10+ Best HCM Software To Manage Your HR Needs in One Place (2025)

I loved how simple it was to learn and use Paylocity. It was also easy to navigate and figure things out if I didn't know something. The second thing I liked was the variety of modules—it was easy to quickly access them based on the employee issue or task. Lastly, I loved how the modules essentially "talked to each other." For example, once hired, a candidate automatically moved from the recruiting module to the onboarding module.

I believe my former organization purchased Paylocity to scale their employment growth as they added employees quickly. They were also looking for a user-friendly HRIS while managing costs. I used Paylocity for nearly two years and really enjoyed it. It was very easy to learn. I used each module as it pertained to various aspects of the employee lifecycle.

Paylocity lacked automation in some areas. I think there were opportunities to improve certain workflows. It also lacked some customization features. Finally, Paylocity's customer service was not the best. I remember we had to upload benefits information, and they were neither quick nor efficient in resolving our issue.

I think Paylocity is one of the easiest HRIS platforms to use and learn compared to others. I like that it holds a lot of data and serves as a one-stop shop for all HR functions. The self-service side for employees is also very user-friendly.

I think company size is probably the most critical factor aside from cost. Small or extremely large organizations may not benefit from Paylocity as much as from other options like Dayforce or UKG.

I'm not sure about the evolution of Paylocity, but I think it does a good job of keeping up with companies' HR needs.

I would say mid-sized, professional companies. Paylocity could also be good for industrial, manufacturing, or trade companies from an employee-user standpoint.

• It is excellent for handling EOR, contractor, and employee payrolls in a single system.
• The platform is relatively easy for employees to navigate.
• Customer service is responsive and helpful when issues arise.

I originally purchased Rippling to serve as an Employer of Record (EOR) for international employees. I later migrated our HRIS to Rippling for U.S.-based employees as well. I have used Rippling for EOR functions since 2023 and for U.S. employees since early 2024.

One of the key benefits is the ability to pay both international and domestic employees through a single system. This has simplified payroll operations and improved overall administrative efficiency.

• The integration process was lengthy and difficult; our rep moved to a different country during implementation, delaying the hiring of two international employees by two months.
• There was an attempt to increase our negotiated monthly cost, though they honored the original rate once I provided documentation.
• Benefit integration is more manual than expected unless an additional service is purchased, which we do not currently find cost-effective.

Rippling offers a broad range of features and services in one platform. While its coverage is impressive, I would prefer to see more included functionality without additional fees.

If the goal is primarily payroll, Rippling is a strong option. If you need a fully comprehensive HRIS, there are other platforms that offer more robust features.

Rippling has added more countries to its EOR program and continues to expand device and IT services. The system has become more user-friendly, and its add-on services support the goal of an all-in-one solution, although these come at an additional cost.

Rippling is well-suited for small to mid-sized organizations with 10 to 150 employees.

I liked working with the onboarding module because it was easy to navigate and ultimately saved hours of human resources’ time each week, allowing staff to focus on other tasks.

The training module was good and could have been even better had the implementation team properly trained staff on how to create the tests and set them up correctly. I liked some of the reporting features and the ability to schedule repeated reports for delivery; however, it was sometimes confusing when the reports did not include the information I expected.

The company wanted to upgrade its HRIS and decided Paycor would be the best fit, which was about six months prior to my taking a contract with them. My time working with Paycor was about four months after I had worked six months on another similar program, which gave me a great opportunity to compare the two.

The pain points the company wanted to solve, including those present when I was brought in to assist, started with employee documentation management being a key problem. Even after the implementation, the company struggled to move older files from long-term employees into the system, as they were scattered throughout different units.

Another issue was the ability to easily test and complete core competency assessments on employees, not only at the beginning of their employment but also during annual testing. The company also wanted to present a more professional, polished image to new executives.

According to other staff in human resources, the implementation was rushed, which resulted in a scattered and unpolished system.

One con of the training system was that it took an extremely long time to get the tests set up correctly for the appropriate job titles. I didn’t like the navigation in the employee section, as there were multiple paths to access information, but none of them reliably produced the data I needed.

I also had a poor experience with customer service; it was often unavailable, and when I asked questions, our representative frequently could not answer them. His response was often, “Let me get the trainer,” but he would sometimes fail to follow up.

Paycor was similar in many ways to the recent competitor I had worked with, but customer service was the deciding factor that would prevent me from working with them again. All the other issues could have been resolved.

It differs from inferior products that are not all-in-one packages. Products such as this will be the future of HR, given their ability to manage an employee’s entire lifecycle, from application to termination.

People should thoroughly read reviews from other users about the pros and cons of this company. I suggest contacting a recent client—something Paycor should offer—to understand why their customer service may be lacking.

Compare Paycor’s offering to similar products in terms of integration and implementation, and ask whether they will provide on-site assistance throughout the initial implementation until it is fully complete.

Compare costs and inquire about any additional fees required for support once the official implementation period has ended (according to their terms).

I don’t believe I worked with Paycor long enough to observe any evolution, but I would like to see improvements in their customer service department and a greater level of product knowledge among their employees.

Paycor could be a good fit for companies with between 100 and 1,000 employees. It would likely be too much for smaller companies, and I recommend that companies with over 1,000 employees carefully review current feedback on Paycor’s handling of system glitches, payroll issues, and customer service before making a decision.

• It has a modern, user-friendly interface that is very intuitive.
• Every section of BambooHR is customizable.
• It consolidates payroll, HR, benefits, and performance management in one place.

We were using Heartland Payroll Solutions when I joined the team, which was a terrible platform. BambooHR came highly recommended by our new CRO at the time, who had used it before. We wanted a more user-friendly system for both administrators and employees that would also allow us to pay contractors and process all company benefit packages. We also liked that BambooHR offers hiring and performance review options.

• It doesn't allow you to add a fixed semi-monthly amount for contractors who are not charging hourly rates, requiring you to create an hourly rate and manually adjust hours when running payroll.
• We've had minor issues with pay periods when a weekend and holiday fall together, causing the system to prompt us to run payroll before the pay period has ended. While there are workarounds, it's stressful and inconvenient.
• Employees have reported that the time-tracking feature on the BambooHR app doesn't always work correctly, requiring me to adjust their hours. I have brought this to BambooHR's attention, but since it doesn't seem to be a widespread issue, it may be user error on our employees' part.

I have some minimal experience with Gusto, which I liked well enough. However, compared to our previous payroll provider (Heartland Solutions), the difference is night and day. Heartland was slow, not user-friendly, and had very few integrations. Everyone in our company was happy when we switched to BambooHR. It has definitely made my job as an HR manager much easier.

Consider your main goals. I think BambooHR is reasonably priced for what it offers. The yearly cost is based on a variable monthly fee that depends on the number of employees, whether they use time tracking, etc. It usually amounts to $216 per month.

BambooHR also offers many add-ons that can increase the subscription cost, such as a Slack-style platform and a Community feature, which we do not use.

I recommend discussing pricing and features with the platform representatives to ensure it aligns with your budget. Also, consider the other services and benefits you offer and whether you want them integrated into your HR platform. BambooHR is designed to be an all-in-one HR solution.

We have only been using it for 1.5 years, but they are constantly adding new features. They also send out frequent newsletters with downloadable HR guides.

We are a relatively small startup (<50 employees), so I’m not sure how BambooHR would work for a very large organization. It is well-suited for dynamic, tech-forward companies, as it requires some customization on the user's end. It feels very much like a Millennial/Gen Z platform.

We selected Ceridian primarily due to the level of customization that could be done. The secondary factor was value - what we received for the cost. The third advantage was that it was easy to use and train users in a decentralized workforce.

Our organization was paper-based with numerous tools and systems that didn't communicate with one another. The goal was to gain efficiency and make it easier for managers at the 200+ locations to manage workflow for the onboarding, maintenance and offboarding of over 4000 employees. Ceridian eliminated employee paperwork, consolidated payroll, HRIS, benefits, and time and attendance, not to mention the ease of approving employee changes such as promotions, transfers and terminations.

Some of the items I wish were improved with Ceridian have to do with support. During implementation, you have a high level of support but afterwards, you need to get into the ticketing system to get support and it takes a long time to resolve issues through it. The reporting feature is difficult and requires significant training, there is nothing intuitive. If you need help with a report or changing a config in your system, everything has an additional cost.

Ceridian had a skilled implementation team that was higher performing than some others I've worked with in the past. They took time to understand detailed requirements and worked with us side by side to get the customizations in. It was overall a positive experience.

I'd suggest that you consider how your current processes can be streamlined and not just design workflow with how it's done today. Look at existing tools that might be able to be eliminated for cost savings. Lastly, make sure that you have $ in your budget for an HRIS administrator to oversee and manage the system post-implementation.

I've seen many changes and expect that they will continue to evolve. The introduction of mobile access was a game changer, especially for a workforce like ours where the employees did not use the desktop application often. There is also a forum where users can make suggestions and the dev team will look there for features to build out in future releases. I expect that with the increased use of AI, that the tool will leverage that to improve the already efficient processes.

I would suggest this tool for a large organization. Cerdian is not the least expensive option out there, but if you need customization and can eliminate other tools, or benefit from the integration, you'll see some savings. It is a great solution for a high turnover workforce such as hospitality as it's easy to use and handles the volume with ease.

I liked that you could pick and choose which solutions you wanted in your Criterion HCM. We selected every solution they offer ($35 per month per person), so we had a one-stop-shop/all-in-one solution, and at that price, it was a terrific value.

Not every person needed payroll, and not every person needed recruitment, so Criterion was very customizable. I liked that Criterion was simple and easy to use.

I used Criterion for one year. We bought it as an all-in-one solution for our HR needs. We were a small company that needed a simple solution to help with HR, payroll, recruitment, and data. Criterion is a clean, user-friendly platform. It is a great HCM for small companies and functions better than Workday.

If you are a larger company, Criterion is not robust enough. There was slowness in the payroll system, especially with timecards. There were glitches with the facial recognition feature when using timecards.

Criterion is different from its competitors because of the one-stop-shop/all-in-one solution it offers. Criterion HCM provides customizable solutions for the entire HR lifecycle, including recruitment, HR functions, and payroll. It has a great price point. Data and reporting are built-in, and you can create simple custom reports as well.

Small to medium-sized businesses, including startups, could successfully use Criterion HCM. It is affordable at $35 per month per employee (for the all-in-one solution), or cheaper for those who don't need every solution Criterion offers. Criterion is best for companies that want simple and seamless solutions, not complicated workflows or highly personalized requests.

The integrations and automations have improved. The ability to send product requests is a great option. Facial recognition for employee timecards has been added.

Small to mid-sized businesses, including startups and entrepreneurs will find Criterion a good fit.

When I used Oracle with the HCM module, I found the system to be a user friendly and efficient software. The flow of the system was smooth, and the ERP functioned better overall. There was very little time spent correcting data migration errors and live reporting was accurate. The HCM module helped streamline many of our HR related tasks giving me more time to develop the workforce and work with my operational counterparts to maximize productivity and efficiency.

It was in place when I started.

When using Oracle without the HCM I found the system to be prone to glitches and errors, particularly when it came to data migration. This often results in significant delays and a great deal of time spent on transactional items that should be automated. It re

It doesn't really stand out. It's an ERP that is pretty standard.

I would recommend purchasing both Oracle and its HR module for the best experience. While Oracle can be used without it, the HCM module enhances the ERP data reporting with live labor data, which is an undeniable benefit.

It's user interface is improving but could be better.

Manufacturing

Pros:

- The information you can get access to is extremely helpful

- The UI/UX is very clean

- All-in-one type solution

Workday was selected because it offered a comprehensive people solution. Instead of having different portals for compensation, performance management, recruiting, and people analytics, Workday allowed everything to live in one system of record. This reduced costs and ramp time in some ways because it allowed everyone to be in one place.

I've used it for a combined 2-2.5 years in my career in all facets from selection to design and then every day use for reporting and recruiting.

Cons:

- The Recruiting module for recruiters and recruiting coordinators is not intuitive and user friendly

- The Recruiting module for candidates is lengthy and miserable. It does a terrible job of parsing resumes

- Job management versus position management makes data funky in some instances (for example, if you were hired into a position, it can look like you hired your whole team unless you put in specific calculated fields)

- If you don't have the right access controls, it is borderline impossible to do your job effectively.

The Workday Recruiting Module (their ATS) is one of the most reviled in the Recruiting space. It doesn't compare well to other ATS like Greenhouse, Lever, or Ashby because the latter offers better functionality, controls, and ease of use.

- Ease of use. Workday has the ability to be so much but you have to know exactly what to look for and how to configure it.

- Implementation time. Workday requires a focused implementation and testing period. Without it, you will run into a number of problems. If you need to roll out something quickly, Workday isn't the tool for you.

It is difficult to tell because they release big updates every 6 months so requests for solutions might be forgotten by that point.

HR Business Partners, HR Operations, Finance, Compensation, and C-Suite

I like the ease of the search feature in UKG. The knowledge center is very helpful. I appreciate how customizable the platform is.

UKG was selected before I joined the organization. From what I understand, the goal was to streamline processes and utilize an employee-facing platform. While the primary focus was on payroll, there was also an interest in electronic forms and digital onboarding of new hires. I have been using the software for one year. During that time, I have converted many processes to digital ones.

The interface is confusing and not very user-friendly. Processes such as checklists do not make sense. The integration with other platforms is lacking. Data cannot always be easily extracted from forms.

I feel other platforms like Rippling or ADP are more user-friendly. Their interfaces are more intuitive and less confusing. However, I do think UKG offers better support.

The biggest criterion is ease of use for the end user, which includes both administrators and employees. Integration, file feeds, and overall system ease are also important factors to consider. Make sure the tool can seamlessly integrate with existing systems and workflows.

I have not seen significant changes over the year I have been on the platform. There have been small rollouts, such as e-verify, which have been added to our account for free. These features are nice but not significantly impactful.

UKG is suitable for small but growing companies and entry-level HRIS users.

I like Sage People,

• as it has many features for example it generates extremely comprehensive and complete reports.
• as it has tools that allow me to batch-load data in a very easy and practical way.
• because it has very complete and functional support available to the user.

The tool was acquired for the registration database of employees. It was necessary to have a tool that could globally attend several countries. The tool had to be integrated with several applications like slack, DocuSign, financial force, etc. The system needs to be very complete in terms of reports and automation. I have been using the system for more than 1 year and 3 months.

Despite being complete the system has some limitations and in some countries with specific legislation is difficult to adapt to local rules. I can say that the system is quite complex and therefore some activities are quite difficult to perform and require some steps of attention.

I can say that the system has a lot of integrations with several other applications and platforms. Sage also stands out for its complete functionality in terms of reports. I also see the support offered to understand the system as a great differential, it is very complete.

Take into consideration a tool that can be globally adapted to many countries. Consider a tool that is widely possible to connect to other human resources applications and systems such as benefits, payroll, and other applications. Also, consider a tool that is easy to use and has a potential range of reports to generate.

I highlight that SAGE has released an updated version that can be used in parallel to the classic version, they call it Lightening with a more modern interface and some improved features.

In my point of view this tool is ideal for global organizations, with a human resources department that looks and takes care of your database and needs consistency and a reliable system with the ability to manage large volumes of data and generate practical reports and dashboards and requires integration with other internal systems in the company.