Central
Streamline startup payroll, benefits, and compliance with automation.. [Free Trial]
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What is Central?
Central is the first autonomous AI-native back-office platform purpose-built for startups, handling payroll, HR, benefits, state compliance, accounting, taxes, and R&D tax credits. Unlike traditional HR/payroll platforms that give you software to figure out, Central uses AI agents and human experts to actually do all the work for you. You simply DM Central in Slack like you would an ops person on your team, and it handles everything behind the scenes.
Key features include: autopilot payroll for US employees and global contractors in 200+ countries, multi-state compliance (registrations, worker's comp, registered agent, mail handling), personalized medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) benefits with a dedicated insurance advisor, HR tools (offer letters, PTO tracking, onboarding, severance), accounting with closed books monthly, federal/state/local tax filings, and complete R&D tax credit studies. The Central AI Agent in Slack lets you find/edit salaries, addresses, start hiring/firing workflows, and retrieve documents like paystubs.
Central is designed for busy founders and high-growth startups (500+ companies trust it, including YC companies) who use Slack and want to focus on building rather than bureaucracy. It saves founders 10+ hours monthly on ops work, avoids costly compliance fines, and provides 24/7 human support through Slack and email with no offshoring. White-glove onboarding and migration takes just 15 minutes with zero work from you.
Central pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
First month free with 30-day trial. First 50 companies (limited offer) get free payroll, benefits, and state compliance (free period based on team size, needs, and batch) with add-on accounting, taxes & R&D credits available. YC F25 batch gets everything plus free accounting (ends when you raise post-YC or after 6 months). No annual contracts, cancel anytime. Accounting, taxes, and R&D tax credits are add-ons for most companies beyond the free tier. Mercury customers can sign up for Central now.
Central pros
- AI agents and human experts do all the work instead of just giving you software
- Saves 10+ hours of ops work every month
- DM Central in Slack like an ops teammate on your team
- Unlimited pay runs, one-off payments, and reimbursements
- Pay global contractors in 200+ countries
- Multi-state compliance in all 50 US states automatically
- Handles state payroll registrations, worker's comp, and registered agent
- Resolves past fines and handles government mail
- Dedicated licensed health insurance broker for 1-on-1 guidance
- Medical, dental, vision, life, disability insurance and 401(k)
- Complete R&D tax credit study with instant redemption to payroll
- White-glove migration from Gusto/Rippling/Deel with zero work for you
- 24/7 human support via Slack and email with no transfers or offshoring
- Encrypted data with continuous monitoring, mandatory 2FA, and PIN codes
- Native integrations with QuickBooks and Puzzle
- No annual contracts, cancel anytime
- White-glove onboarding takes just 15 minutes
- Dedicated startup CPA in Slack who understands your business
Central cons
- Only serves US companies with US employees (not full international employment)
- Limited to startups and small businesses, not enterprise
- Accounting/taxes/R&D credits require add-on pricing for most companies
- Free tier limited to first 50 companies based on team size and batch
- Currently acquired by Mercury, still integrating platforms
- Slack-based interface may not suit teams not using Slack
- No self-service dashboard for hands-on users who prefer control
- Primarily focused on US state compliance, not global compliance beyond contractors
Frequently asked questions about Central
What is Central and how is it different from Gusto or Rippling?
Central is the first autonomous AI-native back-office for startups that actually does all the work using AI agents and human experts, while Gusto and Rippling just give you software to figure out yourself. You simply DM Central in Slack and it handles payroll, benefits, compliance, accounting, taxes, and more behind the scenes. Nearly one-third of Central's customers switched from legacy providers like Rippling, Gusto, and Deel.
How does the Slack integration work?
Central lives in Slack as an AI teammate. You DM it like you would if you had an ops person on your team. The Central AI Agent lets you find and edit anything like salaries or addresses, start workflows like hiring or firing, and retrieve documents like paystubs or certificate of incorporation. You can also reach the expert human support team directly in Slack with no transfers or offshoring.
What states does Central handle compliance for?
Central provides multi-state compliance in all 50 US states, including state foreign qualifications, registered agent (required to do business), state payroll registrations (required to run payroll), and worker's compensation insurance (required when you have 1 employee). It also handles government mail and past fine resolution.
Can Central handle international employees and contractors?
Central can pay global contractors in 200+ countries with unlimited pay runs. For full international employment (EOR), Central focuses on US employees and US state compliance, positioning it primarily for US-based startups with international contractors rather than full global workforce management.
What benefits does Central offer?
Central provides personalized medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plus 401(k) through a dedicated licensed health insurance broker who gives you 1-on-1 guidance. You get expert help picking the right plans and saving money, with no jargon, research, or mistakes. Benefits include small group plans and ICHRA options.
How does the R&D tax credit feature work?
Central provides a complete R&D study with instant redemption to payroll. The R&D tax credit can offset payroll taxes for startups, with eligible companies saving up to $500,000 per year. Central handles the study and immediately applies the credit to your payroll, which is especially valuable for pre-revenue tech companies.
How long does onboarding and migration take?
White-glove onboarding and migration takes just 15 minutes with zero work for you. If you're migrating from another provider, you just grant access to your current provider and Central transfers everything. The process includes booking a short call with an expert who understands your company, adding company info (or migrating), and then running compliant payroll.
What accounting features does Central include?
Central consolidates your entire back-office with accurate closed books every month, federal/state/local franchise tax filings, unlimited 1099s for all contractors, and bookkeeping built for fundraising with proper revenue recognition and asset depreciation. You get monthly financial summaries to share with investors and can query your burn, runway, revenue, and find docs like P&L and balance sheet in Slack.
What kind of support does Central provide?
Central provides 24/7 human support via Slack and email with fast human support and no transfers or offshoring. You also get a dedicated startup CPA in Slack who is one point of contact that understands your business and can catch mistakes before they happen. Plus a dedicated licensed insurance broker for 1-on-1 benefits guidance.
Is Central still available after being acquired by Mercury?
Yes, Central has joined Mercury as of April 2026, but nothing changes and no action is required. Your payroll, benefits, compliance, accounting, and everything else continues as usual with the same Central team you already know. Mercury will integrate Mercury and Central fully over the next few months, and Mercury customers can sign up for Central now at centralhq.com.