10 Best HR Management Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
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The right HR management software will make HR teams' lives easier in so many ways but, with seemingly countless solutions available, figuring out which is best for you can take up too much valuable time.
Here I'll try and make your search easier by leveraging my experience as an HR expert, who's used dozens of different HR management tools, to bring you this shortlist of the best HR management software overall.
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Best HR Management Software: Pricing Comparison Chart
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top HR management software selections to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.
Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Best for worldwide compliance, payroll, and HR in 150+ countries | Free demo available | Flat rate user pricing, with a free version for businesses with up to 200 people | Website | |
2 | User-friendly HR solution for small and medium businesses with excellent employee self-service and mobile access abilities | 7-day free trial | From $6.19/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
3 | Best HR management systems for global benefits management | Free demo available | From $25 - $199/user/month | Website | |
4 | Best for small and mid-sized businesses | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
5 | Best for advanced analytics and time-saving compliance management features | Free demo available | From $4.50-$11.70/employee/month | Website | |
6 | Best for people workflow tools for productivity | 14-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Website | |
7 | Complete HR solution with affordable entry-level price perfect for SMBs | 14-day free trial | From $4.50/user/month | Website | |
8 | Best HR software with an integrated learning management system | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
9 | Adaptable HRMS software with unlimited applicant pipelines and an expense management app | 30-day free trial | From $6/employee/month | Website | |
10 | Best for performance management, employee recognition and engagement | Free demo available | From $9/user/month | Website |
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HiThrive
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Guru
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Absorb LMS
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6
Best HR Management Software Reviews
Here are my detailed summaries of the best HR management software that made it into my top 10 list, including notes on why I picked them. Each review offers a detailed look at the key features, integrations, and ideal use cases of each system to help you find the best software for your needs.
Deel is a cloud-based HR management software that offers solutions for human resources, payroll, and compliance. With Deel, you can easily manage your entire HR operations from one place.
Why I picked Deel: Deel offers many features to help streamline your HR processes. You can use it to track employee leave time and keep accurate records of attendance and performance reviews. It allows you to automate onboarding, offer employee benefits packages, manage training programs and more.
With its intuitive interface and easy-to-use dashboard, Deel is ideal for companies of any size or sector who want to ensure efficient HR operations globally. Their platform HR platform is currently available in 150+ countries.
Deel Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include global payroll, automations, contractor payments, invoice generation, payslips, taxes, accounting software integration, and compliance.
In addition to its powerful features, Deel also provides robust security measures so that all data remains secure at all times.
Integrations include Ashby, BambooHR, Expensify, Greenhouse, Hibob, Netsuite, Okta, OneLogin, Quickbooks, SCIM, Xero, Workday, and Workable. They also have an API, where you can connect Deel to tools beyond their pre-built integrations to automate and sync data across your HR tech stack.
BambooHR
User-friendly HR solution for small and medium businesses with excellent employee self-service and mobile access abilities
BambooHR’s HR management software was designed to act as a single source of employee data for small businesses or medium-sized organizations, with data synced across all system modules to eliminate the need for double data entry. Their software solution offers two service levels - Essentials and Advantage - with many additional features available as add-ons, including payroll services, time-tracking, and performance management.
BambooHR is well-known for their easy and intuitive employee self-service features, which include time-off requests, and accessing the company directory, org chart or company calendar (including via mobile app). These types of features are really helpful as they reduce employee’s reliance on HR professionals, saving HR teams time. They also have a solid set of built-in reporting and analytics tools to support workforce planning and strategic data-driven decision-making too.
Some of the features that make BambooHR stand out are their in-depth tools to measure employee satisfaction, including a combination of eNPS and employee well-being surveys, plus anonymous and open-ended feedback, intelligent keyword tagging, and sentiment analysis tools.
Their software also excels in the area of hiring and onboarding, with customizable offer letter templates that automatically pulls relevant candidate and position details from their built-in applicant tracking system (ATS) to speed up the process (plus e-signature capabilities to improve the candidate experience too). This is followed by their personalized new hire packages (including pre-boarding) that are built off of time-saving templates for different job types, departments or locations.
BambooHR integrates with 60+ commonly used HR software systems, with additional integrations available through their API. They also have an employee-facing Android and iOS mobile app that covers time-off requests, team calendar access, staff directory, company announcements, e-signing documents, and goal updates, plus a separate app for mobile recruiting that works in tandem with their ATS.
Pricing details for BambooHR are only available upon request. You can also request a free demo or a free trial through their website.
Remofirst is a comprehensive HR platform that offers global employment services and solutions for global payroll, compliance, and managing remote talent.
Why I picked Remofirst: As an HR management software, Remofirst offers an extensive suite of features tailored to enhance HR operations. One of the most significant features is its Employer of Record (EOR) service, which allows businesses to hire and manage employees in various countries without needing to establish local entities. This service handles everything from onboarding to payroll processing, ensuring compliance with local labor laws and tax regulations.
Remofirst Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include a comprehensive suite of additional HR management tools, such as RemoHealth for global benefits management, and visa and work permit services. RemoHealth allows businesses to offer competitive health insurance and other benefits to their international employees, while the visa and work permit services help in securing the necessary documentation for international hires.
These features, combined with the platform's user-friendly interface and 24/7 customer support, make Remofirst an ideal solution for businesses looking to effectively manage their global HR operations.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, BambooHR, Greenhouse, Workable, Lever, Gusto, QuickBooks, Xero, Zapier, HubSpot, Salesforce, Asana, Trello, Jira, PayPal, Stripe, and TransferWise.
GoCo is an all-in-one HR platform designed to consolidate HR, payroll, benefits, time tracking, compliance, and reporting for small and mid-sized businesses.
Why I picked GoCo: I like that the platform offers everything you need in one place, which is ideal for small and mid-sized businesses. It has an intuitive employee onboarding process, which automates the entire experience from document management to task assignments. The software also offers robust benefits administration, simplifying enrollment and compliance with ACA regulations, and has a payroll system that manages everything from taxes to deductions, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
GoCo also excels in compliance management with live HR expert support and a comprehensive suite of tools to keep businesses updated on the latest HR regulations. Furthermore, GoCo offers advanced reporting and insights that provide real-time data on HR metrics, facilitating informed decision-making.
GoCo Standout Features and Integrations:
Key features include performance reviews, employee surveys, time-off tracking, document management, workflow automation, org charts, e-signatures, policy acknowledgments, audit logs, PTO accruals, employee directory, offer letters, onboarding checklists, task management, automated reminders, and compensation tracking.
Integrations include QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, ADP, BambooHR, Namely, Zenefits, Workday, Rippling, Paychex, TriNet, Justworks, Greenhouse, Lever, JazzHR, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and over 100 other apps.
Best for advanced analytics and time-saving compliance management features
intelliHR is a people management and analytics platform with best-practice tools to help organizations align and manage their people and culture strategy within their broader business strategy.
Why I picked intelliHR: Their HR platform truly excels in terms of their deep suite of metrics that cover insights across team sentiment, attrition, performance, employee satisfaction & well-being, and more. Their analytics are also easy to digest since they’re displayed in visual and interactive dashboards with charts, graphs and even word clouds to help managers and leadership spot data trends easily.
Employee engagement tools are also well-incorporated into their software, including company-wide well-being check-ins, engagement and pulse surveys, and eNPS surveys and analytics. In addition, intelliHR includes dedicated tools to address employee turnover and attrition rates, including survival analysis metrics, exit interview and turnover analysis tools, and an offboarding workflow that collects feedback while leaving employees with a professional last impression.
intelliHR Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include customizable workflows that you can automate for your unique business processes, or for traditional workflows like employee onboarding & offboarding, and policy sign-offs. They also have a well-rounded set of culture-based performance appraisal tools, including 1:1 check-in templates, 360-degree feedback, cascadable goals & OKRs (objectives and key results), and performance analytics.
Their software is well-suited for organizations in compliance-heavy industries thanks to their time-saving compliance management tools and related analytics. Their system can track job-specific training requirements and certification expiry dates, as well as company policy and procedure sign-offs, and other training records to ensure you’re always audit-ready, with the option to run a compliance report on short notice.
Integrations are available with 40+ popular HR software systems, including many applicant tracking systems, learning & training platforms, payroll systems, and communication tools. If your HR tech isn’t already in their list, additional integrations can be configured through their public API. The only drawback to speak of is that there currently is no mobile app.
Personio’s HR management system offers solutions for workforce management, people data, recruiting, performance management and training, and preliminary payroll.
Why I picked Personio: Their software is well-known for their people workflow automations (PWA) that speed up typical people processes by automating tasks and linking systems together. This includes approval workflows, automated reminders for key tasks, and more.
Personio Standout Features and Integrations:
Their recruiting features include the ability to post vacancies to 600 job boards with just a few clicks, plus tools for candidate sourcing and applicant tracking that also link up with onboarding processes. They also have an Android and iOS mobile app for absence requests, time tracking, and accessing the company directory & employee profiles.
Integrations are available with 130+ popular software applications available through their Personio Marketplace, including candidate sourcing and applicant tracking systems, and performance and employee engagement systems.
Complete HR solution with affordable entry-level price perfect for SMBs
Factorial is a comprehensive HR software solution that empowers organizations with its innovative tools, seamless integration of HR functionalities, and user-friendly interface. From employee onboarding to time tracking, performance management, and beyond, Factorial streamlines and enhances HR processes.
Factorial offers a unique employee benefits management feature that enables businesses to effectively administer and track employee perks and benefits. This includes benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs, and more. The platform allows employees to view and manage their benefits selections, while administrators can easily track usage and eligibility. This specialized feature streamlines the process of managing a diverse range of benefits, promoting employee satisfaction and simplifying benefits administration for HR teams.
Factorial distinguishes itself by prioritizing employee well-being through a dedicated module that allows employees to provide anonymous feedback, report concerns, and suggest improvements. This module provides a secure space for employees to express their opinions without fear of reprisal, fostering an open and transparent communication culture. It also includes sentiment analysis capabilities.
Features include time management (time off, time tracking, shift work), performance management (talent, acquisition, onboarding, performance, goals), payroll (automation, bonuses, e-documents), employee portal, org chart, and company announcements.
Integrations include Sage, Gmail, Payflow, Dynamics 365, LinkedIn, TravelPerk, PowerBI, Indeed, Recruitee, Slack, and other.
Factorial costs from $6.50/employee/month and offers a 14-day free trial. You can also request a free demo and one of their representatives will show you around the software and answer any questions you might have.
Best HR software with an integrated learning management system
Kallidus, formerly Sapling, is a people operations platform that has the capacity to automate workflows, from onboarding and upskilling to performance reviews and employee farewells.
Why I picked Kallidus: The HR software gives you the ability to create automated workflows for talent recruitment and onboarding. You and your team can automatically assign employee workflows based on their employment status, the department they’re assigned to, and their location.
Kallidus Standout Features and Integrations:
HR team members can manage and store employee information and design color-coded organizational charts. End users also have the capability to create their profiles with customizable prompts, which supports the culture that the company is trying to nurture.
Some of Kallidus’s key benefits include better decision-making, streamlined people data changes, robust security, and seamless integration. The best part? You and everyone around you can upskill for free thanks to its forever free learning hub.
Integrations are available with numerous third-party systems including time-tracking tools, payroll software, and applicant-tracking systems. The software also comes with an API and webhooks, and it integrates with more than 40 different platforms, which include G Suite, Xero for accounting, TriNet, and 15Five for employee performance and engagement.
Sage HR
Adaptable HRMS software with unlimited applicant pipelines and an expense management app
Sage HRMS is a full-featured platform with modules for recruiting, employee onboarding, timesheets, shift scheduling, leave management, employee expenses, performance, and HR reporting. Within their performance management module, users will appreciate their modern features like 1:1 meeting templates, goals and OKRs (objectives and key results), 360 degree feedback, and employee surveys. Their recruitment module also offers users a lot of flexibility, with options to customize your pipeline stages and triggers, set up an unlimited number of applicant pipelines for different positions, and incorporate employee referrals for top talent.
One highlight of Sage’s HR management software is their expense management module, which can save a lot of time and headaches for organizations with lots of staff expenses piling up, waiting for reimbursement. Sage simplifies the typical expense claim process by automating it through their mobile app. Employees can take photos of their business expense receipts on their phone, then fill out a simple approval form and submit it directly to their designated expense manager. This saves companies time and paper, since the entire process is digital, and provides a better employee experience for staff who will appreciate the simplified process.
Sage HR does offer integrations, but only mentions Google Suite, Slack and Active Directory on their website. They do, however, have an API to support any custom integrations you may require. They also have several mobile apps available for Android and iOS devices, covering different employee self-service functions.
Pricing for Sage HR is transparent and modular, meaning you can get by only paying for the modules you actually need. Pricing starts at $7/employee/month for their core HR package, with many additional add-ons available for an extra monthly fee. You can also request a free demo or a 30-day free trial through their website.
Namely
Best for performance management, employee recognition and engagement
Namely’s HR solution covers the full employee lifecycle from recruiting to retiring.
Why I picked Namely: In addition to their classic employee management features, Namely also includes modern talent management capabilities within their HR system. These include goal alignment and tracking features, continuous feedback mechanisms, and customizable performance review cycles including 360 degree feedback from managers, peers, and employees themselves (self reviews). Namely also tracks employee milestones and promotes employee recognition through public announcements and shout-outs (called @Appreciations).
Namely Standout Features and Integrations:
Features include a simple onboarding process that walks new hires through typical HR administrative requirements, which feed into their system’s rich employee profiles. New staff details are automatically delivered to E-Verify to maintain compliance, and employees can use e-signatures to sign off on key forms as they work their way through their orientation paperwork.
Namely also includes integrated payroll and time-tracking modules, with data automatically synced to avoid any need for dual data entry. In addition to their regular payroll processing — which includes garnishment administration, configurable general ledger (GL) exports, and automatic tax calculations — Namely also supports unlimited payroll runs, including off cycle (in-between) payroll runs for unexpected situations.
Employee benefits costs are also automatically synced with payroll too, which is a huge time saver for HR team members who’ve been tasked with transferring the data from one system to another.
Users will appreciate Namely’s robust, out-of-the-box analytics and data dashboards that can be used as is, or customized to your business needs, plus tools to create an unlimited number of custom and ad hoc reports. All the classic report templates you can think of are already loaded, including reports for turnover analytics, burnout analysis and DEI tracking.
Integrations are available with 65 common HR software solutions, including many applicant tracking systems, single sign-on programs, learning & development platforms, and employee recognition & engagement solutions. They also have an open API that supports additional custom integrations, as well as a mobile app for viewing pay stubs, submitting time off requests, and managing your employee profile.
Other HR Management Software
Below is a list of additional HR management software that didn’t make it into my top 10 list, but are still worth checking out:
- SAP SuccessFactors
Enterprise-level HR management software suite focused on human experience management.
- bob
Modern human resources software with extensive tools for deepening company culture and employee engagement
- Vault ERP
Scalable HR management software with add-ons for budgeting, operations, asset management, client management, and more
- UKG Pro
Advanced HCM software with talent management tools and AI-backed employee feedback sentiment analysis
- Rippling
HR management software with integrated IT functions
- Lattice
For customizable performance reviews
- monday.com
Build flexible & customized HR workflows with detailed task management + automations
- Workable HR
For customizable onboarding workflows
- Paylocity
For automated workflows and compliance
- Paycor
For integrated HR and payroll management
Related HR Software Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- HR Software
- Payroll Software
- Recruiting Software
- Employer of Record Services
- Applicant Tracking Systems
- Workforce Management Software
Selection Criteria for HR Management Software
Strategic workforce management should ensure that HR software is chosen to meet both current and future workforce needs. Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria for what I look for when selecting the best HR management systems for this list:
- User Interface (UI): I look for systems with clean, colourful, and visually appealing user interfaces that will ensure a positive experience when staff at all levels use the software.
- Usability: I chose systems that are simple and straightforward to use, which don’t require extensive training to be able to complete tasks independently.
- Integrations: I always keep an eye out for systems with lots of software integrations as they will have a big impact on improving the overall productivity level of your HR team. The more integrations, the better!
- Value for Price: While I always prefer HR software with transparent pricing models, sometimes those details are only available upon request due to the modular nature of many systems (i.e., you’ll only pay for the modules you actually want).
What is HR Management Software?
HR management software is a digital tool designed to handle various human resource functions such as employee data management, recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance performance management, and benefits administration.
They also aids in compliance with labor laws and provides analytical tools for informed decision-making.
Features of HR Management Software
Every apple is different, and the same is true for HR management software too. Yet, no matter which way you slice them, they have some common features too.
Here’s a short summary of the main features you can expect to find within the best HR software solutions:
- A central employee database: HR management systems act as a single source of employee-related information that link data from rich employee profiles across all modules automatically.
- Time off & attendance tracking: Tools for tracking your employee’s work hours, as well as their vacation dates and other absence requests.
- Linked benefits administration: A process for linking employee benefit options and costs directly with your core employee and payroll data to cut down on manual or double data entry.
- Payroll functions: Integrated payroll capability that automatically pulls data from other key modules, like time tracking and benefits administration modules.
- Performance management tools: System-wide features that support continuous performance-based feedback, including check-ins, 360-degree feedback and goal setting features.
- Learning & development features: A built-in system for hosting internal training modules for your staff, to help them grow and develop their skills over time.
- Training & compliance tracking: A way to ensure your staff are always up-to-speed on any job-specific training or certifications, including automated tools that track expiry dates.
- Recruiting & onboarding tools: A suite of tools that help HR teams post jobs, track and screen candidates, and turn applicants into new employees with links to onboarding processes.
- Employee Self-Service: The ability for employees to update their own personal information independently without relying heavily on HR staff, often achieved through robust mobile apps.
- Reports and analytics: The best HR software should have metrics and analytics baked right into the system, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to dig deeper into your workforce metrics.
Before we delve into the specifics of each HR management software, you may find it beneficial to read our complete guide on HR software, which provides a holistic view of what to consider.
Are There Different Types of HR Management Software?
Yes, you bet there are! There are lists of HR software types to choose from. The most common types of HR software include:
- HRIS = human resource information system
- HCM = human capital management [system]
- HRMS = human resource management system
You may be wondering, what’s the difference between these systems? Basically, they are synonyms for different levels of HR software that help to streamline common HR tasks. Not surprisingly, as you go higher up in price, you’ll gain more comprehensive features.

Typically, an HRIS will cover the core HR functions at the lowest cost, making it a great choice for a small business or startup operation. Another thing to consider when purchasing software is how scalable it is. Many tool providers offer the ability to add more modules over time, which is a budget-friendly way to hold off on paying for fancier features until you actually need them.
HCM software is also a very popular choice, as it often incorporates payroll along with core HR features. Having payroll data within your HR management system is a big time saver for HR professionals, and I say this based on personal experience. It’s no surprise then, that the HCM software market is big and getting bigger, with an expected value of $33 billion anticipated by 2024!
Other Resources
I hope this summary of the top-ranking HR management systems helped you get one step closer to finding the software solution you’ve been searching for.
Since HR management systems cover a lot of ground, you may also want to consider some more niche software systems, if you’re only looking to upgrade one element of your HR process.
Here are some other suggestions for HR management software with a more specific focus:
- Performance Management Software for Continuous Feedback
- Learning Management Systems for Small Businesses
- Safety Management Software to Keep Your Staff Safe and Sound
- Hot Desk Booking Software for Managing Hybrid Work Arrangements
- Intranet Software Solutions to Connect Teams
- HR Case Management Software to Manage Issues & Risks
You may also want to pop over to our Crozdesk website, where you can dive deeper into 300+ software categories and compare your top choices side-by-side.
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