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9 Best HR Software for Small Business in 2025

The best HR software for small business as picked by SSR's expert HR tech reviewers. Read about features, benefits, pitfalls, pricing, and more below.

Rodrigo Vázquez-Mellado
Written by
Rodrigo Vázquez-Mellado
HR and B2B software analyst and advisor, tech writer and editor, former conversational designer
Contributing Experts
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Last Updated: Mar 31, 2025
TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Automation-driven HRIS with great onboarding and self-service tools
Workable
4.1
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Automation-driven HRIS with great onboarding and self-service tools
Workable
4.1
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Remarkably customizable HRIS for international SMBs
HiBob
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Remarkably customizable HRIS for international SMBs
HiBob
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Highly Intuitive People Analytics Platform
Crunchr
4.6
Popularity Score
4.9
User Score
4.9
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Highly Intuitive People Analytics Platform
Crunchr
4.6
Popularity Score
4.9
User Score
4.9
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Enterprise-grade project management tool with powerful automation
Wrike
4.7
Popularity Score
4.2
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Enterprise-grade project management tool with powerful automation
Wrike
4.7
Popularity Score
4.2
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
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Top Human Resource Software

Zoho PeopleLow-cos human resource software with a forever-free plan
FactorialGlobal recruitment and HR management software for SMBs
OysterHRIS with robust global payroll, benefits, and compliance support

BambooHR

: Go-to HRIS for U.S.-based small and midsized businesses

Connecteam

: Budget-friendly HR software for deskless employees

Gusto

: SMB-focused HRIS with well-developed payroll and benefits tools

TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Comprehensive HR software starting at $5 per employee monthly
GoCo
4.1
Popularity Score
4.7
User Score
4.6
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Automation-driven HRIS with great onboarding and self-service tools
Workable
4.1
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Automation-driven HRIS with great onboarding and self-service tools
Workable
4.1
Popularity Score
4.5
User Score
4.5
Product  Score
Learn More
TOP
Remarkably customizable HRIS for international SMBs
HiBob
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
Visit Website
TOP
Remarkably customizable HRIS for international SMBs
HiBob
4.5
Popularity Score
4.4
User Score
4.3
Product  Score
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Introduction to HR Software for Small Businesses

Small business HR software provides a range of functionalities designed to streamline and manage various human resource tasks.

The HR software market is packed with options. So many, in fact, that buyers are left confused and frustrated. We’re here to help! This guide offers general guidance and an expert perspective on crucial features like employee self-service, automation, and integrations.

Between product testing, user research, and talking to experts, we have put hours into this guide. In addition to offering product suggestions, we'll teach you how to evaluate HR software on your own. You’ll learn what to expect, what to avoid, and what to ask.

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Our Criteria: Here's How We Chose The Top Human Resource Software

We’ve reviewed hundreds of HR software products over the years. In that time, we’ve learned the best way to give you what you’re looking for is to distill it down to the essentials.

This guide evaluates the most critical functions of HR software for small businesses. With our hands-on experience in HR, we were able to trim it down to three key elements: employee self-service, automation, and integration.

  • Employee self-service: Small businesses are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of wasted efforts, and this risk should be accounted for in the features of its HR software. Self-service portals empower employees to enter and update their own information. It may seem like the impact of employee self-service (ESS) is minimal, but the cumulative effect is substantial. Among other factors, our ESS evaluations note the ease of use, the number and type of data employees could access and update, and the platform's attention to information security protocols.
  • Automation: Streamlined workflows save time, reduce errors, and allow your HR team to apply their efforts to tasks that need a human touch. To evaluate this factor, we asked industry experts to use their wide-ranging HR experience to assess the workflow of each tool. We coupled that with input from our user researchers, who ran simulations of typical sequences across the employee experience, like hiring, onboarding, and running payroll for a new employee.
  • Integrations: Choosing HR software that doesn’t integrate with your current tech stack will cause significant challenges in the future. When testing integration capabilities, our evaluations were essentially pass/fail: our team checked for compatibility with common, standalone tools (the kind that small businesses use when starting out) and rated each platform on the number they could connect to.

You should know that we are approached by far more vendors than you see on our site. After careful vetting, only about one in ten make the cut. It’s a lot of work, but to offer you solid advice on buying HR software for small businesses, we must reevaluate our choices constantly.

You can learn more about our selection criteria and research methods by reading this article on how we assess HR tech vendors.

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Compare the Top Human Resource Software

Popularity Score
Best for
Key Differentiator
Pricing
Free Trial
Customers
Users Score
Product Score

GoCo

Trending Now
4.1
SMBs looking for a good tool and educational resources
Comprehensive yet budget-friendly HR software
Starts at $5/month/employee
Yes
100,000+ customers
4.7
4.6

Workable

Trending Now
4.1
Growing SMBs
Robust onboarding and reporting features
Starts at 99/mo
Yes
30,000+ companies
4.5
4.5

HiBob

Trending Now
4.5
Fast-growing teams looking for a single platform solution
Modern all-in-one HRIS platform
Custom Pricing
No
4,000+ companies
4.4
4.3

BambooHR

Trending Now
4.5
Growing teams needing tailored plans
Flexible & scalable pricing
Custom Pricing
Yes
33,000+ companies
4.5
4.4

Connecteam

Trending Now
4.1
Tiny teams wanting to start with a free service
Fully mobile for deskless workers
Starts at $0/mo
Yes
36,000+ companies
4.6
4.3

Gusto

Trending Now
4.0
SMBs and medium-sized teams
HIRS system with payroll and benefts
Simple Plan Price Change
No
400,000+ Customers
4.0
4.1

Zoho People

Trending Now
4.0
SMBs who favor an all-in-one appraoch
Low-cost, trusted vendor with top-notch customer support
Starts at $4.61/mo
Yes
33,000+ companies
4.3
4.1

Factorial

Trending Now
4.1
SMBs who need to streamline operations fast
International vendor, good security
Starts at $60/year
Yes
8,000+ customers
4.5
4.2

Oyster

Trending Now
4.3
Remote, hybrid, and distributed teams
Hiring, payroll, and benefits in 180+ countries
Starts at $29/month for contractors, $599 for EOR
Yes
2k+ customers
4.4
4.2
Phil Strazzulla
HR Tech Expert, Harvard MBA, Software Enthusiast

Need Help? Get Custom Recommendations for Top Human Resource Software

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Detailed Reviews of the Best HR Software for Small Businesses

GoCo

Visit Website
GoCo
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.7 / 5
Product Score
4.6 / 5

Why we picked GoCo

GoCo provides payroll and benefits administration, performance management, hiring, onboarding, documentation, time tracking, and HR support from a centralized dashboard. It’s also a versatile solution that seamlessly integrates with some of the most popular apps and services.

PROS

  • GoCo is a highly affordable solution for small teams and organizations that only have a few employees, especially if those employees work remotely and maintain flexible schedules.
  • GoCo gives users the ability to automate recurring tasks and activities, i.e. providing new hires with the necessary documents, collecting their e-Signatures, and setting termination protocol in motion.
  • GoCo is also available as a mobile app. This provides even more support to today’s mobile workforce by giving them the luxury of requesting time-off, managing their benefits, or viewing their performance reports from nearly any location in the world.
  • GoCo includes a fully embedded payroll solution that is highly secure. Alternatively, GoCo’s Payroll Sync feature is capable of connecting with several cloud-based payroll solutions.
  • GoCo is a highly affordable solution for small teams and organizations that only have a few employees, especially if those employees work remotely and maintain flexible schedules.
  • GoCo gives users the ability to automate recurring tasks and activities, i.e. providing new hires with the necessary documents, collecting their e-Signatures, and setting termination protocol in motion.
  • GoCo is also available as a mobile app. This provides even more support to today’s mobile workforce by giving them the luxury of requesting time-off, managing their benefits, or viewing their performance reports from nearly any location in the world.
  • GoCo includes a fully embedded payroll solution that is highly secure. Alternatively, GoCo’s Payroll Sync feature is capable of connecting with several cloud-based payroll solutions.

CONS

  • Transitioning your payroll to the GoCo platform can be challenging and some users report a steep learning curve with the GoCo platform in general.
  • Some users report difficulty when scheduling time-off for employees that aren’t full-time, especially if their pay is prorated.
  • In certain cases, benefits plans cannot be edited by your administrative staff, ultimately requiring customer support to add information for new carriers or edit the information of existing providers.
  • There are a few persistent technical glitches that are yet to be resolved by technical support.
  • Transitioning your payroll to the GoCo platform can be challenging and some users report a steep learning curve with the GoCo platform in general.
  • Some users report difficulty when scheduling time-off for employees that aren’t full-time, especially if their pay is prorated.
  • In certain cases, benefits plans cannot be edited by your administrative staff, ultimately requiring customer support to add information for new carriers or edit the information of existing providers.
  • There are a few persistent technical glitches that are yet to be resolved by technical support.
GoCo - an HR Software best for small companies

GoCo Review

GoCo functions as an all-in-one solution to your HR, payroll, and compliance needs. Not only will your team save time by accessing all of these activities in one convenient location, but their direct line to HR ensures that their voices are being heard.

One of GoCo’s key features is the ability to automate certain tasks, like onboarding and even pre-boarding. This ensures that your new hires have everything needed to get started while freeing up your managers and supervisors to look after their daily responsibilities.

GoCo Customers

GoCo is used by organizations such as Comit Developers, Caliper Foods, Synstelien Community Services, Stoughton Area School District, and Dom & Tom.

GoCo Pricing

GoCo pricing starts at $5 monthly for each employee. Custom pricing plans are available.

Best For

GoCo would make a great addition to the tech stacks of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking for a budget-friendly yet comprehensive HR software.

GoCo in action
Reviewer's Rating
6/10

When you log into GoCo, you access a centralized platform for managing all employee information. The system allows you to navigate through a dashboard where you can select individual employees to view their personal details. This includes essential information such as contact details, job titles, identification records (e.g., driver's licenses and passports), and any other relevant paperwork stored within the system.

The platform provides flexibility in customizing and storing different types of documents based on organizational needs. Additionally, GoCo offers an organized way to oversee employee data, ensuring that everything is easily accessible when needed.

What do you like about this tool?
  • 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.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

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.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • 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.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

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

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

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?

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?
  • 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.
What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

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.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Organizations with fewer than 50 employees will not find GoCo helpful.

Workable

Visit Website
Workable
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.5 / 5

Why we picked Workable

Workable has done an excellent job expanding beyond recruiting into a full-fledged HRIS for SMBs. We like that the platform’s user interface is modern and intuitive, and features for onboarding, employee self-service, and HR reporting are particularly well-developed.

PROS

  • Automated onboarding with customizable workflows, e-signatures, and task reminders.
  • Self-service employee portal for updating records, accessing documents, and submitting HR requests.
  • Intuitive time-off management with leave tracking, policy customization, and approval workflows.
  • Comprehensive HR reporting tools with export options for deeper analytics.
  • Regularly introduces new features and enhancements.
  • You can post jobs with one click to over 200 sites. You also get access to access to Workable’s talent pool with over 400 million profiles.
  • Workable has built-in cognitive and personality candidate assessment. The platform also has features for offer management, which means you can create offer letters and collect e-signatures without needing to use third-party tools
  • You can reduce unconscious hiring bias with Workable’s anonymized screening feature. It helps you hide identifying candidate information from the sourced and applied stages of the hiring process.

CONS

  • No built-in payroll tool and payroll integrations are only available on the highest-tier plan.
  • Time tracking and performance management features are relatively new and lack some depth in functionality.
  • Higher price points compared to some alternatives like Connecteam and Zoho People.
  • Workable doesn’t provide automated reference checking and onboarding features. 
  • Useful features such as candidate texting, video interviews, and assessments are not offered in any of Workable’’s plans and instead, sold separately.
  • Several users complained about the reporting feature not being detailed or customizable enough, and that the candidate search function could use more filters.

Workable Review

Workable may be best known for its recruiting tools, but after testing its HR features, we quickly saw why it deserves a spot among the top HRIS options for SMBs. From onboarding to time-off management, the platform takes a lot of the manual work off HR’s plate, and we were pretty impressed with how smooth it made things.

Dashboard of Workable HR software for small businesses

One of the biggest highlights for us was its automated onboarding. Setting up a personalized welcome portal took minutes, and we loved how smoothly it handled e-signatures, progress tracking, and task reminders for hiring managers. What really impressed us, though, was the ability to customize workflows for different roles—something that could save businesses significant time compared to manual processes.

Managing employee records was another area where Workable stood out. Employees could update their own information, access company documents, and submit HR requests without having to rely on HR for every little thing. It might not sound like a huge deal, but in our test run, this small change noticeably reduced admin back-and-forth, and it was reassuring to have a detailed history of role changes, salary updates, and approvals all in one place.

Time-off and PTO management were equally well-executed. Employees could check their leave balances and submit vacation requests through an intuitive self-service portal, while HR had full control over policy customization and approval flows.

We also liked the HR reporting tools, which made it easy to generate reports on workforce trends, attendance, and time tracking. Plus, being able to export data to BI tools was a nice touch, especially for small businesses looking to get deeper insights without investing in separate analytics software.

However, we couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the lack of a built-in payroll system. Payroll integrations do exist, but they’re locked behind the highest-tier plan, which might not be realistic for smaller teams on a budget.

Teams with a largely mobile workforce may also find Workable’s time tracking tool limiting, as it doesn’t provide a GPS-enabled clock-in feature for tracking remote or field employees.

And pricing is another factor worth considering. Workable is transparent about costs, but it’s unfortunately not the most budget-friendly option out there. Compared to some alternatives like Connecteam (starting at $0), Goco (starting at $5 per user per month), and Zoho People (starting at $4.61 per user per month), Workable’s pricing (starting at $99 per user per month) might be a tough sell for SMBs that only need basic HR functions.

That said, Workable is continuously evolving. The vendor rolls out new features almost every month, and the recent updates like automatic calendar updates for booked time off and a time-off balance calculator have already made a difference. So if you’re an SMB looking for an intuitive, automation-driven HRIS that keeps improving, rather than a low-cost option with only the basics, Workable is definitely worth considering.

Workable Customers

30,000+ companies, including Bevi, Dribbble, and Moodle.

Workable Pricing

Workable's HR bundle starts at $99 per month (billed annually), with a 15-day free trial and bundle discounts.

Best For

If you’re an SMB looking for a modern HRIS with strong employee management, HR automation, and compliance tools, Workable is worth considering—especially given its frequent product updates and ongoing feature improvements.

Workable in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10

We use Workable to track candidates in our pipeline from sourcing to the hiring stage. In addition, Workable allows users to add comments and leave reviews for the candidate. We also utilize Workable to share job descriptions with the public. It has robust functionality for that and we have easily double or triple the amount of inbound candidates compared to using Greenhouse.

What do you like about this tool?

I love the design and ease of use of the website. The automation tools as you move candidates between stages are really powerful. The reach of workable when you upload a JD is very extensive and I get a significant number of inbound candidates.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We purchased Workable to replace Greenhouse as we felt Greenhouse was too bulky for our needs. We have been using it for about a month so far. While it functions very well as an ATS, I appreciate its automation features and ease of use/navigation. It has a clean and understandable UI. It also has a great support team which has helped with the import of our candidate data from Greenhouse.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • The automation sometimes has a few issues, such as moving a candidate out of the pipeline without sending them an email is a little tricky.
  • The scorecard symbols aren't customizable and there are only 3 of them (love, like, no).
  • The AI candidate search tool, while neat, isn't too helpful usually.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Compared to Greenhouse, I like it much more. It's easier to use, capable of the same things, and much cheaper. The inbound capabilities are better and creating a JD is less complicated.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Criteria 1: Does your team need a robust pool of inbound candidates? If so, Workable is great at providing that quantity.

Criteria 2: Will other non-talent employees be scoring candidates? Greenhouse is a little bit better at sending interview packages, but Workable is much easier to navigate.

Criteria 3: Is cost an issue considering the size of our team? For a smaller team of a few people <10, Workable is much more affordable.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

We haven't used it long enough for this to come into play, but the support team has been helpful in setting things up.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

It's great for organizations with a smaller talent team that needs a lot of power for a low price point.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

If you need to send robust interview packages often, then Greenhouse may be better.

HiBob

Visit Website
HiBob
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked HiBob

Bob is a modern-looking HR solution notable for its ease of use. Small businesses in various countries use it to streamline their HR operations with remarkable customization and efficiency. It’s excellent for managing international teams.

PROS

  • Good customization for international operations. It’s easy to manage workflows like time off requests, parental or other types of leave, and employment types, across several countries, depending on how you’re set up.
  • Contains some intranet-like features, which is odd for an HRIS, but a nice-to-have, people frequently point out. For example, people can post ‘shout-outs’ to the home page.
  • They have tons of modules, which makes them a real one-stop shop. Beyond Core HR, they have modules for most things People Ops-related.  
  • Bob is a fast-growing company and their product looks the part, as it has one of the sleekest-looking platforms in the HRMS space right now. 
  • Their payroll hub allows you to connect all your payroll systems, which works great if you want to pay people in multiple locations without switching providers.

CONS

  • Reporting can be somewhat basic for an HRIS
  • As it’s made to be an HRIS, some modules are limited in function compared to more specialized tools. For instance, its performance module can also do surveys, but some of the users we consulted think these would benefit from more options and customizable parameters.
  • Customer support is only offered via a chatbot and email. 
  • As to implementation, several users commented that they felt there could be more attention via personal walkthroughs provided at the beginning. Many had to resort to reading documentation and watching videos or just figuring things out by themselves. 
  • Pricing is only custom and available upon request, so you can’t just sign up, pay, and start using the tool.
Screenshot of HiBob HRIS for small businesses

HiBob Review

Bob, or HiBob, has made it its philosophy to always put the employee first. You can see that ethos embodied in how easy the product is to use and the various ways this solution engages employees to better understand and cultivate culture. Bob is a great fit for forward-thinking HR departments that need tools like onboarding, time-tracking, payroll reports, time off management, surveys, benefits, and much more.

HiBob Customers

Tufin, Yotpo Ltd., Fiverr, Happy Socks, Taptica

HiBob Pricing

Bob offers custom pricing. They have flexible plans for growing companies and will work with you to offer the best possible cost.

Best For

Companies with fast-growing teams that want to manage all or most HR processes in a single platform, in a modern way.

HiBob in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

From an HR perspective, we use the tool daily. As people managers, I would think they use Bob on a weekly basis. Bob is used for all HR processes: onboarding, employee data changes, holiday requests, performance reviews, 1:1 updates, reporting, and surveys. All our policies are distributed through Bob, and the tool allows us to track who has read and approved the policies. Employees also use it as their internal 'Facebook,' sharing fun news.

What do you like about this tool?
  • Bob is very intuitive to both implement and use.
  • Bob integrates easily with other tools (e.g., Teams).
  • Bob can be used for multiple sites and countries.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

My customer (I'm an HR Manager consultant) was in need of an all-inclusive HRIS. We had a basic system to manage holidays, but all other HR processes were manually managed via Word and Excel templates. As the company grew, this became unmanageable. The key benefit of Bob is that it has multiple modules, allowing you to tailor it to your needs. Bob also offers basic customization, making the tool adaptable to your specific requirements without the need to build an HRIS from scratch. We've been using the tool for over a year now.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • The pricing of some modules is not competitive (e.g., the new ATS module).
  • Although it is easy to create reports, you can't combine certain reports. If the data is in multiple areas in Bob, you can't merge it into one report.
  • Bob frequently updates. While this can be beneficial, it often requires adaptation.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

Bob stays close to market trends and evolves quickly to meet client needs.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Before choosing an HRIS, the HR manager needs to consider the following: What is the current flow of HR processes? How do you want these processes to evolve? What is the budget? What reporting do you need? Is the tool compliant with local regulations (e.g., GDPR)?

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

There are more options within reporting, improved logic in holiday setup and requests, and more logical flows in performance reviews.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Bob is a good fit for medium to large organizations that are evolving and expanding.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Bob is a bad fit for small organizations, due to the price.

BambooHR

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BambooHR
Learn More
Popularity Score
4.5 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.4 / 5

Why we picked BambooHR

BambooHR is a leading HR software, catering to both large companies and small businesses with its flexible pricing options.

PROS

  • BambooHR is an HR tool tailored for small businesses, providing flexible packaging and customizable pricing, enabling you to expand features as your business scales.
  • BambooHR is a simple and straightforward tool that is easy to navigate. This user-friendly interface and intuitive design is especially great for SMBs since tools like these tend to be used by managers across departments.
  • Robust employee self-service features include onboarding, time off requests, and surveys.
  • Flexible packaging and custom pricing is the way they roll. You can pick out one or two packages and pick other modules as add-ons based on your needs. 
  • Very simple and straightforward tool, easy to use.

CONS

  • Payroll functionality within BambooHR is currently limited to U.S.-based employees.
  • Small businesses operating in time zones outside of the U.S. should note that customer support is not available outside of  U.S. business hours.
  • Some features, including time tracking, employee surveys, and the entire performance management suite, are only available as add-ons that can add-up on an SMB budget.
  • BambooHR's reporting capabilities, although sufficient for many small businesses, may not provide the advanced analytics and customization options required by some data-centric organizations.

As a cloud-based HR tool, BambooHR's offline functionality is limited. This may be a drawback for small businesses in areas with unreliable internet connectivity or those with a high percentage of deskless employees.

BambooHR - one of the best HR software for small businesses

  • Payroll is only available for US-based employees 
  • Customer support is only offered during US business hours.
  • Some modules like time tracking, performance management, and surveys are only available as add-ons.
BambooHR - one of the best HR software for small businesses

BambooHR Review

Having once been a small business, BambooHR strives to provide custom plans to suit growing business needs. Their HR platform covers the entire employee lifecycle, though some features, including performance management, are available only as an ad-on.

For small businesses, they offer the HR Essentials plan. They also offer various amenities, including an app marketplace for HR/recruiting vendors, an HR glossary, and occasional HR-focused events.

BambooHR Customers

Among the 20,000+ companies that use BambooHR, you’d find names like Quora, Universal Group, Reddit, Asana, Change.org, University of Maryland, Grammarly, Stance, Postmates, Wistia, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and ZipRecruiter.

BambooHR Pricing

Pricing is not disclosed upfront, but they do offer a free trial of their all-in-one software and then go out of their way to find a version that will suit you. Before they come up with a personalized quote that will align with your budget, however, they are also likely to extend your free trial upon request or even give you a free demo of the advanced features.

Best For

BambooHR is a go-to resource for countless small businesses for good reason. It’s always been an approachable tool, well-known for its customizable capabilities. Its flexible pricing options cater to the requirements of growing organizations. Additionally, BambooHR's popularity among partially or fully remote teams further makes it an ideal choice for small businesses embracing flexible work arrangements.

BambooHR in action
Reviewer's Rating
9/10
  • The tool has been critical in managing employee data and maintaining the database of employee information accessible by the team remotely.
  • We use BambooHR for onboarding and collecting information for new joiners. It is also an ideal tool for recruitment and tracking of candidates throughout the recruitment cycle.
  • We are also able to use it to track and manage employee leave applications.
  • Reporting has been made very simple since I can pull a report in minutes on headcount, analysis on gender, leave, turnover rates, onboarding, and performance

What do you like about this tool?
  1. Excellent Customer Service: The customer support team has been very supportive and responsive in troubleshooting.
  2. The system is user-friendly and has some videos guiding you through some of its functions. The system is designed to be customizable, so clients can tailor it to meet their specific needs.
  3. Powerful reporting: BambooHR's reporting features have allowed me to generate a wide range of reports, such as headcount, turnover, and diversity reports, this information is instrumental in making data-driven decisions.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

As Covid-19 forced most employers to look into hybrid working models, there was a need for us to look into tools for managing employee information and tracking time off to streamline administrative tasks and reduce errors while working remotely.

BambooHR offers Recruiting and applicant tracking features that make it easier to find and hire the right candidates for open positions remotely.

Additionally, it provides performance management tools, including goal setting and performance reviews, which can help ensure that employees are working towards company objectives and receiving the feedback they need to succeed.

I found the system to be user-friendly, with a modern interface that is easy to navigate and customize to meet our needs. The system also has video tutorials that are clear and guide you through its functions.

What do you dislike about this tool?

The main con would be its limited payroll functionality. It is not available in Africa and its payroll functionality is currently only available for customers in the United States and Canada, which may be a drawback for companies based in other countries.

Pricing is also on the upper limit compared to other solutions, particularly in Africa.

The features on training could also be more customizable to clients in diverse spaces or lines of work

How is this tool different than their competitors?

BambooHR has strong reporting features which allow us to generate a wide range of reports, such as headcount, turnover, and diversity reports, which can help organizations make data-driven decisions.

Its user-friendly interface is easy to navigate and find the information users need. The system is designed to be customizable, so users can tailor it to meet their specific needs.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

When buying BambooHR or any other HR software solution, there are several criteria to consider, including:

  1. Location: BambooHR's payroll functions are better suited for companies in US and Canada. For ease of compliance with local regulations, countries in Africa can consider an alternative tool to run their payroll function.
  2. Company size and needs: The size of the company and its HR needs are important factors to consider when selecting a software solution. BambooHR is generally well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward HR needs.
  3.  Customization: Companies should consider how customizable BambooHR is, and whether it can be tailored to their specific HR workflows and processes.
  4. Security and compliance: Companies should consider BambooHR's security and compliance features to ensure that employee data is protected and that the system meets relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?
  • Improved user experience: BambooHR has focused on improving the user experience over time, with updates to the system's interface, navigation, and overall usability.
  • Deeper analytics: BambooHR has added more powerful reporting and analytics features over time, which has helped users gain deeper insights into their HR data.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

BambooHR is well-suited for small to medium-sized organizations with straightforward HR needs. The system is particularly strong in areas such as employee data management, onboarding, and reporting, and is designed to be customizable to meet the specific needs of each organization.

Functions like payroll are better suited for companies in US and Canada.

It is well-suited to organizations that need a flexible, customizable, and user-friendly HR software solution.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Large enterprises: BambooHR is generally not recommended for large enterprises with complex HR needs. The system is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, which means it may not have the depth of functionality that larger organizations require.

It is also not ideal for a company wishing to run payroll that is operating outside the US

Connecteam

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Connecteam
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.6 / 5
Product Score
4.3 / 5

Why we picked Connecteam

Connecteam stands out as the premier all-in-one HR software tool tailored specifically for small businesses with a significant number of deskless employees. It comprehensively addresses most core HR concerns in a way that caters to the unique needs of unanchored workers.

PROS

  • Among the rare fully-mobile HR tech tools designed for deskless workers
  • Great value for its features, SMB-friendly pricing
  • Highly receptive to user feedback, incorporating suggestions as new features
  1. One of the only fully-mobile HR tech tools for deskless workers
  2. Very adequately-priced for all it entails, SMB-friendly
  3. Quite open to feedback, having implemented user suggestions as features in the past.

CONS

  • In the communication hub, the app lacks confirmation for sent and/or seen messages.
  • Certain essential features like GPS-tracking are restricted to higher-tier pricing plans.
  1. In the communication hub, the app offers no confirmation that messages were sent and/or seen. 
  2. Certain features that some teams consider essential, such as GPS-tracking, are only available in the higher-tier pricing plans.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Connecteam HR Software for Small Business during the demo

Connecteam Review

Connecteam is the HR app for companies with a high percentage of deskless workers to manage. If you need a simple, robust, yet intuitive tool that lets you take care of HR processes for low-tech employees who don’t have a computer, this one is certainly worth checking out.

From the Connecteam app, managers can handle administrative work, like staff scheduling, task management, attendance management, time keeping, training, onboarding, and much more. Non-desk workers then interact with all of this via a mobile app, where they need nothing but a phone number to create an account.

Connecteam Customers

Nike, Herbalife, Billabong, Footlocker, Mason Construction, American Eagle, McDonald’s, and many more.

Connecteam Pricing

Connecteam’s pricing can range from free-for-life to up to $159 per month. Final numbers will vary depending on the number of users and modules you choose. To give you an idea, here’s an overview of each plan within the operations module:

FreeBasicAdvancedExpert
$0/mo$39/mo$79/mo$159/mo
Time clock, job scheduling, checklists and forms, task managementAll features from the previous plan + time tracking, payroll, shift info, and more.All features from the previous plan + smart groups, geofence, recurring tasks, and more.All features from the previous plan + multi-branch management, live GPS tracking, process automation, and more.

Connecteam’s payment structure is fixed for the first 50 employees you add. Once you add more, there would be an extra payment of $1.5 per additional employee per month.

These pricing options are yearly, where you save 18%, but you can also opt for month-to-month payments. They also offer enterprise pricing with more features and a personal account manager. Each paid plan also has the option of a 14-day free trial.

Best For

Connecteam connects and empowers teams and businesses of all sizes. Its user-friendly workforce management tool caters to low-tech, deskless workforces without extensive IT intervention. Industries served include healthcare, manufacturing, security, and more.

Connecteam in action
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Gusto

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Gusto
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Gusto

Gusto's new native ATS enhances its offerings, allowing job posting, syndication, interview notes, and basic scheduling. Designed for employers with moderate hiring needs, it seamlessly integrates with the Gusto platform and demonstrates promising functionality and reliability.

PROS

  • Gusto automatically files state new hire paperwork for users.
  • Self-onboarding allows employees to add or update personal info, including bank details and withholdings.
  • I-9s and W-4s are e-signed and stored within the system.
  • Customizable offer letters and onboarding checklists for new hires.
  • Native features to post jobs on popular job boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, etc.) and track applications in one place.
  • Accessible phone and email support.
  • Payroll support for U.S.-based W-2 employees and domestic/international contractors.
  • Transparent pricing without long-term contracts or setup fees.
  • The dashboard feature keeps tabs on compliance tasks
  • The hiring and onboarding sequence is nicely streamlined between HR and the new hire
  • Post-offer, pre-start tasks are made easy with integrations like CorpNet (state tax set up) Checkr (background checks)
  • Easy payroll for U.S.-based W-2 folks, domestic, and international contractors
  • Person-to-person phone support, email, and other customer service resources
  • The business model is responsive to customer needs

CONS

  • No capacity for hiring or paying non-U.S. employees
  • Time tracking and e-signatures missing from Simple plan
  • Only Premium plan users can access 24/7 support
  • Free trial not offered
  • Gusto can support payments for international contractors, but not employees
  • No native accounting feature to keep earning and spending under the same roof
  • Analytics dashboard is simplistic
Our reviewer took screenshot of Gusto HR Platform for Small Business during the demo

Gusto Review

Gusto's HR solution with its native ATS is a reliable and efficient tool that simplifies hiring, onboarding, and payroll processes.

The ATS feature integrates with popular job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter and is particularly useful in reaching a wider pool of candidates. It also automatically files state new hire paperwork, helping users save time and ensure compliance.

Another quality feature is Gusto’s self-onboarding: employees can update their personal information, including bank details and withholdings, here on their convenient devices. The e-signature capability for I-9s and W-4s also eliminates manual paperwork.

Gusto provides customizable offer letters and onboarding checklists, allowing users to tailor the onboarding experience for new hires.

As Gusto’s core product is payroll, its capability to provide this service is excellent. Users can use Gusto to pay their W-2 employees and contractors across the U.S. and worldwide. Paying global employees is the only thing Gusto payroll hasn’t covered yet. Thus, the tool is not a good fit if you’re doing international employee hiring.

Gusto Customers

We are excited to announce that Gusto now serves more than 400,000 customers nationwide! Please update any and all references of "300,000+ customers" to "400,000+ customers".

Gusto Pricing

Gusto is increasing our Simple Plan’s pricing from $40 per month + $6 per person per month to $49 per month + $6 per person per month (a $9 increase in monthly base).

Best For

Gusto offers a budget-friendly basic plan, making it accessible to startups with limited budgets. For SMBs with smaller HR departments and greater financial capacity, the Premium plan is a recommended choice to invest in human resources effectively.

Gusto in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

We use Gusto on a weekly and bi-weekly basis to pay contractors, send offer letters, engage employees, and onboard new hires. The key workflows that we use are our recruiting workflow and hiring workflow. Of the workflows, Gusto is heavily used on the hiring and employee management side. Gusto is used from the time an employee receives an offer letter through to their onboarding and paychecks.

What do you like about this tool?

The top three reasons why we like this solution are: 1. We no longer have to jump from a spreadsheet, to a PowerPoint, to QuickBooks, and an ATS to accomplish daily tasks. 2. We are saving money by having one centralized system that integrates with our other software instead of paying for multiple systems. 3. Gusto has helped reduce our time to hire thanks to automated onboarding.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We are a startup organization, and we were seeking a cost-effective SaaS HR platform to assist with our onboarding and employee management. We started off utilizing spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Google Docs. We wanted to streamline our process and have everything in one centralized location. We have used Gusto for two years, and it has been a tremendous help with our hiring workflow. The key benefit it provides is having everything in one place that is readily accessible to all responsible parties in the hiring workflow as well as our employees. We love the self-service functionality.

What do you dislike about this tool?

I dislike Gusto’s applicant tracking system. It isn’t user-friendly and doesn’t have the best UI. They can improve the ATS by making it user-friendly and creating a better dashboard.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Gusto fares well with its competitors in benefits administration and onboarding services. From a cost perspective and the number of features included in their lower-tiered plan, Gusto outperforms its competition. They offer flexible monthly plans that scale with your business without being locked into a contract. This is a very enticing feature for startups that are still getting familiar with tools on the market and determining their software needs.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

People should consider how many users require access and whether Gusto integrates with their existing software. They should also look at the number of existing employees and their projected hiring goals to determine if Gusto is a long-term solution.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Over time, Gusto has added new features such as the ATS. It appears it is attempting to be an HRIS. They have also added additional third-party integrations.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Gusto is an excellent tool for startups. It provides cost-effective solutions to help you get started with a small workforce.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

I don’t feel Gusto is a good fit for a company seeking an HRIS or a company with over 100 employees. Gusto falls short in this area. Although Gusto has great onboarding capabilities, at times there are discrepancies with payroll, and the ATS isn’t user-friendly or robust.

Zoho People

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Zoho People
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Popularity Score
4 / 5
User Score
4.3 / 5
Product Score
4.1 / 5

Why we picked Zoho People

Zoho People provides a comprehensive solution. Features include employee self-service, time and attendance management, performance tracking, payroll management, announcements, and user access control. What sets it apart is its budget-friendly pricing options and forever-free plan. This makes it an ideal, scalable solution for fast-growing businesses, startups, and small teams.

PROS

  • All core HR features in a single dashboard.
  • Gives certain users access based on job roles, hierarchies, or locations.
  • Announcements feature helps users stay updated with work-related activities.
  • Wide array of integrations.
  • Has an Android and iOS app.
  • Transparent and affordable pricing. Has a free plan and a 15-day free trial.
  • 24/5 support.
  • Available in multiple languages.
  • All core HR features in a single dashboard 
  • Wide array of integrations 
  • User-friendly UI, constantly updated 
  • Available in multiple languages

CONS

  • Since they offer so many modules, some maybe not be as robust as other products that have been more specific about covering particular needs. For instance, some teams have found their payroll offering quite basic.
  • The mobile app isn’t very user-friendly.
  • Some users reported that the platform can be slow to load every now and then.
  • Since they offer so many modules, some may be not as robust as other products that have been more specific about covering certain needs. For instance, some teams have found their payroll offering to be quite basic. 
  • Not all that’s available in the web platform is available in the app
  • Some users reported that the platform can be slow to load every now and then.
Our reviewer took screenshot of Zoho People Human Resource Platform for small business during the demo

Zoho People Review

Zoho People offers an impressive list of features on each pricing plan, so most teams can find a good feature fit at a price they can afford. The platform even provides a free plan for up to five users.

Cases is a unique feature. It allows employees to submit HR questions into specific topic categories and receive immediate responses from agents assigned to them. It's a simple yet remarkable feature that saves employees and HR colleagues time.

With its access control management feature, users can assign permissions based on specific roles, defining precise access levels for each individual. This ensures that admins can effectively control what others can or cannot access within the system.

Another noteworthy feature is Announcements, which allow administrators to share information using diverse content types. The feature's customization options, including formatting and location-specific visibility, further enhance its usefulness.

Zoho People’s self-service feature enables employees to access their records and perform HR operations like leave management, timesheets, and policy documents.

The mobile apps further enhance accessibility, although some users have expressed dissatisfaction with their occasional instability and subpar performance.

Some room for improvement can be found in tools like payroll, which is relatively basic compared to similar tools.

Zoho People Customers

ZPE Systems, Cloudfronts Technologies, Zomato, SpiceJet, Foresight CFO.

Zoho People Pricing

Zoho People is free for up to 5 users. After that, it has four plans that priced as follows:

  • Essential HR: $1.25/user/month billed annually.
  • Professional: $2/user/month billed annually.
  • Premium: $3/user/month billed annually‍.
  • Enterprise: $4.5/user/month billed annually.

Best For

Zoho People is an affordable yet powerful solution for small and medium businesses to manage and access employee data from a centralized location.

Zoho People in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

All of my team members are on Zoho. It starts with onboarding a candidate to our organization with the help of Zoho People, keeping the important documents, daily attendance, leave trackers, etc.

What do you like about this tool?
  • I like the integration among the Zoho applications which makes life way easier.
  • It also provides me with a wide range of features apart from attendance, leave, etc. so I keep trying new things.
  • It was easy to set up; I didn't need to wait for an expert to set it up.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

I just started my organization and wanted to keep records of their attendance, leaves, employee records, etc. I was using Zoho Books and was happy with that so I thought of trying Zoho People for HRMS. It has been nearly 3 years since I'm using Zoho People.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • There should be a few more integration options with other external software.
  • The UI can be improved so interaction over the platform becomes easier.
  • Sometimes changing the policies is difficult as quite a lot of things are interconnected.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

I have used GreytHR and I found Zoho is quite advanced with a lot more features.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

I think it all depends on someone's requirement but I think for startups and small-medium companies, keeping operations simple is key, we should not be wasting our time in dealing with bulky software. In this regard, Zoho People comes handy with the level of integration available within Zoho applications that can fulfill most of your organization's needs.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

I have not seen Zoho People change a lot in the last 3 years since I started. There were some minor changes to the UI and some of the features which I found useful.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

I think it is good for startups and organizations with remote teams etc. Also, if someone is using some of the other Zoho applications then I think it completely makes sense to use Zoho People.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

I can’t think of an organization it wouldn’t be suitable for, but for a large organization, it might be difficult to align with Zoho People's predefined policies/structure.

Factorial

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Factorial
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Popularity Score
4.1 / 5
User Score
4.5 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Factorial

Factorial is an all-in-one HR platform used by thousands of teams across the globe. They have always placed a considerable emphasis on being SMB-friendly, evidenced in their pricing and flexibility, and comprehensive feature list.

PROS

  • Flexible pricing scheme
  • Complete HR Suite + ATS
  • Strong SMB focus
  • Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
  • Flexible pricing scheme
  • Complete HR Suite + ATS
  • Strong SMB focus
  • Good UX/UI and frequently updated design

CONS

  • Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable. 
  • Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.
  • Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable.
  • Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.
Factorial HR - an easy to use human resource tool for small business

Factorial Review

Factorial is an excellent HR software solution tailored for SMBs. Their comprehensive offering handles employee onboarding, time tracking, leave management, organizational charts, payroll, TA, and more. enabling HR teams to save time and increase operational efficiency.

We've been familiar with the tool since early 2020, and have always applauded their commitment to data security". With Factorial, all database information is encrypted and GDPR-compliant. They also use a Single Sign-On system, and maintain good security hygiene with regular diagnostic assessments of vulnerability.

Factorial Customers

The Power MBA, The Hotels Network, Nextail, Ulabox, Vicio

Factorial Pricing

The Factorial Core HR platform starts at $60 per year, then it's $4 per additional user. There is a 14-day free trial and custom enterprise pricing is available for bigger teams. Their ATS is available as an add-on, starting at $39 per month for 10 job offers. Then you can upgrade to Pro, with unlimited job offers, for $119 per month (all if billed yearly).

Best For

Small and medium-sized businesses with many HR processes to streamline. It's specially suitable for organizations with a remote workforce and operations in Europe, the US, or Latin America.

Factorial in action
Reviewer's Rating
7/10

I use Factorial HR almost daily for tracking employee attendance, approving time-off requests, and running payroll. The document management feature is particularly useful for storing contracts and compliance-related files in one secure place. We also use it for performance reviews, assigning goals, and tracking progress over time.

Its automation capabilities for repetitive HR tasks are a huge time saver. On the employee side, many of our team members appreciate the time-off request feature because they can submit requests directly without having to ask HR every time.

What do you like about this tool?
  • The user interface is easy to navigate and use.
  • The biggest advantage for me is the automation features, as they save me a lot of time by reducing manual work.
  • The reporting and analytics tools provide valuable insights.
Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

We primarily purchased this tool to address inefficiencies in managing HR processes. We needed a solution to handle employee records, time tracking, payroll, and performance management without juggling multiple platforms.

Factorial HR worked well as an all-in-one platform and also offers automation and workflow rules for these processes. Additionally, its data analytics capabilities were a great and unexpected benefit. We have used it for roughly three years. The tool also has a user-friendly interface.

What do you dislike about this tool?
  • Some of the integrations, like the payroll integration, can be tedious at times and do not always work as expected.
  • The customization options for reports are limited.
  • Customer support for complex issues has been difficult to manage, and response times could be improved.
How is this tool different than their competitors?

Factorial HR stands out for its simplicity and ease of use compared to more complex HR systems like BambooHR or Workday. It successfully offers strong HR features without excessive complexity. The best part is that it doesn’t require a dedicated tech team to manage the software.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Consider the size of your company. This tool is great for small to medium-sized businesses. If you need software with extensive integrations, you may want to explore other options. If connecting to your payroll system via integration is a priority, another solution might be a better fit. However, if you need something simple and easy to use, this is a great choice.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

Factorial HR has introduced more automation features and improved its reporting capabilities over time. One major benefit I’ve noticed is the expansion of its compliance and document management features, which better support remote and international teams. This is extremely important for my team due to the nature of our remote and hybrid workforce.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Factorial HR is ideal for small to mid-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-use, affordable solution. Startups and growing businesses will particularly benefit from its automation features and user-friendly design.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

Large businesses with complex integration needs, extensive hiring requirements, and more advanced HR demands may find this tool limiting. Factorial HR is best suited for smaller companies rather than large enterprises.

Oyster

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Oyster
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Popularity Score
4.3 / 5
User Score
4.4 / 5
Product Score
4.2 / 5

Why we picked Oyster

Oyster is loved for its automated onboarding and robust benefits & payroll. If you’re a distributed team, you’ll love Oyster’s native HR tools, strong compliance support, and how well it handles your global employment as a legal employer on your behalf.

PROS

  • Oyster takes care of necessary documentation through self-onboarding tools: employees access, sign, and upload documents themselves through the platform.
  • Targeted for a remote workforce: Whether your employees are in one country or 100, Oyster can accommodate them accordingly with its current partners.
  • Helpful HR tools that are free to access. For example, you can use Oyster’s Benefits Advisor tool to research benefits that local companies offer and local experts recommend in a specific country.
  • Support salary payouts in over 120 currencies.
  • Pearl — Oyster’s virtual hiring assistant is handy to suggest on the system's hiring, onboarding, and employment terms (the standard probation period and vacation leave credits) for new recruits based on where they’re based.
  • Generous discounts for nonprofit organizations and refugee recruitment.
  • Intuitive: The platform is easy to navigate and makes logical sense.
  • competitively priced: The flat rate for employees and contractors makes cost comparisons simple, and is competitive in the market.
  • Targeted for a remote workforce: Whether your employees are in one country or 100, Oyster can accommodate them accordingly, and this is a feature few platforms can boast.

CONS

  • Expanding the integrations is on Oyster’s plan, so you may want to check whether your current software is or will soon be compatible with Oyster before making a purchase.
  • Oyster doesn’t provide tools for employee performance at the moment. There are no in-app communication features either.
  • Oyster’s benefits packages, while being robust, are available as add-ons.
  • Slight delays in processing times for payments in the local currency are somewhat common.
  • Immediate communication via phone support is not an option, but they do offer live support via Zoom when necessary.
  • An initial security deposit is necessary to begin the engagement and is refundable.
  • The platform lacks native time-tracking functionality and provides only an in-app tool for managing time off.
  • If you’re looking to co-employ your employees and partially outsource HR responsibilities, Oyster isn’t for you. They are more akin to employer of record services (EOR) than a Professional Employer Organizations (PEO).

Oyster Review

Oyster is built with remote-first businesses in mind. The platform has gained trust over the years by taking on the role of a capable legal employer to handle global employment on the customers’ behalf.

What we love most about Oyster is that its robust health and benefits options are country-tailored and reflect employees' local laws and cultures in over 180 countries. This feature, thus, is rejoiced by organizations that are scaling fast and globally.

More recently, there is also a feature calledOyster Total Rewards. It provides insights tools and compensation consulting to help businesses design salary, equity, and benefits plans for their employees according to their locations. The offboarding also has a more simplified flow for team members to follow throughout the offboarding process.

Oyster Customers

Quora, Wagestream, Impala, and Grover are some companies on Oyster’s long list of customers.

Oyster Pricing

  • Contractor: From $29 per contractor per month. It includes hiring contractors in 180+ countries, drafting, editing, signing compliant contracts, processing invoices, and paying contractors in 120+ currencies.
  • Employee: Between $499-$699 per employee per month, billed annually. The plan enables you to hire full-timers in 130+ countries with compliance and liability coverage, get automation, and IP protection, set up global payroll, and manage expenses, allowances, and bonuses in 130+ countries.
  • Scale: Custom pricing and comes with a discounted rate, dedicated guidance, and support to navigate global employment and bulk hiring.
  • Optional Benefits (as opposed to those locally-required) are available as add-ons to the Employee and Scale plans.
  • Special discounts for nonprofits and refugee employment.

Best For

Remote, hybrid, and distributed teams looking for an HR tool possessing global payroll, country-custom benefits, and robust compliance support.

Oyster in action
Reviewer's Rating
8/10

Oyster served as our applicant tracking system. Its integrations with other systems streamline candidate analysis, facilitating a smoother recruitment process.

What do you like about this tool?

The primary benefit lies in the enhancement of the employee experience, introducing a newfound level of autonomy for our non-U.S. employees. Additionally, Oyster offers seamless service, excellent communication, and significant time and cost savings. Utilizing Oyster costs less than engaging external consultants for equivalent services. Its ease of use has integrated it seamlessly into our business strategies.

Why did your organization buy this tool, and how long have you used it for?

I've had experience with Oyster at a previous company. The service operates seamlessly, boasting excellent communication, and notably saves both time and costs. Utilizing Oyster comes at a lower expense compared to engaging external consultants for similar services. The most significant benefit lies in the enhancement of the employee experience. Oyster introduces a level of autonomy previously unavailable to our non-U.S. employees.

What do you dislike about this tool?

While Oyster excels at generating basic reports such as payroll, invoices, and expenses, its reporting capabilities are limited beyond these functions. Unlike other HR tools that offer insightful charts, customizable filters, and robust data exploration features for identifying hiring trends, benchmarking team productivity, or analyzing retention rates, Oyster falls short. This deficiency in advanced reporting may frustrate businesses focused on optimizing costs, improving time-to-fill metrics, and establishing a global talent pipeline. While workarounds are available—such as exporting report data for analysis in Excel or data visualization tools—they entail additional effort.

Oyster collaborates with third-party vendors to provide payroll and HR services in certain countries where it lacks a direct presence. While this expands Oyster's support for more locations, it also introduces potential inconsistencies in user experience. Working with partners may incur higher costs, offer less transparency, and result in longer wait times compared to dealing directly with Oyster.

How is this tool different than their competitors?

Oyster is easy to use but has limitations when compared to some of its competitors from what I learned while researching online.

What Instructions should people think about when buying this type of tool?

Pricing, types of employee engagement that the purchaser is needing, and the size of the company.

How has this tool changed or evolved over time to meet users needs?

I’m unsure of how WorkTango changed or evolved over time.

What specific type of user or organization is this tool very good for?

Oyster very good for hiring, onboarding, and payroll, and for companies that does these activities a lot.

What specific type of user or organization would this tool not be a good fit for?

It is not suitable for companies needing intuitive reporting features, as the software has only basic reporting capabilities.

FAQs on buying HR software for a small business

What is the best Human Resources software for small businesses?

The best HR software for a small business will, at minimum, address an organization’s most troublesome pain points while fitting into the desired budget. Individual needs and budgets vary, but the best platforms automate and streamline basic HR processes like employee data management, payroll, time/attendance, and benefits.

Why does a small business need HR software?

Small businesses can use HR technology to save time and improve the employee experience, performance, and hiring process. Another significant benefit is compliance: most small businesses do not recover from the fallout of even minor compliance issues.

What’s the difference between HRIS, HCM, HRMS, and HR software? 

Let’s start by unpacking the letters. HRIS stands for Human Resources Information System, HCM stands for Human Capital Management, and HRMS stands for Human Resources Management System. The difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS comes down to methodology and specific features, but each is an example that falls under the umbrella of HR software.

What can you expect from modern HR software?

Software for small businesses has grown increasingly sophisticated (or complex, depending on your perspective) over time. Early platforms offered the basics, like employee information management, payroll processing, time/attendance, and benefits management. Modern small business HR software can do much more, like drive employee engagement with features that look and feel like social media.

Pro Tips on HR Software for Small Businesses

Pitfalls of buying HR software for a small business

The most common pitfall of buying HR software is not buying HR software.

Often, small businesses realize they need HR software when it’s almost too late. It is common to start a business with spreadsheets for payroll and shared passwords on sticky notes.

Obviously, this works. No business would ever make it past the idea stage if it didn't. But we’ve seen a lot of panicked small business owners who’ve had the rug of sticky notes and spreadsheets pulled out from under them, and they would back us up on this: don’t wait to buy HR software.

Here are the most common mistakes people make:

  • Choosing a vendor with no employee self-service: Since the whole idea of HR software is to save time, Employee self-service features are a must. ESS features are handy during employee onboarding or when starting a PTO request, for example. In these cases, an automated, self-service workflow can save time and reduce errors.
  • Choosing a vendor that lacks automation: Speaking of automated workflows, it’s also recommended that your vendor has this capability in some of their features. Whether it’s running payroll, onboarding, or signing documents, many menial tasks can be done automatically.
  • Rushing the decision: You should expect and allow for this process to take some time. That’s easy to say when you’re not the rug-pulled-out-from-under-you-guy, but even if you’re under pressure, make the time for good choices.
  • Among the most critical considerations of your selection should be integration. If you’re starting with sticky notes, this won’t be an issue, but your HR software will be baked into the middle of all business operations, so integration with your entire tech stack is crucial.
  • Rushing the implementation: For small businesses, implementing cloud-based HR software is often a self-service process. This is a critical step that requires time and deep focus.
  • Basic data entry mistakes can have massive implications. For example, provisioning access to employee data to the wrong person (or, even worse, a whole team!) is much worse than embarrassing: it’s illegal.
  • Moving slowly and keeping the vendor’s customer service resources handy can avoid this worst-case scenario.

Benefits and ROI of HR software for a small business

While reading this, there might still be a small part of you that says, “I’m a small business. Do I really need a fancy HR system?”

The answer is yes.

If you plan to grow your business, you need HR software. With the right platform, the HR software you use today to streamline operations for a dozen people could be the same one you use in a year when you’ve grown to a hundred people.

HR software can do more than manage basic employee data. Modern platforms can orchestrate training programs and track metrics like satisfaction and engagement. There are limits to the effect software can have on company culture or turnover, but consider this: at the very least, the software will free up your HR team and managers so they can attend to the tasks only people can do.

How are most HR management solutions for small businesses priced?

The vendors listed in this roundup represent the most common pricing models in HR tech. Most charge monthly per user, and some have an additional base fee. Many offer independently priced add-ons, which is excellent for small businesses who want to pay only for the features they’ll actually use.

Vendors in this space are familiar with the tight margins of small businesses, so they are often willing to negotiate. Be sure to ask about custom pricing tailored to your business needs.

The following estimations offer a rough idea of what you can expect to spend based on the size of your team on an annual basis. This information is drawn from data points collected from our personal experience, user interviews, and consultation with other HR tech experts.

  • 1-100 employees: $12,000 annually
  • 101-500 employees: $48,000 annually
  • 501-1000 employees: $72,000 annually

We’d love your input, too! To help us provide the most accurate figures, we're crowdsourcing data on HRIS pricing. The survey is anonymous and takes about two minutes. Plus, anyone who helps the community by filling it out will be given access to the entire data set.

Key HR software features for small businesses

If this is your first HR tech purchase, which features should you prioritize? While that depends primarily on your particular situation and business needs, the following features are standard:

  • Employee management: Core HR functions related to employee management should be included. Features like an employee directory or org chart are staples, and you can expect time management features like scheduling, time tracking, and leave management.
  • Onboarding & Documents: Many of these tools include a basic Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that can do everything from sourcing candidates to onboarding a new hire. Some of them can even process the necessary documentation through automated workflows.
  • Employee Performance: HRMS features are relatively standard in HR software for small businesses. They can be used to define and track individual and team goals, and many also support collecting feedback and performance reviews.
  • Benefits Administration: Basic benefits administration is reasonably common, but tailor-made administration functionality is rare due to variations between states. 

Some other features that you should consider include:

  • Social recruiting
  • Sourcing
  • Reporting & Analytics
  • A good mobile app (Android & iOS)

Questions to keep in mind when demoing HR software for small companies

While most of the top HR software solutions for small businesses like yours offer a free trial or an instant self-service demo, some will ask you to schedule a live demo with one of their reps. Come prepared with questions reflecting the time you’ve spent exploring the market and defining your company’s specific needs.

Below, you’ll find some sample questions to get you started. Be sure to download our totally free and super-helpful spreadsheet organizer to make notes on each vendor and compare them later.

  • How will this solution seamlessly integrate with our existing tech infrastructure, and what integrations will be required?
  • How will other team members effectively utilize this solution within the organization?
  • What are the critical functionalities I should inquire about?
  • How can this tool enhance and elevate the applicant experience?
  • What aspects might make me or my team apprehensive when transitioning from our current processes to this platform?
  • How does this product ensure the security of employee data?
  • What can I expect about the caliber of customer support? Does the platform have a help center? Online guides? Are the support resources high-quality and accessible to all?

Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean that you should be reluctant to control the demo. These solutions are specifically designed for businesses like yours, so it’s better for everyone involved if you can articulate your needs and the use cases you care the most about.

Last advice on buying HR software if you’re a small business

Before you start doing free trials or schedule demos, get all the input you can from stakeholders who will be affected by the decision. The direct experience of people in other departments is invaluable for finding the right tool for your team. Encourage them to consider how the new software would impact their work today and how it might hold up in the future.

Software built for small businesses is usually designed to scale. You can expect this whether you’re starting with the most basic plan or even the free one.

It’s impossible to plan for everything, but with the right HR software, you can feel confident knowing that you’re prepared for anything from the success you expect to the setbacks you don’t.

You’re probably aware that with 50 or more workers, businesses must adhere to federal guidelines under FMLA and EEOC. But 50 is no longer the magic number. As it becomes common for states to require employers with fewer than 50 people to provide health coverage and retirement planning, the conventional wisdom has shifted.

Coupled with new laws, the perception of HR as a critical element of strategic operations has steadily narrowed the HR-to-headcount ratio.

And as a final note, If you're buying to implement in the US and seeking a custom evaluation, feel free to schedule a complimentary one-on-one consultation with an HR tech advisor here.

About Us

  • Our goal at SSR is to help HR and recruiting teams to find and buy the right software for their needs.
  • Our site is free to use as some vendors will pay us for web traffic.
  • SSR lists all companies we feel are top vendors - not just those who pay us - in our comprehensive directories full of the advice needed to make the right purchase decision for your HR team.

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