Best HR Software

Total Rating	4.4
Pricing3.7
Ease Of Use4.9
Features4.6
Customer Service4.1
User Reviews3.9

Payroll Processing Time

Next day-4 days

Pricing Range

$49/month + $6/person - $180/month + $22/month per person

Business Size

Small-medium sized businesses with up to 650+ users

Pros

Built-in time tracking
Upfront pricing information
Simple interface
Solid feature set

Cons

Advanced features not available on all plans
Limited reporting
Healthcare is only available in 38 states + D.C.

Why We Chose Gusto For Overall Best Combined HR & Payroll Software

Gusto is our top pick for best payroll software overall, and for small business owners looking for simple HR features, Gusto is a great choice.

The interface is user-friendly on both the employee and administrative sides and offers basic HR features and benefits administration options. Having payroll and HR in one software makes things easier, which can save time and frustration hopping back and forth between multiple software or integrations.

Gusto Pricing

Gusto Plans	Price	When To Use
Simple	$49/month + $6/person	If your small business needs reliable, basic payroll software
Plus	$80/month + $12/person	If your business needs tools to handle complex payroll and team management needs
Premium	$180/month + $22/month per person	If your medium to large-sized business needs advanced HR and compliance tools
Contractor Only	$35/month + $6/person per month	If your growing business needs basic payroll and only pays contractors

You can opt to add on certain additional HR features like background checks, talent management, and more.

Gusto Features

Gusto Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support
Auto-Schedule Payroll
Bonus Payroll
Off-Cycle Payroll
Employee Management
Paid Time Off
Time Tracking	Plus plan and up
HR Support
Onboarding Support
Benefits Administration
Number Of Reports	17+
Number Of Integrations	185+
Number Of Users Supported	Unlimited

Who Would Benefit From Gusto

Businesses that need combined payroll & HR software
Businesses that need easy benefits administration options & integrations
Businesses that don’t need healthcare in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North or South Dakota, West Virginia, or Wyoming

Get Started With Gusto

ADP Payroll: Best scalable HR software

ADP Payroll

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Total Rating	4.0
Pricing1.1
Ease Of Use4.8
Features4.6
Customer Service3.7
User Reviews3.3

Payroll Processing Time

2-5 days

Pricing Range

Custom pricing

Business Size

Small to enterprise-sized businesses with 1,000+ employees

Pros

Rich feature set
Extensive onboarding
Highly scalable

Cons

Non-transparent pricing
Additional fees add up

Why We Chose ADP For Best Scalable HR Software

ADP is a giant in the payroll and HR industry, and as such, it has an incredibly rich feature set with everything from employee management to payroll to new-hire onboarding and more. From contractor-only payments to a full PEO option and everything in between, ADP is a good scalable HR software option for businesses of any size.

ADP's pricing is frustratingly not transparent, and you'll have to call to get a quote depending on exactly what services you need, but with multiple products and plans available, ADP can likely tailor-make an HR software quote for you.

ADP Pricing

ADP Payroll Plans	Price	When To Use
RUN Powered By ADP Essential	Custom	If you need basic payroll for up to 49 users
RUN Powered By ADP Enhanced	Custom	If you need basic payroll and advanced hiring and onboarding tools for up to 49 users
RUN Powered By ADP Complete	Custom	If you need basic payroll and HR support for up to 49 users
RUN Powered By ADP HR Pro	Custom	If you need advanced payroll and HR support for up to 49 users
ADP Workforce Now Payroll Essentials	Custom	If you need basic payroll for 50+ users
ADP Workforce Now Plus	Custom	If you need payroll and enhanced HR tools for 50+ users
ADP Workforce Now Hiring Advantage	Custom	If you need advanced recruitment and hiring support for 50+ users
ADP Workforce Now Performance Plus	Custom	If you need performance analytics and improvement tools for 50+ users

As mentioned, ADP does not advertise its prices on its website. While it does have four tiers, you’ll have to speak to a representative and tell them exactly what services you’re looking for in order to get an accurate quote.

But ADP does have options for smaller businesses as well that might not need ADP’s entire payroll suite.

ADP Features

ADP Payroll Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support
Auto-Schedule Payroll
Bonus Payroll
Off-Cycle Payroll
Employee Management
Paid Time Off
Time Tracking	Add-on only
HR Support
Onboarding Support
Benefits Administration	Add-on only
Number Of Reports	17+
Number Of Integrations	380+
Number Of Users Supported	1-1,000+

While ADP thrives in the world of payroll, its HR offerings are also robust and can help out nearly any business size. Here’s what you can expect:

New-hire reporting
Self-managed new-hire onboarding
Employee discounts
Employee access portal
Contractor hiring through WorkMarket integration

At higher tiers, you also get access to other features, including:

ZipRecruiter
Background checks
Employee handbook tool
HR help desk
Employee tracking
Training toolkit
Company training courses
Harassment prevention courses

Who Would Benefit From ADP

Businesses that want combined HR & payroll
Mid-size businesses or rapidly growing businesses that want an HR solution that will scale
Businesses that need extensive HR features
Businesses that want a ZipRecruiter integration

Remote: Best for businesses with global teams

Remote

Total Rating	4.0
Pricing3.9
Ease Of Use4.2
Features4.2
Customer Service3.3
User Reviews4.4

Payroll Processing Time

4 days

Pricing Range

$0/mo - $599/mo per employee

Business Size

Good for small-medium-sized businesses

Pros

Free HR management software
Great for businesses with an international workforce
Pay employees in their local currency

Cons

Expensive for small businesses
Limited customer support hours

Why We Chose Remote.com For Best Global and Remote Hiring

Remote.com is a workforce management tool designed for companies with remote employees or companies with a global workforce. It aims to assist businesses with managing their global employees across multiple countries, and it offers everything from onboarding and offboarding to payroll and human resources management.

Its base product is an Employer of Record service that helps your company hire and manage payroll in 75+ different countries. By using Remote.com, you can hire from a country without having an entity there.

Remote.com Pricing

Remote Plans	Price	When To Use
HR Management	Free	If you need onboarding, offboarding, expense management, and time and attendance
Employee Of Record	$599/mo billed annually	If you want to hire a team globally
Payroll	$29/mo	If you want to add payroll to your global team
Contractor Management	$29/mo	If you want to manage contractors from all over the world
Talent Management	$119/mo	If you need to hire diverse employees from across the globe.
Equity	$999/mo	If you want to offer equity compensation for your global workforce.

We love Remote.com’s transparent pricing plans and commitment to no extra/undisclosed fees. Know what your monthly bill will look like before you sign your contract. For smaller businesses, the Employer Of Record services might be a bit spendy, but they are on par with comparable services with its competitors.

Remote.com Features

Remote Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support
Auto-Schedule Payroll
Bonus Payroll
Off-Cycle Payroll
Employee Management
Paid Time Off
Time Tracking
HR Support
Onboarding Support
Benefits Administration
Number Of Reports	4+
Number Of Integrations	100+
Number Of Users Supported	Unlimited

Remote.com has ample features, but if you don’t find what you’re looking for, it also boasts integrations with 100+ other software programs and has an open API.

Who Would Benefit From Remote.com

Businesses that want to hire globally
Businesses that want to streamline remote and global teams
Businesses that need an Employer Of Record to establish entities in other countries
Businesses that appreciate a sleek interface and easy UI experience for both employers and employees

Get Started With Remote

BambooHR: Easiest HR software to use

BambooHR

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Total Rating	4.1
Pricing2.5
Ease Of Use3.7
Features4.6
Customer Service4.4
User Reviews4.2

Payroll Processing Time

2 days

Pricing Range

Undisclosed

Business Size

Best for small businesses with 10+ employees

Pros

APIs integrate with HR software vendors
Simple interface
Very easy to use

Cons

Non-transparent pricing
Limited benefits administration
Essential features only available as add-ons

Why We Chose BambooHR As The Easiest HR Software To Use

If a small business needs a comprehensive human resources management system, BambooHR has all the foundational requirements to manage your employees. It aims to make HR easy and intuitive, even if a company doesn't have a specific HR department or team. BambooHR leads the competition with its ease of use, intuitive interface for both employees and administrators and customization abilities. The software is loaded with advanced features to help simplify the HR process throughout the employee lifecycle.

BambooHR Pricing

BambooHR Plans	Price	When To Use
Core	Undisclosed	Has HR data and recording; hiring and onboarding help; time off and benefits tracking; help with the employee experience.
Pro	Undisclosed	Everything included in the Core plan, plus performance management and an employee community.

BambooHR has two plans but, unfortunately, does not offer pricing details online. Instead, the company requests that you get a personalized price quote by phone or through its website.

BambooHR Features

BambooHR Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support	Add-on
Auto-Schedule Payroll	Add-on
Bonus Payroll	Add-on
Off-Cycle Payroll	Add-on
Employee Management
Paid Time Off
Time Tracking	Add-on
HR Support
Onboarding Support
Benefits Administration	Add-on
Number Of Reports	32+
Number Of Integrations	125+
Number Of Users Supported	Unlimited

Who Would Benefit From BambooHR

Business owners who don’t have an HR department or manager
Business owners who value ease of use and simplicity or who don’t have time to learn complicated software
Business owners who already have payroll software (or don’t want to use Trax) and don’t mind having separate HR software

OnPay: Best mobile HR software

OnPay

Total Rating	4.2
Pricing3.0
Ease Of Use4.5
Features4.4
Customer Service4.1
User Reviews4.7

Payroll Processing Time

2-4 Days

Pricing Range

$40/month + $6/month per person

Business Size

Small to mid-sized businesses (1-500 employees)

Pros

Competitive pricing
Strong HR features
Solid mobile app
Integrated worker’s comp

Cons

Limited integrations

Why We Chose OnPay For Best Mobile HR Software

OnPay is an award-winning payroll software with built-in HR support at no extra cost, making it a cost-effective all-in-one payroll and HR software.

One of OnPay's biggest advantages is a high-functioning mobile app that makes managing HR on the go easier. HR features include built-in PTO tracking, employee and contractor portals, in-app messaging, performance reviews, and more. The ability to not only manage HR on the go but also message employees and send reminders in the app is a big plus for busy business owners.

OnPay Pricing

OnPay Plans	Price	When To Use
OnPay Monthly Plan	$40/month + $6/month per person	If you need essential payroll and basic HR features for up to 500+ employees

OnPay’s pricing is competitive, especially since its HR support is built into its payroll plan and isn’t an extra add-on. OnPay makes pricing simple with one $40/month plan plus $6/month per person. OnPay’s pricing is highly competitive and half the cost of Gusto.

You can add-on pay-as-you-go worker’s comp policies as well, but you will need to contact OnPay directly for pricing.

OnPay Features

OnPay Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support
Auto-Schedule Payroll
Bonus Payroll
Off-Cycle Payroll
Employee Management
Paid Time Off
Time Tracking
HR Support
Onboarding Support
Benefits Administration
Number Of Reports	7+
Number Of Integrations	14
Number Of Users Supported	5-500

OnPay offers an impressive number of HR features, especially considering these features don’t come at an extra cost. You’ll find:

PTO management & time-off requests
Employee and contractor portals
Onboarding
In-app offer letters
New hire reporting
HR document & resource library
Benefits administration
Integrated worker’s comp with pay-as-you-go plans
Mobile app with built-in messaging

Who Would Benefit From OnPay

Businesses looking for affordable HR
Businesses needing combined payroll & HR support
Businesses looking for integrated, pay-as-you-go worker’s compensation insurance
Businesses needing a capable mobile app for managing employees & time off requests on the go

Get Started With OnPay

Paycor: Best for customer support

Paycor

Total Rating	4.0
Pricing1.5
Ease Of Use3.7
Features4.6
Customer Service4.5
User Reviews4.1

Payroll Processing Time

Same-day - 4 days

Pricing Range

Custom pricing

Business Size

Small to large-sized businesses with 1,000+ users

Pros

Built-in payroll in all plans
Cloud-based software
Easy to use and set up

Cons

Non-transparent pricing
Limited benefits administration
Average customer service

Why We Chose Paycor For Best Customer Support

Paycor is a great one-stop shop for a small business's HR and payroll requirements. The company focuses on ease of use and streamlining its interface and is fully committed to listening to clients and adapting/updating its software to respond to feedback. Paycor's hiring wizard feature, full-service payroll, and 1-on-1 HR support set Paycor apart and add to its impressive attention to customer support.

Paycor Pricing

Paycor Plans	Price	When To Use
Basic	Custom	If you need basic payroll features and tax filing for up to 50 users
Essential	Custom	If you need PTO management, onboarding support, and strong reporting options for up to 50 users
Core	Custom	If you need strong HR features and one-one-on guidance from an HR professional
Complete	Custom	If you need advanced analytics and talent management for up to 50 users

Unfortunately, Paycor no longer discloses pricing information. For businesses with fewer than 50 employees, Paycor offers four pricing plans. The more expensive the plan, the more features you can access.

For businesses with 50+ employees, custom packages are available. You’ll need to contact Paycor to get a price quote.

Paycor Features

Paycor Features	Availability
Payroll Tax Support
Auto-Schedule Payroll
Bonus Payroll
Off-Cycle Payroll
Employee Management
Paid Time Off	Essential plan and up
Time Tracking	Add-on
HR Support	Core plan and up
Onboarding Support	Essential plan and up
Benefits Administration	Add-on
Number Of Reports	31+
Number Of Integrations	300+
Number Of Users Supported	1-1,000+

All plans have full-service payroll as a foundation and not an add-on. All plans also include the following:

Tax filing
Reporting
Self-service garnishments and child support
Paycor Mobile

If you upgrade to one of the higher tier packages, you can also access features, including:

Online onboarding with assistance
Full-service payroll
HR support center with 1:1 guidance
Hiring wizard
Advanced analytics

Who Would Benefit From Paycor

Businesses looking for full-service payroll
Businesses with a large amount of employees (and a large budget)
Businesses that value customer service

Get Started With Paycor

Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing payroll providers since 2018. Our writers have tested more than 75 different payroll software systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate payroll providers.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Features 40%

Ease Of Use 20%

Customer Service 20%

Pricing 10%

User Reviews 10%

When comparing different apps, we consider over seventy data points, including the speed and cost of payroll runs, federal and state tax filing features, HR integrations, employee management tools, time tracking, and more. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from several vantage points. The payroll apps we pick are widely available and relatively easy to train on, with robust features and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at features such as employee and client portals, user onboarding services, PTO management, benefits administration, multistate compliance, and more.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.

75+

Vendors evaluated

Attributes assessed per vendor

Features weighed

20+

Combined years of experience

What Is HR Software?

Human resources software, or HR software, simplifies human resources tasks. HR software makes it easy for businesses to perform various tasks, including but not limited to completing onboarding tasks, termination tasks, maintaining legal compliance, running payroll, managing benefits, and maintaining employee records.

HR Software VS Payroll Software

While some payroll software companies offer built-in HR or higher-tier plans with HR support, the two are not necessarily synonymous. Payroll software focuses specifically on paying your employees, tracking hours worked, and managing time off, while HR software focuses on managing your employees through onboarding, training, benefits administration, etc.

How Much Does HR Software Cost?

The cost of HR software varies by a number of factors, including the size of your business and the features you need. On the lower end, expect to pay around $6-$8/month per employee. On the higher end, you may pay $60+/month per employee.

How To Choose A Good HR Software Company

With so many HR options on the market, it’s important for small businesses to be able to identify the good from the bad. A good HR software company should have:

Competitive pricing
Strong HR features
HR support in all states your business operates in
Multiple customer support avenues
Positive customer reviews
Strong security measures & positive uptime records
Upfront policy cancellation criteria & no long, locked contracts

The Bottom Line On Choosing The Right HR Software For Your Small Business

When it comes to picking the right HR software for your small business, it helps to know what you need.

Figure out which HR features your company needs and whether or not you need built-in time tracking, payroll, or want a fully dedicated HR manager or PEO instead.

Any HR software worth checking out should have options for syncing employee information, managing payroll, assisting with onboarding, running benefits administration, managing worker performance, and navigating all aspects of your company’s legal HR compliance requirements.

Ultimately, HR is about hiring the best people, growing the best people, and retaining the best people for your company’s growth. The best HR software for your small business should help you achieve those goals and make you and your employees’ lives easier.

No matter which HR software you choose, always remember to do your research, take advantage of free trials, and fully explore your options before making a commitment. Good luck!

FAQs: Best HR Software

What is HRIS software?

Human resources information system software, or HRIS software, helps you manage and maintain information on your policies, procedures, and personnel. HRIS software may offer payroll processing, employee hour tracking, and an employee directory.

Are there any free HR software options for businesses?

There are free HR software options for small businesses, but many of them are quite limited in functionality. Start your search with our five picks for the best payroll and HR software that’s free.

Do I have to have an HR manager for my business?

It’s never a bad idea to have an HR manager for your business. If you have a smaller business, you may be able to operate without an HR manager or only use one part-time if you have the right HR software. For businesses with 50+ employees, it’s generally a good idea to have an HR manager on your staff.