Best HR Software
The best HR and payroll software, ranked for small businesses, scaling startups, global teams, and enterprises.
We ranked 5 picks for HR Software. Rippling takes the #1 spot at 4.8/5 (from $8/mo). Entry pricing runs $8–$49/mo. 5 have a public API.
Our picks at a glance
Rippling
Lowest entry price here, at $8/mo.
Rippling
4.8/5 across 5,600 reviews.
The full ranking
| # | Tool | Starts at | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rippling Unify HR, IT & finance in one system | $8/mo | 4.8/5 | Scaling companies |
| 2 | Gusto Payroll & HR built for small business | $40/mo | 4.6/5 | US small businesses |
| 3 | Deel Global payroll & contractor hiring | $49/mo | 4.6/5 | Remote & global teams |
| 4 | BambooHR HRIS for small & mid-size companies | Custom | 4.5/5 | SMB to mid-market |
| 5 | Workday Enterprise HCM & finance suite | Custom | 4.2/5 | Large enterprises |
Side-by-side comparison
| Comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $40/mo | $49/mo | Custom |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| API available | ||||
| Best for | Scaling companies | US small businesses | Remote & global teams | SMB to mid-market |
| HRIS & payroll | ||||
| IT device management | ||||
| App provisioning | ||||
| Global hiring | ||||
| Spend management | ||||
| Full-service payroll | ||||
| Automated tax filing | ||||
| Benefits administration | ||||
| Onboarding | ||||
| Time tracking | ||||
| Contractor payments | ||||
| Employer of Record (EOR) | ||||
| Global payroll | ||||
| Compliance & contracts | ||||
| 150+ countries | ||||
| Employee records | ||||
| Onboarding & offboarding | ||||
| PTO tracking | ||||
| Performance management | ||||
| Reporting | ||||
| Visit | Visit | Visit | Visit |
What to look for in HR software
- Check whether pricing is per seat — it multiplies with team size.
- Headline prices usually assume annual billing; monthly costs more.
- Confirm the integrations you already depend on are supported.
- Start on a free tier or trial before committing to a year.
How we rank: we weigh user ratings, feature depth, pricing value, and fit for this specific use case — not rating alone. Rankings are updated as products and prices change, and affiliate relationships never affect the order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best HR software?+
Rippling is our #1 pick, rated 4.8/5 and starting at $8/mo. HR + IT in one The full ranked list with pricing and trade-offs is above.
What is the cheapest HR software?+
Rippling at $8/mo. Across our picks, entry pricing runs $8–$49/mo.
How did you rank these tools?+
Rankings weigh user ratings, feature depth, pricing value, and fit for this specific use case — not rating alone. We update them as products and prices change.