Best HR and Payroll Software Systems in 2025

The onboarding team was excellent and provided the support we needed to ensure a smooth transition. Paylocity simplified state registrations, saving the HR team a significant amount of time. Payroll accuracy was consistent, and we could rely on payroll being processed correctly and on time.

Paylocity was chosen because we needed a multi-state payroll provider, and it had the best reviews for accuracy in processing Pennsylvania payroll. We also required a provider to handle state registrations, and Paylocity offered this service.

Accuracy for Pennsylvania payroll was critical due to the extensive attention to detail and knowledge of complex local laws it requires. My first organization used Paylocity for two years, and my last organization used it for one year. Personally, I have used it for a total of three years.

Some of the most recent changes made the platform harder to use than it was before. The HRIS side of Paylocity was less user-friendly than I would have liked. Many self-service solutions were provided, and customer support could have been more helpful.

I have used other systems, and payroll accuracy was the key difference between Paylocity and tools like Zenefits. I would recommend Paylocity over any other system I have used.

When buying a payroll tool, it’s essential to consider the states or countries you need payroll services for and the provider’s accuracy in complying with state, local, or international payroll laws. It’s also important to evaluate the cost per employee or pay run and any additional charges, such as fees for same-day pay runs.

I believe some of Paylocity’s recent changes are holding users back. Reporting is not as straightforward as it used to be, making it confusing to locate reports or other information. The user interface could be improved to make it more intuitive.

Paylocity is ideal for multi-state organizations that need to maintain payroll compliance across all states.

I really like that all the HR resources are essentially located in one place, especially with links embedded to external sites (eg. benefit provider). I also really like that I can access all my payroll info online in one place. The organizational chart feature is also really helpful for identifying the reporting structure for areas of the business I was less familiar with and help me connect with the appropriate team member on cross-functional projects.

We bought ADP to cut back on internal payroll costs, provide employees with online access to their payroll info, avoid manually mailing out paper T4's every year, consolidate HR information and links into 1 platform, streamline data entry requirements for the payroll team, help move employee calls and inquiries to the ADP team, free up internal payroll/HR time, and streamline HR recruiting and tracking request. I have been personally using it for around 2 years now I believe.

The login process always feels very cumbersome with the multiple authentication steps and 2FA. The performance review functionality was extremely tedious - there were a lot of different screens and it wasn't easy to locate reviews or edit them - it just seemed much more complicated than it needed to be and a lot of my managers struggled to complete their reviews even with instruction manuals. I also wish there was a way to inquire about any payroll discrepancies directly - employees would have to email me (with no visibility as a District Manager) and I would have to forward payroll and it always seemed to slow down the efficiency, especially when the answer was something simple.

More functionality and works as a total company website as opposed to just a payroll viewing platform. Much more visually appealing and easy to navigate than some other platforms (like some SAP ones I've seen)

How much functionality you want out of the platform - just access to paystubs or a fully integrated HR platform. Customization options - for example we could add custom fields like t-shirt size for team events and/or self-declaration options (eg. covid vaccination status)

We're still relatively new to the platform, so it's hard to say what is an ADP change or just an organizational learning, but I have seen the addition of new self-declaration fields in the employee profile. The benefits section and external links continue to expand as well. We struggled with the performance review section, but I believe this is now being worked on in the backend by our L&D team.

For a large organization looking to streamline HR / payroll operations, particularly if trying to move away from paper-based payroll/pay stubs.

• I like that you can use one platform to run multiple payrolls for different countries.
• I like that they make hiring contractors in other countries easier.
• I like that they make understanding other countries' payroll and employment laws easy with all sorts of helpful resources.

Our small start-up company of under 50 employees was looking to hire international consultants in various areas, mainly Canada, Brazil, and later Poland and Ireland. We've used Deel for about 2 years now mainly for contract management and international payroll, and used their PEO and Employer of Record services as well. The key benefit is being able to hire great talent outside of the US and being protected and advised around payroll and employment laws for various countries.

• I dislike their reporting function as it's essentially just Excel and doesn't allow for advanced filtering/reporting.
• I dislike that the integration with Rippling is a bit wonky. Some employee info will flow in, but not all.
• I dislike that making changes in contracts can be difficult and that the e-signature capability is not great.

I believe that Deel is the best in class in terms of international hiring/payroll/compliance/PEO. They have a great team behind getting the system of hiring set up in each individual country. Their customer service is really great and they are great consultants that help you meet your goals. If you use their PEO or Employer of Record service it can be costly depending on where you're hiring.

• Location of Hiring - Depending on where you're hiring, Deel may not support that region so it's important to take a look at which areas they cover. They do cover most major areas of international hiring.
• Cost - Overall it's an affordable and effective system for international payroll. It does sit outside of the HRIS ( if you use one) so that's something to think about as an additional cost.
• HRIS Compatibility - It's also important to think about the compatibility with your HRIS, otherwise you have a lot of data sitting outside of your HRIS which you can manually upload through CSV reports.

In the time that I used Deel, they developed their PEO availability regions. I believe they do a good job at customer listening, and their team is extremely attentive.

Deel is great for small to medium-sized businesses that are looking to quickly expand internationally. It's also important to note that in each new location you're hiring in, if you're looking to have a hiring hub of 20+ more employees in that particular company, using Deel may only be a short-term solution. But for quick hires, small hiring hubs, and hiring consultants across countries, it's a great platform.

The hiring process was transparent and straightforward. I found Rippling's dashboard particularly helpful and user-friendly. The onboarding process became significantly easier, and the smooth integration between the systems was a major advantage.

I was working with a start-up where everything related to resume management, onboarding, and offboarding was done manually. Payroll was managed through QuickBooks.

Rippling was introduced because there were plans to expand the workforce, creating a need for a system that could streamline and organize processes efficiently without consuming too much time.

Rippling proved useful as it offered both an applicant tracking system (ATS) and tools for onboarding and offboarding. It also includes payroll options that can be leveraged in the future.

I felt that the customer service could be improved. The pricing was a bit high for our budget, but the company went ahead with the purchase based on positive reviews. After implementation, we realized that the payroll system might not be the best option for our future needs.

The company chose Rippling because of its positive reviews. I would prefer a system that includes an integrated payroll system in the future so everything can be managed in one place.

It is important to plan how the company will use the system in advance. Pricing should also be carefully considered, especially if expansion plans are uncertain, as was the case with the company I worked for.

I haven’t used it long enough to observe any evolution. It appeared to be the same during my time using it.

This tool is ideal for companies transitioning from manual processes in recruitment and onboarding to automation. I am unsure about its suitability for other features or use cases.

We are a small non-profit, and they provide us with a non-profit discount. It has all the functionality we need without being overly complicated. Processing payroll is quick and easy.

We bought OnPay because it seemed to be the best fit for our organization. It has all the functionality we need to handle HR and payroll for our small group of employees. It is robust enough to meet our needs but not overly complicated like some of the larger systems. It is easy to use, yet it allows us to process multi-state payroll and manage our employees' time off. It also includes all the basic reporting that we require.

It doesn't offer much in terms of custom reporting. Much of the HR information requires navigating to individual employee records to view. You can't edit a benefit plan once it's created; you have to make a new one to implement any changes.

OnPay is really the only system of its type and size that I've used, so I can't say how it compares to competitors. It is much simpler than ADP or UKG, which I have used, but we are getting it for a fraction of the cost. The simplicity of the system actually works well for our team.

Consider the needs of your business and team. OnPay is a fairly basic HR and payroll system. It covers all the essentials, but if you need extensive reporting or numerous integrations with other systems, you might want to explore a higher-tier HR/payroll solution. Additionally, consider cost. Even without the non-profit discount, it's a very economical solution compared to some of the larger providers.

I haven't noticed any significant changes since we started using OnPay, but as I mentioned, it already meets our needs.

I believe OnPay is great for smaller companies that don't need extensive features in their HR and payroll system.

Some of the pros of UKG are that we can easily transfer information from the applicant profile to create the employee profile with no additional steps. Another pro is the ability for our employees to clock in and out easily from their mobile devices. Lastly, our benefits and payroll are also processed within UKG, making it a more convenient process for our organization.

We purchased UKG in 2019 to help streamline our hiring process, onboarding, and payroll system. Some of the benefits of UKG include being an all-in-one hiring, onboarding, and payroll system. I am one of the administrators of our UKG system, so I use it extensively. I am very proficient in what the system can offer, along with its downsides. The tool has significantly improved our operational efficiency since its implementation.

Some cons we have found with UKG include not being fully HR compliant; for a couple of years, we have not been able to properly run our EEO-1 reports. We use UKG to complete our I-9s and E-Verify, but that is not without constant issues. Some reporting capabilities hinder us from gathering information conveniently, often requiring us to manually maneuver the reports. Lastly, the system undergoes quarterly updates; however, each update often causes another issue in UKG, which we are not notified about until we submit a ticket. This causes many problems and makes us lose faith in new updates.

Many of their competitors are now all-in-one systems, so there isn't much difference in that aspect. Some improvements are needed to make it a perfect system, but the mobile ability for employees makes it very convenient for our staff to clock in and out from various work locations, differentiating it from its competitors.

The criteria that people should think about when buying this tool include the price; it is not an inexpensive tool, especially if purchasing all of the extended platform options such as the advanced scheduler and the leave or training modules. If a full HR compliance system is needed without manipulating the data, this system may be problematic.

UKG consistently updates its system to make improvements. They try to listen to their customers and work on ensuring they meet our needs.

UKG is best for an organization that needs a basic HRIS system.

The HR system was easy to use and set up, making the transition from our previous, more disorganized HR processes smooth. The employee self-service feature was excellent, reducing the amount of data entry and admin work for our HR team. The continuous feedback appraisal system allowed us to appraise staff more regularly with minimal increases in administrative tasks.

There wasn’t a significant problem driving the decision. The organization had been managing HR through payroll software, Excel files, and Word documents. As the company grew, it wanted to consolidate and centralize HR into a single system that could be accessed online. Namely provided an all-in-one HR solution that handled payroll, HR records, and talent management. We used Namely for about a year or two.

Customer support wasn’t as responsive as it could have been. The reporting features are somewhat limited and don’t fully meet our needs, requiring us to do a fair amount of manual reporting. The portal is not as intuitive as other HR tools I’ve used.

The user interface and workflow are not as intuitive as some competitors. However, I appreciate the integration with payroll and timesheets, which not many systems do well. I also like that it offers managed services add-ons, such as payroll and benefits, which become more relevant as the business grows and becomes more complex.

Ensure the tool has a comprehensive records system and both employee and manager self-service features. Efficient onboarding and offboarding functionality are essential, as these processes can be time-consuming. A continuous appraisal feedback system is also important, as this approach to performance management is becoming the norm.

There has been better integration between its modules.

Namely is suitable for all kinds of organizations but particularly good for smaller organizations due to its affordable entry-level pricing.

I love that Workday is set up to have administrators who cross check local changes, hold all employee data, keep historical data and maintain who made changes in the employee file. The cross checking minimizes mistakes that can’t be figured out except by a manager who no longer works for the company! With such a large employee base, the ability to be able to keep up with everyone is paramount.

My company was really trying to get organized, and we felt that Workday was the ideal product we needed! We needed to be in a position where different individuals could access employee files. Different authorizations needed to be granted to different levels of managers. This tool offered organization and a tremendous amount of adaptation to what we needed as a global company. We have had Workday for three years and we are super happy with it!

The cons of Workday are that it can only give the information that you input into the system. Workday does not blend reports; the user has to tell Workday what to do. The best way for the Workday system to improve I think is for back office imaging to have a more active role in the information that is programmed into Workday.

Workday is different from its competitors because it has the ability to build files. As technology changes any software that is going to remain effective has to have a stacking component.

For anyone considering to purchase Workday, i’d recommend having full time programmers to enhance the core of the software. This product is extremely sophisticated and requires a lot of programming. Workday is not for the small business!

Workday is fantastic because the software is forever evolving. Workday knows what the end user wants and that is the ability to export files to excel, and add and subtract components to create a more accurate document.

Workday is designed for very large companies that survive off of statistics. Workday's strong suit is its ability to build on other reports.

• The ATS system was easy to use and well-suited for a small business, with flexibility to manipulate information as needed.
• The increased visibility provided by BambooHR greatly improved our candidate pool and reduced time-to-fill metrics.
• The Employee Self-Service page was intuitive and straightforward to navigate.

As an HR Business Partner for a smaller company that relied entirely on manual processes, we sought a software solution to support hiring and employee records management. Major pain points included the lack of a proper ATS and an effective system for managing employee records.

At the time, individuals would physically drop off applications or apply through Indeed, limiting our talent reach significantly. Additionally, employee records were maintained as physical files, posing significant challenges for tracking and audits. This tool addressed these issues and helped streamline our processes.

• BambooHR was costly compared to other tools, considering its features and practicality for a small business.
• A better onboarding and training process for the team could have improved the use of the Employee Self-Service tools.
• For a company with both tech-savvy and labor employees, the tool could have been more agile to meet diverse needs effectively.

From a small business perspective, I would rate it a 7 out of 10. It is easy to use and allows for quick adjustments, but the cost is high for what it offers. While its user-friendliness is a plus, it may not be suitable for larger companies with complex requirements.

Cost is a crucial factor to consider. It is essential to evaluate whether employees and HR team members will use all the functionalities of the tool effectively. Assess the types of employees in your company, their technical skills, and their familiarity with workflows or self-service tools.

If you have a team that is technologically adept and values independent workflows, this tool could be a great fit. Additionally, for companies transitioning to more technologically enhanced processes, this tool can be beneficial if the cost aligns with your needs and expected usage.

Based on feedback I’ve heard, the tool has remained consistent with the features and functionality I experienced during my time using it.

This tool is ideal for smaller to mid-sized companies with independent, technologically proficient employees who value easy-to-use self-service and ATS tools. It also supports organizations looking to modernize their processes.

• It is easy to use, with a simple interface that even less tech-savvy users can navigate.
• It offers customizable access levels, allowing employees to have only the permissions they need, such as viewing W-2s or punching in and out.
• It consolidates all HR needs in one platform, including payroll, recruiting, and document management, eliminating the need for multiple programs.

When I joined the nonprofit organization, Paycor was the HR tool in use. This nonprofit had five umbrella companies and needed an HR tool that could support each one effectively, and Paycor met all those requirements. I initially started using Paycor as an employee with limited access for a year.

After being promoted to an admin role, I was introduced to more advanced tools that Paycor offered, which I utilized for about three and a half years. Paycor was particularly beneficial because it provided features like payroll management, time tracking (clocking in and out, requesting and managing time off), and employee status monitoring.

It also supported recruiting by allowing administrators and HR to coordinate, review applicants, schedule interviews, and manage candidate paperwork such as resumes and background checks.

Additionally, it streamlined job postings and editing job descriptions. Employees could access newsletters, W-2s, and pay stubs virtually, reducing the need for physical copies and supporting efficient banking processes.

• Access management can be slow; I have to rely on the HR team to update permissions for departing employees, which can take weeks.
• There are occasional glitches during updates that either reset access levels or result in data loss.
• The app for clocking in and out sometimes fails to sync properly, requiring users to log in on a computer to ensure times are correctly recorded.

My current company's tool is overly complicated, with a cluttered homepage that makes navigation difficult. Paycor, on the other hand, keeps the homepage simple and intuitive, making it easy to request time off or enter hours. While the app has occasional glitches, the desktop interface is user-friendly and reliable.

Organizations should consider their size and specific needs. A smaller organization might not require all of Paycor’s features, such as recruiting tools, while larger companies can benefit from its robust capabilities, including the ability for administrators and HR to collaborate effectively.

Buyers should also assess how much access they want to provide to leadership teams and what tools they expect employees to use frequently.

Over the three and a half years I’ve used Paycor, it has resolved many glitches and released updates to improve functionality. While I’ve adapted to the platform and learned to use it more effectively, there are still features I haven’t explored due to time constraints.

Paycor has been proactive in providing updates and instructional materials to help users get the most out of its tools.

Paycor is suitable for any organization, whether nonprofit or for-profit, small or large. For example, the nonprofit I worked for served over 500 people, and Paycor was a great fit due to its comprehensive features. The tool's versatility allows organizations to tailor its use based on their specific needs.

The ease of payroll and ability to have payroll run on auto-pilot is AWESOME. The customer service is friendly and for the most part quite efficient. The UI is pretty good compared to a lot of other platforms I've used.

We initially chose Gusto when the company was first established. We needed a simple payroll solution that would work for a company of our size, which at the time was just one W-2 employee on the payroll. We used the solution for about eight months before transitioning to a different solution that would allow us to manage payroll and offer benefits under one platform. Prior to that, I personally used the solution at another company for almost a year.

Since I also do freelance HR consulting, I am now working with a client who also uses Gusto. In this company, we use it for payroll, benefits management, and 401K.

Paying international contractors has been challenging in my experience. I'm not a huge fan of having the employees separated out by whether or not they are onboarded yet. I would rather see all employees with a status showing whether or not they have completed onboarding.

Payroll is a breeze! It's really one of the best tools I've used for payroll for a small company. The customer service is stellar.

Think about your long-term growth plans. I think Gusto is best for smaller companies. Think about whether or not you'll be paying contractors and especially international contractors because that can get complicated. And when you are first implementing the tool, do your best to have someone who understands the platform and how to best optimize it for your team do the set up.

I'm not sure but I do often see that they are rolling out beta features, which leads me to believe that they are always evolving to meet customer needs.

I think Gusto is best for small businesses, especially for small businesses that may not have a dedicated HR personnel. It's easy enough to use that the average business owner should be able to navigate it without too much trouble.