Top-Rated HRIS Systems: Reviews & Comparisons in Q2/2025
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.

Need Help? Talk to an HR Software Advisor!
Tell us more about your company & an HR Software Advisor will help you find the right software








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.
We primarily used Paylocity to:
- Run payroll for salaried employees.
- Track time for non-exempt employees and merge timecards with payroll to process overtime payments.
- Create modules for annual employee training and track completion for compliance purposes.
- Allow employees to view benefit options and select their plans during open enrollment.
- Run reports to integrate information housed in Paylocity with talent, HR, and finance systems.
- Their customer service team was always accessible and helpful, allowing me to quickly talk to an expert to address any needs. This was especially valuable since I didn’t have other "superusers" on my team.
- I appreciated the variety of reports available to run and export, enabling us to develop Paylocity as the "source of truth" for employee data and integrate it with external databases and spreadsheets.
- I liked the ability to house asynchronous professional learning modules within the system. When training was only required for specific roles, we could assign it to select users; for universal training, we could make it a requirement for all.
My organization moved to Paylocity from ADP in 2018. I used it for four years as a manager, then began running payroll and supervising managers approving time and payroll for two years. Paylocity offered us the ability to run more sophisticated reporting, integrate HR functions, and manage employee training for an organization of 500 employees.
- Paylocity has a wide range of capabilities, but each section is designed slightly differently, making navigation between sections (e.g., time and labor to payroll) less intuitive.
- Although I could easily reach the support team, the representative assigned to our organization was not always available, so there was a lack of continuity in my interactions with someone who could help me build expertise.
- I became a more frequent and experienced Paylocity user about two years into our tenure with them, missing much of the initial onboarding. Due to staff turnover, some institutional knowledge was lost. Although their online user guides were helpful, it would have been beneficial to have a structured sequence of guides or an orientation tailored to different aspects of the platform to support ongoing learning.
Paylocity is excellent for large or rapidly scaling organizations. I appreciate the vast amount of information it can store and export and its versatility in being used across multiple departments, including talent, HR, finance, payroll, and development.
When considering Paylocity, think about the size of your organization, the price point (as it may be a more expensive option), and how you intend to use it, as there are many features to choose from.
Also, consider what other systems you use and whether you want to migrate functions like time tracking or learning into Paylocity, keep them separate, or integrate them.
Their support options have expanded to meet diverse user needs. You can call for support, email, use the community forum, or access user guides.
Paylocity is best suited for larger organizations seeking a scalable platform that can serve as a comprehensive solution for organizational needs.
Paylocity may not be ideal for small businesses or organizations with simpler needs for training, time tracking, and payroll.

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.
- The tool has been critical in managing employee data and maintaining the database of employee information accessible by the team remotely.
- We use BambooHR for onboarding and collecting information for new joiners. It is also an ideal tool for recruitment and tracking of candidates throughout the recruitment cycle.
- We are also able to use it to track and manage employee leave applications.
- Reporting has been made very simple since I can pull a report in minutes on headcount, analysis on gender, leave, turnover rates, onboarding, and performance
.jpg)
- Excellent Customer Service: The customer support team has been very supportive and responsive in troubleshooting.
- The system is user-friendly and has some videos guiding you through some of its functions. The system is designed to be customizable, so clients can tailor it to meet their specific needs.
- Powerful reporting: BambooHR's reporting features have allowed me to generate a wide range of reports, such as headcount, turnover, and diversity reports, this information is instrumental in making data-driven decisions.
As Covid-19 forced most employers to look into hybrid working models, there was a need for us to look into tools for managing employee information and tracking time off to streamline administrative tasks and reduce errors while working remotely.
BambooHR offers Recruiting and applicant tracking features that make it easier to find and hire the right candidates for open positions remotely.
Additionally, it provides performance management tools, including goal setting and performance reviews, which can help ensure that employees are working towards company objectives and receiving the feedback they need to succeed.
I found the system to be user-friendly, with a modern interface that is easy to navigate and customize to meet our needs. The system also has video tutorials that are clear and guide you through its functions.
The main con would be its limited payroll functionality. It is not available in Africa and its payroll functionality is currently only available for customers in the United States and Canada, which may be a drawback for companies based in other countries.
Pricing is also on the upper limit compared to other solutions, particularly in Africa.
The features on training could also be more customizable to clients in diverse spaces or lines of work
BambooHR has strong reporting features which allow us to generate a wide range of reports, such as headcount, turnover, and diversity reports, which can help organizations make data-driven decisions.
Its user-friendly interface is easy to navigate and find the information users need. The system is designed to be customizable, so users can tailor it to meet their specific needs.
When buying BambooHR or any other HR software solution, there are several criteria to consider, including:
- Location: BambooHR's payroll functions are better suited for companies in US and Canada. For ease of compliance with local regulations, countries in Africa can consider an alternative tool to run their payroll function.
- Company size and needs: The size of the company and its HR needs are important factors to consider when selecting a software solution. BambooHR is generally well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses with straightforward HR needs.
- Customization: Companies should consider how customizable BambooHR is, and whether it can be tailored to their specific HR workflows and processes.
- Security and compliance: Companies should consider BambooHR's security and compliance features to ensure that employee data is protected and that the system meets relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
- Improved user experience: BambooHR has focused on improving the user experience over time, with updates to the system's interface, navigation, and overall usability.
- Deeper analytics: BambooHR has added more powerful reporting and analytics features over time, which has helped users gain deeper insights into their HR data.
BambooHR is well-suited for small to medium-sized organizations with straightforward HR needs. The system is particularly strong in areas such as employee data management, onboarding, and reporting, and is designed to be customizable to meet the specific needs of each organization.
Functions like payroll are better suited for companies in US and Canada.
It is well-suited to organizations that need a flexible, customizable, and user-friendly HR software solution.
Large enterprises: BambooHR is generally not recommended for large enterprises with complex HR needs. The system is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, which means it may not have the depth of functionality that larger organizations require.
It is also not ideal for a company wishing to run payroll that is operating outside the US

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.
I use Bob mainly to enter my time off. My HR team uses it for employee tracking, salary tracking, and manually inputting employee changes. The tool includes integrations with our benefits providers for the HR team. Another key use case is goals tracking. Employees input their quarterly goals, while management and HR review whether goals are met consistently.

- It allows us to easily input time off.
- Provides easy redirects to benefits links.
- Displays a company-wide news feed.
We bought Bob for our talent management and employee management needs. We have used it for 1.5 years. It allows employees to easily view their time off and provides redirects to links for benefits and payroll information. The main issue our organization aimed to solve was finding a more affordable talent management tool.
- Limitations in its capabilities as an applicant tracking system (ATS).
- Limited functionality in managing the recruiting funnel.
- Does not have its own benefits portal.
- Employee-Centric Approach: Unlike many HR platforms that prioritize administrative functions, Bob enhances the employee experience with tools like recognition, surveys, and social features.
- Flexible for Modern Work Environments: Bob is tailored for hybrid and remote work setups, offering intuitive tools for managing distributed teams and fostering collaboration.
- Cultural Insights: Bob’s "People Analytics" dashboard tracks workforce engagement and provides insights to strengthen organizational culture.
- Global Reach: Bob supports global operations with localized compliance and multi-country payroll integrations, appealing to multinational companies.
Consider your company size—Bob is more suited for mid-sized to large organizations. Assess whether your industry operates remotely or in person; Bob is ideal for remote or hybrid setups. Finally, review your current integrations and tools, as Bob is focused on enhancing the employee experience rather than serving as an ATS or HRIS system.
- Learning Management System (LMS): The introduction of Bob Learning equips organizations with tools for managing employee development and continuous learning.
- UK Payroll Integration: HiBob expanded payroll functionality with a modern approach to payroll management for UK-based employees.
- Workforce Planning Module: This feature facilitates planning for scenarios such as reorganizations and mergers, aiding strategic decision-making.
- 1-on-1 Meeting Feature: HiBob introduced templates for onboarding, goal setting, performance reviews, career growth, and regular check-ins to strengthen manager-employee relationships.
- Mid-Sized to Large Organizations: Bob is ideal for companies with 100 to 5,000 employees, offering advanced functionalities for managing larger teams.
- Global Organizations: Bob’s multi-country support and compliance features make it a great fit for multinational companies.
- Companies Prioritizing Employee Engagement: Bob’s tools for goal setting, performance reviews, and social recognition foster strong workplace culture and employee retention.
- Tech-Savvy, Forward-Thinking Teams: Bob’s sleek, intuitive interface appeals to organizations that value modern, user-friendly platforms.
- Organizations with Hybrid or Remote Workforces: Bob supports collaboration and communication in flexible work environments.
- HR Teams Seeking Data-Driven Insights: Its analytics capabilities provide valuable data for decision-making regarding employee performance and organizational health.
- Small Organizations with Basic HR Needs: Businesses with fewer than 50 employees may find HiBob too complex or costly for their simpler requirements.
- Organizations with Highly Specialized HR Needs: Companies requiring niche, industry-specific HR tools may not find Bob customizable enough for their workflows.
- Companies with Limited Digital Infrastructure: Organizations that struggle with adopting digital tools might find Bob’s platform challenging to use effectively.
- Organizations with Complex Payroll Requirements: Businesses with intricate payroll setups may find Bob’s payroll features less robust than specialized providers.
- Companies Seeking an All-in-One ERP System: HiBob focuses on HR and people management, so it may not meet the needs of organizations requiring a more extensive ERP system.
.png)
Deel
.png)
Deel is a fantastic (did we mention free?) HRIS for remote and international teams that need a way to compensate their employees, and a system for record.
PROS
- Their HRIS is literally free.
- 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.
- Deel HR is free for companies of all sizes.
- 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 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 as it's really the first free HRIS with a global focus. 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.
Pricing for Deel's HRIS is completely free! However, they do make money as a business, mostly on their global payroll offering:
- Contractors: At $49 per contractor per month, Deel takes care of payroll and compliance for contracts in 150 countries.
- Full-time: From $499, this plan lets you hire full-time employees in a new country without having to set up a legal entity there. Deel becomes an Employer of Record and hires the employee for you.
Best For
Deel HR is best for remote-first companies that have global payroll needs.
Deel was used on a daily basis for us. It was used to manage all of our international contractors, manage contracts, payments, and payroll, and we used their employer-of-record model to hire in certain areas as well. Being able to run international payroll for various countries outside of the US using one system was extremely helpful. The customer support for Deel is also great, as you get an employment advisor as well who will help you understand how to best use Deel's international PEO/Employer-of-Record services. To summarize, hiring, international payroll, understanding employment/payroll laws of various countries, and making it digestible are the highlights of using Deel. It saved us a lot of time, money, and energy.
- I like that you can use one platform to run multiple payrolls for different countries.
- I like that they make hiring contractors in other countries easier.
- I like that they make understanding other countries' payroll and employment laws easy with all sorts of helpful resources.
Our small start-up company of under 50 employees was looking to hire international consultants in various areas, mainly Canada, Brazil, and later Poland and Ireland. We've used Deel for about 2 years now mainly for contract management and international payroll, and used their PEO and Employer of Record services as well. The key benefit is being able to hire great talent outside of the US and being protected and advised around payroll and employment laws for various countries.
- I dislike their reporting function as it's essentially just Excel and doesn't allow for advanced filtering/reporting.
- I dislike that the integration with Rippling is a bit wonky. Some employee info will flow in, but not all.
- I dislike that making changes in contracts can be difficult and that the e-signature capability is not great.
I believe that Deel is the best in class in terms of international hiring/payroll/compliance/PEO. They have a great team behind getting the system of hiring set up in each individual country. Their customer service is really great and they are great consultants that help you meet your goals. If you use their PEO or Employer of Record service it can be costly depending on where you're hiring.
- Location of Hiring - Depending on where you're hiring, Deel may not support that region so it's important to take a look at which areas they cover. They do cover most major areas of international hiring.
- Cost - Overall it's an affordable and effective system for international payroll. It does sit outside of the HRIS ( if you use one) so that's something to think about as an additional cost.
- HRIS Compatibility - It's also important to think about the compatibility with your HRIS, otherwise you have a lot of data sitting outside of your HRIS which you can manually upload through CSV reports.
In the time that I used Deel, they developed their PEO availability regions. I believe they do a good job at customer listening, and their team is extremely attentive.
Deel is great for small to medium-sized businesses that are looking to quickly expand internationally. It's also important to note that in each new location you're hiring in, if you're looking to have a hiring hub of 20+ more employees in that particular company, using Deel may only be a short-term solution. But for quick hires, small hiring hubs, and hiring consultants across countries, it's a great platform.
I imagine it may not be the best for a very well-established company with a significant number of hires in particular locations. For example, having 20+ employees in one country would not be the best fit for Deel.

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.

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.
The team uses Monday.com every day. It’s an integral part of our organization. I primarily use a workflow to track applicants throughout the hiring process, which has significantly streamlined our recruitment efforts. The ability to utilize multiple boards for monitoring an applicant's progress helps connect with all relevant team members through the platform for communication and collaboration. This workflow has made the hiring process more efficient and organized.

- The software is intuitive—we have some team members who are slow to learn but have picked it up quickly.
- It enhances collaboration by enabling file sharing within projects and providing real-time updates.
- Automation templates made it easy to get started building our workflows and task automation.
The team was experiencing issues with project delays and workflow, especially with assignments not being passed smoothly between members and difficulty in tracking progress. We needed to be more efficient and organized. We started using Monday.com over a year ago, and it has provided a centralized platform for project management, greatly improving coordination among team members. By automating repetitive tasks, it has freed up time for strategic and creative activities. As a result, our project tracking has become more precise and easier to manage.
- The software is expensive, especially for smaller companies.
- Upgrading is necessary to access the time-tracking features.
- There is no built-in messaging function; while we have a workaround, it can be somewhat cumbersome.
I’ve also used Basecamp. I prefer Monday.com over it. The project tracking is better, and the automated workflows fit the needs of the company better.
Cost is an important factor to consider, particularly with per-user fees, which can become expensive as your team grows. Evaluate the software's pricing structure and how it fits within your budget. Additionally, make sure that the software integrates with the essential tools (calendars, etc.) you use in your daily operations.
We haven't seen many updates that impact our usage of it since we've only been using it for a little over a year.
It's great for digital teams, especially those who don't meet face-to-face often.
It may not be suitable for in-person organizations that don't rely on digital software.

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.
We selected Paycor primarily for its payroll functionality. The time tracking and payroll integration was easy to use and straightforward. Paycor stayed up to date on wage laws, so we were pleased with the system's compliance. It also served as an all-in-one HRIS, housing our employee database, timekeeping, and form tracking, such as policy updates. It provided a streamlined approach to managing employee history and digital files.
Paycor had a simple interface that was easy to navigate. We were pleased with its all-in-one HRIS solution, which replaced multiple separate systems we had previously integrated. It was a cost-effective solution for a business of our size.
We used Paycor at a previous organization I worked for. We selected it over competitors because we felt it was the best fit for the size of our organization (about 200 employees). The main reason we chose it was to use it as an all-in-one solution for HRIS. We used it for approximately four years.
Customer service at Paycor left a lot to be desired after implementation. There were extra fees for special requests that were not explained upfront. Annual renewals became more expensive over the years.
It is a cost-effective solution compared to many competitors. Reports are customizable and easy to generate. With some other HRIS tools, report generation was more difficult. Since implementation, customer service has been lacking.
Other HRIS providers tend to emphasize customer service and client partnerships more. Paycor met our needs at the time, but more robust systems would better serve larger organizations.
There are a few key factors to consider when purchasing an HRIS/payroll tool. One is customer service and how well the provider supports your organization after the sale. This is especially important for small organizations that rely on strong customer support to save time.
Cost is another factor, but pricing may vary depending on the organization's size, with some providers offering significant discounts for larger businesses.
Organizations should also clarify their specific needs by creating lists of "must-haves," "nice-to-haves," and "not needed" features. This helps avoid paying for unnecessary functionality and can serve as a bargaining tool during negotiations.
During the time I used it, I observed that they kept up to date with wage and labor laws by state, which was crucial for compliance. Over the four years I used it, they implemented software updates to ensure the system functioned smoothly. Although we did not use this feature, they added integration capabilities with other tools over time.
Paycor is well-suited for mid-sized businesses that have HR experts on staff and need an easy-to-use tool.
Paycor may not be the best choice for very small organizations due to its lack of strong customer support. It may also not be ideal for very large organizations that require more advanced modules found in other HRIS software.

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.

Factorial

Factorial is a solid SaaS all-in-one HR platform that’s devoted to solving the daily challenges of HR teams while placing a strong emphasis on data security. Notable for a comprehensive HRIS, they are used by office and deskless workers alike.
PROS
- Flexible pricing scheme
- Complete HR Suite + ATS
- Strong SMB focus
- Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
- Flexible pricing scheme
- Complete HR Suite + ATS
- Strong SMB focus
- Good UX/UI and frequently updated design
CONS
- Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable.
- Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.
- Some users have pointed out that the tools are not very customizable.
- Because it covers such a wide range of functions, we’ve found that modules like payroll and reporting could be further developed.

Factorial is a great HR software solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Their offering gives human resources teams their time back through managing employee onboarding, time tracking, PTO, org charts, payroll, talent acquisition, and much more.
We also like that they place a good deal of importance on data security. With Factorial, all database information is encrypted and GDPR-compliant. They also use a Single Sign-On system and regularly perform vulnerability diagnostics.
The Power MBA, The Hotels Network, Nextail, Ulabox, Vicio
Factorial HR starts at $60 per year plus $4 per user after, with a 14-day free trial. Enterprise pricing is available, and their ATS add-on starts at $39/month for 10 job offers, with a Pro unlimited option for $119/month (billed yearly).
Best For
Fractional HR works best for small and medium-sized businesses with many HR processes to streamline. It's especially suitable for organizations with a remote workforce and operations in Europe, the US, or Latin America.
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.

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.
We use Rippling for all HR processes - hiring, onboarding, training, time and attendance, etc. We also use the pulse tool for surveys of our employees. We have built workflows to support onboarding and schedule management when someone takes time off. It's a daily tool for us.

Rippling is quite comprehensive and has more functionality than other HRIS I have used, such as the pulse/survey tool right within the platform. It also integrates with Slack, so notifications and reports can be sent there. I like the workflow options as well, which allow you to set things up to launch when certain conditions are met, e.g. send an onboarding survey a month after start date.
We are a relatively new company and did not have an HRIS in place. After looking at a few we opted for Rippling because of the functionality it offered as well as integrations and automations. We have been using it for about 9 months.
Rippling has been around for a few years but it feels like they are still working out some bugs. There are certain things that just don't work the way you'd expect. We have recently implemented their global payroll app for our Canadian employees and it doesn't do things like break out vacation time, etc. It has a reporting function but it's a bit hard to get exactly what you're looking for and the charts that it creates don't always display information in the most relevant way.
Rippling is quite user-friendly in terms of interface. It has more functionality than others I've used and they're doing a great job figuring out how to incorporate integrations to make it really useful.
It's very good for US employees but is missing a few features for global payroll at this time. Best to understand how all modules are priced so you know what's worth implementing and don't end up paying for functions you don't use.
Rippling has taken suggestions when we've found things that could be improved or added (TBD if those things are implemented). They have added some features in the last few months so definitely seem to be continuing to grow the platform.
HR teams, I think it would be good for organizations with over 50 employees
Very small organizations, those primarily based outside the US

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.

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.

UKG

We picked Ultimate Kronos Group (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 use UKG daily. It serves as our ATS, onboarding, full HRIS, and payroll system. Our applicants apply on our career page, and we can process the applications, complete the offer letters, and conduct initial onboarding all within UKG. The system also functions as our timekeeping and payroll system, allowing our staff to use the mobile app to clock in and out. Their timesheets are approved in UKG and submitted to payroll for processing.

Some of the pros of UKG are that we can easily transfer information from the applicant profile to create the employee profile with no additional steps. Another pro is the ability for our employees to clock in and out easily from their mobile devices. Lastly, our benefits and payroll are also processed within UKG, making it a more convenient process for our organization.
We purchased UKG in 2019 to help streamline our hiring process, onboarding, and payroll system. Some of the benefits of UKG include being an all-in-one hiring, onboarding, and payroll system. I am one of the administrators of our UKG system, so I use it extensively. I am very proficient in what the system can offer, along with its downsides. The tool has significantly improved our operational efficiency since its implementation.
Some cons we have found with UKG include not being fully HR compliant; for a couple of years, we have not been able to properly run our EEO-1 reports. We use UKG to complete our I-9s and E-Verify, but that is not without constant issues. Some reporting capabilities hinder us from gathering information conveniently, often requiring us to manually maneuver the reports. Lastly, the system undergoes quarterly updates; however, each update often causes another issue in UKG, which we are not notified about until we submit a ticket. This causes many problems and makes us lose faith in new updates.
Many of their competitors are now all-in-one systems, so there isn't much difference in that aspect. Some improvements are needed to make it a perfect system, but the mobile ability for employees makes it very convenient for our staff to clock in and out from various work locations, differentiating it from its competitors.
The criteria that people should think about when buying this tool include the price; it is not an inexpensive tool, especially if purchasing all of the extended platform options such as the advanced scheduler and the leave or training modules. If a full HR compliance system is needed without manipulating the data, this system may be problematic.
UKG consistently updates its system to make improvements. They try to listen to their customers and work on ensuring they meet our needs.
UKG is best for an organization that needs a basic HRIS system.
UKG would not be suitable for an organization that needs to do extensive HR reporting or extensive compliance procedures.

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.)
Sapling is especially important when we bring in a new employee, and it is used regularly in the first 90 days to build the whole onboarding experience. We use it to make sure every important communication and event happens from the point of the offer to the first few days, and that those who are responsible for that are involved. So, offer letters, welcome packages and gifts, welcome emails and outreach calls, training agendas, and team assignments are all handled through Sapling.
Also, all the initial paperwork and signatures are centralized and handled through Sapling, so that part is very smooth for everyone involved. Throughout the introductory period, we use it to be sure surveys are sent at the appropriate intervals (30/60/90 days) to get feedback and ensure the employee feels heard and valued and to address any areas they need help.
We also found that Sapling was very helpful in providing content to build initial connections between co-workers, connecting them on a one-to-one basis, and including new hires in events.
It was easy to learn and navigate so everyone enjoyed using it.
It is customizable which is particularly helpful in creating individualized onboarding plans.
Information is easy to access, and data is readily available for managers, such as upcoming tasks and events, employee information, and employee feedback.
We chose Sapling to improve our onboarding. We had gotten feedback from staff that onboarding was not well coordinated. We also had more recent hire turnover than we felt was acceptable, and that it was likely connected to onboarding. We had problems establishing not just the critical first few days but also the introductory 90-day experience in which relationships are formed, the tone is set and the groundwork for long-term employment is established. We used it for a year.
It would be nicer to see some data within the platform, rather than having it generated as a report you open outside the system.
The org chart was a bit cumbersome to use.
More resources for employee experience after onboarding available would improve it.
The guidance Sapling provides to managers regarding onboarding seems unique and much more in-depth than other products. For onboarding, I would choose Sapling over other onboarding products and features, as it is very thorough and instructive regarding what onboarding should be.
If you don't hire often, the best part about this product may not be worth the investment. However, if you do have a growing or often changing team, Sapling could be the difference between losing a good new hire in the first 3 months or retaining them for years. So, if turnover is a problem, and if your onboarding has no structure, this is something to seriously consider.
Like any tool, it requires that people buy in and use it for it to accomplish what it sets out to accomplish, so you need to prepare your people for change if introducing a new way to handle onboarding via Sapling.
I believe the product has expanded and now features more performance management options as well.
This is a very good product for growing companies, startups that have a lot of hiring, and companies that need to address turnover issues.
Companies with little or infrequent hiring or turnover may not benefit.

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.
I used Namely daily. We utilized the HR module for onboarding and offboarding employees, and the e-signature functionality to speed up the onboarding process. The payroll and time modules were heavily used to manage staff hours and pay. We also relied on the performance management module to handle the probationary period and conduct performance reviews.

The HR system was easy to use and set up, making the transition from our previous, more disorganized HR processes smooth. The employee self-service feature was excellent, reducing the amount of data entry and admin work for our HR team. The continuous feedback appraisal system allowed us to appraise staff more regularly with minimal increases in administrative tasks.
There wasn’t a significant problem driving the decision. The organization had been managing HR through payroll software, Excel files, and Word documents. As the company grew, it wanted to consolidate and centralize HR into a single system that could be accessed online. Namely provided an all-in-one HR solution that handled payroll, HR records, and talent management. We used Namely for about a year or two.
Customer support wasn’t as responsive as it could have been. The reporting features are somewhat limited and don’t fully meet our needs, requiring us to do a fair amount of manual reporting. The portal is not as intuitive as other HR tools I’ve used.
The user interface and workflow are not as intuitive as some competitors. However, I appreciate the integration with payroll and timesheets, which not many systems do well. I also like that it offers managed services add-ons, such as payroll and benefits, which become more relevant as the business grows and becomes more complex.
Ensure the tool has a comprehensive records system and both employee and manager self-service features. Efficient onboarding and offboarding functionality are essential, as these processes can be time-consuming. A continuous appraisal feedback system is also important, as this approach to performance management is becoming the norm.
There has been better integration between its modules.
Namely is suitable for all kinds of organizations but particularly good for smaller organizations due to its affordable entry-level pricing.
Namely may not be the best fit for massive corporations.
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.
About Us

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