Rippling is an employee management platform for everything between onboarding and offboarding. They stand out for having a very appealing UI, with design that we find soothing to the eye. They also offer PEO services that you can keep track of through the platform.
Ratings
Ease of Use
Best For
Key Differentiator
Price
Free Trial
PROS
- 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
- 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
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Rippling is a relatively new player in the HR tools market, with a focus on helping SMBs manage HR and IT in one solution. They focus specifically on businesses with less than 2,000 employees.
An interesting thing about them is that they are very vocal about trying to make their software easy-to-use and intuitive not just for HR professionals and recruiters, but for the CEO, IT staff, and any team member that will interact with the product.
For example, recruiters are able to get into the tool and see all the necessary HR information related to their profile that they need to consult sometimes. For example, download their pay stubs, consult PTO, number of sick days, or even check out who’s off when.
Rippling started with offering core HR, payroll, and benefit management tools with a strong focus on automation. In 2022, however, they incorporated many new modules to their offering, like time and attendance, talent management, learning management, even licensed PEO services, and then a full global payroll suite by the end of the year.
Their global payroll offering, which includes many ways to manage an international payroll (including EOR), is one of the best products in the category. They handle all aspects of paying people overseas instead of aggregating outside services from third-party providers, which is new in the space, at least in 2023. Aside from a demo of this new part of the platform, we interviewed several users of the tool, and have found the experiences are overwhelmingly positive.
They now also have an IT cloud product, for app and device management. As with the HR side of it, it was always supposed to be a very self-service approach. Rippling’s products are meant to be something that you can sign up for and get cracking within a few minutes, with no long meetings or training sessions, at least after you’ve gotten a custom quote from their team.
As to the look and feel, it is exactly what you'd expect from a silicon valley-based startup, with a modern UI and eye-catching design that’s been interesting to watch evolve over the years since we first came across Rippling.
Notably, and finally, they also have over 500 integrations with everything from Slack to Github.
As the Head of People Operations, my daily workflows rely on Rippling. Overseeing the employee lifecycle requires me to use a combination of onboarding/offboarding, reporting, benefits administration, performance management, and general employee data management on a weekly basis. From an onboarding/offboarding perspective, Rippling not only serves as the home base for information but also communicates timely and effective tasks to the necessary parties, ensuring a clear and compliance-first process. With Rippling’s ability to relay information to integrated accounts like Guideline and Carta, my role leans more into oversight, allowing me to focus strategically elsewhere.
Rippling centralizes the majority of the HR processes (+ Finance and IT, if you chose) that would otherwise be spread across multiple systems. For example, our company’s flex benefits, COBRA, and ACA were either managed with a carrier outside of our broker or manually by us and now Rippling handles the administration of all these areas in consolidation with our other health insurance benefits.
The strength of Rippling’s integration library allows for consistent and regular communication to and from Rippling for processes that are not directly managed within the system. For example, prior to Rippling, we manually onboarded and offboarded employees to/from Guideline. With Rippling, the systems speak to each other and manage the employee’s lifecycle with our company-sponsored 401k.
A highly beneficial aspect of Rippling is the workflow feature. Workflows have allowed us to set up Rippling in a way that allows it to speak within the system, initiate processes, and communicate to people/external systems. Rippling is a high-tech HRIS and a constantly progressing platform that meets the needs of today’s operations teams (HR, IT, Finance included).
We selected Rippling to implement a strong HRIS while centralizing other HR operations. By implementing Rippling, we were able to solve and improve several areas. First, we consolidated historical employee data from three to four different platforms into one, allowing us to use Rippling reporting to provide company trends. Second, we simplified benefits administration by transferring health insurance, Flex Benefits, COBRA, and ACA management to the Rippling platform. Third, Rippling offers a cleaner, more centralized, and highly integrated solution for our HRIS needs. I have been actively using Rippling for six months.
Rippling is a complex system. For it to be fully functional to the best of its ability it needs to be given the time to implement and set up in great detail. Knowing this, the implementation should have been much more hands-on. I’d recommend that whoever is leading the implementation internally has experience with other systems, so they know what to look for.
Rippling does not have an employee “notes” section. As the place I rely on for the most up-to-date employee job and personal information, it is missing the ability to keep it up to date with employee relations information directly in their profile. This is a feature I have experience with in other HRIS’s and is a missed opportunity in the Rippling platform.
Unlike BambooHR, a competitor, Rippling does not offer a “missing data” report. To find out who within the company is missing information, we will have to discover it when it is flagged during another unrelated process. I think this puts us at risk if we are unknowingly missing key information or signatures from any employee.
Rippling is a fully functional operations system with a large integration library. It provides HR with the necessary tools and offers Finance and IT tools. Incorporating various clouds and add-ons allows Rippling to carry an administrative weight heavier than its competitors.
Rippling is a complex system, so you should be prepared to invest time and attention to building a strong foundation during the implementation process. It can do a lot, but it needs to be built on the backend for the front end to function at its best. Since many tools within Rippling rely on one another, approach it with a big-picture philosophy for your organization’s intentions. Be clear about what you need during the discovery process, as Rippling has many features, but not all may be necessary for your company.
Rippling continues to introduce small improvements to existing features and entire tools, like performance reviews, and exclusive highly functional built-in integrations, like Carta. These developments are likely to continue as Rippling gains popularity in HR and Finance.
Rippling is highly flexible and can be strong for a wide range of companies. It can suit new startup companies (less than 50 employees) but may be best for 70+ and growing SMBs.
Businesses with more than 500 employees may outgrow the system.
I used the tool for managing workflows, onboarding, I-9 forms, and offer letters by refining existing processes to enhance usability. I gathered user feedback and identified pain points from our employees, focusing on streamlining workflows and making them more intuitive. I also looked into using engagement surveys with Rippling. Through iterative improvements and testing in controlled environments, I created smoother processes that supported efficient task completion. I documented best practices and provided training to ensure users could navigate the tool effectively and maximize its benefits.
Regarding Rippling, I appreciated its all-in-one capabilities. Another aspect I appreciated was their continuous development of new features. It also provides excellent compliance and management tools. The system's integration with other HR and IT tools is helpful for centralized management.
I assisted with implementing Rippling at the company where it was utilized and had signed on prior to my joining. Initially, they integrated it for approximately 3-6 months, followed by another 9 months, and continue to use it. Their objective was to streamline processes related to onboarding, HR, Carta, and IT solutions. My role involved configuring workflows, email reminders, setting up the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and implementing Carta. Despite using it effectively for six months at Replit, they aimed for a more efficient onboarding experience but ultimately did not utilize Rippling as extensively as anticipated.
It was quite complex, requiring significant learning effort. The system was not as intuitive as expected, and even the representatives lacked comprehensive knowledge to ensure seamless integration. Rippling demanded considerable time for proficiency, and its compatibility with other systems was limited. Not all data was easily downloadable. If their team responded faster, it would improve the platform. Some workflows were clunky, and many features required explanation over calls, extending the time needed for implementation.
Rippling remains a strong choice for HRIS due to its comprehensive all-in-one functionality. Having multiple HR personnel benefits from its consolidated system, although updating information on one page may necessitate adjustments across other workflows, requiring careful attention. It also has the potential to add benefits and payroll, which are good options if required.
Factors to consider include the investment in financial resources, time from HR representatives, and overall resources dedicated to the software's success. It is crucial to have someone overseeing the broader strategic view and a team to manage the system comprehensively, including regular audits. Consider the level of customization and integration needed and ensure the tool aligns with your company's scale and complexity.
I believe their services are improving, but they need to respond more quickly and avoid giving basic customer service answers. They should show more curiosity about their customers' needs. Building features faster would also be beneficial.
Rippling is a good fit for medium to large enterprises.
Rippling might not be ideal for small companies still figuring out their needs due to its extensive features, which could be overwhelming and unnecessary at their scale. Smaller businesses may find the cost of Rippling prohibitive when simpler, more affordable solutions would suffice. On the other hand, very large companies might outgrow Rippling's capabilities and require more robust, enterprise-level solutions like Workday. As organizations scale, they often need faster response times, more advanced customization, and comprehensive integration options that Rippling may not fully provide.
I use Rippling daily to manage various HR functions, including recruitment, payroll, benefits administration, and employee engagement. The platform's integration capabilities allow me to streamline candidate analysis and facilitate a smoother recruitment process. Additionally, I rely on Rippling for time and attendance tracking, ensuring accurate payroll processing. The learning management system helps in organizing and tracking employee training programs. Overall, Rippling's comprehensive features enable efficient handling of all HR-related tasks within a single platform.
Rippling encompasses features for every HR component, including recruitment, payroll, HRIS, benefits administration, and engagement. The platform's user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and use. Rippling's integration with other systems ensures seamless data flow and process automation. The comprehensive nature of Rippling's suite of products allows us to manage all HR functions within a single platform, enhancing overall efficiency.
Our organization chose Rippling to address the need for a comprehensive HR software solution that could handle multiple aspects of employee management. Prior to using Rippling, we faced challenges in integrating various HR functions such as payroll, benefits management, and time tracking into a single platform. Rippling provides a suite of products, including an applicant tracking system (ATS), full payroll and benefits management, time and attendance tracking, learning management, and professional employer organization (PEO) services. I have used Rippling for over a year and found it instrumental in streamlining our HR processes and enhancing overall efficiency.
The pricing structure lacks full transparency. Additional modules cannot be acquired independently; instead, the core Rippling Unity platform must be purchased first. Opting for the HR help desk feature, which includes phone and email support, incurs additional costs that escalate as more features are added.
I have not used other tools to know the difference between them and Rippling.
Rippling is a comprehensive HR platform designed to streamline and automate various employee management processes. Its extensive features empower users to seamlessly handle hiring, employee management, payroll, and training tasks. Beyond HR functionalities, Rippling also provides IT solutions for configuring and overseeing computer devices and application access. This platform is particularly well-suited for small to midsize companies, especially those with aspirations for international expansion.
I’m unsure of how WorkTango changed or evolved over time.
It is particularly well-suited for medium-sized businesses and large startups in need of a modern payroll platform.
Rippling is not suitable for smaller companies.
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Rippling has always been about catering to the SMB market, who value having easy to use tools in a single place where the whole team can access them. Enterprises looking for a more robust platform might find it too simple. We would also argue that, since larger companies are not really their niche, the CS team might not be very used to dealing with larger teams.
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- Manage devices: Among other things, Rippling lets you manage and protect the computers, phones, and tablets that your employees use for their work.
- App management: Another feature that's particular to Rippling is their mission control for work apps. In brief, you can manage users and their access for tools like Slack, Office, Google Workplace, and Dropbox.
Rippling also offers:
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Talent Management
- Time & Attendance
- Automated Onboarding & Offboarding
- PEO
When it comes to integrations, Rippling is one of the leaders in the HR tech space, being able to integrate with over 500 tools. Some of them are Lever, Greenhouse, and Quickbooks, for example.
Rippling starts at $8 per month per user, but the final fee you pay will vary depending on which modules you'd like to use (or if you want the whole platform) and for how many people.
Rippling is a good bet for SMBs that prioritize user experience and would appreciate having most of the HR tools in one platform. They’ve designed the product to be friendly for all the company to use and they have tried to incorporate all the HR tools a regular department would need.
Although they have always been geared towards small and medium-sized businesses, Rippling has consistently been adding new features and modules year on year. For example, their HR offering was basic at first, and now, in 2023, it features everything you’d expect from an ‘all-in-one’ HR platform, such as Benefits, Talent Management, Time & Attendance, and Payroll, making it a fully-fledged HRMS. This continual improvement means that the product is steadily catching on with companies of all sizes, even on the enterprise level.
Typically, Rippling takes around 2 weeks to implement, but times will vary depending on the scope of each project.
Rippling has a Customer Success department, a CSM toolkit, and a help center.
Rippling has an interesting origin story, in big part because they were founded by the former Zenefits CEO and one of its Co-Founders, Parker Conrad, after a somewhat dramatic exit. Conrad co-founded Zenefits in 2012. Part of what inspired him to help create the product was the launch of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and his experience as a cancer patient.
Zenefits became one of the quickest-growing tech startups of its era, getting valued at $4.5 billion within two years of its inception. Since then, it has remained a constant household name in the world of HR software for American SMBs. Even after some controversy.
In 2015, it was reported by Buzzfeed News that the startup had allowed salespeople to sell health insurance that they were unlicensed to sell, since in the US the law requires insurance brokers to be licensed. The company came under heavy scrutiny for failing to enforce these legal requirements, to the point that Conrad had to step down from his role as CEO.
From the ashes, Parker Conrad teamed up with Zenefits’ former director of engineering and founded Rippling. The driving idea was to create a platform that could simplify HR in general through automated workflows. The focus was on going beyond benefits and payroll and touching upon everything that HR is traditionally supposed to do.
Founded in 2016, the product caught on somewhat slower than Conrad’s former project, but they solidly built a name for themselves by orienting their product towards companies with less than 2000 employees.
Rippling secured $1.2B in funding across five rounds, with their latest funding raised on Mar 17, 2023, through a Series E round. The company is backed by 33 investors, with Greenoaks and Empede Capital being the most recent contributors.
To this day, they continue to grow consistently and are considered one of the top players in the HRMS space for SMBs. Also, they now hold their own licenses for insurance services, PEO, and payments. You can consult the exact info on those via their website.
Company HQ
San Francisco, CA
Number of Employees
1290+
Year Founded
2016
Amount Raised
Last raised $250M via series D funding.
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