Looking for some new human resources software? We're here to help! To save you time, we've compiled a list of the 60 best HR software systems that cover core HR functions.
While the HR management software space is very broad, the best HR software in this list falls into these main categories:
- HRIS = human resources information system
- HRMS = human resource management system
- HCM = human capital management [system]
Other popular subcategories include:
- Applicant tracking or recruiting software
- Compensation management software
- Employee engagement software
- Employee recognition software
- Learning management software
- Talent management software
- Workforce management software
It may seem like an endless supply of options to choose from, but don't fret! This list will simplify your research process and get you one step closer to finding the perfect HR software for you.
Table of Contents
Here are the main sections we’ll cover in this summary of the best HR software:
- Acronyms
- The Best HR Software List
- HR Software Criteria
- Best HR Software: Key Features
- Tips For Selecting The Best HR Software
- Additional Software Summaries
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Acronyms
- ATS = applicant tracking system
- CRM = candidate relationship management (or customer relationship management)
- eNPS = employer net promoter score
- HCM = human capital management
- HR = human resources
- HRIS = human resources information system
- HRMS = human resource management system
- KPI = key performance indicator
- L&D = learning and development
- LMS = learning management system
- OKR = objectives and key results
- PEO = professional employer organization
- PTO = paid time-off
- SaaS = software-as-a-service
- SMBs = small and medium businesses
- TMS = talent management system
*All prices listed above are in USD unless otherwise noted.
The Best HR Software List
Here’s my summary table of the 60 best HR software tools I selected:
Tool | Free Option | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Deel Comprehensive HR software for global teams covering international hiring, onboarding, payroll, and compliance in 150 countries, with no need to have your own legal entity per country. | Free demo available | From $49/user/month | Visit Website |
2 | Paycor HCM software with integrated modules for payroll software, HR data management, talent management, workforce management, employee experience and benefits administration. | Free demo available | From $99/month + $5/employee/month | Visit Website |
3 | ClearCompany Full-feature talent management system that helps HR teams track recruiting, onboard, align team goals, engage top talent, and plan effectively for orgs based in US or CA | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
4 | iSpring Learn Cloud-based LMS that offers businesses comprehensive learning and training solutions with an extensive library of pre-made courses on customer service, communication skills, leadership development, and sales training. | 30-day free trial | From $2.99/user/month billed annualy | Visit Website |
5 | TalentLyft Full stack recruiting software with an integrated ATS and talent CRM, plus tools for candidate sourcing and recruitment marketing. | 14-day free trial + free demo | From $124.17/month for 10 active jobs | Visit Website |
6 | GoCo Flexible employee management software for core HR functions, benefits, payroll, PTO tracking and compliance, with automated workflows. | Request a free demo | From $5/employee/month | Visit Website |
7 | ProProfs Training Maker Dynamic online training and LMS software with tools to develop multimedia courses, assessments and quizzes, including compliance tracking and automatic reminders. | Free demo available | From $1/user/month + $50/month | Visit Website |
8 | FactoHR Modern and mobile-friendly HCM software for hybrid workforces, including tools to boost productivity, set OKRs and track KPIs. | Free trial available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
9 | Vantage Circle Cloud-based employee recognition and engagement software for automating employee rewards and other types of corporate gifting. | Free demo available | From $4/user/month | Visit Website |
10 | Tremendous Forward-thinking bulk payment platform that enables companies to distribute digital rewards and incentives globally, strengthening employee recognition and engagement. | Free demo available | Free to use + 3% fee for credit card purchases | Visit Website |
11 | Odoo Employees Modular HR solution for recruiting, employee performance, leave management, expenses, and employee engagement, with a long list of additional HR apps and integrations to choose from too. | Free to use one app only | From $31/user/month | Visit Website |
12 | Staff Squared HR software solution for absence management, onboarding, employee data management, eNPS, document management, and HR reporting, including access to premium HR templates. | 14-day free trial | From £2.50/employee/month | Visit Website |
13 | peopleHum AI-driven HR system that supports hiring, managing, learning, performance, OKRs, and employee engagement, including analytics and a helpful AI-powered chatbot. | Free trial + free demo | From $2/employee/month | Visit Website |
14 | Paylocity Thoughtful HCM platform designed to automate manual processes, with modules for payroll, workforce management, core HR employee data, talent management, benefits administration, and employee experience. | Free demo available | From $45/month plus an added $4/user/month | Visit Website |
15 | iSmartRecruit Sophisticated recruitment marketing platform including an ATS, a recruiting CRM, AI-generated automations and team collaboration features. | 14-day free trial + free demo | From $30/user/month | Visit Website |
16 | ActivTrak Modern workforce analytics platform that classifies user activity data and populates it into insightful, real-time workforce reports. | 14-day free trial + freemium plan available | From $10/user/month | Visit Website |
17 | Oorwin AI-powered talent intelligence platform including an ATS, CRM and HRMS functions - designed for organizations in the US, UK, India or Singapore. | Free trial available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
18 | Zoho People Cloud-based HR operations platform with tools for onboarding, employee management, timesheets, payroll management, expenses, HR analytics, case management, employee development, and deep time & attendance tracking features. | 30-day free trial | From $1.25/user/month | Visit Website |
19 | Oracle HCM Cloud Comprehensive HR management suite with tools for recruiting, onboarding, benefits, absences, performance management, payroll management, and HR analytics. | Free demo available | From $13/user/month for a minimum of 1000 employees | Visit Website |
20 | Personio Well-rounded suite of HR tools including applicant tracking, digital employee files, a training management module, performance management tools, approval processes, tasks & reminders, and reports & analytics. | 14-day free trial | From $2.88/employee/month | Visit Website |
21 | Jibble Advanced time tracking software including a time clock app, timesheets, GPS tracking, billable time tools, a work hours calculator, facial recognition, and attendance and PTO tracking. | Freemium plan available | From $2/user/month | Visit Website |
22 | HealthStream Cloud-based talent management and learning management system specifically designed for the healthcare sector. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
23 | Amber Sophisticated employee engagement chatbot that incorporates AI, machine learning, predictive people analytics and continuous culture evaluation to pinpoint employees who are a flight risk. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
24 | SutiHR AI-powered HRMS software for workforce management, with modules for core HR, talent management, time tracking, and additional HR apps and integrations. | Free trial available | From $4/employee/month | Visit Website |
25 | BrightHR Cloud-based human resources software suite for tracking attendance, managing staff holidays, rota planning, and tracking overtime, including unlimited document storage. | Not available | From $4.08 (£3) per employee per month for the basic plan | Visit Website |
26 | Ceridian Dayforce HCM software that supports continuous payroll, talent intelligence and workforce management. | 60-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
27 | Cornerstone OnDemand Adaptive HCM solution with modern workforce management features like skill development tools, succession planning features, DEI tracking, and a compliance management module. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
28 | Tap My Back Adaptive HCM solution with modern workforce management features like skill development tools, succession planning features, DEI tracking, and a compliance management module. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
29 | OnBlick SaaS-based immigration and HR compliance software specifically designed to support US-based companies with onboarding and employee management. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
30 | Zimyo Full-featured HRMS software with modules for employee engagement, recruitment and onboarding, core HR tasks, payroll management, employee performance management, time and attendance, and benefits administration. | Free trial + free demo | From $2/employee/month | Visit Website |
31 | Calamari Innovative people management tool with HR apps focused on leave management, PTO, and attendance tracking, including clock-in and clock-out capabilities. | 14-day free trial | From $1.70/employee/month | Visit Website |
32 | Sage People Flexible HR solution that supports workflow automations and analytics - specifically designed for mid-sized global businesses. | Free demo available | From $10/user/month | Visit Website |
33 | Zenefits Full-featured HRIS platform with comprehensive options for benefits administration and group insurance management. | 14-day free trial | From $8/user/month | Visit Website |
34 | Compport Flexible AI-powered compensation management software designed to support HR leaders through improved engagement, employee surveys, pay-based analytics, and reduced employee turnover. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
35 | OrangeHRM Cloud-based HRMS software for people management, culture, compensation and talent management - including a free option available under an open source license. | Not available | From $6/user/month. | Visit Website |
36 | Workday Trusted HCM platform for medium-sized and large companies, with tools to automate the full hire-to-retire employee lifecycle process. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
37 | TriNet Comprehensive PEO service provider for SMBs, including strategic HR, risk mitigation, payroll services, benefits, and integrated technology solutions. | Not available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
38 | Darwinbox Enterprise-level HCM software with unified modules for workforce management, payroll & expenses, talent acquisition, talent management and people analytics. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
39 | Bonfyre Dedicated employee engagement platform focused on mobile-first, two-way communication, feedback, recognition, corporate events and engagement analytics. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
40 | PeopleFluent Flexible employee development software with modules for talent mobility, performance, compensation, succession planning, org charts, and L&D. | 30-day free trial + free demo | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
41 | Namely Popular all-in-one HR solution for employee onboarding, employee self-service, talent acquisition and management, payroll and time tracking, benefits administration, compliance and HR analytics. | Request a free demo | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
42 | SAP SuccessFactors Industry-leading HCM software focused on employee experience and talent management, well-suited for enterprise-level organizations. | Free trial available | From $2.18/user and has software packages starting from $1000+/package | Visit Website |
43 | bob Modern HRIS software with a social media-inspired interface that maximizes the employee experience and deepens company culture. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
44 | WebHR All-in-one, modular, core HR solution with affordable add-ons for employee performance management, payroll, and recruitment tools including an applicant tracking. System. | Not available | Free with some feature limitations | Visit Website |
45 | Workzoom All-in-one people management software with tools for recruiting, onboarding, leave management, payroll, employee benefits, learning and development, and performance management. | Free demo available | From $4/employee/month | Visit Website |
46 | SimplyHired HRIS Free HR software for small businesses, with HR tools for employee onboarding, team attendance tracking, document storage including e-signing capabilities, and a benefits enrollment tracker. | Free demo + free forever account | Free forever plan | Visit Website |
47 | PeoplesHR Enterprise-level HCM software with unified modules for workforce management, payroll & expenses, talent acquisition, talent management and people analytics. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
48 | SyncHR Advanced HCM software with cutting edge features like “time machine” data snapshot technology, position-based architecture, interactive org charts and other workforce planning and operational reporting capabilities. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
49 | Cezanne HR Cloud HR software designed for global, multi-lingual organizations, with a deep set of features to support the full employee lifecycle. | Request a free demo | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
50 | HROne Enterprise-level HCM software with 10 core HR modules designed to increase productivity, create connection, facilitate collaboration, and support decision-making. | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
51 | LeaveBoard Leave management system that incorporates absences, PTO requests, and employee self-service within a core employee database. | Free trial + freemium plan for up to 9 employees | From $1.35/employee/month | Visit Website |
52 | EMP Trust HR Dedicated HR software for recruiting, applicant tracking and employee onboarding, including background checks, and compliance and e-verification processes. | Free trial + free demo | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
53 | Rippling Best workforce management platform that combines HR and IT mangement in one system | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
54 | Manatal Award-winning ATS and recruitment solution including deep candidate sourcing tools and AI-powered candidate recommendations. | 14-day free trial | From $15/user/month | Visit Website |
55 | Xoxoday Plum Creative rewards, incentives, benefits and payouts platform that helps HR teams motivate learners, drive employee referrals, build loyalty and boost employee engagement. | Free trial + free demo | From $199/month | Visit Website |
56 | BambooHR Popular HR software for small business owners, including helpful employee self service features and tools to measure employee satisfaction. | 7-day free trial | Pricing upon request | Visit Website |
57 | Recruitee Collaborative hiring software for HR teams with tools to boost candidate sourcing, automate hiring, and evaluate candidates effectively. | 18-day free trial | From $109/month | Visit Website |
58 | Zoho Recruit Talent acquisition solution including combined ATS and CRM modules, plus scalable hiring tools to source, attract, and engage top candidates. | 15-day free trial | From $30/user/month for up to 100 active job postings | Visit Website |
59 | Sage HR SaaS-based HR management software with core HR functionalities, as well as a full-feature mobile HR app to encourage employee self service. | 30-day free trial | From $7 USD/employee/month | Visit Website |
60 | Eddy All-in-one HRIS system with tools to manage people, payroll and hiring processes - well-suited for deskless workers. | Free demo available | From $8/employee/month + a $49 base fee/month | Visit Website |
HR Software Criteria
Wondering what I look for when selecting the best HR software for this list? Here’s a summary of my selection criteria:
- User Interface (UI): I seek out systems with visually attractive, clean, and colourful interfaces that makes using the software enjoyable.
- Usability: I prioritize tools that incorporate most or all of the core HR key features noted in the section below.
- Pricing details: To help you navigate through the stack, I’ve included pricing details as well as information on free trials or freemium plans, so you can find an HR software solution that works for your budget and business needs. All of these systems are cloud-based, which means they are priced using a SaaS subscription model.
Best HR Software: Key Features
Here’s a summary of the main features you can expect to find in this list of the best HR software:
- Core HR data management features: A single source of employee data management that populates all software modules automatically.
- Payroll functions: Integrated, tax-compliant payroll management software that removes the need for manual calculations.
- Time off, attendance and leave management: Tracking when your employees start and stop work, as well as their vacation and other leave requests.
- Benefits administration: A way to link your health benefit offerings to your core employee and payroll data.
- Performance management: Tools to facilitate performance reviews and track employee performance and development over time.
- Talent management & employee engagement functions: Features to reward, engage, motivate and incentivize staff for top performance, including tools to measure eNPS, employee satisfaction, and employee sentiment trends.
- Recruiting & candidate sourcing tools: Digital tools to source and screen candidates, including features like an applicant tracking system (ATS) or a candidate relationship management (CRM) module.
- Onboarding tools: Automated process tools that make it easy to transform hired candidates into new employees, including tools for employee verification and background checks.
- Training & learning management features: A process for tracking employee qualifications and certification expiry dates, and hosting in-house training presentations through a learning management system (LMS).
- Advanced workforce management features: These include features like HR compliance tracking, succession planning tools, and platforms that prioritize upward mobility and skill development initiatives.
- HR analytics & reporting tools: The ability to run meaningful reports on your system data, including report templates that populate data automatically, in real-time, as data flows into the system.
- Employee self-service: The ability for employees to update their own personal information and access other details independently without relying heavily on HR staff.
Tips For Selecting The Best HR Software
With so many options to choose from, it’s natural to feel a little overwhelmed. To help you along in your buyer’s journey, here are some other resources that’ll point you in the right direction:
- How to Make a Business Case for HR Software
- How to Choose HR Software in 5 Easy Steps
- HR Software: What it Costs and How to Decide What’s Best for your Company
- Types of HR Software: Key Features and Benefits
Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Human Resources (HR) Software?
People Managing People has joined forces with the software comparison platform Crozdesk.com to assist you in finding the best tool for your needs. Crozdesk’s Human Resources (HR) Software advisors can create a personalized shortlist of software solutions with unbiased recommendations to help you identify the solutions that best suit your business's needs. Through our partnership you get free access to their bespoke software selection advice, removing both time and hassle from the research process.
It only takes a minute to submit your requirements and they will give you a quick call at no cost or commitment. Based on your needs you’ll receive customized software shortlists listing the best-fitting solutions from their team of software advisors (via phone or email). They can even connect you with your selected vendor choices along with community negotiated discounts. To get started, please complete the form below:
Additional Software Summaries
Looking for a specific subset of HR software? We’ve got you covered there too. Here are some links to our most popular HR software subcategories, including key feature summaries and screenshots:
Core HR Software Systems:
- Best Cloud HR Software Systems for HR Teams
- Best Employee Management Systems for 2023
- Best Free HR Software for SMBs on a Budget
- Best HCM Software Vendors of 2023
- Best HRIS Systems of 2023
- Best HRIS for Small Businesses to Manage HR Processes
- Best HRMS for Human Resource Management
- Best HRMS for Small Businesses
- Best HR Software for Small Business
- Best HR Database Software for Record Keeping
- Best HR Management Software
- Best Workforce Management Software
- Best Workforce Planning Software
Specialty HR Software Systems:
- Best Applicant Tracking Systems for Small Businesses to Recruit Better
- Best Asset Management Software for Modern Teams
- Best Business Intelligence Software for Data Analytics
- Best Candidate Sourcing Software to Help You Find the Best Talent
- Best Diversity Recruiting Software for Inclusive Hiring
- Best Electronic Signature Software for Digital Sign-Off
- Best Employee Compensation Management Software
- Best Employee Engagement Software for 2023
- Best Employee Experience Tools to Improve Engagement & Performance
- Best Employee Recognition Platforms to Celebrate Top Talent
- Best HR Analytics Software for Actionable Workforce Data
- Best Learning Management Systems (LMS) for Employee Training
- Best Learning Management Systems (LMS) for Small Businesses
- Best Org Chart Tools for Plotting Company Structures
- Best Performance Management Tools Every HR Pro Should Know
- Best Recruiting Marketing Software for Hiring Staff
- Best Succession Planning Software to Develop Future Leaders
- Best Talent Management Systems for HR
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.
What Do You Think About This List?
If you made it this far, I hope this list helped you along in your journey to find the best HR software for your organization. If there are other tools you’d love to see included, please let us know in the comments.
Lastly, be sure to subscribe to our People Managing People newsletter covering the latest trends in HR leadership too.
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