The 10 Best HR Software for Small Business of 2025

• I love how clean and intuitive Workable’s UI/UX is.
• The platform is extremely user-friendly and visually organized, which makes the recruiting process feel simpler and more manageable.
• It acts as a strategic hiring partner by providing detailed reporting, automating scheduling, and enabling transparent communication between recruiters and hiring managers.
• Workable streamlines day-to-day tasks and gives our team the insights and tools needed to make smarter, data-driven hiring decisions.

I’ve been using Workable for a year now. We implemented it to centralize our hiring process and give hiring managers direct access to applicants.

We also needed a platform that could automatically pull in open jobs, distribute them across multiple job boards, and parse candidate profiles directly into our ATS.

Just as importantly, we wanted robust reporting on key data such as hiring activity. Workable has streamlined communication between our teams, improved efficiency, and provided the reporting capabilities we rely on to track essential hiring metrics.

• The pipelines are easy to use, but it would be helpful to have more customization options for stages and workflow automation, especially for teams with complex hiring processes.
• The reporting and analytics are solid, but deeper insights—such as predictive hiring trends or more detailed diversity dashboards—would support stronger data-driven decisions.
• Email and text messaging work well, but adding richer communication options, like chat or integrated video calls, could make staying in touch with candidates even smoother.

Workable has a clean and easy-to-navigate design that makes it simple for teams without extensive technical expertise to use. It’s an intuitive tool that’s pleasant to work with and never feels overwhelming.

I would highlight how easy Workable is to operate, along with its strong candidate pipeline management. If you’re looking for a user-friendly platform, this is it. The clean and organized design reduces training time and encourages adoption across the team.

It's also more cost-effective than other platforms I’ve researched, so if ROI is a consideration, we’ve seen great success with it.

I have only been using Workable for one year, so I’m not sure I can answer this.

Human Resources and Recruiting teams within modern organizations that rely on automation and efficiency will benefit from Workable.

• It has a modern, user-friendly interface that is very intuitive.
• Every section of BambooHR is customizable.
• It consolidates payroll, HR, benefits, and performance management in one place.

We were using Heartland Payroll Solutions when I joined the team, which was a terrible platform. BambooHR came highly recommended by our new CRO at the time, who had used it before. We wanted a more user-friendly system for both administrators and employees that would also allow us to pay contractors and process all company benefit packages. We also liked that BambooHR offers hiring and performance review options.

• It doesn't allow you to add a fixed semi-monthly amount for contractors who are not charging hourly rates, requiring you to create an hourly rate and manually adjust hours when running payroll.
• We've had minor issues with pay periods when a weekend and holiday fall together, causing the system to prompt us to run payroll before the pay period has ended. While there are workarounds, it's stressful and inconvenient.
• Employees have reported that the time-tracking feature on the BambooHR app doesn't always work correctly, requiring me to adjust their hours. I have brought this to BambooHR's attention, but since it doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, it may be user error on our employees' part.

I have some minimal experience with Gusto, which I liked well enough. However, compared to our previous payroll provider (Heartland Solutions), the difference is night and day. Heartland was slow, not user-friendly, and had very few integrations. Everyone in our company was happy when we switched to BambooHR. It has definitely made my job as an HR manager much easier.

Consider your main goals. I think BambooHR is reasonably priced for what it offers. The yearly cost is based on a variable monthly fee that depends on the number of employees, whether they use time tracking, etc. It usually amounts to $216 per month.

BambooHR also offers many add-ons that can increase the subscription cost, such as a Slack-style platform and a Community feature, which we do not use.

I recommend discussing pricing and features with the platform representatives to ensure it aligns with your budget. Also, consider the other services and benefits you offer and whether you want them integrated into your HR platform. BambooHR is designed to be an all-in-one HR solution.

We have only been using it for 1.5 years, but they are constantly adding new features. They also send out frequent newsletters with downloadable HR guides.

We are a relatively small startup (<50 employees), so I’m not sure how BambooHR would work for a very large organization. It is well-suited for dynamic, tech-forward companies, as it requires some customization on the user's end. It feels very much like a Millennial/Gen Z platform.

• It allows us to easily input time off.
• Provides easy redirects to benefits links.
• Displays a company-wide news feed.

We bought Bob for our talent management and employee management needs. We have used it for 1.5 years. It allows employees to easily view their time off and provides redirects to links for benefits and payroll information. The main issue our organization aimed to solve was finding a more affordable talent management tool.

• Limitations in its capabilities as an applicant tracking system (ATS).
• Limited functionality in managing the recruiting funnel.
• Does not have its own benefits portal.

• Employee-Centric Approach: Unlike many HR platforms that prioritize administrative functions, Bob enhances the employee experience with tools like recognition, surveys, and social features.
• Flexible for Modern Work Environments: Bob is tailored for hybrid and remote work setups, offering intuitive tools for managing distributed teams and fostering collaboration.
• Cultural Insights: Bob’s "People Analytics" dashboard tracks workforce engagement and provides insights to strengthen organizational culture.
• Global Reach: Bob supports global operations with localized compliance and multi-country payroll integrations, appealing to multinational companies.

Consider your company size—Bob is more suited for mid-sized to large organizations. Assess whether your industry operates remotely or in person; Bob is ideal for remote or hybrid setups. Finally, review your current integrations and tools, as Bob is focused on enhancing the employee experience rather than serving as an ATS or HRIS system.

• Learning Management System (LMS): The introduction of Bob Learning equips organizations with tools for managing employee development and continuous learning.
• UK Payroll Integration: HiBob expanded payroll functionality with a modern approach to payroll management for UK-based employees.
• Workforce Planning Module: This feature facilitates planning for scenarios such as reorganizations and mergers, aiding strategic decision-making.
• 1-on-1 Meeting Feature: HiBob introduced templates for onboarding, goal setting, performance reviews, career growth, and regular check-ins to strengthen manager-employee relationships.

• Mid-Sized to Large Organizations: Bob is ideal for companies with 100 to 5,000 employees, offering advanced functionalities for managing larger teams.
• Global Organizations: Bob’s multi-country support and compliance features make it a great fit for multinational companies.
• Companies Prioritizing Employee Engagement: Bob’s tools for goal setting, performance reviews, and social recognition foster strong workplace culture and employee retention.
• Tech-Savvy, Forward-Thinking Teams: Bob’s sleek, intuitive interface appeals to organizations that value modern, user-friendly platforms.
• Organizations with Hybrid or Remote Workforces: Bob supports collaboration and communication in flexible work environments.
• HR Teams Seeking Data-Driven Insights: Its analytics capabilities provide valuable data for decision-making regarding employee performance and organizational health.

I love their customer service, they always have an answer for you and make my job so much easier. The interface is fantastic, and the design is very appealing, which is a huge factor for someone that uses it quite often. I also really like the admin dashboard, Gusto will list outstanding tasks with their deadlines and will prompt you with helpful information to finish the task.

My company is a portfolio company for High Alpha Innovation. Gusto is the go-to HRIS for all portfolio companies. We have been using it since we started in 2020 and have even used it for one of our own portfolio companies. Gusto is a very easy-to-use tool that has fantastic customer support. When you're working for a start-up, you don't want to spend a long time on payroll and Gusto really helps with that. It's also very easy to set up a new instance of Gusto for a company - it took like two hours and was a painless experience due to Gusto's interface.

Sometimes the outstanding tasks aren't accurate, we recently had tasks pop up for an employee that has been gone for two years. This is very specific, but I wish that you could make some employee documents private to employees, all the documents you upload are automatically public and don't give you an option. I dislike their benefits -- we ran a quote before and it took a few weeks to get back the quote and it was incredibly expensive.

The only similar tool I've used is a PEO called Justworks. I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison, since PEOs pretty much do everything for you. I will say, it was nice that you could set up Gusto in a day and run payroll the next day if needed. For Justworks, you have to wait until the system start date, which can be weeks later.

I think that customer service is a huge buying criteria, especially if you have an inexperienced team. It's invaluable to have experts that you can call or chat with at any time. Cost is definitely a big factor that differs from organization to organization. It's sometimes worth it to pay a little bit more to make your life easier and that's what we've found with Gusto. Lastly, I think that it's important to have an easy-to-use system for both HR and employees. Payroll is VERY important which makes it vital to have a system that is easy to comprehend.

Gusto has become more well-rounded over the years. Last year, they added performance reviews into the mix. It's definitely not perfect and not very customizable, but it's a free add-on, which can be a huge value to organizations that don't have performance management built out.

Small to mid-sized organizations. I think it could work for a small start-up, but would be better for slightly more mature organizations.

• The user-friendly dashboard allows easy navigation through employee profiles, providing access to essential details such as contact information, job titles, tax forms (W-4s), and identification documents (driver's licenses and passports).
• GoCo enables HR teams to track, store, and manage employment-related documents in a structured and organized manner, ensuring that all necessary paperwork is up to date and easily accessible.
• The platform offers flexibility in customizing and storing different types of documents based on organizational needs, making it a valuable tool for companies looking to digitize and centralize employee data securely.

Our organization initially chose GoCo to manage and track all employee records, including important documents such as W-4 forms, driver's licenses, and passports. We used the platform for about two years, hoping it would streamline record-keeping and improve efficiency.

However, over time, we found that it lacked the level of organization needed to manage employee information effectively. Additionally, we encountered several technical issues that made the system challenging to use consistently. Due to these limitations, we decided to discontinue our use of GoCo and explore other solutions better suited to our needs.

• Employees occasionally experience issues signing important documents, leading to delays, confusion, and additional follow-ups.
• The platform’s design may not be intuitive for new users.
• Occasional glitches and bugs disrupt workflow.

I have used ATS to track employee information, and compared to other tools, GoCo feels more disorganized and less streamlined.

Is the platform easy to navigate for both HR professionals and employees? Does the tool provide efficient document management, allowing for easy uploading, storage, and tracking of essential employee records? Assess whether GoCo offers good value for its pricing—does it provide the necessary features at a reasonable cost?

• Earlier versions: Compliance features were not as comprehensive, making it challenging to keep up with changing labor laws and regulations.
• ‍Improvements: GoCo has enhanced its compliance tools, including automatic reminders for deadlines, better tracking of employee certifications, and integration with legal updates.

GoCo is well-suited for companies with more than 50 employees, as its features scale well with larger teams. Smaller companies may find other tools more efficient for tracking employee information.

• It's centralised and easy to use, a new user can navigate it easily.
• Leave balance and leave approvals, pending etc makes it very easy and seamless.
• We get the exact working hours of each employee, work anniversary and birthdays too to send our best wishes.

We have been using Zoho People for the past couple of years. We needed a software tool for managing attendance, leaves, announcements, sharing docs etc, and Zoho People was the best option out there. We are happy so far. Recently we started using the check-in and check-out reminder options too.

• Sometimes employees face the issue of not being able to log in and out due to the website being down.
• It's a bit expensive.
• We can not have calls through it.

• They should check out all the services provided if it covers all of their needs.
• The budget should also be considered as the platform can be a bit expensive but it is worth it.
• I would suggest having a go at the free trial to be sure.

Yes it keeps adding new features and the user interface has become seamless over the years. Great work.

Companies with a hybrid work mode; you can track the log-in and log-out locations if needed.

• Factorial has a clean and user-friendly interface, making it easy for employees and administrators to navigate.
• It covers a wide range of HR functions in one platform, which is helpful for smaller companies that need an all-in-one solution.
• The pricing is reasonable compared to more well-known HRIS systems, making it a good option for businesses with a limited budget.

At a previous organization, we decided to invest in Factorial HR because we needed an actual HRIS instead of piecing together different tools. At the time, we were storing personnel data in various cloud solutions, benefits information was scattered across different platforms, and there was no centralized way to manage key HR functions.

We wanted a system that could streamline employee data, track time-off requests, and handle performance management in one place. Factorial seemed like an affordable solution that covered multiple HR needs without requiring a large budget or extensive implementation.

I used the platform for a while and found that, while it met basic needs, it had some limitations compared to more established HRIS solutions.

• The customer service experience wasn’t great, as response times were slow and support wasn’t always helpful.
• The platform, while functional, lacked the depth and flexibility of more established HRIS solutions.
• Some features, like reporting and customization, felt limited, making it harder to tailor the system to our specific needs.

Factorial is a smaller platform compared to major HRIS providers, which means it offers a more simplified experience. One unique advantage was its ability to handle international payroll and support multiple currencies, which was useful for our global operations.

While it doesn’t have all the features of larger competitors, it provides a budget-friendly option for businesses that need core HR functionalities without a steep learning curve.

It is important to assess where your business is currently and where you see it growing in the future. Factorial is a strong choice for small businesses that have little to no HR support and need a tool to centralize employee data and processes. It is suitable for companies looking to improve HR workflows without making a large financial commitment.

Larger organizations or those with complex HR needs may benefit from a more established HRIS that can scale with growth.

Since I last used Factorial, they have improved their payroll functionality, making it more reliable and user friendly. They have also resolved some issues in key modules like time-off tracking and time and attendance, which had previously caused frustrations.

The platform appears to be making steady improvements, though it still has room to grow in terms of advanced HR capabilities.

Factorial is a great fit for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, especially those with little or no dedicated HR staff. It helps keep employee records organized, streamlines time tracking, and provides basic HR functions without requiring extensive training or setup.

• Oyster provides strong global compliance and employment expertise.
• The international onboarding process is fast and efficient.
• Payroll management across different currencies is reliable and flexible.
• The benefits administration tools help attract and retain global talent.
• The platform includes useful analytics and reporting.
• Customer support is responsive and knowledgeable.
• The product evolves based on user feedback.

Our organization was expanding globally and needed help navigating international compliance and employment regulations. With a small HR team of just three people, we lacked the in-house expertise to manage international hiring effectively.

Oyster helped us solve those challenges with a platform that covers global compliance, onboarding, payroll, and benefits. It gave us the support we needed without having to hire additional staff.

The company has been using Oyster for over a year, and it has become an essential part of our HR operations.

• The cost can be high, especially for smaller companies.
• Integration options with other HR or business tools are limited.
• Time tracking and performance features are basic.
• Customization options are minimal.
• Learning and development tools are underdeveloped.
• Absence management is limited compared to specialized platforms.
• The mobile app lacks some functionality available on desktop.
• Document management features are very basic.

I haven’t used other tools like this before, so I can’t directly compare it with competitors.

When choosing a tool like Oyster, consider your specific HR needs and how well the platform addresses them. Budget is important, but you should also think about how the tool integrates with your current systems. For us, compatibility with our existing setup was key. Be clear on the problems you're trying to solve so the solution aligns with your goals.

We have only used Oyster for about a year, so I’m not sure if any significant changes were made to the platform.

Oyster is well-suited for global or fast-growing companies, especially in industries like manufacturing, where international hiring is common.