17 Best HR Software Reviewed & Compared in Q4 2025
Our HR tech experts demoed dozens of HRIS systems and researched many more to find the best tools on the market. Find pricing info, screenshots, pros & cons, and more below.
Human Resources Information Software (HRIS) can singlehandedly handle all people processes. This includes TA/recruiting, compensation, leave management, organizational management, and sometimes more. Although HRIS is a competitive market, it shouldn't be a nightmare of a process with the right guidance.
This guide covers everything you need to know to make an informed decision. We discuss HR software features, costs, benefits, pitfalls, product demos, and implementation best practices. Before we delve deeper, please know that we also offer free 1:1 help for anyone seeking assistance with shortlisting vendors for their organization.
To choose the best HR software, we meet with vendors for product demos and ask tough questions based on user research statistics, expert feedback from HR thought leaders, and the real-world expertise of our editorial team.
The crucial features on which we evaluate HRIS systems include scalability, integration, self-service functionality, compliance and security, and total cost.
- Scalability: We test each HRIS system’s capacity to handle rapidly growing teams by looking for features such as single sign-on, enterprise system integration, batch processes, and HR automation.
- HRIS Integration: Integration is critical for an HRIS. Each of our top picks integrates with existing systems such as payroll, talent management, or recruitment software to ensure seamless data sharing.
- Reporting and Analytics: The best HRIS systems feature robust reporting and analytics capabilities and provide actionable insights into employee data, HR metrics such as employee growth and retention, and workforce trends such as the number of female executives.
- Employee Self-Service: Each HRIS is evaluated by our experts for the quality of their self-service functionality. These critical HR features empower employees to access and update their information, request time off, view pay stubs, and participate in performance management processes.
- Data Security: It is crucial that HRIS vendors undergo regular audits such as SOC2. In addition to ensuring measures were in place to protect sensitive employee data, we also evaluated each platform’s approach to compliance with relevant employment laws and data protection regulations.
- Total Cost of Ownership: It is important to know the overall cost of implementing and maintaining an HRIS system, including licensing fees, customization, training, and ongoing support costs.
To gain deeper insights into how we build these lists, check out this article about how we evaluate HR tech vendors.
Paylocity
Paylocity’s comprehensive and user-friendly HRIS offers a wide range of features to support the entire employee lifecycle. With its strong focus on automation, customization, and compliance, their platform is a great choice for businesses looking to optimize their HR operations.
PROS
- Paylocity offers an all-in-one platform for payroll, HR, benefits, and more.
- The platform is user-friendly with solutions tailored to different size businesses.
- There’s a mobile app for both employees and managers.
- Paylocity’s customer support is highly rated for always being available to answer questions.
- Global payroll support for 100+ countries.
- Provides free and unlimited training modules on the website.
- Paylocity’s mobile app has a good UI and functionality
- The tool is easy to use for both employees and employers.
- Has 350+ pre-built integrations.
CONS
- Pricing isn’t transparent. There isn’t a free trial or free plan either.
- There’s a slight learning curve due to Paylocity’s feature breadth.
- There’s room for improvement with report customization.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- It doesn’t have a free trial or free plan.
- Support is available in English only.
- It isn’t the best solution for remote teams looking for a tool to manage payroll and benefits for their contractors.
In addition to their stellar payroll solutions, Paylocity offers a robust HRIS that simplifies the management of employees, documents, and processes. One of the key strengths of their HRIS is the ability to streamline information collection and task completion across various users and workspaces. Whether it's confirming employee addresses, collecting proof of certification, or managing employee onboarding, Paylocity makes it easy to automate and centralize these processes.
We appreciate the attention that’s been put into Paylocity’s accessibility and data management. Employees can securely access their payroll and HR data anytime, anywhere, via desktop or the Paylocity mobile app. This means they can quickly access offer letters, paystubs, tax forms and benefits info, request time off, update personal information, collaborate with teammates and more. As for managers and HR professionals, they have full visibility into employee data at the position and seat level, can easily configure new positions, assign required skills and certifications, predict vacancies, and manage budget changes.
Paylocity also takes compliance seriously, with an intuitive dashboard that provides quick access to work authorizations, EEO and FLSA compliance data, industry news, and more. And if you need extra support, Paylocity's HR Edge service provides expert resources, including an account manager, to help you minimize risk and implement best practices.
Finally, you can use Paylocity's robust reporting and analytics capabilities to gain a deeper understanding of your workforce. With real-time, visualized data, you can monitor key metrics, identify trends, optimize your HR strategies, and drive business success.
Paylocity is used by over 40,000 companies including Polywood, Momentus, and Watters.
Paylocity pricing can range from $22 to 32 per employee per month, according to our sources.
Best For
Paylocity is best for medium and large companies.
When I utilized Paylocity, it helped me monitor staffing numbers across each cost center. It assisted in recruitment efforts by allowing me to track staff levels at each store and determine whether we were meeting our hiring targets. It also helped identify stores that required more recruiting efforts and facilitated meetings with store managers to discuss needs and create plans to meet set goals.
Paylocity was also used for payroll purposes. Reviewing the rates for each cost center helped determine competitive target rates for each role within the stores. Regarding payroll, it managed PTO accrual and ensured employees were paid correctly for the hours worked.
Paylocity offers many pre-loaded reports, which were useful for targeting specific metrics. The interface is user-friendly and has many valuable features. Having the opportunity to participate in a demo with a representative to walk through Paylocity’s functionality was extremely helpful. Additionally, the function that automatically posts new vacancies to multiple job sites, like Indeed and Monster, was very convenient.
Our company switched to Paylocity after acquiring another franchise. The acquired company already used Paylocity, and it was part of the contract that we would keep and integrate it with our existing employees. I have used it for about two years. However, there were numerous issues on payday, with several instances where paychecks were deposited into the wrong accounts.
While customer support was promised to be excellent, it was often difficult to find solutions when problems arose. The demo of the software was impressive, and the sales team did a great job, which is understandable why people might choose it, but the ongoing functionality can become frustrating when the same mistakes occur repeatedly.
Customer service frequently experienced turnover, making it difficult to find knowledgeable support, which was frustrating. Often, I found that I knew more than the representatives assisting me. We also encountered several instances where an employee’s pay was deposited into the wrong account, which was a significant concern that needed prompt resolution. Lastly, the frequent misalignment of cost centers was a constant issue, taking up a considerable amount of time to correct.
Paylocity has a very user-friendly interface compared to other tools I’ve used. The ability to provide demo training for onboarding new corporate individuals from other brands was a great advantage. However, once our account manager left, it became challenging to bring new users up to speed.
Consider your organization’s specific needs and take detailed notes during demos. Paylocity offers many training advantages, but it’s essential to have clear expectations of what you need from the tool.
Before I left the company, there was talk of introducing a texting feature, which seemed like a valuable addition.
I would recommend Paylocity for larger organizations. It offers a wide range of features that can be useful for payroll, onboarding, recruiting, labor management, and more.
Smaller organizations might benefit from using a more affordable alternative to Paylocity.
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Deel
Deel is a simple, effective HRIS for remote and international teams that need a way to compensate their employees, and a system for record.
PROS
- Offers a single system for paying employees in over 100 countries and contractors in over 150 countries.
- Provides 100% in-house support from local country experts, with a first response time of just 1.25 minutes.
- Features APIs and native integrations with over 100 popular HR tools.
- Employee experience features such as 1:1's and pulse surveys.
- Excellent 24/7 customer service with fast onboarding (2-3 days) and local payroll experts in each jurisdiction.
- Seamless integration with platforms like QuickBooks, BambooHR, and Greenhouse, plus custom integration options.
- User-friendly, self-service features enable quick setup; identity verification often takes under 24 hours.
- Automated invoices simplify payments, provided they're in English.
CONS
- Not the best option for teams on a budget that don't hire internationally.
- The HR suite is relatively new and lacks many features you would find in BambooHR, Bob, or other established solutions.
- Key features like onboarding automation are add-ons, which may increase costs.
- Limited flexibility in modifying contracts or service agreements; changes often require an addendum.
- Invoices cannot be generated in languages other than English.
We added Deel's HRIS to this page because of its global focus and simplicity. Deel has many very large companies (Nike, DropBox, Shopify) using their global payroll platform. However, we view this HRIS as more focused on SMB and mid-market companies that need a solution for a global team. This is different than their global payroll solution which companies of all sizes can leverage.
Deel is a leader in the global payroll space, and this new HRIS functionality allows them to go deeper into the HR Tech stack of smaller companies. It's an easy, free, and adequate solution.
That said, it reminds us of Gusto a bit in that the functionality isn't as robust as many HRISs. Just like Gusto added some HRIS-like features to their payroll offering, Deel is doing the same.
So - this is great for companies that are global, smaller, cost cost-conscious. But, there will be tradeoffs with more robust systems (which of course will cost a lot more!).
35,000+ companies, including Makerpad, Andela, and Brex.
Deel HRIS starts at $5 per month.
Best For
Deel HR is best for remote-first companies that have global payroll needs.
We use Deel to onboard and pay contractors. After hiring someone, we invite them to Deel, where they upload their information. We run a background check and request specific documents from them. If everything is uploaded successfully, we then use Deel to pay contractors on a weekly basis.
Deel also serves as our central repository for employee information, securely storing details such as legal name, address, SSN, and birthday. It provides new hire paperwork, such as W-9 forms, and ensures these forms are fully completed.
Deel has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. The 24/7 chat feature is helpful whenever I have questions. Creating background checks through Deel is straightforward.
We purchased Deel in the spring of 2024. Our company was expanding its contractor base and needed payroll software to streamline the process. Our goals included simplifying contractor onboarding and payment while allowing contractors to upload their timesheets.
We needed a platform that could support these tasks, answer questions along the way, and assist with tax filing. We used Deel for about two months before deciding to switch to a different platform.
I’m not a fan of the pricing model, as it charges for all contractors added, even if they haven’t been paid. It feels as though there is a fee associated with nearly every action. Contractors also often seem confused when uploading their timesheets.
I appreciate Deel’s customer service, especially the 24/7 chat feature. Other tools require calling during business hours, which can be inconvenient.
I suggest prioritizing ease of use, price, and potential hidden costs. Ask whether the tool charges for customer service inquiries, monthly fees, and how pricing is structured for each contractor or employee. Personally, I prefer not to pay for a contractor I haven’t actually paid yet.
The home page and navigation were recently updated and look improved, though I don’t find this to be a significant change.
Deel is suitable for established small businesses.
Deel may not be ideal for new small businesses. Due to various fees, costs can add up unexpectedly, which might be challenging for businesses aiming to manage expenses carefully while growing.
HiBob
Bob is a global platform that can streamline pretty much everything an HR department needs to do, in a highly customizable manner. It’s particularly well-suited for small and midsize companies, including those based in the US and UK, that need flexibility as they grow and manage global operations.
PROS
- Highly customizable for international operations, ideal for small and midsize companies expanding globally, including US and UK-based organizations.
- Simplifies management of diverse workflows (e.g., time off, leave, employment types) across multiple countries.
- Has intranet features that allow users to post announcements and share content.
- Robust integration capabilities enable the connection with other essential business tools.
- 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
- While functional, the reporting capabilities of Bob can be considered limited for an HRIS.
- As an HRIS, some users feel that certain modules, such as performance management and surveys, could benefit from more extensive options and customizable parameters.
- The user interface can be less intuitive in certain areas, requiring a slight learning curve for optimal utilization.
- 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.
Bob, or HiBob, is a really interesting contender in the HRMS space. Their philosophy is to put the employee first, and you can see that in how easy the product is to use. Also, in various ways, this solution engages employees to better understand and cultivate culture. This 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.
Tufin, Yotpo Ltd., Fiverr, Happy Socks, Taptica
HiBob's pricing is estimated to be around $16 to $25 per employee per month.
Best For
Bob is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses, especially those with multinational teams.
We use HiBob HRIS everyday as all of the employee info is stored in there. We used it for creating key reports, onboarding, offboarding, internal communications, and kudos. Once you're in the system, you have the capability to set up workflows to automate which is helpful. For onboarding, we had it integrated into our ATS which was Jobvite. Overall it was pretty seamless and easy to use.
- Bob was a fun and engaging HRIS that employees really enjoyed.
- It allowed a lot of interaction within the platform, and for people to get to know each other better.
- There was a surprising amount of customizability you could get from the system.
I used HiBob HRIS between 2019-2020. We unfortunately had to move off of BambooHR, and HiBob was the next best platform for our company of 250+ employees. During my time, we'd used it for about 1 year. It's a very people and engagement oriented HRIS that encourages a lot of opportunities to celebrate each other, interact around any announcements, and is very culture focused. The key benefit it provided was a culturally engaging HRIS that employees enjoyed using once they were trained on it.
- It had a lot of bugs and the server can be slow at times. Hopefully this issue has resolved over time.
- It's not an all-in-one platform, they encourage you to partner with other best in class payroll, time keeping, etc. systems.
- The UI looked great, but the UX was a bit clunky. For almost all processes, there was a lot of click through that had to be made and the experience was not very user friendly.
Bob excels at creating a people first and culture centric HRIS which most do not do. At most it's where you check for your payroll. However, we got a lot of great positive feedback around the platform itself. Around HR Processes though, they seemed to still be growing in functionality at the time (2019). They are integrated with a lot of the major brands / companies around payroll, timekeeping, etc. so it makes it easy to use across platforms.
- All-In-One Platform: If you're looking for an all in one platform, this won't be the best fit. However, if you're looking for a good culturally engaging HRIS this would be a good option!
- Onboarding -> Payroll -> Offboarding Workflow: It's important to think about where you're starting your employment/ onboarding workflow since it's not an all in one system. To avoid double work / entry, it's very important to map out where you want to include what data and how you can transfer that across platforms.
Bob was very hands-on and interactive throughout the implementation, training process. They've got an aggressive and extensive roadmap which is exciting. They receive feedback very well, and it was exciting to grow alongside the company and system because we did see things change rapidly within the system for the better.
I think Bob is best for <500 employee companies. It would also probably be better for companies who have a majority of salaried employees vs. hourly non-exempt. And also for a company that wants to use the best in class platforms for various parts of the people experience.
Bob would not be great if you're looking for an all-in-one HR platform. If you use your HRIS for timekeeping and time off tracking, it also may not be the best fit. Larger organizations may have a hard time using Bob.
Keka
Keka’s HRIS combines core HR, payroll, time and attendance, and even performance management into a single platform with tiered pricing that makes it accessible for different stages of growth. We liked how the system allows SMBs to start with essential automation and scale up to advanced engagement, analytics, and talent development without switching tools.
PROS
- Three clear pricing tiers (Foundation, Strength, Growth) to match company size and complexity.
- All tiers include payroll with direct deposit, tax filing, benefits tracking, and expense management.
- Strong onboarding workflows with self-service portals and document storage.
- Integrated time tracking with advanced features like GPS/selfie attendance and continuous location punching in higher tiers.
- Engagement and performance tools (pulse surveys, OKRs, skill matrix) are available without buying separate software.
- Mobile app access for employees from the Foundation tier up.
- Federal and state tax filing is included at all tiers.
- Flexible pay schedules with direct deposit support.
- Overtime and leave policy automation to match local labor laws.
- Benefits, loans, and expense tracking in one place.
- Built-in dashboards and reports to monitor payroll trends.
- Accounting integrations for streamlined finance workflows.
CONS
- Keka does not offer an instant-access free trial; access requires a sales demo.
- Implementation fee applies for setup, payroll configuration, and data migration.
- The platform can be slow to load at times.
- Some advanced features (custom reports, asset tracking, engagement tools) locked behind higher-cost tiers.
- Multi-entity payroll and API access are add-ons, not standard.
- “Free Trial” access is gated behind a sales demo and disclosed only after signup.
- Implementation fees for setup, tax configuration, and data migration.
- Advanced tools (custom reports, asset tracking, engagement surveys) only available in higher tiers.
- Multi-entity payroll and API access require add-on fees.
- Slow load times in the demo raise usability concerns about payroll deadlines.
For SMBs that want HR, payroll, and performance management in one platform with room to add advanced automation and engagement over time, we think Keka HRIS offers a compelling, tiered approach.
In our demo, we saw how Foundation covers essential automation: interactive employee profiles, onboarding, life cycle tracking, and standard dashboards. Payroll is included from the start, with direct deposit, tax filing, benefits tracking, expense management, and accounting integration. Time-off management, overtime automation, and a gamified attendance system give small teams the core tools they need without adding complexity.
The Strength tier builds on this with advanced HR and time tracking capabilities. It adds employee timelines, exit surveys, a travel desk, asset tracking, advanced roles and permissions, and Slack/MS Teams integration. Custom notifications and a report builder make it easier to tailor workflows. Time tracking expands to GPS/selfie attendance and continuous location punching, which can be particularly useful for distributed field teams.
Growth takes it further into engagement, performance, and talent development. You can run employee pulse surveys, schedule one-on-one meetings, provide continuous feedback, and post public praise. Performance reviews become more structured with analytics, skill matrices, and goal/OKR alignment tools. Talent development features like performance improvement plans and training need identification make this tier well-suited for companies focused on growing and developing their workforce.
We appreciated how Keka integrates these modules so employee data flows across payroll, attendance, performance, and engagement without manual syncing. The mobile app is available from the entry-level plan, and from our experience as an employee user, navigating to self-manage profiles, requests, and attendance is generally smooth.
As much as we like the scalable, tiered approach, we can’t help but be disappointed that the “Free Trial” requires a sales demo before access, but doesn’t disclose that condition upfront. We only discovered this after signing up.
Additionally, while Keka is transparent about its monthly pricing, it does charge implementation fees for setup and data migration. And certain features that are deemed essential for many scaling companies, such as multi-entity payroll and API access, are sold as add-ons.
From a UX standpoint, we also noticed slow page load times during our demo, which could become a real productivity drain for HR teams handling large volumes of requests.
Over 10,000 companies, such as eBay, Randstad, and ONEPLUS, use this product.
Keka HR and Payroll module offers three pricing tiers per employee per month:
- Foundation ($9): Includes core HR, payroll, time tracking, and basic features.
- Strength ($16): Adds advanced features like exit surveys, asset tracking, and integrations.
- Growth ($22): Offers performance management, feedback, and analytics.
Other available add-ons include Payroll for Multiple Legal Entities, Advanced Shift Scheduler, Automatic Distance Calculation, API & Webhooks, and Helpdesk.
Best For
Small to mid-sized businesses seeking an integrated HRIS, payroll, and performance management platform that can scale from basic automation to more holistic employee management and engagement tools.
OnPay
OnPay has transparent pricing and is quite affordable for a solution that combines payroll, HR, and benefits. You get the setup and employee data migration for free. The platform won’t ever charge additional fees except when you add more employees.
PROS
- The employee self-service portal allows employees to view and manage basic payroll preferences, review HR documents, and request time off.
- Six permission levels allow you to grant specific users certain access to the software’s data.
- Automated onboarding within the employee self-service portal.
- Built-in essential HR tools include e-signing, customizable offer letters, I-9 and W-4 forms, HR guides, and legal templates.
- Auto centralizes employee database and company documents.
- Benefits include health and dental benefits in 50 states, in-house licensed brokers to handle life, vision, and disability insurance, and integrated 401(k) plans.
- Compensation management features unlimited monthly pay runs, multiple pay rates and schedules, and various options to pay employees with no extra fee.
- Free tax form handling for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
- Some HR services included within the plan at no additional cost.
- 30-day free trial available (starts after OnPay verification).
- Well-developed online help resources.
CONS
- Accounting and time tracking are available when using third-party integrations.
- The mobile app version for employees is poorly rated for its incompetency.
- Limited integration options.
- No available features for learning management, recruiting functions, and training.
- Poor functioned employee mobile app.
- Requires payment four days before payday for direct deposit.
- Doesn’t support automatic payroll.
- Customer support sometimes hard to reach.
OnPay is an excellent option for teams with up to 500 employees due to its wealth of features and simple, affordable pricing. With one monthly fee, you get HR management, benefits administration, and payroll services.
Our favorite feature of the software is its compensation and benefits management capabilities. You don't have to calculate state and federal taxes and withholdings, as the platform will do it for you in compliance with regulations automatically. We encountered no issues when testing the software's payroll features, but what impresses us even more is its tax accuracy guarantee. If an OnPay error occurs, the platform takes responsibility for all the work with the tax agency, penalties, and fees to resolve the issue. We also used OnPay for tax form filing and payments and found it to be highly reliable. As for benefits tools, the platform is an excellent licensed health insurance broker and can help you select the right plans in all 50 states. We also noticed some well-known names, such as Vestwell and Guideline, listed as OnPay's 401(k) providers if you need retirement benefits for your employees.
OnPay's HR features include e-signing, sending offer letters, customizable checklists, PTO management, and self-onboarding, covering most essential HR tools. However, it lacks a native time tracking system, so you'll need to integrate it with software such as Deputy or QuickBooks Time for that capability. Another limitation to note is its integration options. Apart from the two time tracking tools mentioned, the software only connects to a few others: Xero, When I Work, Mineral, PosterElite, and Magnify.
- OnPay pricing consists of a base fee of $40 and $6 per employee per month.
- Software setup and employee data migration are offered for free.
- There’s a price calculator on the website for you to get the estimated cost.
- OnPay also has a one-month free trial.
Best For
OnPay is best for small businesses that need affordable HR software to handle essential HR functions, advanced payroll, and benefits. It is especially helpful for agriculture businesses, churches, clergy, and nonprofits because of its special payroll services.
We use OnPay on a monthly basis to deliver payroll. We also use integration features to connect directly with payroll and accounting software. It enables us to automate or streamline data collection related to working hours and personal details. We do weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly pay runs, and OnPay allows us to establish separate and automated pay schedules for each. We also use OnPay to manage and approve PTO via the employee self-service dashboard.
The interface is slick and easy to use. It offers flexible and expandable HR and benefits tools, meaning it can grow with the business. The streamlined and partially automated PTO with self-service is also good.
We bought OnPay to streamline our payroll process. Our HR and finance teams were too small and preoccupied with rapid growth activities to manage payroll, and as a result, mistakes were being made. The monthly payroll process was analog, without much automation, and quite inefficient and laborious. We wanted to have a more automated and online process, which OnPay provided.
OnPay is genuinely focused on small businesses. The interface is clean and simple, not overloaded with features like those found in big company payroll tools. It connects directly with our timesheets, allows staff to update their personal data, and has streamlined and mostly automated our payroll process. We have used this tool for a couple of years.
The design is a little boring and old-fashioned. The reporting section is a bit awkward to use. It doesn't have great support for international customers.
The design is a little boring and old-fashioned. The reporting section is a bit awkward to use. It doesn't have great support for international customers.
Can you also pay contractors through the system? Can you pay staff according to different pay schedules?
We haven’t used it long enough to answer this.
US-based SMEs without international offices can benefit from OnPay.
OnPay is not great for US businesses with international offices. Choose a tool that can service staff overseas as well.
APS
APS has nearly 3 decades of experience providing payroll and attendance services to U.S. SMBs and also offers core HR for those who prefer a one-stop suite. Our favorite about this vendor, though, is their support. They’re easy to work with, attentive, and have solid experience in service-based industries.
PROS
- The dedicated account teams were highly praised for fast and helpful customer service.
- Industry-specific expertise for healthcare, hospitality, churches, and non-profits.
- Improved user experience with modernized platform design.
- Covers essential HRIS features, including workforce planning, performance management, AI-based assistance, attendance, and onboarding.
- HR and payroll features combined at a competitive price.
- APS is very cost-effective. Although the pricing is custom and depends on your business size, we’ve heard current users speak of its affordability. Jackie R, who is a HR Director for a small-sized company says, “I love that APS offers all aspects of an HRIS system at an affordable price. We are a small business and can't afford the big name payroll vendors, but get everything they offer at APS for a price we can afford as a small business.”
- Their customer service is remarkable. As testified by multiple users, the customer service team at APS is prompt and there for you every step of the way, right from implementation to anytime you get stuck using the software. They’ll likely resolve your issue within the same day.
- APS is very easy to navigate and everything is updated and saved in real-time. Despite its complex features, you would likely not find it confusing. They also have how-to guides that come in very handy.
CONS
- Undisclosed pricing. No free trial is offered.
- Doesn’t support global payroll.
- The current pricing structure doesn’t allow the buying of HR products separately.
- There is a $250 price minimum.
- The reporting feature is limited in functionality. Sometimes, there will be missing information that you may require.
- Although their customer support is prompt, you can’t directly reach their team via phone. Customer service answers your queries via email and if you wish to talk to someone on the phone, you’ll have to mention it.
APS specializes in U.S. payroll for industries like faith-based, healthcare, nonprofits, and education. Importantly, this platform also covers essential HR features for those interested.
We know we already talked about APS’ customer service in our payroll software buyer guide, but seriously, it’s worth mentioning here again. Unlike Paycor, which has rather weak support, APS customers are assigned a dedicated account team. Our experience echoed what most APS users we interviewed had to say: the support is responsive, with most issues resolved within the same day. Importantly, this high level of support continues well beyond the onboarding phase.
Feature-wise, APS handles payroll (covering all 50 U.S. states), attendance, performance management, workforce planning, benefits, and even employee training. While its HR tools may not be as robust as those offered by top HRIS brands like BambooHR or HiBob, they’re efficient enough for most mid-sized businesses.
During our tests, the AI Assist tool allowed us to quickly generate first drafts for job descriptions, performance reviews, and employee events. It felt convenient and straightforward to access employee attendance, payroll, and benefits all under one single platform. What’s more, extras like recruiting and workforce training are available but only added if we wish to, leaving no room for spending money on things we don’t use.
We’ll be blunt: APS' previous interface is neither visually appealing nor particularly user-friendly. That’s why we were excited to hear the vendor revamp its UI/UX, and it didn’t disappoint. While the new design may not have undergone a flashy transformation, it strikes a perfect balance between usability and familiarity—something we trust long-time customers will appreciate.
APS doesn’t offer a free trial, and they charge a minimum of $250 per month. This definitely is not the cheapest option available, but if you consider how much this tool covers in both payroll and HR functionalities, we think you’ll agree that it's reasonably affordable enough for most SMBs.
That said, there are two things we don’t like about APS's pricing: One is the absence of a free trial and the lack of pricing transparency. Given many SMB-focused HRIS vendors provide free trials and are upfront about their subscription costs (e.g., OnPay) or at least share their starting rates (e.g., Rippling), it would be great if APS followed suit.
The other is that its HR features can't be purchased separately. While understandable given the positive customer feedback on using HR and payroll together, this makes the vendor less ideal for those who want a separate HRIS that works with a different payroll system.
Lastly, this vendor is hyper-focused on the U.S. so we wouldn’t recommend it for those with international operations.
3,500+ organizations, including Grayson College, Rainbow Sandals, and Wahlburgers.
APS pricing starts at $5.00 per employee per month plus a $50 base fee per month. There is a $250 minimum per month. and custom pricing is available for larger enterprises.
Best For
APS is most suitable for U.S.-based small and mid-sized businesses.
APS was our day-to-day lifeline. It was critical for candidate tracking, credentialing, business development, and back-end operations. These functions were essential to support our growth initiatives. APS helped streamline multiple processes. The platform supported us through the transition and remained reliable throughout each step.
- APS allowed us to customize the platform based on our specific needs.
- We could configure features for designated functions.
- Having a dedicated super user to support our organization was highly beneficial.
At the time, we were looking to upgrade our existing platform. APS offered multiple options that allowed us to enhance and customize the platform. It provided our organization with a strategic advantage, improving our speed-to-market delivery. It also supported our production goals. Overall, it significantly contributed to our operational efficiency.
- I wish the sandbox environment could have been pushed to production after final approval.
- I would have appreciated more training prior to going live.
- Additional support and post-launch check-ins would have been helpful.
APS is a strong option, but like any product, its value depends on the features and subscription level you select. It’s a good value-added solution.
Key criteria include cost, user experience, customer support, and adaptability. For me, APS meets nearly all of these requirements.
There have been consistent enhancements aimed at improving the product.
APS is good for the staffing industry.
APS may not be the best solution for certain niche markets.
BambooHR
BambooHR has been one of the go-to HR software for SMBs for years: It comes with stellar customer support, is easy to use, and gives companies some flexibility in purchasing the modules they want.
PROS
- Flexible packaging means you can pick out one or two packages and have other modules included as add-ons based on your needs.
- Straightforward platform that’s easy to navigate and customize.
- All plans/packages have custom pricing that most users think is reasonable.
- Integrates with some LMSs.
- Smooth onboarding workflow with many automation features.
- Has free trials.
- 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 is only available for US-based workers.
- Some popular integrations, such as QuickBooks, are missing from the platform.
- Customer support is excellent, but it is only accessible during business hours in U.S. time zones
- Desirable features like time monitoring, performance evaluation, and employee surveys can only be accessed as add-ons.
- According to some user reports, nothing prevents employees from scheduling vacation in excess of their allotted time
- 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’s platform has consistently been among the top choices for HR professionals in the US and beyond for over ten years. We gather this has to do with the fact that BambooHR spans the entire employee lifecycle. Aside from the Core HR functions like ATS, leave management, employee records, and a company calendar, they also have recruiting and performance management, and payroll available as add-ons. That said, the HRIS is offered as a small business package.
On top of their platform, BambooHR also has an app marketplace with integration options for dozens of HR/recruiting tools, as well as an HR glossary. They also host HR events from time to time.
Among the 20,000+ companies that use BambooHR, you’d find names like Quora, Universal Group, Reddit, Asana, Change.org, University of Maryland, and Grammarly.
- BambooHR uses the per-employee-per-month pricing model to charge teams with more than 20 employees and a monthly flat rate for ones having 20 employees or less.
- From our research, the HRIS cost is between $6 and 12 per employee per month plus 5-15% of the annual software cost as their one-time implementation fee.
- Volume discounts and free trials are available. No annual contract is required.
Pro tip: The team is open to extending the demo upon request or even giving you a free demo of advanced features.
Best For
BambooHR is best for US-based SMBs looking for a customizable HR product with pricing that reflects their needs. The platform is also quite popular among teams that are partially or even fully remote.
We primarily use BambooHR for payroll and internal HR processes. It consolidates various HR functions into one platform, making it easier to manage workflows, merit increases, and communication during site closures. The system also helps track employee performance and manage compensation reviews, streamlining our overall HR operations. Additionally, we use it for onboarding and recruiting, as it simplifies job postings across multiple platforms. The integrated features create a consistent candidate experience, making the hiring process more efficient.
- It is easy to use, allowing users to quickly become proficient without extensive training.
- The setup process is simple, ensuring a hassle-free installation.
- It offers a variety of features, providing flexibility for different HR needs.
One of the key issues we aimed to address was the need for better support for our internal team. We required a system that would provide reliable assistance whenever needed.
Previously, we used ADP, which offered various features, but its customer service was lacking. This often left our team feeling frustrated, especially during critical times when timely support was essential.
In contrast, BambooHR made it easy to get assistance and resolve issues quickly. Their responsive customer support significantly improved our experience, allowing us to navigate challenges more efficiently. Additionally, the platform was simple to install and use, with an intuitive interface that helped our team transition smoothly.
- Many useful features require additional payments, which can increase costs.
- The billing structure works well for smaller organizations but may become expensive as employee counts grow.
I find BambooHR to be more intuitive and accessible than other HR platforms, which can often feel clunky or overly complex. Its user-friendly interface allows me to work more efficiently with fewer obstacles, making the overall experience more enjoyable.
The number of employees in an organization is a key consideration, as pricing can increase significantly with a larger workforce. It’s also important to assess which features are necessary and which ones can be omitted to manage costs effectively. Identifying essential tools ahead of time can help keep monthly expenses reasonable.
BambooHR has continuously improved by listening to user feedback and adding features that enhance usability and efficiency. These updates have made the platform even more valuable for HR teams.
BambooHR is ideal for HR professionals and organizations looking to streamline recruitment, improve employee engagement, and manage workforce operations efficiently.
BambooHR may not be the best fit for sales teams or organizations primarily focused on direct sales activities, as it is designed for HR and workforce management rather than sales tracking.
Paycor
Paycor is a robust mid-market HR software for leaders at US-based companies that want their teams to save time with HR transactional tasks.
PROS
- Paycor web app and mobile version have been easy for employees to use.
- The employee self-service portal has good functionalities and is easy to navigate.
- Straightforward payroll processing.
- Scalable product with multiple plans for businesses with under 50 employees and custom plans for bigger teams.
- Frequently runs discount programs that cover setup fees.
- Paycor payroll solution and mobile app are both straightforward to use.
- Intuitive self-service employee portal.
- Offers multiple modules for small businesses and custom plans for teams with 50-1000 employees.
- Unlimited payrolls.
- Offers discounts frequently. Though not listed on their site, a free trial is available to those who contact the support team directly.
- On-demand pay is available for all plans.
- With the acquisition of the people development platform Verb, it has improved its employee learning experience.
CONS
- Customer support can be slow to respond.
- Recruiting tool is underdeveloped compared to other similar products.
- Undisclosed pricing. Free trial is available, but you have to reach out and request.
- Reporting and analytics capabilities are limited on lower-priced plans.
- Undisclosed pricing.
- Customer support is reported to be slow at times.
- It is not a good fit for teams with 1000+ employees or those requiring advanced customization to meet their unique requirements.
Paycor ticks all the boxes for the features we look for in an HRIS. The employee self-service portal is excellent; it makes tasks like reviewing or signing contracts or choosing benefits straightforward. Admin users are automatically informed about any updates to sensitive employee information.
They didn’t invent the wheel by offering mobile apps, but they are well-built and well-liked. They make it easy to access payroll, time and attendance, and other HR features while on the go.
Though large enterprises can use Paycor, we feel it’s best for SMBs to use it in conjunction with other core HR tools as they grow. Paycor offers multiple plan options for companies with fewer than 50 employees, so whether you only need a payroll solution or a full HR suite, Paycor may have a plan for you.
But our biggest concern about the software is customer reports that support can be quite slow to respond. We’ve also found the reporting capabilities for the lower-tier plans are limited. However, Paycor recently acquired Verb, a behavioral microlearning platform. In addition to bolstering its training and development capabilities, we hope to see improvements across the board in the following months.
Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Detroit Zoo, The Cincinnati Bengals, The YMCA.
Our research indicates that Paycor subscriptions range in price from $19 to $27 per employee per month.
Best For
Paycor works best for companies in the U.S. with up to 1,000 employees, specifically those in manufacturing, healthcare, food and beverage, nonprofits, and professional sports organizations.
Paycor was our single source of truth. This was critical for candidate tracking, credentialing, business development, and back-end operations. These functions were essential to support our growth initiatives.
Paycor helped streamline multiple processes. The platform supported us during the transition and remained reliable throughout each step. It has also enabled additional efficiencies that were not originally planned.
- Paycor allowed us to customize the platform based on our specific needs.
- We could configure features for designated functions.
- Having a dedicated super user to support our organization was highly beneficial.
- We also had a great test and sandbox environment before moving into production.
We switched to Paycor because we were looking for a more robust system covering everything from ATS to invoicing. I have used the product for about six months. We faced challenges with capturing all the data and storing it in a single location.
Paycor gave us the custom capabilities to support our organization’s unique challenges. We were also able to migrate data from our previous systems into Paycor.
- Paycor is still somewhat segmented when it comes to certain functions.
- It does not integrate well with some third-party systems.
- Response times were slow for some technical issues that arose.
Paycor is a strong partner and are willing to help optimize your use of their product.
Some factors to review when deciding include functionality, cost, and support.
It is helpful to dedicate an internal resource to serve as the primary point of contact.
Paycor continue to provide support as they roll out new functionality options.
Paycor is a good option for most organizations, whether large or small and across various industries.
There is potential in Paycor to support most organizations.
Monday.com
Monday.com offers a versatile platform that can help HR teams elevate their processes. While it may not be your typical HR software, its customizable templates, helpful automation, built-in integrations, and collaboration features make it a valuable asset for optimizing all sorts of workflows and managing employees effectively.
PROS
- Monday.com offers a high degree of customization and automation, empowering HR teams to adapt the platform to their unique requirements.
- There are over 200 pre-made templates that can be used immediately for various processes, saving you time and effort.
- There’s a free plan for SMBs and startups that lets you access all existing templates, create up to 3 boards, and have unlimited documents.
- Free plan available, and affordable, scalable plans for small to midsize businesses
- Easy to learn and use
- Customizable dashboard
- Collaborative document creation with the ability to turn content in docs into tasks in projects with a few clicks
- Gamified progress tracking with visual celebrations for users
- Workflow automation for repetitive tasks
- Built-in communication tools reduce reliance on email
- Customized forms for in-house or client use that can be easily turned into projects
CONS
- It can take some time to learn and set up the Monday because it’s not your typical HR software but rather a versatile platform with multiple use cases, including HR.
- There currently aren’t any features for payroll or benefits administration.
- Users need to upgrade to the Standard plan to access integrations and automation features, which are key to getting the most out of the platform.
- 3+ users are required to get on any of the paid plans
- Limited storage on the Basic plan
- Could be too complex for simple project management needs
- No phone customer support
- Tracking different conversations can be difficult because of all the clutter
Though Monday.com isn’t your typical HR software with payroll processing and benefits admin features, their powerful and user-friendly platform can be adapted to various HR scenarios, thanks to its wide range of customizable templates and helpful automation. Whether it's managing the recruitment pipeline, onboarding new employees, conducting performance reviews, or tracking employee development, Monday.com gives you the flexibility to create workflows that fit your organization's unique processes. For those who don’t feel like creating things from scratch, there are several ready-to-use templates covering various aspects of employee management, from employee lifecycle packages and cross-company event planning to employee directories and time-off requests.
Another area where Monday.com differs from traditional HR software (but in a good way) is native project management. The platform's Kanban boards, Gantt charts, and calendar views facilitate seamless collaboration among team members and ensure that everyone is always on the same page, knowing who is responsible for what tasks and where each project stands. The customizable automations further streamline processes by automatically updating timelines, assigning tasks, sending notifications, and more.
We appreciate Monday.com’s emphasis on data visualization and reporting. Its customizable dashboards provide a high-level overview of HR pipelines and tasks, allowing you to quickly identify areas that require attention. You can also generate custom reports and analytics and share them with relevant stakeholders to make collaborative decisions.
If you’re an HR professional looking to streamline workflow management and enhance collaboration, we think Monday.com is worth checking. While it may not be a one-stop-shop for all HR functions, its flexibility, customization options, and user-friendly interface make it a valuable addition to any HR team's toolkit.
Monday.com’s customer list boasts big names like Lionsgate, Glossier, and Oxy.
Monday.com's free plan allows up to 2 users and 3 boards, while paid plans start at $9/month.
Best For
Monday.com HRIS is best for startups and small businesses due to its affordable pricing structure, which includes a free plan.
Most of my time was spent prospecting new clients and sourcing candidates for open roles. I maintained two main workflows: one for recruiting and one for sales.
For sales, I identified target companies, researched decision-makers, gathered contact information, and entered those details into Monday.com.
I used Monday.com's templates to refine my initial and follow-up outreach messages. Once I finalized a template, I used it to send bulk emails to client prospects. I followed a similar workflow for recruiting efforts.
- For CRM, it’s especially beneficial to small businesses, thanks to the templating functionality.
- The system is easy to navigate and integrates well with email.
- The support team provided helpful setup guidance and recommendations that sparked new ideas for targeting customers.
I started using Monday.com because I needed a way to track job candidates and sales targets, record the history of my conversations with both groups, create social media posts, and measure the performance of those posts.
Before implementing a CRM, I relied on multiple emails and platforms to manage communications, which made it difficult to track the history of each contact. I also wanted to streamline communications with templates to save time.
The system is robust and scalable, depending on your use case. I used Monday.com for about six months.
- Monday.com is best used by more than one team member, as it’s designed to support team collaboration and visibility.
- As a sole practitioner, I had to handle all of the setup and workflow design myself, which was time-consuming.
- As I expanded, I noticed limitations in available storage, and pricing increased accordingly.
- I needed to track hours for fractional HR clients, but the cost of adding that functionality was higher than I was willing to pay.
- I ended up using a free alternative for time tracking, which resulted in managing multiple systems.
I’ve used many systems with cluttered interfaces and complicated setup processes. Monday.com was easier to use, particularly when uploading existing candidates and clients. Compared to others, its customer support was excellent—I rarely experienced delays, and most issues were resolved the same day.
Start by assessing whether Monday.com is appropriate for the size and complexity of your business. If you manage many projects and workflows, it should be a strong contender. Ideally, assign one person to manage workflow development to avoid confusion from too many templates.
Evaluate all your current tools and determine whether Monday.com can consolidate them effectively. Cost savings from reducing tools can help justify a higher subscription tier with more features.
Originally designed as a collaboration tool, Monday.com has evolved into one of the leading CRMs on the market. Its templates and visually intuitive interface make it accessible for users across a range of technical skill levels.
Monday.com is great for marketing and sales organizations.
Organizations with numerous existing systems where consolidating tools into Monday.com would cause significant disruption.
Factorial
Factorial stands out for its modular, user-friendly HRIS that’s especially well-suited for globally distributed small and medium-sized businesses. We appreciated their growing suite, which now includes recruiting, core HR, performance, finance, and engagement features, all within a consistent interface.
PROS
- Modular system offers flexibility to add or remove features as needed.
- Strong internationalization with multi-country onboarding workflows.
- Growing finance suite supports expense OCR, project billing, and payroll handoff.
- AI features enhance candidate matching and performance reviews.
- Custom fields and workflows enable deeper employee data tracking.
- Flexible pricing scheme
- Complete HR Suite + ATS
- Strong SMB focus
- Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
CONS
- Payroll is only managed (not processed) so external integration is required.
- AI usage in recruiting and reviews may not suit all company cultures.
- Some newer modules, like Treasury, are still in beta.
- Larger U.S. enterprises may find it lacks full payroll capabilities.
- 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 has grown significantly in capability since our last demo, evolving from a lightweight HRIS into a modular platform that can support nearly every stage of the employee lifecycle. What stood out to us during our recent walkthrough was the balance between breadth and control. Each user logs into the same straightforward interface, but permissions and access are tightly managed by role, which creates a consistent experience without sacrificing security or flexibility.
The system is organized into functional modules, ranging from recruitment and time tracking to finance and performance management. Unlike some HRIS systems that attempt to cover too much and lose depth, we appreciated that Factorial’s modular architecture allows teams to toggle features on or off as needed. That makes it especially compelling for HR departments with limited headcount or those looking to consolidate multiple point solutions into a single platform.
In testing, we found the platform easy to navigate and pretty customizable. The core HR module offers rich employee profiles where admins can track competencies, certifications, and even add blank sections for ad hoc data, which is something we haven’t seen in many HR tools targeting SMBs. That kind of flexibility is particularly powerful for organizations with additional compliance or credentialing needs.
Another impressive update we saw was the expansion of the finance module. Factorial now includes expense management with OCR receipt scanning and multi-currency support, and they have started building out invoicing and project-based time tracking. These are early-stage features, but even now, they set Factorial apart from many SMB-focused HRIS platforms that stop short of finance integrations.
That said, we don’t think it’s the best fit for companies looking for a U.S.-centric payroll processor. Given that the system does not run payroll internally and only manages data preparation, this adds an extra step that many competitors, such as Paylocity and Paycor, have eliminated by offering fully embedded payroll.
Additionally, while Factorial offers a free trial, it is only accessible after completing a sales demo. It also lacks built-in rewards or recognition integrations for U.S. customers. Employees can issue kudos and social posts, but there is no direct tie-in with points systems or gift cards without custom workarounds. This limitation is worth noting for teams that rely heavily on structured employee recognition as part of their HR engagement strategy.
In terms of user access, the role-based permissions work well, and employees only see what is relevant to them. However, we did notice that reporting capabilities for HR data are still fairly light, which is expected from an SMB-centered HR platform. Similarly, although exporting data is simple, advanced analytics and dashboard customization are not on par with enterprise HRIS products.
Factorial HRIS is used globally by over 13,000 companies.
Factorial HRIS is available from $8 per user per month.
Best For
Factorial is a great choice for SMBs with global operations or complex workflows. It’s especially suitable for growing teams that want a modular, all-in-one HRIS and light finance suite with strong customization and AI features.
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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lanteria
Lanteria covers multiple areas of HR: Central repository for employee data, recruiting, performance, compensation, time and absence management, and learning. The system is highly bespoke and is built on Microsoft SharePoint, making it a favorite for 100+ employee organizations.
PROS
- Good customization capabilities with advanced configuration.
- Knowledgeable and responsive customer support.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft suite.
- Mobile-friendly self-service portal.
- Advanced reporting and analytics.
- Good customization capabilities with advanced configuration.
- Knowledgeable and responsive customer support.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft suite.
- Mobile-friendly self-service portal.
- Advanced reporting and analytics.
CONS
- No in-app communication feature yet.
- There’s a learning curve with initial setup and configuration.
- Payment on an annual basis.
- No in-app communication feature yet.
- There’s a learning curve with initial setup and configuration.
- Payment on an annual basis.
Lanteria is not the only vendor that offers a full HR suite, but it’s by far the one and only that is based on Microsoft SharePoint. This enables the HRIS to not only have a deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem but also inherit the security level and the familiar UI of SharePoint—a huge plus for long-term users of Microsoft products.
The ability to FULLY customize HR process flow, be it onboarding, offboarding, employee suspension, and anything in between, has long been known as Lanteria’s signature. Additionally, you can modify the user interface with your logo and brand, add custom fields to match your employee data sets, and create automation workflows to match your internal HR processes.
We also like the varying user permission levels Lanteria offers. By default, you get HR, local HR, manager, and employee, which are sufficient for many already. If you need further customized roles like payroll or training, you can do so right within your admin account.
Manager self-service is another cool touch of the HR software. This allows managers to have quick access to their direct and employee data, absence requests, performance review feedback, and development plans.
Lanteria’s employee self-service portal is pretty solid, too. Both the web version and mobile apps are user-friendly. Plus, employees can access and update their data, request time off, check approval, and do feedback within a few fill-ins and clicks.
However, as a trade-off of its rich feature set and customization, implementing Lanteria can take some time, typically two to three months, for a standard set-up. Like most mid-market HR software, Lanteria’s pricing is on an annual basis and only available post-demo (but the vendor is willing to provide alternative payment schedules upon request and/or discussion).
Lacking in-app communication is another drawback of this HR solution, though a version with enhanced Microsoft Teams integration is coming by the end of 2024, and unfortunately, support in Spanish is also not available yet.
Lanteria HR has been used by over 300 companies in over 40 countries.
We received a quote indicating that Lanteria's pricing structure begins at a base rate of $8 per employee per month.
Best For
Lanteria is best-suited for companies with at least 100 employees (being Microsoft users is a plus) to manage all their HR tasks on one platform.
We used Lanteria in three ways. Our HR department was divided into three categories: learning, performance, and talent. Each team used Lanteria’s specific functions to match their use cases. Lanteria allowed us to create goals for employees and set them on a career path aligned with those goals. We were also able to develop learning catalogs and plan the training process for new hires and active employees who required continuous learning. Additionally, we used it to source candidates, manage job openings, and allow applicants to apply through the career portal.
- User-friendly: The platform’s user experience and design ensure that you don't feel overwhelmed while working.
- Comprehensive: Lanteria makes managing the entire HR lifecycle simple.
- Seamless integration: Lanteria allows for a smooth integration process, making it easy to add new features over time.
I worked at a fashion startup in the HR department. We researched various HR platforms to find one that fit our needs and preferences. Lanteria met and exceeded our expectations for an HR platform. While I was on contract with this startup, we implemented the platform in February 2023, and it is still in use today. Lanteria provides a wide range of resources to meet a company's needs.
While my team and I prefer this platform, we believe Lanteria’s technical support could be improved, given the broad range of features. The integration support, both during and after implementation, needs to be more robust so customers feel supported throughout their experience.
Lanteria stands out from its competitors because it offers a wide range of features at a reasonable price. I also believe Lanteria is a better option because it can work well for companies of various sizes, team dynamics, and industry sectors.
People should carefully evaluate any HR platform before selecting one, as these systems handle sensitive information. Before choosing Lanteria, I recommend ensuring that its integration options align with your company’s needs and confirming that you will use all of the services it offers, as the platform provides various features.
Lanteria has evolved to meet its customers’ needs by offering more services, such as learning management, performance tracking, and more.
Lanteria is well-suited for most organizations but is particularly good for companies with 200 or fewer employees.
Lanteria would not be ideal for companies that need to set up the platform quickly. Given the current support system, I recommend implementing it at a slower pace to ensure full understanding of its features.
Remote
Remote HRIS is one of the few platforms we’ve known that can manage various employment types within a single system. The HRIS consolidates onboarding, time tracking, expense management, and employee data into one hub, while its emerging automation and reporting give HR teams more control and visibility.
PROS
- Onboarding/offboarding, time and attendance, expense management, and employee profiles included.
- Global coverage for direct employees, provided you have a legal entity in their country.
- Automation tools (in beta) with trigger-based workflows and RemoteAI.
- Detailed reporting: org health, workforce breakdown, and span of control.
- Employee self-service mobile app improves employee autonomy.
- Fast and compliant payroll in 170+ countries.
- Live chat support with local payroll experts.
- Flexible, localized benefit packages.
- Flat-rate pricing structure, no deposits or hidden fees.
- Mobile app streamlines expense reimbursement with autofill from receipt photos.
CONS
- No third-party time-tracking integrations or bulk time uploads.
- Stand-alone HRIS does not manage compliance, benefits, or tax withholding for direct employees.
- $350 fee for involuntary offboarding.
- Doesn’t have a free trial.
- Redundant for organizations solely recruiting within the U.S.
- Help center documentation isn’t easiest to understand.
During our evaluation of Remote HRIS, we found that its greatest strength lies in unifying management for direct employees, EOR hires, and contractors. This can be a huge plus for global companies with their own legal entities, as all employee records and processes will be controlled within a single platform.
We found the onboarding and offboarding tools to be efficient and intuitive, with approval flows and role-based permissions that made it easy to control who can manage employee data. There is also an employee self-serve mobile app, which, in our testing, performed well in handling personal details, time-off requests, and expenses without requiring HR intervention.
While still in beta, the automations feature shows real promise. Setting up workflows felt pretty straightforward. Particularly, we could select triggers, such as new hires or agreement updates, and link them to specific actions like sending notifications via Slack or email.
Furthermore, there is a handy AI feature called RemoteAI that allows users to create conditions using natural language prompts. For instance, an automatic alert can be set up for “time off requests longer than 5 days,” which adds a layer of convenience that is not often seen in early-stage workflow tools.
Reporting and analytics are good, too. We could quickly access workforce breakdowns, view organizational structure, and even track the manager's span of control. Additionally, the ability to filter and customize these reports (e.g., by department or tenure) made them more actionable during our tests.
However, it’s a bummer that Remote HRIS doesn’t handle compliance, benefits, or tax withholding for direct employees if used as a stand-alone tool, meaning companies still need to manage these aspects themselves unless you hire people through Remote’s Employer of Record service.
The lack of integrations with third-party time-tracking systems is another clear gap, as it forces companies to either deal with manual work or give up on their time and attendance software to use Remote’s. While this doesn’t overshadow Remote HRIS’s core strengths, it’s worth weighing when comparing this platform with full-fledged competitors.
Cost-wise, Remote’s HRIS is pretty affordable, but the $350 offboarding fee is definitely something to consider for companies with higher turnover rates.
Fountain, Commercetools, Soundcloud, Oxfam, Gitlab.
Starts at $12 per month per employee.
Best For
Remote’s HRIS works best for companies managing global teams of direct hires, contractors, and EOR employees.
Rippling
Rippling is an HRIS platform with a pleasing design and thoughtful UX that handles everything between onboarding and offboarding.
PROS
- All-in-one HRIS platform for employee management, PEO services, and IT management.
- 500 integrations.
- US and global full-service payroll.
- Responsive chat support.
- Straightforward payroll function.
- Has a mobile app.
- Does a great job catching compliance issues.
- All-in-one platform for employee management + PEO services offered, and even a suite of other IT products
- With 500 integrations, it’s very likely that they integrate with other key tools from your tech stack.
- Operates globally with any currency
- Workflow automation
- Analytics opportunities
- Provides a holistic view of company outflows—headcount costs included
CONS
- Very SMB-oriented.
- No phone support.
- Decent prices for the core HR tools, yet extra features (sold as add-ons) can be too pricey for some.
- The reporting function is not the most user-friendly.
- Some shortcomings are reported with benefit carriers, and users are limited to their partner ecosystem.
- Total buy-in to Rippling is essential
- Very SMB-oriented, in case you’re a larger company.
- New features tend to be buggy in ways that tech teams are not accustomed to fixing
Rippling has gained traction with their product that focuses on helping SMBs manage HR and IT news with one platform.
Rippling’s focus is on automation and ease of use. In response to user feedback about problematic UX/UI, Rippling made significant improvements to the design of the web and app-based versions. The new design is a massive improvement and a big hit with our user testers.
Proxy, Dwell, Superhuman, Expensify, Checkr.
Rippling pricing starts at $8 per user per month. Rippling uses a per-employee-per-month pricing subscription model and has monthly base fees for some of its products.
Best For
Rippling works best for small and mid-sized businesses looking to manage HR, IT, and payroll in one place. The HRIS’s average customer size is between 25-150 employees.
As the Head of People Operations, my daily workflows rely on Rippling. Overseeing the employee lifecycle requires me to use a combination of onboarding/offboarding, reporting, benefits administration, performance management, and general employee data management on a weekly basis. From an onboarding/offboarding perspective, Rippling not only serves as the home base for information but also communicates timely and effective tasks to the necessary parties, ensuring a clear and compliance-first process. With Rippling’s ability to relay information to integrated accounts like Guideline and Carta, my role leans more into oversight, allowing me to focus strategically elsewhere.
Rippling centralizes the majority of the HR processes (+ Finance and IT, if you chose) that would otherwise be spread across multiple systems. For example, our company’s flex benefits, COBRA, and ACA were either managed with a carrier outside of our broker or manually by us and now Rippling handles the administration of all these areas in consolidation with our other health insurance benefits.
The strength of Rippling’s integration library allows for consistent and regular communication to and from Rippling for processes that are not directly managed within the system. For example, prior to Rippling, we manually onboarded and offboarded employees to/from Guideline. With Rippling, the systems speak to each other and manage the employee’s lifecycle with our company-sponsored 401k.
A highly beneficial aspect of Rippling is the workflow feature. Workflows have allowed us to set up Rippling in a way that allows it to speak within the system, initiate processes, and communicate to people/external systems. Rippling is a high-tech HRIS and a constantly progressing platform that meets the needs of today’s operations teams (HR, IT, Finance included).
We selected Rippling to implement a strong HRIS while centralizing other HR operations. By implementing Rippling, we were able to solve and improve several areas. First, we consolidated historical employee data from three to four different platforms into one, allowing us to use Rippling reporting to provide company trends. Second, we simplified benefits administration by transferring health insurance, Flex Benefits, COBRA, and ACA management to the Rippling platform. Third, Rippling offers a cleaner, more centralized, and highly integrated solution for our HRIS needs. I have been actively using Rippling for six months.
Rippling is a complex system. For it to be fully functional to the best of its ability it needs to be given the time to implement and set up in great detail. Knowing this, the implementation should have been much more hands-on. I’d recommend that whoever is leading the implementation internally has experience with other systems, so they know what to look for.
Rippling does not have an employee “notes” section. As the place I rely on for the most up-to-date employee job and personal information, it is missing the ability to keep it up to date with employee relations information directly in their profile. This is a feature I have experience with in other HRIS’s and is a missed opportunity in the Rippling platform.
Unlike BambooHR, a competitor, Rippling does not offer a “missing data” report. To find out who within the company is missing information, we will have to discover it when it is flagged during another unrelated process. I think this puts us at risk if we are unknowingly missing key information or signatures from any employee.
Rippling is a fully functional operations system with a large integration library. It provides HR with the necessary tools and offers Finance and IT tools. Incorporating various clouds and add-ons allows Rippling to carry an administrative weight heavier than its competitors.
Rippling is a complex system, so you should be prepared to invest time and attention to building a strong foundation during the implementation process. It can do a lot, but it needs to be built on the backend for the front end to function at its best. Since many tools within Rippling rely on one another, approach it with a big-picture philosophy for your organization’s intentions. Be clear about what you need during the discovery process, as Rippling has many features, but not all may be necessary for your company.
Rippling continues to introduce small improvements to existing features and entire tools, like performance reviews, and exclusive highly functional built-in integrations, like Carta. These developments are likely to continue as Rippling gains popularity in HR and Finance.
Rippling is highly flexible and can be strong for a wide range of companies. It can suit new startup companies (less than 50 employees) but may be best for 70+ and growing SMBs.
Businesses with more than 500 employees may outgrow the system.
Sage People
Sage People is a scalable and highly configurable cloud HR solution that helps manage People processes for global workforces. The tool features a recruitment module as well automation for essential HR workflows.
PROS
- Good range of workflows for globally-distributed teams
- Lots of local expertise from payroll and compliance consultants
- Good range of workflows for globally-distributed teams
- Lots of local expertise from payroll and compliance consultants
CONS
- Not many integrations
- Some users have found the mobile app to lack core functionalities
- Not many integrations
- Some users have found the mobile app to lack core functionalities
Sage's HRIS is a customizable core HR suite built on top of Salesforce. Their product covers applicants through alumni and is a great option for companies in the small to medium enterprise range (150 - 5k employees) that have a global presence. They boast a 95% retention rate across their 500 customers, the result of a broad product that also integrates with the rest of Sage's ERP suite.
CRU, Lovehoney, Showbrook Bank, Enigma Industrial Services
SagePeople usually charge between $12 and $16 per employee per month.
Best For
SagePeople is best for global and/or distributed teams, especially those that use Salesforce.
I use Sage People,
- to record employees and all their employment history.
- to give employees access to their own information page.
- to provide various reports for internal teams and human resources teams.
- to feed databases and generate human resources dashboards.
- for managing employee databases from various countries and integration with other internal applications like DocuSign, Bonusly, payroll, etc.
I like Sage People,
- as it has many features for example it generates extremely comprehensive and complete reports.
- as it has tools that allow me to batch-load data in a very easy and practical way.
- because it has very complete and functional support available to the user.
The tool was acquired for the registration database of employees. It was necessary to have a tool that could globally attend several countries. The tool had to be integrated with several applications like slack, DocuSign, financial force, etc. The system needs to be very complete in terms of reports and automation. I have been using the system for more than 1 year and 3 months.
Despite being complete the system has some limitations and in some countries with specific legislation is difficult to adapt to local rules. I can say that the system is quite complex and therefore some activities are quite difficult to perform and require some steps of attention.
I can say that the system has a lot of integrations with several other applications and platforms. Sage also stands out for its complete functionality in terms of reports. I also see the support offered to understand the system as a great differential, it is very complete.
Take into consideration a tool that can be globally adapted to many countries. Consider a tool that is widely possible to connect to other human resources applications and systems such as benefits, payroll, and other applications. Also, consider a tool that is easy to use and has a potential range of reports to generate.
I highlight that SAGE has released an updated version that can be used in parallel to the classic version, they call it Lightening with a more modern interface and some improved features.
In my point of view this tool is ideal for global organizations, with a human resources department that looks and takes care of your database and needs consistency and a reliable system with the ability to manage large volumes of data and generate practical reports and dashboards and requires integration with other internal systems in the company.
Small companies that do not need such a complex and complete system may not make much sense to use SAGE.
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UKG
We picked UKG because their platform represents decades of collective experience in HR ops and tech. UKG was the company formed from the merger of two well-established HR titans: Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated.
PROS
- Highly reliable, robust, well-thought-out suite of HR tools and 70 years cumulative experience in people tech
- Deep knowledge and context related to HCM and workforce management technology.
- Super robust product, packing years of experience with HCM and Workforce Management technology
- Since they offer UKG Pro for HRMS and UKG Ready for workforce management, you could arrive at a combination of products that suits many of your HR needs from the same set of tools.
CONS
- Lacks a unique selling point or specific focus compared to newer tools, making it less suitable for highly specialized or niche businesses.
- Relatively pricey, particularly for businesses with limited budgets.
- Most features are built for standard business operations, so niche industries or one-off needs cannot be accommodated.
- The platform may be overwhelming for those seeking a limited set of specific use cases
- Compared to newer tools, UKG Pro and UKG Ready tend to miss a unique selling point or a specific focus on a certain type of business. While they work great for bigger companies in all sorts of industries, very niche operations might have a hard time adapting to the tool.
- Similarly, UKG offers many solutions under one umbrella, so it's not the best fit if you're looking for only a handful of specific use cases.
Specializing in core HR management functions, UKG is a highly renowned and widely adopted HCM suite. Over the years, it has undergone extensive testing and continuous development, resulting in an impressive array of modules that fully cover the standard set of HR tech necessities, such as payroll, benefits management, onboarding, and time-tracking.
This tool is highly configurable, allowing users to customize the platform to their specific administrative needs. This adaptability, coupled with the reliable support from the Ultimate Community, are the characteristics that impressed us most.
Admin users will appreciate the fine-grained control over user access, which enables robust data security by enabling tailored access permissions for different individuals and user groups.
Overall, the UI is visually appealing, but new users may be overwhelmed by option-saturated screens. To their credit, this overabundance of the interface signals a wealth of features and options.
The Ultimate Community feature offers a massive repository of information and insights drawn from the questions and answers of other users. Beyond being a simple record, it also allows users to seek assistance and interact with other current platform users, fostering a sense of collaboration.
This platform is great for most businesses with typical HR ops needs, but it is unable to address the needs of highly specialized teams. This shortcoming applies to edge cases, but lacking this adaptability means they cannot compete with some of the newer, more agile tools in this space.
It follows that the cost of the platform is aligned with their typical customer: the standardized organization operating in a well-known field. Some reports indicate that the starting price for every 5 users is approximately $600 annually, but with no pricing info available online we were unable to confirm.
Tesla, Marriott, Yamaha, Aramark, Puma, Sony Music, Samsung.
Based on our research, UKG Pro licenses start at around $600.00 per year for every 5 users.
Best For
UKG is a top HR software solution for companies with 50+ employees in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia/Pacific regions.
I’ll use UKG Pro every working day. Our primary use for it is payroll and timekeeping. Even still, we use a myriad of the other features. This includes employee benefits administration, hiring and onboarding, compensation management, talent management, and a few others. This program also provides a lot of flexibility and freedom in its application.
UKG Pro’s greatest strength lies in its full-suite of payroll and HR tools. It’s all blended together in a “sandbox” environment so users can freely explore the system. In addition to these, it also includes extensive reporting tools which makes work much easier and quicker.
My company transitioned to UKG Pro after frustrations with our former HRIS. One of UKG’s greatest strengths is the program’s ease of use. Not only is it easy for our HR representatives to use, but for our employees as well. We’ve been using UKG Pro for a little over a year now and already it’s proven to be leaps and bounds above some other systems I’ve used. With UKG Pro, you’re getting an excellent value for your money.
UKG Pro is on the expensive side and, to boot, they’re not transparent about their pricing. I also did not appreciate the lack of a free or “trial” mode to try out the product before spending so much for it. Also, scaling up (or down) can be cumbersome as a custom set up is required.
UKG Pro is far more intuitive than other HRI Systems I’ve used in the past. It’s among my favorites for its ease of use and customizability.
When buying this type of tool you want to pay close attention to what is important for your company. You’ll always want to take into consideration pricing. But beyond this, look at the features provided. Does it include a full-suite? Does it integrate well with other systems you’re currently using? You’ll want to really do your research.
I can’t speak too heavily to its evolution. I can acknowledge that they have implemented a few smaller quality of life changes to make the experience run smoother.
This is a good software for larger, very typically structured, organizations. If you’ve got more than 200 employees, this software will make your life easier.
Smaller organizations, namely those with less than 150 employees, should consider other options. UKG Pro is among the most expensive HRIS I’ve used.
Kallidus
Modern and user-friendly, the Kallidus platform stands out as one of the few HRISs tailored to meet the needs of remote workplaces. Two standout elements are its exceptional onboarding capabilities and efficient workflow automation.
PROS
- The platform maintains a comprehensive record of all HR process changes, making it invaluable for audits and data compliance needs.
- It enables talent development through e-learning modules and gamified courses.
- The platform offers remarkable flexibility which makes it a great fit for small and scaling teams.
- The platform keeps track of all changes done to HR processes; useful in case of audits and to ensure data compliance.
- Includes talent-development features through the e-learning module, such as gamification of certain courses.
- Good bet for small and scaling teams given the flexibility of the platform.
- The tool also has remote team-focused features process auto-assigning.
CONS
- Some reports suggest the support team is slow to respond
- Users occasionally encountered troubles with integrations
- Integrations are somewhat limited and must be handled by staff that is comfortable working with the API or webhooks
- Several users have reported that the support team can be slow to respond to requests for assistance.
- Although it might not be completely on Sapling's hands, other users during are research reported troubles with the integrations to software like ADP.
- Additionally, the integrations are somewhat limited and you need to work with either an API or webhooks with some of the most trusted HR tools out there.
Although Kallidus (formerly Sapling) started as an HR onboarding platform, It has quickly grown into a remote-first HRIS with an impressive client list. Its full product keeps garnering zealous users and adding features, currently offering tools like people admin, an intranet, a survey and feedback module, profile templates, and all sorts of integrations.
One of this HRIS’ main strengths is its workflow automation. Their goal is to help People teams improve the employee experience while saving man-hours and bringing remote teams together.
Coupa, Warby Parker, Webflow, Digital Ocean, PagerDuty
The annual fee for Kallidus starts at $4,000.
Best For
Kallidus works best for HR teams at mid-sized organizations (50-2000 employees.)
Namely
Namely’s comprehensive HR software packs features for onboarding, talent management, time-off tracking, and performance management. On top of that, companies can opt for their managed services for payroll and benefits administration.
PROS
- The majority of users can navigate Namely without any issues. They find the UI to be intuitive and clean, even though the platform has lots of features.
- Namely’s employee onboarding module gets a lot of praise from users. It features an easy-to-follow wizard, which helps new hires get on quickly and be clear on what they need to do.
- Besides the platform’s built-in features for data management, recruiting, onboarding, time off tracking, payroll, and benefits administration, there are also managed payroll and benefits administration services you can opt for to reduce the burden on your internal teams.
- The majority of users are able to navigate Namely without any issues. They find the UI to be intuitive and clean, despite the fact that the platform has lots of features.
- Namely’s employee onboarding module gets a alot of praise from users. It features an easy-to-follow wizard, which helps new hires get on quickly and be clear on what they need to do.
- Besides the platform’s built in features for data management, recruiting, onboarding, time off tracking, payroll and benefits administration, there are also managed payroll and benefits administration services you can opt for to reduce the burden on your internal teams.
CONS
- Namely primarily operates in the U.S., so if you’re looking for a global payroll and benefits provider, this platform isn’t for you.
- Though many praise the platform’s ease of use, implementing it takes a long time. Namely’s own team says that an average implementation takes between 6-8 weeks.
- For a platform of Namely’s size, there currently aren’t any features that focus on employee development such as skill training, career pathing, succession planning, etc.
- You’ll need to check beforehand if Namely can work with your existing benefits provider if you have one. There have been a few reports (but not few enough to ignore) about Namely’s team convincing customers to change their benefits provider to providers that charged them more.
- Namely primarily operates in the U.S., which means if you’re looking for a global payroll and benefits provider, this platform isn’t for you.
- Though many praise the platform’s ease of use, it does take long to implement it. Namely’s own team says that an average implementation takes between 6-8 weeks.
- For a platform of Namely’s size, there currently aren’t any features that focus on employee development such as skill training, career pathing, succession planning etc.
- You’ll need to check beforehand if Namely can work with your existing benefits provider, if you have one. There have been a few reports (but not few enough to ignore) about Namely’s team convincing customers to change their benefits provider to providers that charged them more.
Namely has quickly become a top HR software for the mid-market. With built-in modules, Namely facilitates several HR processes, including employee data management, payroll processing, benefits administration, time and attendance tracking, and performance management. This integrated approach increases efficiency and reduces the need for multiple systems.
Besides what’s visible from the employer or admin side, Namely empowers employees to access and update their information, request time off, and view pay stubs through a dedicated employee self-service portal. Another near thing about Namely is its robust reporting and analytics module, giving you the reports you need and insights on the latest market trends.
Greenhouse, MacStadium, and OneLogin are among Namely’s 1000+ customers.
The cost of Namely is typically between $18 and $26 per employee per month.
Best For
Namely is best for mid-sized companies in any industry, but mostly in the United States.
We use Namely to manage daily core HR functions. It is used for benefits administration, processing payroll, and maintaining up-to-date employee records. Namely also helps with managing performance reviews and tracking PTO requests.
The platform allows us to improve communication across the team and maintain compliance with regulations. Its interface makes it easy to stay organized and efficiently manage tasks.
Namely has a clean, easy-to-navigate platform that is user-friendly. It is accessible for both employees and HR professionals. The tool includes compliance features like reporting and ACA tracking to help meet regulatory requirements. It integrates with third-party apps, including accounting software, which ensures smooth operations across business areas.
At my previous company, we used Namely primarily to streamline our HR processes, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee data management. Our previous system was mostly paper-based and very inefficient. We needed a centralized solution that could handle our growing business.
Namely has a user-friendly interface that has improved onboarding, HR management, and overall communication. We’ve been using it for almost two years, and it has significantly improved compliance and efficiency.
Although Namely is user-friendly, some features—such as advanced reporting and customization—have a steeper learning curve. The cost can be high compared to other HR software, especially for smaller businesses. The mobile app lacks some functionalities of the desktop version, which can hinder accessibility for HR management on the go.
Namely offers a user-friendly, all-in-one HR platform for mid-sized companies. It combines payroll, talent management, employee benefits, and compliance into one solution.
Compared to competitors like Workday and ADP, Namely is more customizable and simpler. Many users appreciate its strong customer support. While other platforms may offer more advanced features, Namely focuses on simplicity and ease of use.
Consider ease of use, integration capabilities, and scalability. An intuitive interface is important for daily operations and efficient onboarding. Scalability ensures the tool can grow with your company and adapt to changing needs. Integration with systems like performance management and payroll is important for smooth data flow. Pricing and customer support should also be considered to ensure long-term value.
Namely has continued to improve its platform to better serve mid-sized companies. It has expanded to include enhanced benefits, payroll, and compliance tools. Customization options have been improved, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs. User experience enhancements have made the software more efficient and intuitive. Namely has also focused on strengthening customer support to assist users as the platform grows.
Namely is well-suited for most mid-sized businesses, HR managers, recruiters, business owners/CEOs, payroll managers, and benefits coordinators.
Namely may not be ideal for smaller businesses, organizations with minimal HR needs, highly specialized industries, or companies with limited budgets.
Does Your Company Actually Need An HRIS?
While tiny businesses may be able to handle all of their employee information in spreadsheets, an HRIS becomes increasingly essential as your business grows. If you’re still not sure if an HRIS is right for your business, here are some key signs that you should be thinking about implementing one:
- You Have More than 25 Employees: While 25 employees is not a rigid threshold (a startup with under 20 employees can still benefit from HR tools), it is an excellent place to start thinking about using an HRIS. With more than 25 employees, keeping track of data becomes a chore, and at a certain point, it becomes impractical (and error-prone!) to manually enter and update all employee data.
- Many of Your Jobs Require Licensing or Certification: If you are in an industry where employees require up-to-date certifications for legal reasons, staying on top of the schedule is critical. An HRIS can streamline the process by setting up automated reminders when certificates are due to expire.
- You’re Growing Fast: Companies face changing legal requirements as they pass different size thresholds. Keeping up with the legal requirements of a growing company is much easier to do automatically with HR software than by hand in spreadsheets.
- You Want Your HR Team to Play a More Strategic Role: Having one easily searchable system that stores employee information, runs payroll, and handles benefits saves a lot of time for your HR team. It allows them to focus on more strategic projects for your business, like increasing employee engagement and retention or improving organizational culture.
- You Manage Hourly Employees: With hourly employees, you often have to track hours and manage changing schedules. This is another process that is made infinitely easier with an HIRS system.
- You Need Custom Workforce Data Reports: As businesses become increasingly data-driven, accurate and readily available people analytics becomes more and more critical. Many HRIS solutions have features that enable you to hone in on data-driven recruitment and gain better ideas of your company's health.
Key Benefits of HR Software
We like to start with the “why?” behind any piece of software. With the HRIS, many assume that the answer is simple: it’s a must-have because a database that tracks your employee information is necessary.
In fact, buying an HRIS is not the no-brainer choice it’s made out to be. It is a major strategic decision that requires a lot of time, thought, and buy-in, and in some cases, it’s just not the right tool for the job. That said, we’ve seen HRIS systems offer tremendous benefits when they are adopted at the right place and time. Here are the key ones:
Save Time with Automation
By automating recurring tasks like benefits, payroll administration, new employee orientation, time tracking, and attendance management, your HRIS helps make tedious HR processes quick, simple, and less prone to error.
According to Nucleus research, companies that do use HR automation reported 67% faster new hire onboarding and 90% more time savings on admin work.
Improve the Employee Experience
An HRIS doesn’t just benefit your business and bottom line. It’s also a direct asset for your employees. With a user-friendly employee portal, your employees can navigate benefits options easily, review and update personal information, manage requests for time off, and much more.
Employees who feel their employers’s onboarding software is effective are five times more likely to report high levels of engagement
Employee Performance
Beyond simply reviewing conduct and achievements, your HR system can drive employee performance.
Performance reviews, engagement surveys, performance management capabilities, and customizable integrations with other tools can all be used to build culture and turn company values from ideas to action. Statistically, 72% of HR generalists engaging in self-service HRIS reported a lighter workload.
Increase Compliance
If you are careful with the setup and initial data entry, HR software can significantly improve your business’ data accuracy and accessibility.
In addition to helping out in a pinch, data accuracy, and task automation support compliance year-round. Automation results in fewer human errors. Many vendors do a great job of staying on top of changes in laws and regulations, keeping you in the loop, and updating their products accordingly.
Better Organization
If a team’s starting point is pencil and paper, using an HR system will alleviate some data security risks and the hassle of sifting through physical files. For teams who have moved beyond the paper files to a patchwork of spreadsheets and other tools, buying a complete HR suite will help keep everything in the same place.
Stacey Richey (VP of People at Corvus Insurance, 18+ years in HR) shared her personal experience with this problem, and how an HRIS solved it.
Early on, her company used multiple tools for people processes: one tool for payroll, one for employee perks and benefits, one for talent development, one for performance management, etc. Does this sound familiar? She knew it was time for an HRIS. First, she identified the needed features and set her team off with a headstart and a list of non-negotiables.
The result: they identified the right tool for the right price, and today, they save hours each month by not having to switch from one app to another, build integrations, or transfer info.
Streamline the Hiring Process
Some HR software tools can also act as lightweight applicant tracking systems (ATS), and some have a full-fledged ATS built-in.
These features allow you to easily collect resumes, review candidate info, and speed up employee onboarding and training, providing new hires with a seamless transition into your company. Custom workflows also help ensure the onboarding process does not overlook key steps or necessary documents.
Business Intelligence
Analyzing data metrics becomes increasingly important as your business grows. By creating custom reports, your HRIS system makes it easy for your HR team to analyze hiring costs, calculate turnover, and employee engagement, and ultimately use data to help inform business decisions.
Workforce Management
The top HRIS comes from best-in-class HR technology companies. Progressive, forward-thinking HR departments can count on an HRIS platform for human capital management.
For example, employee engagement is sometimes built right into an HRIS or HRMS (human resource management software), along with intuitive employee onboarding, easy-to-access payroll and benefits, mobile first-time and attendance, and payroll management. This is done through a cloud-based service that automatically updates as new modules roll out.
Common Pitfalls When Buying and Using HRIS Software
Making mistakes is a great way to learn, but with this complex and expensive software, sometimes it’s best to learn from the missteps of others.
The best way to avoid buying the wrong HR software system is to ask the right questions. Keep this in mind as you start working with vendors – check out our suggested questions below, and take note of these shortcomings that are typical traits of bad HRIS software.
Lack of Employee Self-Service
If your HRIS doesn’t allow employees to update their personal information or choose their own benefits plans, then it’s not saving your human resources team time. The tools that offer the greatest returns always include employee self-service capabilities.
Inability to integrate with other systems: If you want to save time with an HRIS, make sure it integrates with your current tech stack. Manually transferring data from one system to another is the exact opposite of saving time.
Take, for example, the integration of a standalone ATS. Though there are some exceptions, most HRIS platforms don’t include an ATS that is sophisticated for high-volume hiring. Remember this as you shop: chances are good that your ATS and HRIS will be neighbors but not roommates. You can ensure they get along if you think ahead about integrations.
Lack of Data Accuracy
Your HRIS is only as good as the data it stores. A system full of inaccurate data is useless and potentially hazardous, so make sure your HRIS takes measures to ensure accuracy. This applies to data entered manually or via API from another HR software or recruiting solution – be sure that your HRIS takes this step seriously.
Lack of Consideration of the Application’s Limits
The right HRIS for a small business and/or a startup is not the right HRIS for a 1000-employee company. Your company’s current size must be a major factor in your decision, and if your business is growing fast, you’ll want an HR system that can grow with it.
For very large teams, the options are relatively limited compared to what is available for small groups. This owes to the fact that the latest and greatest tech often comes from small, boundary-breaking startups that are too curious (and sometimes distractible) to focus on making incremental improvements to the feature set needed by enterprise-size organizations.
Incorrect or Rushed Implementation
Take your time. There are few things worse than technical debt, one of which is technical debt that results from preventable mistakes.
Do not rush the data transfer process when setting up a new HRIS. If you cut corners, data will likely be entered or transferred incorrectly. Without a doubt, you will meet that data again during a frustrating and preventable moment when you discover you’ve entered the wrong pay rate or manager permissions.
It’s advisable to get a consultant if you can afford it. Someone who “has been there, done that” when transitioning data from one system to another can be advantageous. And, of course, if your new HRIS comes with a ton of vendor support, use it all! Many companies offer tremendous support to their new clients to ensure a smooth implementation of their platform.
Non-user-Friendly Platform
An HRIS is only effective if employees actually use it. A poorly designed platform may generate net-negative productivity and net-positive frustration. Make sure your new system is designed for the humans who will use it: it must be easy on the eyes with good UX in all environments in which it will be used, whether an app, browser, or mobile web.
Insufficient Data Security
It will surprise nobody to read that a data breach on an HRIS is very, very bad. They store scads of sensitive, personal employee information, so even a minor instance of compromised security could cause irreparable damage to your business.
Be cautious and methodical when setting up your system’s security measures – and remember the sometimes blurry difference between your HR pros and your IT pros. And one rule of thumb: be weary of vendors with fewer than 20 employees listed on LinkedIn.
Insufficient Planning
HR teams who have not sufficiently mapped out the process of installing and introducing their HRIS will face tremendous struggles getting their solution off the ground. To prevent this, your team should create a concrete timeline that outlines each implementation phase in great detail.
Communicate with the relevant set of employees/managers at each implementation stage. Ask and expect a lot of questions, and remember: no rushing!
Having led many HRIS implementations, Richey has “been there, done that''. In her experience, she found that one of the biggest mistakes companies make is purchasing a product that works only for where they are today, with little thought of where they may be in the near or distant future.
“Think of all the possible changes your company might experience in the next five years and plan for that.” She shared. “You want a system that scales with the company to ensure you won't switch HRIS for a long time.”
Key Features of an HRIS
A clever way to save money on buying an HRIS is to think about your goals and codify them into an organizer spreadsheet to make notes throughout your vetting process. It’s worth thinking through some of the key HR software features. Here are a few you’ll want to consider.
- Employee Self-Service Portal: Employee data management can be a lot of work for your HR department. The self-service function of many human resource management systems helps eliminate this challenge by enabling employees to view and edit their information, including benefits selection, time off, and more through a self-service portal.
- Time and Attendance Management: An HRIS simplifies tracking time off and planned and unplanned absences due to sickness, injury, maternity leave, or unauthorized leave.
- Onboarding Capability: While onboarding typically involves a lot of paperwork, with an HRIS, employees can complete much of the onboarding process electronically, including open enrollment. Most HRIS platforms even have electronic signature functionality, allowing employees to sign scanned documents that can be stored in the system.
- Custom Reporting: As HR increasingly relies on data and trends, it’s crucial to have a system that can create reports to help improve business decisions. A powerful people analytics system takes the manual labor out of preparing reports and replaces it with empirical evaluation speed, accuracy, and objectivity.
- Learning Management: Though a learning management system (LMS) may be baked into your HRIS software, it's much more likely that, like the ATS, you’ll use this tool as a standalone solution. Whether integrated or built-in, the LMS is critical for managing educational materials during employee onboarding and throughout the employee lifecycle.
- Employee Database: The employee database of an HRIS allows you to store all employee records and information in a centralized location. The data is searchable, making finding details on employee salary and position, performance appraisal histories, disciplinary histories, and training records easier.
- Recruiting Functions: Many HR solutions allow you to air job postings, conduct interviews, store resumes, and transfer information when a new candidate is hired. While not all HRIS have their applicant tracking system features, they often allow native ATS integration so that you can transfer new-hire data to your system quickly and smoothly.
- Training and Development Management: Tracking employee training is essential, particularly in an industry where employees require specific certifications or licensing. An HRMS lets you see what training employees need or want and helps you stay current on any required recertifications.
- Central Storage for Company Documents: As a centralized location for any information your employees might need, your HRIS should be where employees can find HR policies, employee handbooks, emergency evacuation procedures, safety guidelines, and more.
- Benefits Administration: Your HR software should enable employees to enroll in health insurance, manage their 401(k), and track their benefits information. Many systems also offer payroll software and services, so keep your employee benefits information auto-updated though often, the payroll features cost extra.
- Compensation management: To reduce the risk of error when handling employee compensation, HRISs often offer payroll and compensation management functions. This allows you to handle many forms of incentive compensation, including salaries, paid time off, overtime pay, and bonus programs automatically.
HRIS System Pricing
Pricing of HR software depends on the breadth of the feature set offered and the size of your organization.
- Typically, it is charged on a per-employee/per-month basis. You can find an HRIS that will charge you $2/employee/month and solutions that run as high as $30/30/employee/month (plus additional fees for payroll and benefits, as well as extra modules for hiring and onboarding).
- As with many things in life, you get what you pay for. If you just need to check the box, a cheaper solution makes sense. Suppose you want to use your HRIS to be a tool for increasing employee engagement, retaining employees, and generally driving business value through human capital management. In that case, you’ll have to pay for one of the better solutions.
- Some vendors will also charge ancillary fees in addition to the recurring SaaS cost. Be aware that these add-ons can add up, and realize that you can often negotiate these fees much more easily than the recurring per employee/per month cost of the cloud-based solution. Setup, consulting, support, and software fees are all fair game for negotiation.
A quick note: We are continually crowdsourcing data on HRIS pricing through a survey. We do this to increase transparency and help HR teams better understand their options. It's anonymous and takes only two minutes; anyone who helps the community by filling it out will get access to the entire data set.
How to Get Buy-In for New HRIS
Any time you manage a significant purchase for your business, internal stakeholders will be watching. In fact, part of the process of buying a new HRIS is stakeholder management. You must justify your choices from start to finish, from vendor selection to HR tech buy-in to implementation.
Generating wholehearted stakeholder buy-in is particularly important because it is crucial to maximizing the solution's value. Identify these key stakeholders early and understand how to maintain their support.
Below is a brief overview of the various important stakeholders and advice for managing each.
Company Leadership
If you want your HRIS to have the best chance for success, you’ll need to get CxO buy-in and continuous support from the top leaders at your company. To accomplish this, present the business case to them and carefully lay out the ROI your new HRIS will drive.
Present your implementation plan and provide them with a detailed timeline. Throughout the life of the HRIS, provide leaders with updates about how the system is meeting the goals laid out for it, and how you plan to stay on track to achieve future goals.
Human Resources
The rest of your HR team is one of the biggest stakeholders involved in the implementation and must not be overlooked. A successful solution will make HR functions much easier, and a failed solution will make them much, much more difficult. It is important to use their help to get this right.
Because they will lead in handling employee questions, issues, and possibly grievances with the system, make sure your People team feels good about the selection and is properly trained to use it.
Communicate to all human resources team members how a new HRIS will change some employees’ duties, especially with the automation of tasks that we previously performed manually.
Benefits Brokers
Some of the HR professionals we talked to consider it essential to involve benefits brokers in the process. First, ensuring that the HRIS vendors you're considering work with the benefits carriers you currently use are vital.
If they do not, part of your implementation process will include justifying to your employees why they are being forced to make a difficult change. In some (but not all) cases, a benefits broker can help with this.
Although keeping current benefits unchained may narrow down and simplify your search from the start, brokers can be helpful to help navigate the notoriously tricky ins and outs of benefits and coverage. Finally, some benefit brokers have an internal HRIS team you can partner with during the RFP (request for proposal) process.
Operations Team
Your operations team will be involved in the budgeting, reporting, and legal compliance of your HRIS. They may also communicate with benefits management providers and external partners affected by your new HRIS. Communicating with your operations team is crucial to their continued support of your HRIS solution.
IT Teams
Your tech teams will play an important role in helping implement and update new software, so involve them in the decision-making process to ensure they are comfortable with the technology and any security implications.
It may also be helpful to open a communication channel between the vendor’s tech people and your IT team, so if they do run into problems, you are already one step closer to a solution. If the system will require a lot of updates, especially if they are not the automatic, cloud-based type, make sure that your tech team is aware and prepared.
Employees
Every employee has a stake in the success or failure of your HRIS. A successful, easy-to-use HRIS is a massive benefit to workers.
At the same time, the success of your HRIS is dependent on your employees using it correctly, so be sure to provide the necessary training and communicate the solution clearly and early. You should listen to your employees' feedback at every step of the road and take their complaints and concerns seriously.
Be sure to carefully explain the positive ways an HRIS will impact their day-to-day work and focus specifically on how the system will benefit them now and in the future.
Questions to Ask During Demos with HRIS Companies
The next step is working with vendors and doing demos. For this step, it’s essential to come prepared with questions that address the core needs of your organization from a functional standpoint, as well as the various items internal stakeholders are looking for (security, data migration, self-service portals, etc.).
Here are questions you should have in your back pocket to ensure your company's needs are met by the tool your vendor is selling.
- How will information be exchanged with carriers (for benefits)?
- How can we put important data into this system? (API, Excel spreadsheets, documents, other databases, and paper documents)
- Does it accommodate benefits carriers’ rules?
- Does it integrate with ATS/payroll system/any other systems you might have that impact workforce management?
- What built-in security measures does it contain?
- Does this solution have SSO (single sign-on) capabilities?
- Are there multiple authorization levels for different types of users?
- Is there a maximum number of employees it will support?
- What types of reporting capabilities does it have?
- Does it include features to help HR communicate with employees, like mass emails or sophisticated message filtering?
- How much technical training will be required?
- What kinds of technical support are provided?
- What recruiting capabilities are built in?
- Which HR processes will be automated?
Richey points out, “Demoing software can be painful, but it pays to go into the weeds for every single module.” When approaching a demo, Stacey likes to get a feel for what every workflow will feel like for her employees. She believes they must be getting a tool that makes their lives easier, and often, this commitment requires a trial version to test out the software after the demo.
How to Implement an HRIS System
Here are some best practices to help you ensure a successful HRIS implementation.
- Fully commit: To take full advantage of the services your HR software offers, you must fully understand all of its features and how to use them. Get your data migrated into your new system quickly (but do not rush!) and dedicate time to get used to the new processes.
- Decide on an implementation team: It’s always wise to have a team that will take full responsibility for the rollout process of the product. This team should be in charge of communicating the new HRIS to staff from different areas of the company so they’re equipped to take full ownership of the implementation process.
- Concentrate on adoption: To prevent poor adoption, ensure employees are aware of the new technology before you roll it out. It’s also essential to select a user-friendly HRIS and provide the necessary training so all employees, from new hires to executives, feel comfortable using the technology.
- Seek support from the vendor: It’s unrealistic to rely entirely on the vendor to fix all your problems, but they can certainly be helpful in many cases. Understand in detail the support that will be offered, and get SLAs in place if you can.
- Be able to adapt: Being adaptable is always important for an HR team in many cases, including when implementing an HRIS. If the roll-out lacks energy or employees are responding negatively to the system, you need to be ready to change your approach to set your HR software up for success.
HR Software FAQs
What is an HRIS?
An HRIS is an employee management platform that allows HR teams to store and manage employee records. They generally include or integrate with standalone tools that offer core HR functions like payroll, performance reviews, and ATS.
What does HRIS stand for?
HRIS stands for Human Resource Information System.
What does HCM stand for?
HCM stands for Human Capital Management.
What does HRMS stand for?
HRMS stands for Human Resource Management System.
What’s the difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS?
On the surface level, there isn’t a massive difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS. They are all people management systems that help companies optimize their HR processes.
However, there can be some subtle differences between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS.
- An HRIS is an all-encompassing in-house software for managing people, procedures, and policies.
- An HCM has all the features of an HRIS but often includes talent management capabilities.
- An HRMS is an end-to-end system with all of the features of an HRIS and HCM but often includes payroll and time and labor management capabilities.
What are the different types of HR software?
There are 8 types of HR software, each addressing specific aspects of human resource management:
- HRIS/HRMS/HCM: Manages employee data, self-service portals, absence and PTO management, benefits administration, performance management, and recruitment tracking.
- ATS: Manages the recruitment process by organizing candidate information, tracking application statuses, and facilitating communication with applicants.
- Recruitment Software: Automates job postings across multiple platforms and track applicant responses, often integrating with ATS to build a pool of engaged talent and improve the candidate experience.
- Onboarding and Offboarding Software: Simplifies the integration of new employees into the organization and ensures smooth exits for departing staff.
- Learning Management System: Administers and tracks employee training programs, focusing on skills development and compliance training.
- Payroll Administration Software: Automates payroll calculations, tax compliance, and financial reporting.
- Performance Management Software: Monitors employee performance, sets objectives, and facilitates regular feedback to support development and organizational growth.
- Employee Benefits Administration Software: Manages employee benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, ensuring accurate enrollment and compliance with policies.
When should a company use an HR software system?
According to Danielle Jones (CEO of Pinnacle Consulting Services, 10+ years in business and HR), if an organization has at least one employee whose full-time job it is to manage people systems and benefits administration, then it is time to start using an HRIS.
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