rest. No signup, no ads in the way, shareable URL.
Open NetPayGuide →PaycheckCity: www.paycheckcity.com/calculator/salary · Last updated 2026-05-17