The 10 Best HR Software for Small Business of 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Workable acts as a comprehensive solution, providing a centralized hub for optimizing recruitment and onboarding processes. It consolidates various functionalities necessary for efficient talent acquisition and the seamless integration of new hires.

From posting job openings to managing applications and scheduling interviews, Workable streamlines every step of the recruitment lifecycle. A standout feature is its ability to foster collaboration between HR teams and hiring managers, ensuring strategic and cohesive hiring decisions.

We were in search of a comprehensive solution to enhance our recruitment and streamline our onboarding processes. Workable emerged as the ideal platform to effectively meet these needs. It offers a suite of powerful recruitment tools, including job posting management, candidate sourcing, and applicant tracking. These features enable us to attract top talent, manage applications efficiently, and streamline the entire hiring process.

Workable allows us to tailor our recruitment workflows to our specific needs and organizational structure, enhancing efficiency and consistency across all hiring activities. It also facilitates collaboration among hiring teams with features like candidate feedback, interview scheduling, and communication tools, ensuring informed hiring decisions.

While Workable's interface is user-friendly, it can become overly complex or cluttered, particularly when navigating through multiple features or conducting advanced searches. A more streamlined and intuitive interface would improve usability.

Workable excels in providing an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users of all technical proficiencies. Its well-designed layout and straightforward navigation enhance usability, enabling users to efficiently perform recruitment tasks without the complications of complex interfaces.

When considering an ATS tool, evaluate its features and functionality. Ensure it includes essential capabilities such as job posting management, applicant tracking, CV review, candidate communication, interview scheduling, and reporting/analytics. Also, consider whether it offers advanced features like AI-driven candidate matching, automated workflows, and customizable dashboards to streamline the recruitment process.

Workable continually enhances its feature set, providing users with more robust tools for recruitment and hiring. Improvements to applicant tracking, job posting management, candidate communication, interview scheduling, and reporting/analytics have been made. New features such as AI-driven candidate matching, automated workflows, and customizable dashboards have been introduced to further streamline the recruitment process.

Workable is an excellent solution for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. Its versatility and scalability make it suitable for organizations at different stages of growth.

I like BambooHR because it's user-friendly. I also like that it's a system where you can really track important data like job titles and salary changes. Finally, I like that BambooHR is easy to use.

We bought BambooHR to establish a centralized place that could securely store our employees' data for our HR team. We also wanted to create a seamless onboarding and offboarding process. The customer service is impeccable at Bamboo and they're always very helpful. It's also very user-friendly. I've used the product personally for one year.

I wish BambooHR offered a way for us to administer stock options and 401K directly through the program. I also wish we had a dedicated account rep, which we, unfortunately, do not have at this time. I would love to see more engaging ways for our employees to be onboarded, as well.

They're different because they have a very attractive interface and the response rate of the customer service team is higher. They also tend to offer a more diverse set of program features.

I'd recommend really digging in to make sure you're taking advantage of all of the features and integrations Bamboo has to offer. Also, I'd recommend smaller companies (less than 50 people) really consider if this is a tool that's right for their size.

The training content they've offered is impeccable.

I'd say an organization of at least 50+ people.

• Bob was a fun and engaging HRIS that employees really enjoyed.
• It allowed a lot of interaction within the platform, and for people to get to know each other better.
• There was a surprising amount of customizability you could get from the system.

I used HiBob HRIS between 2019-2020. We unfortunately had to move off of BambooHR, and HiBob was the next best platform for our company of 250+ employees. During my time, we'd used it for about 1 year. It's a very people and engagement oriented HRIS that encourages a lot of opportunities to celebrate each other, interact around any announcements, and is very culture focused. The key benefit it provided was a culturally engaging HRIS that employees enjoyed using once they were trained on it.

• It had a lot of bugs and the server can be slow at times. Hopefully this issue has resolved over time.
• It's not an all-in-one platform, they encourage you to partner with other best in class payroll, time keeping, etc. systems.
• The UI looked great, but the UX was a bit clunky. For almost all processes, there was a lot of click through that had to be made and the experience was not very user friendly.

Bob excels at creating a people first and culture centric HRIS which most do not do. At most it's where you check for your payroll. However, we got a lot of great positive feedback around the platform itself. Around HR Processes though, they seemed to still be growing in functionality at the time (2019). They are integrated with a lot of the major brands / companies around payroll, timekeeping, etc. so it makes it easy to use across platforms.

• All-In-One Platform: If you're looking for an all in one platform, this won't be the best fit. However, if you're looking for a good culturally engaging HRIS this would be a good option!
• Onboarding -> Payroll -> Offboarding Workflow: It's important to think about where you're starting your employment/ onboarding workflow since it's not an all in one system. To avoid double work / entry, it's very important to map out where you want to include what data and how you can transfer that across platforms.

Bob was very hands-on and interactive throughout the implementation, training process. They've got an aggressive and extensive roadmap which is exciting. They receive feedback very well, and it was exciting to grow alongside the company and system because we did see things change rapidly within the system for the better.

I think Bob is best for <500 employee companies. It would also probably be better for companies who have a majority of salaried employees vs. hourly non-exempt. And also for a company that wants to use the best in class platforms for various parts of the people experience.

The software is laid out very nicely, making it easy to find anything, and all employee documents are in one place. Reports are easy to find and customize. Their help desk is extremely knowledgeable. If they can't help you, it's elevated via a ticket system to an in-house engineer. Gusto is so user-friendly that an employee can learn what they need to know in minutes.

Gusto was purchased for a small company's payroll, HR management, and processes.

We needed to simplify payroll, become fully HR compliant, and organize processes (handbook, reviews, job descriptions, tax documentation, etc. for the team). HR at the time had worked with various large platforms that would not suit our needs because they were overly complicated with a cumbersome setup for a small company.

Combined with features we would never use, these platforms were an unworkable option. This led us to find a vendor specific to small businesses. A colleague of the owner suggested Gusto. After one demonstration, we decided to go with the full suite of offerings (Premium) but later reduced to Plus. Once you learn the features, you know what you can do without and save some money.

One problem we had, which Gusto was unable to solve at the time, was timekeeping. We added a timekeeping system that partners with Gusto for a seamless hourly staff payroll. There are lots of options listed within Gusto.

I've used the Gusto tool for four years. All our HR problems were solved. Gusto works perfectly for a small business (under 100 employees). Payroll is a snap. Managers approve their employees' time, it's filtered into the Gusto system, and ready for final approval/submission within minutes.

Additionally, you have a window to pull back payroll to make changes. All adjustments (healthcare, court-ordered payments, etc.) are easily set up via each employee, and changes can be made within seconds. Employees can update their personal or tax information right in their app, which is very convenient for them.

Gusto simplified the entire onboarding process, along with payroll, handbooks, employee reviews, etc. Gusto needs to add their own time clock system (if they haven't already), but their time clock partners work extremely well.

One last point, if you want to be very specific about which employee's information their manager is allowed to see, Gusto has levels of permissions for managers and employees built into the software.

It would be nice if they had a timekeeping system (that wasn't on the internet), reducing the need for another app. It would also be nice if Gusto had an applicant tracking system. PTO can be cumbersome to figure out on an accrual basis.

Gusto is by far the best payroll, HRIS software I've used mainly due to its simplicity and speed.

How many employees do you plan on running through the system? Payroll over 100 could be run better on a different platform. Understand what Gusto cannot do that you'll need to add on (timekeeping app, harassment training). What does your accounting firm do for you that Gusto can automate? 940/941 filings, tax setup for unemployment in each state.

I'm a fan of their customer service; however, many think they're too slow. Growing pains, Gusto's management will catch up. They've streamlined even more in the last four years.

The entire HR department and all managers with staff in small business can find Gusto to be a great fit.

Our use of Zoho People was part of a larger bundle that included multiple Zoho systems like CRM, Sign, and Learn. We paid just over $2K monthly for access to these tools, with CRM being heavily utilized by the team.

The main advantage was the cost-effectiveness of the bundled package. If not for that, Zoho People wouldn’t have been our first choice. A user-friendly interface is important to us since our demographic is predominantly millennials, followed by Gen Z.

Ease of use and modern design were key factors in our selection process, which ultimately led us to transition away from Zoho People.

The company I worked for used Zoho People for three years since it aligned with Zoho CRM, a tool the sales team already used. It was the logical choice to stay within the same ecosystem. It also offered many free features that met our initial needs as a startup. As the company grew, we required more advanced functionalities, which eventually led us to transition to a different HRIS system.

The user interface was not as intuitive as other systems I've used as an HR leader. Navigation often felt outdated and clunky. Customization options were limited compared to competitors.

It’s not on my list of preferred HRIS platforms. It does the job and works well for companies just starting out that need a basic system for storing personnel files, providing easy employee access, and offering competitive pricing. From both a backend and user perspective, it’s not ideal. I would still choose other HRIS options like BambooHR or HiBob.

Usability should be the top priority. I’ve launched several HRIS platforms, and at the end of the day, employees need to actually use the system. No matter how great the backend is for HR or how competitive the pricing may be, if the user interface is too complicated, adoption will be a challenge. The system’s overall aesthetic should align with the company’s demographic to support engagement and success.

It improved over the time we used it, but the challenge was that competitors remained ahead of the curve. This made it a tough business decision to stick with Zoho People while waiting for it to catch up. Since we migrated out in December, I’ve noticed significant interface changes, but not enough to make me regret leaving the platform.

Zoho People is a good fit for teams already using Zoho CRM, as it makes sense to keep everything within the same ecosystem. It’s a practical choice for companies looking for a cost-effective, all-in-one solution. I personally think the interface seems to cater more to older generations. It sometimes feels like an elevated version of what AOL Instant Messenger would look like.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The interface was intuitive, so even employees who were not tech-savvy could use it. There is a built-in time zone coordination feature, which is perfect for international team alignment. It made scheduling easy. Customer service was exemplary. I think they probably had 24/7 people on call because we never had to wait "till tomorrow" for a reply.

We set up an account with Oyster about four years ago and used it for about two years. We were expanding rapidly and needed a workforce from countries with lower salary rates to be more economically efficient. We did not want to go through the hassle of setting up entities in different countries, and our HR team did not feel confident we could do it in-house and remain compliant. So, we outsourced this service. The platform's ability to handle international payroll has been a game changer.

Cost. We dropped it because of the cost; it simply made no sense for us to use such a pricey platform. If the company had been developing as fast as we hoped, we might have stayed with them, but not under the circumstances we had. There were also some limitations with the integrations, and we could not lose some of the other platforms we were using for other aspects of people management. I also would have liked to see more customization; the system was rather robust and did not allow finesse.

Oyster stood out from its competitors mainly because of its top-notch compliance management across countries, which was a game changer for us. Many other tools don't cover this as thoroughly. I also found Oyster's interface incredibly user-friendly, which isn't something I can say about all the HR platforms I've tried—some of them feel like navigating a spaceship. One special thing I really appreciated is how it helps with time zone coordination; it's a small detail, but it makes scheduling across a global team much easier.

Other than the compliance aspect, look for a user-friendly interface that makes daily operations smooth and straightforward. It is important to evaluate the integration capabilities with your existing HR systems to avoid tech compatibility issues. Lastly, consider the quality of customer support, as having reliable, real-time assistance can save you a lot of trouble down the line and is a reason clients would walk away.

Initially, Oyster was mainly about helping companies hire and stay compliant with local laws globally. Over time, they added stronger payroll management features, making it easier to pay employees accurately and on time, which goes hand in hand with the first service. They also kept working on the interface and the integrations.

Oyster is perfect for companies that want to hire talent from all over the world without getting bogged down by local labor laws and payroll hassles. It is ideal for startups looking to grow quickly and mid-sized businesses expanding their global footprint.