Best HR and Payroll Software Systems in 2025
This guide reviews top cloud-based HR and payroll software, including pros, cons, pricing, ROI, implementation tips, and more.
Whether it's small businesses or large corporations, one thing that's a must for every company is ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time. Good payroll software takes care of this. But what's even better is that some can even handle several HR tasks, from onboarding to time tracking, benefits, and workforce planning.
We put together this guide in 2022 and have been updating it ever since to help HR leaders find the best HR and payroll software for their needs. If you need help narrowing down your options to 2-3 of the best choices, simply request personalized help from our HR experts here (it's free).
To bring you the best HR and payroll systems, we conducted extensive research and leveraged our expertise in the industry. We've been following and demoing numerous software solutions over the years. Combined with the help of our community of HR experts, who often share their experiences with each tool in various organizational settings, we were able to select the very best. Three of the most important criteria we used to evaluate these tools are workflow automation, payroll processing, and core HR features.
- Payroll Processing: We filtered for payroll and HR software that excels in this area, ensuring robust yet user-friendly payroll processing for businesses of all sizes. The chosen solutions offer comprehensive payroll software features, including tax calculations, direct deposit capabilities, payroll reporting, and integration with accounting systems.
- Core HR Features: These tools are great for payroll, but do they get HR right? We handpicked those offering the greatest range of core HRMS features to support your organization's needs. Most of these tools are fully-fledged HCM systems, enabling you to efficiently handle all aspects of employee management in one centralized platform.
- Workflow Automation: We prioritized solutions that offer robust automation capabilities, enabling HR professionals to save time on repetitive tasks. The selected software options provide intuitive workflows and can automate key tasks such as onboarding, employee data management, PTO calculations, leave requests, and more.
To learn more about our comprehensive evaluation process and discover additional insights on selecting the best HR tech, we invite you to read our piece on how we select the best HR tech.
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Deel
With its ability to process payroll in over 100 countries, Deel positions itself as an all-in-one system for managing global workforces. What’s more, their HRIS is quite affordable, starting at $5 per employee per month.
PROS
- Global payroll supporting 100+ countries, 200+ currencies and 15 payment methods.
- Deel Card allows contractors to receive payments in USD and use funds directly.
- 200+ legal and tax experts ensure compliance with local labor laws and tax regulations.
- Automated payroll and invoicing significantly reduce manual effort.
- Integrates with 100+ HR solutions.
- Excellent 24/7 customer service with fast onboarding (2-3 days) and local payroll experts in each jurisdiction.
- Seamless integration with platforms like QuickBooks, BambooHR, and Greenhouse, plus custom integration options.
- User-friendly, self-service features enable quick setup; identity verification often takes under 24 hours.
- Automated invoices simplify payments, provided they're in English.
CONS
- HR tool can be quite basic for some.
- Lacks built-in time tracking features.
- Invoice generation only available in English.
- 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.
One of Deel’s most impressive capabilities is its ability to run payroll in over 100 countries with just a few clicks. The platform supports payments in over 200 currencies, and with 15 different payment methods, including bank transfers, Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, and even cryptocurrency, it felt like Deel had thought of every possible way to pay employees and contractors.
As a team with global contractors, the Deel Card was a particularly useful feature. It allowed our contractors to receive payments in USD and use the funds directly for purchases, eliminating the hassle of currency conversions.
What also gave us peace of mind was Deel’s in-house compliance expertise. The payroll platform has an in-house team of over 200 legal and tax experts who ensure companies meet local labor laws and tax regulations. Plus, payroll can be fully automated: Once contracts were set up, payroll and invoices ran themselves, which significantly reduced the manual workload.
For companies already using Deel for payroll, the fact that this vendor provides a native HR module at a fair price makes it a compelling choice for managing a global workforce. The platform provides a single system of record with basic HR tools like employee profiles, performance management (1:1s and pulse surveys), and integrations with over 100 HR software solutions. So if you’re a smaller business or startup that needs a lightweight, cost-effective HR solution, this is a solid option.
But that also means Deel’s HR suite lacks the depth of more established HRIS systems like BambooHR or Bob, particularly in areas like workforce analytics and benefits administration. Companies needing a more full-fledged HR solution may find Deel’s HRIS too limited and might need to supplement it with additional software.
Pricing is another area where Deel may not be the best fit for every company. While Deel U.S. Payroll starts at $19 per employee per month, global contractor management costs $49 per month, and its EOR service is priced at $499 per employee per month, which is quite higher than some other employers of record services. Additionally, the platform lacks built-in time tracking, which could be an issue for businesses needing to monitor working hours.
35,000+ organizations, including Andela, Makerpad, and Brex.
Deel's global payroll and HRIS starts at $19 and $5 monthly, respectively.
Best For
Companies with a remote-first workforce are well-suited for Deel HR and payroll offerings.
Deel simplifies the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to payroll and benefits administration. It enables us to create an onboarding experience tailored to each location’s compliance requirements, ensuring a seamless transition for new hires. We also rely on Deel for contract generation and global payroll, allowing us to automate payments without concerns about timing or location.
Additionally, the platform streamlines benefits administration by allowing employees to easily enroll in the benefits they need directly through the system. The expense management feature enables us to process and pay employee expenses through payroll, consolidating everything in one place for efficiency.
- Deel consolidates HR, IT, and payroll processes into a single platform, reducing the need for multiple systems.
- Its workflows and automation free up time for HR staff, allowing them to focus more on employee engagement rather than administrative tasks.
- The platform is cost-effective, and the time savings provide a strong return on investment.
As a global organization, one of our biggest challenges has been incorporating the unique requirements of the countries we operate in while maintaining a system that works across different regulations.
Deel has evolved into a robust platform that supports compliance in multiple countries, making it an ideal solution for our needs. It also simplifies global payroll, allowing us to pay employees and contractors anytime, anywhere.
With recent advancements in the platform, we can do even more at a reasonable price while benefiting from an integrated system. Since adopting Deel over a year ago, we have successfully streamlined multiple processes into a single platform.
- Deel is a complex system, which may not be suitable for all businesses.
- Due to its complexity, it requires extensive training and experience to use it effectively.
- The user interface has a learning curve and could benefit from additional improvements in usability and navigation.
Deel stands out because of its comprehensive features, covering multiple aspects of HR, payroll, and global workforce management. While similar tools tend to specialize in specific areas, such as payroll or HR data management, Deel offers a wide range of modules that address nearly every HR and operations need in one platform.
One of the most overlooked aspects of selecting a platform like Deel is post-implementation customer support. Many issues arise after deployment, so it’s crucial to research the level of ongoing support provided.
Also, consider any hidden costs for features that may not be included upfront but could become necessary later. Evaluating the full range of available features—even those you don’t need right now—can help ensure the tool remains valuable as your business scales.
Deel continues to expand its platform, adding new features to support the evolving needs of HR and operations teams. The company actively enhances its offerings to provide more comprehensive workforce management solutions.
Deel is ideal for medium to large businesses with a global workforce or those that frequently hire contract workers. It is particularly valuable for companies that do not have entities in every country where they employ workers, as Deel can serve as an Employer of Record (EOR) in such cases.
Deel may not be the best option for small organizations with fewer than 100 employees that have minimal HR processes. Additionally, businesses that operate exclusively within the U.S. may not fully benefit from its global payroll and compliance features.
ADP
Easy to use, 24/7 support from payroll experts, seamless integrations, – ADP is packed with interesting features that will elevate your business like nothing else.
PROS
- Native, all-in-one technology suite for recruitment, payroll, and compliance.
- 17 RPO service centers in 14 countries and provide services in 42 different languages.
- Dedicated team of AIRS-certified recruiting professionals.
CONS
- Technology options outside ADP’s dedicated HR tools are limited.
Instead of obfuscating a first-time user with unnecessary details about their HR services, ADP asks you a few simple questions and fetches you a customized HR solution that would best suit your organizational needs.
ADP’s payroll and HR software known as RUN is easy to use, has a clean user interface, and yet contains so much depth in terms of features. From personalized payroll to AI-powered error detection features for tax compliance, ADP lets you seamlessly run payroll, track time & attendance, helps you with workforce management, and much more.
Best For
We use ADP to manage payroll. It is also used to provide affordable benefits. The HRBP helps to ensure we remain compliant and provides resources as needed. In addition, the helpline is always available. The MyLearning tool has also provided hundreds of training sessions.
The pros of using ADP are having an HRBP and a Payroll Advisor who works directly with you. The HRBP has been great at ensuring that we are following the proper guidelines for our HR-related issues. Having a payroll advisor gives us direct 1:1 support while doing payroll. It has also been great for updating our employee handbook, I love the way they make sure our policies are up to date as new policies develop.
We have been using ADP since 2017. As a small nonprofit organization, it was important to find a PEO. This helped with lowering the cost of benefits for our staff as well as managing our payroll. It has also provided us with endless HR resources.
When thinking about buying this tool, think about your company’s specific needs. Take into account the size of your company and what your expectations are. Be sure to have a budget that shows what your company will pay for benefits versus your employees. Think about what HR resources you are interested in (will you solely rely on ADP or will you also have in-house assistance)? Thinking about these things will help you when speaking with the representatives.
Over time we have been able to upgrade from Total Source to WorkForce Now. This has allowed us to have better reposting and made it easier on our accounts when submitting payroll. It has saved us a ton of time with spreadsheets. ADP is great at keeping you up to date on ungraded to their system. They have also evolved their MyLearning tool which provides a ton of training and now they have more live training and even in-person leadership training.
I feel like ADP can be useful for any size organization, it all depends on the needs. Whether it’s for part of the platform or the entire platform they have something to suit everyone’s needs.
Paylocity
Paylocity streamlines payroll and HR processes with user-friendly tools, automation, compliance support, and more. Its comprehensive features, accessible platform, and expert resources make it a standout choice for managing your workforce efficiently and effectively.
PROS
- Paylocity offers a feature-rich platform that simplifies the management of payroll, HR, benefits, and other related tasks.
- It features a user-friendly interface and offers extensive online documentation to guide users through the various features and functionalities.
- There’s a mobile app that both employees and managers can access to perform several processes on-the-go.
- 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 information is not publicly available, and there isn’t a free trial or a free plan at this time.
- Paylocity's comprehensive feature set can create a learning curve for users.
- The report customization options in Paylocity could be enhanced.
- 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.
Paylocity offers a comprehensive and user-friendly platform with features for payroll, people, benefits, time off, and compliance management. We love how easy and quick it is to process payroll, thanks to Paylocity’s intuitive three-step navigation flow: you enter the necessary payroll info, review and hit Submit. Paylocity also minimizes manual data entry by automatically transferring information from Time & Labor, flagging employees who need prorated or retro pay, and showing the calculations for your review.
To ensure payroll accuracy, you can make use of Paylocity’s Payroll Readiness Dashboard, which gives you a comprehensive overview of your critical payroll tasks well ahead of your processing day. The system also features over 40 configurable pre-submit audits that flag irregular occurrences, such as an employee receiving double their typical pay.
Beyond payroll management, Paylocity provides a solid HRIS that helps you stay on top of several employee-related processes. For starters, it excels at data management and task automation across multiple users and workspaces. Whether it's confirming employee addresses, collecting certification proofs, or managing employee onboarding, Paylocity simplifies these processes through automation and centralization.
Accessibility is another strong point of Paylocity. Employees can securely access their payroll and HR data from anywhere, on any device. They can retrieve important information such as offer letters, paystubs, tax forms, benefits info, and make changes to their personal information. Managers and HR professionals have full visibility into employee data, enabling them to manage positions, assign skills and certifications, predict vacancies, and manage budget changes effectively.
Paylocity also prioritizes compliance, offering a user-friendly dashboard with swift access to work authorizations, EEO, and FLSA compliance data, as well as industry news. For additional support, Paylocity's HR Edge service provides expert resources, including an account manager, to assist in minimizing risk and implementing optimal practices. Furthermore, Paylocity's reporting and analytics capabilities provide deeper insights into the workforce through real-time, visually presented data. This data enables the monitoring of key metrics, recognition of patterns, enhancement of HR strategies, and the advancement of business goals.
Paylocity’s solutions are used by over 40k organizations including CRP Industries, Wagstaff, and Powerhouse.
Paylocity’s pricing isn’t disclosed upfront. We recommend scheduling a demo with their Sales team to get a breakdown of all associated costs.
Best For
Paylocity's solutions are designed for businesses of all sizes across diverse industries, with a primary emphasis on medium and large enterprises. These companies possess the necessary resources and infrastructure to fully utilize the platform's functionalities, allowing them to effectively maximize its benefits.
We used it for accounting and recruiting. We also used it to pull quarterly tax reports. It helped retain employees by allowing them to access their pay early. We considered using it to organize our employee benefits but ultimately did not utilize that feature. We used it to streamline our operations so the office could work more harmoniously.
- Paylocity was great for onboarding and tracking time/attendance.
- It was a time saver when inputting payroll.
- I liked that employees could access their pay before the paycheck was issued.
We used Paylocity for just a few months. It wasn't quite what we had expected. We were looking for payroll software combined with a program for our HR needs. We had one person completing payroll, and it was not efficient. The amount of money spent on the accounting manager was not conducive to the company's budget. We also struggled with our recruiting process. It was nice for employees to access their pay before payday.
- The program itself was not "quick and simple" to set up.
- It was not always user-friendly, especially for staff members who aren't tech-savvy.
- We did not like customer service; the agents weren't as knowledgeable as those from other HR programs I've used.
- Teaching the program was difficult, and we wanted more how-to videos and tutorials.
I did not care for Paylocity. It was difficult, not user-friendly, and customer service was lacking.
If they are a small company, Paylocity is not going to be a good fit. They should evaluate their company's needs and weigh all options. This could be a good program for international companies looking for a basic solution.
I did not see it change much in the short period I used it.
I feel Paylocity would be a good program for large, international companies.
Paylocity would not be suitable for small companies.
Workforce
We selected Workforce.com for its comprehensive all-in-one scheduling, time tracking, and payroll capabilities, particularly in shift-oriented industries. Although its modularity can be more flexible, the platform offers solid features for HR operations and payroll continuity.
PROS
- Full-service, in-house payroll engine with tax filing and wage garnishment support.
- Centralized employee profiles housing HR data, documents, and compliance logs.
- Automated time-to-payroll workflows reduce manual intervention.
- Onboarding and offboarding steps are trackable, with document bundling and digital forms.
- Employee self-service tools (mobile and web) for leave requests, profile updates, and shift management.
- Full-service, in-house payroll engine with tax filing and wage garnishment support.
- Centralized employee profiles housing HR data, documents, and compliance logs.
- Automated time-to-payroll workflows reduce manual intervention.
- Onboarding and offboarding steps are trackable, with document bundling and digital forms.
- Employee self-service tools (mobile and web) for leave requests, profile updates, and shift management.
CONS
- No standalone access to payroll or HR modules.
- No free trial or sandbox access to test payroll workflows without speaking to a Workforce.com representative.
- Recruitment components are basic compared to specialized ATS systems.
- Their payroll system lacks international tax/localization support.
- No standalone access to payroll or HR modules.
- No free trial or sandbox access to test payroll workflows without speaking to a Workforce.com representative.
- Recruitment components are basic compared to specialized ATS systems.
- Their payroll system lacks international tax/localization support.
Workforce is an HR and payroll software tool designed for shift-based employers who need to tightly coordinate scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and HR from a single system.
Starting with payroll processing, the platform offers a full-service, internally developed payroll engine. It handles gross-to-net calculations, tax withholdings, garnishments, and direct deposit, all without relying on third-party systems.
During our demo, we were particularly impressed by how time data from clock-ins and schedules flows directly into payroll runs. Admins can run payroll, preview deductions, and post pay runs directly from within the platform. Since the platform is built on a single codebase, the connectivity is also extended to HR recordkeeping, where wage data is housed in the same employee file that tracks qualifications, incidents, and shift history. From an SMB’s perspective, we believe this unified experience saves a significant amount of time and reduces payroll errors.
The only con here is that payroll functionality is currently limited to the U.S. and U.K., meaning international organizations or those expanding abroad may not find the necessary tax infrastructure or localization support.
In terms of workflow automation, Workforce excels in operational contexts. Its AI-driven scheduler automatically builds labor-efficient rosters based on forecasted demand and POS data. Rules can be configured to automatically approve timesheets within specified grace periods, prompt staff with shift-related questions, or restrict scheduling based on certification status.
When it comes to core HR features, Workforce does a respectable job of covering the essentials. It includes digital onboarding with document bundling and task tracking, a built-in applicant tracking system with pipeline views and resume scoring, and a centralized employee profile with audit logs, certifications, and forms. The system also allows for storing warnings and incident reports, providing a full employment history in one location, which definitely makes it easy to keep operational and compliance data in sync.
We do believe, though, that Workforce is not a complete replacement for your existing ATS and onboarding systems, considering their basic features. Moreover, these recruiting tools are included as part of the platform, meaning you need to purchase the entire package to use them.
On a similar note, although the initial price is quite affordable at $5 per employee per month, the inability to sign up for a free trial without speaking to a Workforce.com representative makes the platform less inviting for some cautious SMBs.
Domino’s Pizza, Altitude Trampoline Parks, Louisiana State University, Pinnacle Live, Cedartown Foods, Winnipeg Jets.
Workforce pricing ranges from $5 to $24 per employee per month.
Best For
Workforce’s payroll and HR platform is best for U.S.- and U.K.-based SMBs managing hourly workers.
Gusto
Gusto offers an affordable basic plan that is suitable for budget-conscious startups. At the same time, their premium plan is a good bet for companies that want to invest more in their employees’ skills. This is especially true in companies whose HR departments are very small.
PROS
- Gusto has an eye-catching UI and multi-device compatibility.
- Easy payroll for U.S.-based W-2 folks, domestic and international contractors.
- Supports online signatures and automated tax filing.
- Flexible payroll options for different schedules and unlimited pay runs.
- Automatic deductions streamline benefits administration.
- Streamlined hiring and onboarding process between HR and new hires.
- Integration with CorpNet and Checkr for post-offer tasks.
- Person-to-person phone support, email, and customer service resources. Licensed benefits advisors available for all plan users.
- Transparent pricing and no long-term contracts. Free account setup.
- Ability to create onboarding checklists send offer letters, and store documents online.
- The dashboard feature keeps tabs on compliance tasks
- The hiring and onboarding sequence is nicely streamlined between HR and the new hire
- Post-offer, pre-start tasks are made easy with integrations like CorpNet (state tax set up) Checkr (background checks)
- Easy payroll for U.S.-based W-2 folks, domestic, and international contractors
- Person-to-person phone support, email, and other customer service resources
- The business model is responsive to customer needs
CONS
- Limited support for international employees.
- No native accounting feature for tracking earnings and spending.
- Simple plan lacks native time tracking and online signatures, requiring third-party integrations.
- Simplistic analytics dashboard.
- Premium plan or add-ons required for federal/state compliance alerts and existing broker/health insurance integration.
- No free trial available.
- Gusto can support payments for international contractors, but not employees
- No native accounting feature to keep earning and spending under the same roof
- Analytics dashboard is simplistic
Gusto UI is both aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. The platform doesn’t offer mobile apps (except for its Wallet app), but being browser-based means it can “play nice” on all devices.
It supports online signatures and automated tax filing, streamlining essential administrative tasks. It also offers flexible payroll options, helping businesses accommodate varied pay schedules and perform unlimited pay runs.
Another notable advantage of Gusto is that it effectively syncs payroll with deductions. This feature saves time and ensures compliance with relevant regulations. Moreover, its integration with CorpNet and Checkr enhances post-offer tasks — a plus for those seeking better employee onboarding.
Gusto strongly emphasizes customer satisfaction through responsive phone and email support, live chat, and licensed benefits advisors for users of all plans. Plus, the setup is free!
Though it can manage payments for international contractors, full support for international employees is unavailable. Additionally, the software lacks a native accounting feature for tracking earnings and spending, so users must rely on external accounting solutions.
If you’re checking out Gusto’s Simple plan, a heads up: it doesn’t have native time tracking or online signatures, so third-party integrations are needed. Advanced features like compliance alerts and integration of existing brokers are reserved for the Premium plan or offered as add-ons for the Plus plan. Simple plan users do not have the option to purchase these add-ons, which may limit their access to comprehensive compliance support and insurance integration.
Gusto powers payroll and HR for over 400,000 businesses across the U.S.
Gusto’s HR and payroll software bundles several key workflows into a single platform. Pricing starts at:
- Simple: $49 per month, plus $6 per employee. Add-ons such as HR Resources ($50 + $5 PEPM) and Priority Support ($30 + $3 PEPM) are available.
- Plus: $80 per month, plus $12 per employee. HR Resources ($50 + $5 PEPM) and Priority Support ($30 + $3 PEPM) can also be purchased separately.
- Premium: $180 per month, plus $22 per employee.
- Contractor Only: $35 per month.
Best For
Gusto offers an affordable basic plan that is suitable for budget-conscious startups. The top-tier Premium plan is highly recommended for companies willing to invest more in their human capital, particularly for those with a single-person HR department.
I use Gusto almost daily to manage various aspects of HR and payroll. My primary focus is on compliance, ensuring state registrations are up to date and payroll regulations are adhered to, especially as we expand into new states. I'm also responsible for pulling reports for compensation planning and performance reviews. The platform is integral for tax compliance; we rely on it to respond promptly to notifications from state entities and maintain our records accurately. Additionally, any changes in employee information are updated in Gusto to keep our records current.
Gusto simplifies hiring in different states and ensures compliance with varying state laws. The platform is user-friendly, making it easy for both HR staff and employees to navigate. It includes all essential HRIS functions without unnecessary complexity.
Our company chose Gusto to streamline our payroll processing, prioritizing a system that was affordable and easy to set up and use. With a focus on hiring across the US, we needed a reliable platform to handle state registrations and payroll compliance quickly and efficiently. Gusto not only manages payroll but also covers essential HR functions such as expenses, time off, and benefits. It serves as the single source of truth for our US employees and contractors. I've been using Gusto for five months, having been with the company for the same period.
The reporting features in Gusto are somewhat limited and not very user-friendly. We have experienced errors in reporting that have resulted in penalties, although Gusto did reimburse us for these. Customer service response times can be slow, ranging from several days to weeks.
Gusto stands out for its simplicity and competitive pricing. It handles many compliance details, which are often challenging for small businesses to manage on their own. For those seeking a straightforward solution that consolidates multiple HR functions, Gusto is an excellent choice.
When considering a tool like Gusto, evaluate your company’s growth trajectory and geographic spread. Assess the core HR needs your organization must fulfill, such as onboarding, payroll, and compliance, and determine whether Gusto can effectively address these while offering time and cost savings. Prioritize your HR team's needs, focusing on what currently consumes the most time and how a tool can streamline these processes.
Since I started using Gusto, the platform has remained relatively stable without significant changes. However, there have been concerns about the declining quality of customer support, which has become less efficient and helpful over time.
Gusto is well-suited for small businesses, ideally with fewer than 50 employees. It might stretch to accommodate a few hundred employees, but that is nearing the limit of its capabilities without straining the system and the HR team.
Organizations with more than 200 employees may find Gusto lacking in features necessary to manage a larger workforce effectively.
OnPay
With best-in-class integrations and built-in HR, OnPay is extremely user-friendly and has top-notch customer support. Its USP is the way it combines simplicity with a wide range of features.
PROS
- 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
- 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.
Fast, precise, and backed by payroll experts, OnPay is a payroll software with all the HR tools embedded in it. OnPay’s goal is to enhance the productivity of individuals and teams. This is reflected both in their simple yet intuitive user interface and extensive features such as multi-state payroll, single sign-on, employee-self service, or automated onboarding flows.
One of the best things about OnPay is that when you buy it, you get the help of trained experts every step of the way. They also provide one month of a free trial.
Best For
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.
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Netchex
Netchex is a standout in the payroll category thanks to their stellar customer support, described often as prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable. It’s the rightful complement to their comprehensive, single-source solution which integrates HR, time and attendance, benefits management, and payroll processing.
PROS
- Grows with your team: With Netchex, it’s very easy to opt for a new plan and keep all your data in the same place even if you outgrow your current pricing plan. Other vendors require a switch to a new service in that kind of event.
- Dedicated support team: Netchex are note-worthy for their award-winning and often lauded customer service. It’s all US-based and provided in real-time through email, live chat, and phone calls.
- Pre-payroll reports: Allows for critical error checks before submission.
- Flexible payroll grid: Easy to make changes or correct errors on the fly.
- Versatile payment options: Includes paper checks, direct deposit, and pay cards.
- Grows with your team: With Netchex, it’s very easy to opt for a new plan and keep all your data in the same place even if you outgrow your current pricing plan. Other vendors require a switch to a new service in that kind of event.
- Dedicated support team: Netchex are note-worthy for their award-winning and often lauded customer service. It’s all US-based and provided in real-time through email, live chat, and phone calls.
- Pre-payroll reports: Allows for critical error checks before submission.
- Flexible payroll grid: Easy to make changes or correct errors on the fly.
- Versatile payment options: Includes paper checks, direct deposit, and pay cards.
CONS
- Requirement of payroll: Users must use the payroll module to access other functionalities, so it wouldn’t work as stand-alone HR software.
- No free trial: Potential users can't test the software without committing to a purchase. The demo with a sales rep is the closest thing.
- Requirement of payroll: Users must use the payroll module to access other functionalities, so it wouldn’t work as stand-alone HR software.
- No free trial: Potential users can't test the software without committing to a purchase. The demo with a sales rep is the closest thing.
Netchex is a comprehensive HR and payroll management platform tailored for small and mid-sized businesses (50-500 employees). The platform stands out with its single-source solution that combines payroll, time and attendance, benefits, HR information, and more into a single tool, thereby reducing the need for multiple spreadsheets and manual data entries. One of our favorite things about Netchex is their flexibility. For example, payroll administrators can effortlessly make adjustments and correct errors directly from the payroll grid.
We also love and hear great things about their detailed pre-payroll reports. As stated above, these can be reviewed before payroll is processed, allowing managers to spot any abnormalities, such as terminated employees receiving paychecks or overpayments. The system comes with full garnishment integration, multiple pay rate solutions, and complete federal, state, and local tax filings, making it a robust and versatile tool for any business.
Additionally, Netchex recently introduced several innovative features, such as AskHR for immediate answers to employee questions, Netchex AI for data analysis, and Community for fostering employee engagement. In our view, these enhancements demonstrate Netchex's commitment to evolving its platform based on user feedback and emerging industry needs.
Netchex is used by companies like Xpressdocs, BK Corrosion, Regal Hospitality, and The Colony ER Hospital.
Netchex follows a per-Employee-per-Month pricing model. Pricing varies according to the company's size and the specific products used. Detailed pricing information can be found on their website.
Since we first became familiar with the tool, Netchex has evolved significantly. As said before, they recently introduced features such as AskHR for automatic employee support, NetChex AI for smart data analysis, and Community to enhance employee engagement and recognition.
Best For
Netchex is best suited for small and mid-sized businesses in various industries, such as restaurants, hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, and auto. As of 2024, their sweet spot is organizations with less than 500 employees, but they are perfectly capable of working with larger teams.
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UKG
Easy to navigate and customizable to your business needs, UKG’s Payroll and HR Software provides you with all the HR services under one roof. Their customer support team that’s available on a payroll hotline and chat are worth mentioning.
PROS
- 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
- 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.
UKG has a variety of HR product suites. If you’re looking for an HR software that combines transformative HR technology with robust payroll functionality, then UKG Pro is their HCM solution you should keep an eye on.
UKG Pro takes care of four key areas and those are payroll processing, talent acquisition, learning, and employee voice. One of its most coveted aspects is its intuitive navigation. You can get all your information on the very first page, with just a single click.
It also has a mobile app that your employees can use to do a variety of things such as being able to request time off or pulling old pay stubs.
Best For
I’ll use UKG Pro every working day. Our primary use for it is payroll and timekeeping. Even still, we use a myriad of the other features. This includes employee benefits administration, hiring and onboarding, compensation management, talent management, and a few others. This program also provides a lot of flexibility and freedom in its application.
UKG Pro’s greatest strength lies in its full-suite of payroll and HR tools. It’s all blended together in a “sandbox” environment so users can freely explore the system. In addition to these, it also includes extensive reporting tools which makes work much easier and quicker.
My company transitioned to UKG Pro after frustrations with our former HRIS. One of UKG’s greatest strengths is the program’s ease of use. Not only is it easy for our HR representatives to use, but for our employees as well. We’ve been using UKG Pro for a little over a year now and already it’s proven to be leaps and bounds above some other systems I’ve used. With UKG Pro, you’re getting an excellent value for your money.
UKG Pro is on the expensive side and, to boot, they’re not transparent about their pricing. I also did not appreciate the lack of a free or “trial” mode to try out the product before spending so much for it. Also, scaling up (or down) can be cumbersome as a custom set up is required.
UKG Pro is far more intuitive than other HRI Systems I’ve used in the past. It’s among my favorites for its ease of use and customizability.
When buying this type of tool you want to pay close attention to what is important for your company. You’ll always want to take into consideration pricing. But beyond this, look at the features provided. Does it include a full-suite? Does it integrate well with other systems you’re currently using? You’ll want to really do your research.
I can’t speak too heavily to its evolution. I can acknowledge that they have implemented a few smaller quality of life changes to make the experience run smoother.
This is a good software for larger, very typically structured, organizations. If you’ve got more than 200 employees, this software will make your life easier.
Smaller organizations, namely those with less than 150 employees, should consider other options. UKG Pro is among the most expensive HRIS I’ve used.
Namely
What makes Namely stand out from its competitors is that it’s highly customizable, easy to implement, and has unmatched customer service. Namely is also very scalable and would smoothly grow with your team.
PROS
- Navigating Namely poses minimal challenges for most users, with an intuitive and notably clean UI despite its extensive feature set.
- Users commend Namely's employee onboarding module, which employs a user-friendly wizard to facilitate swift and clear onboarding for new hires.
- In addition to its inbuilt data management, recruiting, onboarding, time off tracking, payroll, and benefits administration features, Namely offers managed payroll and benefits administration services, relieving internal teams of heavy burdens.
- 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 predominantly caters to the U.S. market, limiting its suitability for international businesses.
- While users applaud its user-friendliness, implementing Namely can be time-consuming, with an average implementation period of 6-8 weeks, as reported by the platform.
- Lacking features for employee development like skill training, career pathing, and succession planning, Namely falls short in this area given its scope.
- Prior to adoption, verifying compatibility with your existing benefits provider is essential, as some users have reported instances of Namely encouraging them to switch providers, sometimes resulting in increased costs.
- 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 aims to help you stay on top of your job and free up your time to focus on innovative people strategies. This cloud-based HR software consists of enhanced payroll services, compliance tools, benefits insurance expertise, and tools for employee engagement.
Apart from handling your core HR needs, Namely also offers pre-built integrations with an ever-growing list of partners. But what’s even more compelling is that if you don’t find an integration you need, you could build your own integration through Namely’s secure API.
Namely also has an amazing and active client community you could reach out to if you want an insight into the best practices.
Best For
Our HRBP and operations team accessed Namely multiple times a week, while Finance and IT logged in several times a month, and managers did so quarterly. The Recruiting team used it to verify organizational structure and ensure accurate data transfer for new hires.
As someone who helped implement Namely, I used it for various tasks, such as ensuring its proper function, creating and pulling reports for HR programs, and supporting my client groups with necessary data. It served as our central repository for all employee information.
In my first six months, I adjusted workflows and reports to align with our processes, ensuring other teams had the information they needed. I also supported 40% of the company's employees, using the data for organizational planning, talent development, and performance reviews.
Namely's user interface is modern and intuitive, making it easy for managers and employees to navigate. The workflow configurations are straightforward, reducing the need for extensive support. The reporting functions are robust, allowing us to generate customized reports essential for effective planning and reporting.
Our organization was experiencing rapid growth, doubling in size each year, and we needed to upgrade our HRIS system to accommodate this expansion. We sought a solution that integrated HRIS, payroll, and IT support into a single tool.
After evaluating Namely and ADP, we chose Namely for its more cohesive system. It offered improved permission settings, enabling managers, IT, and finance to access necessary information and generate reports.
Additionally, it facilitated the creation of cross-functional workflow notifications. We used the system for 2 and a half years until our acquisition necessitated its discontinuation.
Namely's HRIS and payroll systems are connected but not fully integrated, which complicates data transfer between the two. The payroll interface is less user-friendly, creating additional workload for our payroll personnel and requiring more support from our HR implementation team. Although we were initially assured of specific reporting capabilities, we found ourselves unable to generate certain reports without delays and additional support from Namely.
Namely is particularly appealing to mid-market and small enterprise companies due to its price point and functionality, positioning it between basic SMB tools and more complex systems like Workday. However, newer entrants like Rippling and BambooHR are beginning to offer improved functionality at a competitive price, encroaching on the niche Namely once effectively filled.
When it comes to HRIS systems, none of them are perfect. It's really about finding a tool that can do 70-80% of what you need and have workarounds for the rest. My biggest factors for evaluating tools like this is to see if it'll take care of our "basic needs/high priority needs" first, whether it will be easy to use for the people who use it most, and then cost. I would start by creating a spreadsheet of what problems are you trying to solve, then label them–is this a basic need, high/medium/low priority? Make sure you include the stakeholders so you can look at the tool holistically and make better-informed decisions.
When we were using the tool, a lot of Namely's updates were more back-end functions. For example, they later implemented better reporting which helped make looking at data easier. This was great for HR teams because it reduced the friction in the product for us.
Namely is best suited for mid-market to smaller enterprise customers, typically with employee sizes ranging from 400 to 3,000.
Namely may not be suitable for companies with fewer than 400 employees. Its complexity and management requirements might be excessive for smaller organizations that prefer not to allocate significant resources to system oversight.
APS
Throughout our test, APS impressed us with a reliable, unified approach to managing the entire employee lifecycle. From the moment we began using the platform, it became clear that it’s designed with a strong emphasis on customer support and personalization—qualities that make it stand out in a crowded marketplace.
PROS
- Personalized customer service with a dedicated account team for hands-on support.
- Payroll management covers all 50 U.S. states, with specialized knowledge of state-level compliance.
- Automated benefits administration with integration to hundreds of benefits carriers.
- ACA compliance tools simplify employee tracking and IRS reporting.
- User-friendly self-service portal for both employees and managers.
- Well-suited for service-based industries like healthcare, hospitality, and non-profits.
- 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
- No free trial and lack of transparent pricing.
- Payroll services must be purchased to access other products (e.g., HR, workforce planning.)
- Exclusively designed for the U.S. market, with no international payroll capabilities.
- 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 offers a comprehensive and unified solution for managing payroll, HR, benefits, and workforce planning.
One of the standout aspects of APS is the dedicated account team assigned to each client. Compared to solutions like Paycor whose support often requires self-service or involves some delay, APS was consistently responsive, with most issues resolved within the same day during our tech test.
Comparable to other major payroll solutions, APS’s payroll tool provides coverage of all 50 U.S. states. Yet, what truly sets APS apart is its specialized focus on service-based industries like healthcare, hospitality, and non-profits. We got in touch with some users from these industries, and heard lots of good words about the expertise of APS’s payroll specialists, describing them as “responsive” and noting that they “clearly understood the complexities of state-level payroll requirements.”
Benefits administration became one of our favorite features during testing. The platform automates everything—from eligibility tracking to benefits enrollment—and makes all of this easily accessible through an employee self-service portal.
ACA compliance is a critical feature of workforce management technologies, and we’re glad APS’s is implemented thoughtfully. The platform includes tools that automatically track eligible employees, pre-populate forms, and even file reports directly to the IRS.
And the self-service portal didn’t disappoint, either. It allowed us to delegate tasks while maintaining accountability across teams. In manager roles, we could easily track action items, approve time-off requests, and see who was on vacation, while accessing the platform as employees gave us full control over our pay stubs, available PTO, and benefits.
Unfortunately, pricing transparency is quite a concern, as APS does not disclose its pricing, and there is no free trial available. We also found that you cannot purchase APS's HR and workforce planning modules unless you have already purchased the payroll solution, which limits flexibility and may be a barrier for businesses looking for only specific HR functionalities.
Another limitation is that APS is designed exclusively for the U.S. market, unlike platforms like Rippling and Zenefits, which offer both domestic and international capabilities.
3,500+ companies, including Wahlburgers, Rainbow Sandals, Grayson College, and Hillside Christian Church.
APS's payroll software has a minimum monthly billing of $250, while the pricing for APS's HR and workforce planning tools is undisclosed.
Best For
U.S.-based service industries seeking a comprehensive HR and payroll solution with designated support.
WorkDay
Trusted by the world’s leading companies, Workday runs on automation and innovation to help you save time and money. Its advanced analytics tools can benefit HR teams at even the largest companies.
PROS
- Accessible customer support from the community, live chat, and telephone.
- Compatible with 300 HR systems such as ERP/GL, CRM, HR, and PSA.
- Configurable dashboard with AI and ML-driven insights.
- Ability to maintain real-time alignment of budgets and workforce plans.
- SOC 2 Type 2 compliance.
CONS
- Undisclosed pricing.
- No free trial for its talent management software.
- Time-consuming implementation period (average 4.5 months).
- Challenge navigating for first-time users may require training.
- Issues with logging in were reported by users.
Designed to fuel your acceleration in a changing world, Workday aims to overcome the limitations of an Enterprise Resource Planning system, commonly referred to as an ERP. Workday has many products and solutions but if you’re on the lookout for a payroll and HR solution that would help you optimize the time, talent, and energy of your people, their Human Capital Management system is worth checking out. From creating customized compensation programs to augmented people analytics that give you insights from vast data sets – Workday’s HCM suite is packed with extremely powerful tools.
Best For
There are many reasons we'd use Workday, but some key work streams include: running payroll end to end, running the hire-to-retire process end to end, pulling important reports, and analyzing internal demographic data, etc. We use Workday multiple times per day, and we're currently still configuring some key features that we did not launch on 1/1/23, so we're still spending a lot of time on the tool.
Workday is powerful, you can create almost any report and any feature that you can imagine (although, you need to know how to do it). Workday is scalable, you can do a lot in bulk. Workday is integration friendly, having an internal HRIS be able to integrate with other software is key to running smooth internal business operations.
Previously, we were using Gusto and BambooHR for our Payroll and HRIS sources of record. Gusto and BambooHR would not integrate with one another, and we were continually faced with "big company problems" using a "small company tool" like Gusto. Workday promised an all-in-one, scalable, and powerful tool we could use in order to meet our many Payroll and HR needs. We've been using it since January 1st, 2023, and I can say that it's definitely allowed the company to scale some work streams.
Workday is incredibly unintuitive, I wish it was more user-friendly. Workday doesn't have a support team and the Workday Resource Center is not super useful, I wish it had a support team we could call. Workday is very expensive since they hold a large chunk of the market and since it's difficult to move HRIS systems, they're able to get away with charging a lot of money -- I wish it was less expensive.
A lot more powerful, and a lot more scalable, but way less intuitive to use.
Don't purchase Workday if your company is small (0-500-ish employees). Don't purchase Workday if you're not struggling with scale.
Workday has allowed us to spend less time processing workflows that affect the end user, allowing for more automation, which means less risk, which means fewer errors.
Mid-size to Large companies.
Small companies, or companies where the HR or finance teams are very small.
Keka
Keka offers SMBs a single system that handles employee records, compliance, time tracking, and payroll without separate contracts or integrations. Payroll is included in every plan, from the entry-level Foundation tier to the fully loaded Growth tier, making it easy to run salaries, track benefits, and file taxes without switching tools.
PROS
- Federal and state tax filing is included at all tiers.
- Flexible pay schedules with direct deposit support.
- Overtime and leave policy automation to match local labor laws.
- Benefits, loans, and expense tracking in one place.
- Built-in dashboards and reports to monitor payroll trends.
- Accounting integrations for streamlined finance workflows.
- Federal and state tax filing is included at all tiers.
- Flexible pay schedules with direct deposit support.
- Overtime and leave policy automation to match local labor laws.
- Benefits, loans, and expense tracking in one place.
- Built-in dashboards and reports to monitor payroll trends.
- Accounting integrations for streamlined finance workflows.
CONS
- “Free Trial” access is gated behind a sales demo and disclosed only after signup.
- Implementation fees for setup, tax configuration, and data migration.
- Advanced tools (custom reports, asset tracking, engagement surveys) only available in higher tiers.
- Multi-entity payroll and API access require add-on fees.
- Slow load times in the demo raise usability concerns about payroll deadlines.
- “Free Trial” access is gated behind a sales demo and disclosed only after signup.
- Implementation fees for setup, tax configuration, and data migration.
- Advanced tools (custom reports, asset tracking, engagement surveys) only available in higher tiers.
- Multi-entity payroll and API access require add-on fees.
- Slow load times in the demo raise usability concerns about payroll deadlines.
For teams with 20 employees and way up to a few thousand, and are looking for a payroll system that’s compliant, configurable, and tied directly to HR data, Keka delivers the fundamentals well.
In our demo, Keka’s payroll workflow started at the very first step of HR: onboarding. Once an employee’s profile was created with personal details, role, pay structure, and tax info, the data was automatically available in the payroll module. The system pulled in attendance and leave information daily, so approved overtime or time off was reflected in pay runs without manual updates.
Keka supports multiple pay cycles (weekly, biweekly, monthly) and lets you configure rules for overtime pay, shift differentials, or compliance with regional labor laws. We also like that the benefits management is built in, covering health plans, allowances, and reimbursements, along with loan tracking for salary advances or deductions. For those wondering whether expense claims are handled in the same system, they are, and actually can be tied to payroll for quicker reimbursement.
From an HR perspective, Keka centralizes employee data with an interactive profile for each worker, storing contracts and ID proofs, and other documents. In testing, in the manager role, we could easily track lifecycle events from hiring to promotions to exit, and trigger payroll adjustments automatically. The time tracking is also well-built, with a range of supported inputs: biometric devices, GPS or selfie punches, and continuous location tracking for field teams.
We do wish, though, that the vendor were more upfront about their free trial offer. From what we saw on their platform, they advertise a “Free Trial,” but in reality, you can’t actually access the software until you’ve gone through a sales demo. It felt a bit misleading to us.
Another thing we became aware of is that there might be some additional fees you may initially overlook. For example, there are implementation fees for setting up payroll and transferring historical salary data. Plus, some features like multi-entity payroll and custom payroll reports either require upgrading to higher-tier plans or purchasing as add-ons.
During our demo, we also experienced slow page loads. While it’s not a deal-breaker for small payroll runs, it can be pretty frustrating when you're processing payroll for larger teams.
Over 10,000 organizations, including ONEPLUS, eBay, and Randstad.
Keka Foundation charges $9/month per employee for payroll, benefits, automation, and onboarding. Strength costs $16/month with advanced permissions, custom reports, GPS attendance, asset tracking, and Slack/MS Teams integration. Growth is $22/month, including analytics, reviews, OKRs, skill matrix, and engagement tools. Additional features include multi-entity payroll, shift scheduler, distance calc, API/webhooks, and helpdesk.
Best For
Small to mid-sized businesses that want payroll and HR workflows in a single system, with compliance, attendance, and benefits management handled automatically.
Paycor
Paycor not only takes care of your payroll management and HCM needs but goes over and beyond by providing predictive HR analytics to help you understand your employees’ trends and behaviors.
PROS
- 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
- 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.
Trusted by more than 29,000 businesses, Paycor’s HR + Payroll Software is made up of three HR management tools: A payroll system, an HR platform, and analytics. The payroll solution is laden with many incredibly useful features such as OnDemand Pay, AutoRun functionality, employee self-service, and tax compliance to name a few.
There’s also a mobile app that helps you make real-time changes at the tip of your fingers.
Similar to its payroll processing counterpart, Paycor’s HRMS tool is driven by automation and also comes with features that let you view employee records, edit employee data, optimize performance reviews, and improve internal communication.
Best For
Our organization used Paycor as our core HRIS, benefits administrator, and payroll processor. We also used Paycor for employee onboarding and offboarding, as well as for document management.
As an admin, I was in the system daily. I was mainly responsible for building and maintaining workflows in the tool and maintaining employee data and security permissions. I also built and ran reports, utilizing the data analytics (Visier) module.
We did not use Paycor for recruiting, scheduling, or talent development.
There were very few things I liked about Paycor. The Visier-powered analytics platform helped uncover trends and useful insights. Employees appreciated the self-service options available. Having a sandbox environment available for testing was very helpful.
Including implementation, I used Paycor for almost a year. Our organization was moving away from our PEO to fully control and manage our HRIS and benefits. Our benefits broker had an existing relationship with Paycor, and we were on a tight timeline, so we contracted with Paycor. We implemented the system in less than three months.
The platform, especially the UI, is extremely dated, and the UX is not intuitive. There was a lack of customization within the workflows—functionality that would be expected in an HRIS. The focus of the platform seemed to be on payroll, so other modules felt underdeveloped.
This is the worst HRIS platform I've used. If in doubt, go with the other option. There is nothing about this platform that would lead me to select it in the future.
Make sure the tool you’re buying is suitable for your organization and its needs. There are many popular tools that may not be a good fit for your company.
Paycor had been working on updating workflows to make them more customizable. Reporting has also been migrated into a more user-friendly template. They have also acquired other platforms and integrated them into their system.
If an organization is looking to implement quickly and at a basic level be able to pay their employees, administer benefits, and use reporting, Paycor could be an option. Still, there are much better tools available.
Organizations that are forward-thinking, require customized workflows, and want a more agile platform should look for other, better solutions.
BambooHR
BambooHR comes with an interface that’s remarkably calming to the senses for a workplace tool. They’re one of the top HR products of all time. Their payroll product, while acclaimed, is only available for paying US-based employees.
PROS
- BambooHR offers flexible packaging and custom pricing, allowing you to select packages and additional modules as needed.
- Renowned for its simplicity and user-friendliness, BambooHR stands out as an easy-to-use tool.
- 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 limited to US-based employees, restricting its global reach.
- Similarly, customer support is confined to US business hours, potentially inconveniencing international users.
- Certain modules, including time tracking, performance management, and surveys, are only accessible as add-ons, which would mean an extra investment.
- 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 refers to itself as an “HR Software with heart” and rightly so. This all-in-one HR software takes care of the entire employee lifecycle by focusing on five key areas which are compensation, culture, people & analytics, hiring, and onboarding.
By keeping customer experience at the center of everything, BambooHR lets you access all your employee records in one place and dramatically reduces your paper usage.
From a robust payroll software that lets your employees quickly access their pay stubs or direct deposit to a highly accurate applicant tracking system that lets you find people who match your company culture, BambooHR has most that you could ask for in an HRIS and more.
Best For
There are multiple ways to incorporate BambooHR into your business workflows from an HR perspective. We used it for job postings, hiring, and onboarding. Also, we used it for tracking PTO, employee records, and payroll. We found it helpful for benefits enrollment too.
A relatively new feature is tracking employee satisfaction through eNPS, which is great ,and BambooHR includes the ability to use it for performance management.
I have found BambooHR to be simple in its design for a user-friendly approach. Also, with an average cost of $17 per employee (flat rate for more employees) it's saved both time and money.
Everything our small company needs is available in one platform, which is nice not to have to "hop around" to other platforms.
We are a small company that could not afford to hire an entire human resources department. Also, we wanted to move to a platform to house, e.g., employee records, track hiring processes, and data management. BambooHR was a way for us to accomplish these goals at a reasonable price and brought the company into the 21st century!
We used this platform for a couple of years for our benefits enrollment, administration, and hiring processes. It was user-friendly for our employees.
BambooHR has "add-on" features that can drive up the costs. The "straightforward" (i.e., limited) features may not be suitable for mid-to large-scale businesses. BambooHR has had its challenges with year-over-year capabilities.
BambooHR is user-friendly and great for small businesses. It is a "pay as you need" in its features, so you don't have to buy the entire package, if you will.
A careful analysis of your business needs from an HR perspective is required. For instance, how many employees do you have, what are your challenges in the HR realm (e.g., multiple systems for each function), and how much can you afford. This is a feature-based platform and can be helpful for any-sized business (smaller is my suggestion) to select what you need based on affordability.
BambooHR has become more user-friendly with more options.
BambooHR is good for a small business, based on cost and options it offers.
Large-scale or international businesses with hundreds of employees that have a cross-functional human resources department that uses/needs a platform that has multiple features in one, platform-based cost, and BambooHR may not be that.
Rippling
Rippling is geared toward SMBs with its intuitive UI, automation, and 500+ integrations. Besides features like US/global payroll and self-service, the benefits administration tool lets you work with your chosen broker and select the benefits packages for your team from over 4,000 plans.
PROS
- Rippling payroll automatically updates work hours, deductions, and tax filings.
- Ability to process payroll in multiple countries and currencies.
- Can connect with 500+ apps.
- Enables users to work with their chosen broker.
- Ability to purchase modules separately or as a full suite.
- 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
- Undisclosed pricing. No free trial.
- Phone support costs extra.
- Not the best option for teams with 2,000+ employees.
- The mobile app has limited features compared to the web browser version.
- 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 is a competent solution for growing teams looking to handle their HR and payroll more efficiently. Though the software is quite new in the space, we appreciate how fast the platform has evolved since it debuted.
One of the standout features of Rippling is its exceptional integration capabilities. With over 500 app connections available, it surpasses most tools in the market.
Rippling offers feature-rich capabilities that simplify payroll and HR management for global teams. With its integrated platform, users can pay employees and contractors worldwide within minutes. The built-in time tracking app automatically updates work hours, deductions, and tax filings, eliminating the need for manual tasks. This allows users to focus on reviewing numbers, approving payroll, and letting the system handle the rest.
We are impressed with Rippling's benefits management tool, allowing users to collaborate with preferred brokers, select from 4,000 plans, and offer the hires a self-service portal and mobile app. However, we hope for enhancements in the mobile app's performance and features, as it can be laggy at times and lacks certain functionalities compared to the web browser version.
Rippling's pricing starts at $8 per employee per month, but obtaining an accurate quote requires a demo with a sales representative. It's important to note that the actual cost may be higher due to the software's purchase model. The Unity module is mandatory for purchasing any other modules. Additionally, if you require phone support from HR specialists, additional fees apply.
Vox, Maximum Games, Superhuman, Compass Coffee, Highnoon.
Rippling's Core HR platform starts at $8 per employee per month. Contact Sales for more details.
Best For
Rippling is most useful for SMBs, ideally with 50 to 2,000 employees. It doesn’t matter whether they are US-based, global, remote, office-based, or distributed teams.
I am a Super Admin in Rippling for my company. I use it almost every day, even though we only have five employees. I process payroll twice a month, set up new employees, and terminate exiting employees.
I also monitor the benefits plans. I’ve learned how to set up new policies within the system and have implemented two so far.
- Rippling is easy to reach when I have a question; if the chatbot can’t answer, they immediately connect me with a live representative.
- The apps/icons on the homepage make it easy to find what you need, and the interface is very user-friendly.
- I hired an hourly employee, needed to set up the timekeeping system, and the integrations were straightforward.
We bought Rippling because the CEO had used the system before. We began searching for a tool in Q1 2025 and started using Rippling in April 2025. We are a small startup with only a handful of employees, and we initially needed a solution to manage our benefits plan and employee payroll.
Their customer service was known to be great, and the integration and setup were easy. Rippling's chatbot is convenient and quick when we have questions. I’ve used it to set up new policies, such as the time-off policy, in the system.
- Rippling sends a lot of notifications, and there’s no way to reduce the number.
- The icons on the left aren’t customized to what we use—instead, everything they offer is listed.
- I don’t really have another con.
I like the large icons on the Rippling homepage. It simplifies navigation throughout the platform. I also really appreciate the chatbot feature, which can be used for any question. If it can’t provide an answer, it offers to connect you to a live agent. This is much faster than the service provided by the last two tools I used.
Being charged per user could be expensive for companies with a high number of employees, so pay attention to that detail. We are very small, so Rippling works well for us. Before buying this type of tool, make sure the interface is intuitive and user-friendly for both users and admins. Depending on your current systems, double-check the integration capabilities.
Rippling hasn’t changed since we started using it. We were told they’ve had some recent AI enhancements and tools.
Small to medium-sized companies. Rippling’s especially good for startups because it’s easy to get started and use.
In my opinion, Rippling wouldn’t be ideal for extremely large organizations. It could become costly.
Payroll and HR Software Benefits
While it may not seem like a necessity early on, contemporary payroll and HR solutions offer so much more value than meets the eye. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider investing in payroll and HR software:
- Streamline your workflows: Instead of buying two separate software for your core HR tasks and payroll, you would immensely benefit from buying an all-in-one payroll and HR software in a plethora of ways. Not only would a consistent user interface give you more clarity about your work, but you would also be able to easily map out an employee’s compensation and PTO based on their attendance, performance, and other such metrics – all of which would be accessible in one single place if you choose a unified HRIS.
- Save time: The biggest advantage of using modern HR tools is that they focus on automating redundant tasks and freeing up your bandwidth for more creative and strategic thinking initiatives. A good HR and payroll system would help you save time on recurring tasks like payroll processing, time and attendance, and applicant tracking.
- Avail expert advice: Dealing with the nuances of payroll processing can get complicated pretty quickly. Although integrated payroll and HR software would have a user-friendly interface, most such software comes with a robust support team that’s not only there with you for implementation and weekday support but also for intimating you with regulations that keep changing frequently. You could also avail of the service of these payroll experts for understanding best practices and making important business decisions.
- Improve employee retention: Modern Payroll and HR solutions come with tools for employee benefits ranging from retirement benefits to health, vision, and dental insurance. This not only is an effective employee retention strategy but also helps you save money and stay compliant.
- Transparency: Makers of HR and payroll software know that they have many stakeholders. So, while HR managers have access to employee records, employees can access a portal that lets them see their own time and attendance, request time off, avail of benefits, and stay up-to-date with any changes. This kind of transparency builds trust, saves time, and helps employees improve their performance.
- Stay compliant: Payroll and HR software companies take compliance very seriously because they know that in today’s world of ever-changing regulations, no company wants the stress of lawsuits or fines looming over their heads. From unlimited access to expert HR advisors to law alerts and compliance resources, a good payroll and HR system would help you stay compliant and up-to-date with regulatory changes.
- Identify trends and patterns: Modern HR technology is equipped with analytics tools that give businesses a holistic overview of their company. From getting an insight into your diversity patterns to seeing your attrition trends in a visually digestible form, you can make use of a payroll and HR system to formulate new HR strategies and bring change.
ROI Of Payroll and HR Software
HR and payroll systems are often not free and the cost only escalates as the organization scales up. In the early stages of a company, tasks like time tracking and running payroll can be managed with the help of spreadsheets, although you have to consider that the opportunity cost is your precious time and sometimes even your peace of mind.
But when your organization grows, it’s clear as day that you’re better off outsourcing menial payroll and HR tasks to a software tool.
Consider this simple stat: The average salary of a payroll administrator in the U.S. is $50,000 per year. The average annual salary of an HR administrator is approximately the same as a payroll administrator. If you compare the amount of money you’ll spend on payroll and HR software vs. what it costs to hire a couple of administrators for such jobs, you’ll see that it’s completely worth buying a good payroll and HR system.
Besides, unquantifiable features such as accuracy, elimination of duplicate entries, or compliance risks, however easy to overlook, can make a substantial difference at the end of the day.
Payroll and HR Software Pricing
The cost of payroll and HR software varies based on the provider, company size, and features included. Most vendors use a pricing model that includes a monthly base fee plus a per-employee-per-month fee, with the per-employee cost typically around 25% of the base fee. Vendors also offer differently priced packages based on feature requirements and company size, and many require custom quotes instead of listing standard prices publicly.
Here’s what you can expect from some of the top payroll and HR software providers:
- APS: Minimum monthly billing of $250, additional HR tools cost extra.
- Paylocity: Pricing is not publicly disclosed; custom quotes are required.
- Rippling: Starts at $8 per user per month, but costs increase based on the selected modules.
- OnPay: Offers transparent pricing with free setup and data migration.
- Gusto: Base plan starts at $40 per month + $6 per employee.
- Deel: Payroll options start at $19 to $29 per employee per month.
- Patriot: "Basic" plan is $17 per month + $4 per employee; "Full Service" plan is $37 per month + $4 per employee.
- QuickBooks: "Core" plan is $45 per month + $4 per employee.
HR and Payroll Software Features
After spending countless hours in the HRMS vendor universe, we’ve found that the highest-rated payroll and HR solutions are laden with features that surpass the basic requirements of HR teams.
While some vendors go over and beyond in terms of the add-ons they provide, below is a list of features that you must look for while selecting a payroll and HR solution.
- Automated, unlimited payroll runs: It’s always good to go with software that aims to eliminate repetitive work. You’d want to choose an HRMS that not only lets you schedule when to pay different employees but also lets you run payroll as often as you’d like, as opposed to solutions that only allow you to run payroll a limited number of times in a month.
- Tax filing and payments: Managing taxes on your own can add unnecessary risk and burden on your shoulders. Top-tier HRMS vendors withhold all your taxes each pay run and file all the necessary annual and quarterly forms on your behalf.
- Multiple pay rates: Vendors are aware that a lot of companies have employees who perform multiple tasks, for which they’re remunerated differently. This adds another level of complexity to payroll processing. It’s in your best interest to go with a vendor who provides such a feature, otherwise, you’ll be wasting your time matching different pay rates to the different number of hours worked; a task that’s best left for automation.
- Employee self-service: A feature that lets employees access their own information not only fosters a culture of transparency and trust but also frees up the HR department’s bandwidth to focus on more high-level, people-centric tasks.
- Benefits administration: Vendors who have a benefits administration platform can rid you of the hassles that come with the open enrollment process in addition to enhancing your employee experience. The biggest advantage of going with a vendor that comes with a benefits tool however is that the benefit deductions automatically flow into payroll for processing, saving you potential hours of manual work.
- Attendance & time tracking: You’d want to choose an HRMS that has an attendance tool that’s fully integrated with the payroll. This would eliminate duplicate data entry and improve the overall accuracy of the payroll system.
- Automated onboarding flows: The process of onboarding usually comes with a lot of paperwork, especially if it’s done manually. Automated onboarding flows let employees onboard themselves with features that allow them to enter their own details, e-sign documents, and self-check all the tasks.
- Employee database: An HRIS with an employee database lets you view all your employee records and information in one single place, making it easy to find any employee’s performance history, salary, position, training records, and more.
Questions To Ask On Demos
Most HR tech vendors either provide a live demo or a recorded one to their potential customers. Think of this as a simulation of what it’s going to be like after you get this product onboard. Lest you get carried away by the number of features or a beautiful user interface, it’s imperative that you prepare a list of questions beforehand that will address your core HR needs.
Although not exhaustive, below are such questions that we think HR professionals should definitely ask to get the most out of a demo:
- How does this HR software integrate with other systems that we already use?
- How do you go about transferring data from our current system to your solution?
- Do you provide training after implementing this software in our organization?
- Can you tailor your software for our specific needs?
- How long does it typically take to resolve any issues we may face?
- What are your security measures like? How do you protect our sensitive data?
- Can you give a product walkthrough from the point of view of different kinds of users?
- Will your solution help me manage contractors and other people who are not full-time employees?
- How will our pricing change as we scale?
- Is your solution cloud-based and mobile-friendly?
- Do you have a team that would help me stay up-to-date with regulatory changes that are relevant to my organization?
- Do you handle international payroll?
- How do you go about handling benefits for employees in different states or remote workers in different countries?
- Is there an in-built tool that helps the HR team communicate with employees?
- What kind of HR processes will be automated?
- What are your key features? What differentiates this solution from its competitors?
HR and Payroll System Implementation
Depending on whether you’re buying payroll and HR software for the first time or switching to a new one, your implementation process would slightly differ.
There are also variables such as your organization size, training requirements, and the vendor you choose that would dictate your timeline and process. Thus, implementation of a new payroll and HR software could take as little as a day to a couple of weeks.
Most vendors start with an installation, which is followed by data migration (if you’re switching from another vendor), configuration, testing, employee training, and finally officially bringing the software on board. Later, the vendor may follow up for feedback.
In most cases, the implementation team would ask you for the following information:
- Basic company information such as your EIN (employee identification number)
- Basic employee information such as their name, SSN, address, compensation, etc.
- Payroll and information about already paid taxes, if you’re switching vendors mid-year
Do note that although this is the typical process, it’s best to ask the vendor you’re interested in about their implementation process and timeline before proceeding with them.
Payroll and HR Software FAQs
What is payroll software?
In 2022, when someone says payroll software they typically mean a SaaS solution that manages, records, organizes, and automates a company’s payments to its employees. That being said, payroll software could be cloud-based or on-premise.
What is HR software?
HR software is a suite of tools that helps a company’s human resources department carry out everyday HR tasks in an efficient manner.
What is an all-in-one HRMS software?
An all-in-one HRMS software enables a company’s HR department to carry out a wide range of core HR tasks such as payroll processing, onboarding, recruiting, benefits administration, applicant tracking, and more from one centralized location.
Do companies provide both payroll and HR software together?
Yes, many vendors in the HR space provide a combined solution that takes care of payroll and core HR needs.
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?
These terms are often used interchangeably because, on the surface, there isn’t a huge difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS. The definition varies from vendor to vendor and even among HR professionals. While all three are people management tools, the differences lie in their features and use cases.
An HRIS takes care of your core HR needs and is limited in that sense. An HRMS has the same use case as an HRIS but goes beyond the core HR needs in terms of features, especially if it adds performance management and payroll. Strategic planning is the epicenter of an HCM while having most of the HRMS features all the same.
What are the benefits of using HR and payroll software?
There are many benefits of using HR and payroll software, some of which are:
- Helps you save time by automating repetitive tasks
- Improves the overall employee experience
- Increases compliance
- Better organization and everything in one place
- Analytics, reporting, and key business insights
- Workforce management.
What is the best payroll and HR software?
While we’ve spent a lot of time researching and coming up with this list of best payroll HR software, what is best for one company might not be for some other. Hopefully, our comprehensive yet brief vendor reviews help you shortlist what would be the best HE and payroll software for your particular case.
Last Advice
To wrap things up, we hope that the information on this page helped you get an overview of the best HR and payroll systems, their features, pricing, and how to go about implementing them.
Using a top payroll and HR solution will help you save a lot of time and money, but what would truly elevate your experience is partnering with a vendor that specifically caters to your company’s needs.
Our advice to you is that instead of looking for a one-size-fits-all solution, you should narrow down your specific HR requirements and base all your demos around that. Dive right into demos with 2-3 vendors and ask them to show specific functionality. If a vendor checks the majority of your boxes, you can then evaluate them on other factors like ease of use and overall user experience.
Lastly, if you're an internationally distributed team, consider coupling this guide with our roundup of the best global payroll software.
About the Author
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.
