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Best HR Software

Best HR Software

Streamlining business operations has never been easier with top-notch HR software. It helps with the management of numerous tasks ranging from recruitment to compliance with labor laws. Inevitably, it leads to improved planning, as well as decision-making, and supports everyone, from potential candidates to managers.

There are many dedicated platforms that provide different ways of assisting an HR team with its wide range of responsibilities. To find the most appropriate, it’s essential to identify your company’s needs before digging deep into the options to see which service best serves this.

Best HR software of 2025

Editors' choice

Deel

Editor's rating:
Free version
Extensive list of features
Responsive customer service
Simple payroll
Start-ups

Gusto

Editor's rating:
Plenty of extra functionalities
User-friendly interface
Tax solutions
Payout customization
Small businesses

Justworks PEO

Editor's rating:
Advanced payroll
Reliable compliance
Premium benefits
Thorough HR tools
Remote companies

Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Editor's rating:
Very detailed summary page
Fully customizable invoices
Intelligent inventory
Check printing by default
Nonprofits

Paycor

Editor's rating:
Unlimited payruns
Automated payroll
On-demand pay
Trustworthy tax compliance
Editor's choice

Deel

Editor's rating:
Starting price: $49/mo
Main features
  • Free version
  • Extensive list of features
  • Responsive customer service
  • Simple payroll
  • Free version
  • Extensive list of features
  • Responsive customer service
  • Simple payroll
  • No mobile app
  • Steep learning curve
  • Expensive
Summary
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From smooth onboarding and employee relocations to efficient and compliant payroll, Deel lets you meticulously keep all HR tasks in check. Particularly well-suited for global teams, the service has subsidiaries in over 150 countries. Along with facilitating international hires and employee management without the need for a local entity, the service handles visa sponsorships.

Deel supports over 120 currencies, integrates with apps like Slack and Teams, and offers a free version for businesses. The company provides discounts through package bundling, although most prices are only disclosed once you contact the sales team.

Special offers
View offers
$1,000 off Deel
Free HR software with Deel
Start-ups

Gusto

Editor's rating:
Starting price: $6/mo
Main features
  • Plenty of extra functionalities
  • User-friendly interface
  • Tax solutions
  • Payout customization
  • Plenty of extra functionalities
  • User-friendly interface
  • Tax solutions
  • Payout customization
  • Could have more accounting software integrations
  • Healthcare not available in all states
  • Not possible to use with international workers
Summary
View summary

W2s, 1099 forms, 940 forms… so many fun things to think about when you own a company! If you run a business that operates with employees, then you and them probably have very different ideas of what payday means. For them, payday may be one of the best days of the month, while for you, the reality of it may be more of a tedious, stressful, and even chaotic frenzy. Given that we live in a time of convenience and instant solutions, when it comes to payroll woes, the situation is no different – luckily this administrative pain can be alleviated with the aid of a payroll software like Gusto that specializes in helping small to medium-sized businesses in the U.S. Beyond being a payroll solution, Gusto assists with other HR areas like health insurance and retirement management, as well as offering integrations with third-party tools.

Special offers
View offers
$100 discount for yourself and a friend with the Gusto referral program
Free 30-day trial of Gusto without prior payment
Small businesses

Justworks PEO

Editor's rating:
Starting price: $59/emp/mo
Main features
  • Advanced payroll
  • Reliable compliance
  • Premium benefits
  • Thorough HR tools
  • Advanced payroll
  • Reliable compliance
  • Premium benefits
  • Thorough HR tools
  • Two apps
  • Lack of employee engagement tools
Summary
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Justworks PEO is a comprehensive solution that provides a full suite of HR services, perfect for businesses looking to streamline administrative duties and improve efficiency. It extends Justwork Payroll’s capabilities by offering benefits administration, compliance support, HR consulting, time tracking, and employee self-service.

Subscribing to Justworks PEO requires companies to pay a monthly fee per employee, which can be as low as $59, depending on the company size. In addition, Justworks has a referral program where customers can earn up to $10,000.

Special offers
View offers
Justworks PEO demo
Referral program with Justworks
Remote companies

Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Editor's rating:
Starting price: $10/mo
Main features
  • Very detailed summary page
  • Fully customizable invoices
  • Intelligent inventory
  • Check printing by default
  • Very detailed summary page
  • Fully customizable invoices
  • Intelligent inventory
  • Check printing by default
  • No recurring invoicing
  • Limited third-party app integrations
  • No yearly subscription available
Summary
View summary

When it comes to online accounting solutions there is one company that is considered to be the alpha and omega of all things accounting: Sage, a company founded in 1981 in the UK. Despite its origins, the company’s best-known solution, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, is ideal for businesses based in the U.S. thanks to the fact that it is a powerhouse when it comes to accounting features. With this software on board, accounting becomes a much simpler experience – and not just because it covers all the needs of a striving business, like the easy creation of invoices, quotes and estimates, well-detailed summaries of the business’s performance and automatically created reports. Sage Business Cloud Accounting also boasts an extremely intelligent inventory with real-time tracking, plus it saves newly created items to Google Drive without the need for any third party add-ons – which can still be applied if you want to further automate tasks. And if that’s not enough, Sage Business Cloud Accounting can be purchased for affordable prices or trialed for free for the first 30 days of use.

Special offers
View offers
$10 per month for Sage Business Cloud Accounting Start
Sage 50cloud Pro Accounting from $41.94 per month
Free 30-day trial of Sage Business Cloud Accounting
Nonprofits

Paycor

Editor's rating:
Starting price: $99/mo
Main features
  • Unlimited payruns
  • Automated payroll
  • On-demand pay
  • Trustworthy tax compliance
  • Unlimited payruns
  • Automated payroll
  • On-demand pay
  • Trustworthy tax compliance
  • High subscription price
  • No refunds
  • Unresponsive email support
Summary
View summary

On the market since 1990, Paycor is a cloud-based solution designed to help businesses with payroll processing, HR and workforce management, and benefits administration. As a human capital management service, Paycor stands out as an all-in-one platform where companies recruit, onboard, and set up payments for new hires.

The platform provides businesses with greater access to their payroll process, allowing them to ensure all payments are accurate, compliant, and on time. Prices start at $99 plus $10 per employee each month, with setup fees occasionally waived. All plans include multiple payment options, employee self-service, and unlimited payruns. Also, the software can be tested for free for 14 days, so administrators can have a glimpse of how much time and hassle they can save if they trust Paycor with their payroll.

Special offers
View offers
50% off the first year with Paycor
No setup fees with Paycor
14-day free trial of Paycor
3-month free trial of Paycor

What Is HR software?

HR software makes it easier for companies to manage all relevant processes from the bottom of the ladder to the top. It eliminates any typically lengthy, inaccurate, and error-prone tasks by centralizing all information in an easy-to-access platform.

This software usually includes extensive features such as:

  • Onboarding and offboarding management.
  • Time, attendance, performance, and goal tracking.
  • Automation
  • Employee engagement tools
  • And more.

These result in regulatory compliance, enhanced efficiency, productivity, team morale and development, security, and more.

The three main types of HR software

As there are many aspects to consider when contemplating signing up for HR software, it’s best first to understand the difference between the three types of HR software:

Human resource information systems (HRIS)

With a focus on employee data and basic HR features, HRIS is most suitable for small businesses looking to store, manage, and automate information easily. It comes with:

  • Document management.
  • Reports.
  • Basic payroll.
  • Metrics.
  • Time and attendance tracking.

Human resource management system (HRMS)

This second type takes all the HRIS features to the next level and throws broader functionality into the mix. It’s best for medium to large businesses in need of a more comprehensive solution and includes:

  • Advanced payroll.
  • Benefits administration.
  • Performance management.
  • Legislative compliance.

Human capital management (HCM)

HCM is the most comprehensive solution since it combines HRIS and HRMS features and more. It’s aimed at larger companies, bringing together the best HR practices while offering strategic support, such as:

  • Applicant tracking systems (ATS).
  • Onboarding and offboarding management.
  • Advanced reports and analytics.
  • Performance management.
  • Culture building.
  • Objectives alignment.

HR

Benefits of using HR management software

Most administrative tasks are tedious and time-consuming, hindering and slowing a company’s growth. However, a business of any size can use HR management software to improve, simplify, and consolidate all related processes. This leads to significant advantages, such as:

Process efficiency

  • Task automation.
  • Reduced errors.
  • Optimal resource usage.
  • Regulatory compliance.
  • Improved accessibility through mobile access.
  • Saving time with third-party integrations.
  • Online payroll processing.
  • The fast resolution of employee and employer-related incidents.

Employee empowerment

  • Autonomy through a self-service knowledge base.
  • Improved performance and engagement.
  • Professional growth support.
  • Detailed benefits plan.
  • Simplified personal finance.

Data-driven insights

  • Enhanced data visualization with charts, graphs, and metrics.
  • Compensation benchmarking.
  • Custom reports: KPI, earnings, retention, turnover, etc.

Enforced security

  • Reduced risk of malicious cyberattacks.

Easy access to reliable real-time data

Factors to consider when choosing HR software

Factors to consider when choosing HR software

It’s hard to pick the right HR software since so many are available. To effectively choose the most appropriate solution, it’s essential to consider what most requires improvement and needs to be prioritized in your business. Understanding your company’s limitations is also key, such as if it has IT infrastructure issues. Next, it’s important to find software that comes with:

  • Scalability and flexibility.
  • A good reputation.
  • User-friendliness.
  • Demos.
  • Integrations.
  • Multiplatform support.
  • User training and guidance.
  • 24/7 customer support.
  • Security and data privacy measures.

It’s also important to choose HR software appropriate to a company’s specific needs, such as budget and available implementation time. Making the right choice will make the whole process faster, leading to reaching goals more quickly.

Key features to look for in HR software

HR software comes with a long list of detailed features, meaning it’s easy to get lost when first learning about it. Nonetheless, some crucial features stand out and are worth looking for when choosing a service:

  • Employee hub: Gives team members real-time access to all records and documentation, such as salaries, insurance, tax, paid time off, and more.
  • ATS: Make hiring procedures faster, from source to hire. For example, applications are automatically accepted or rejected based on set criteria.
  • Recruitment: Combines ATS with features that further improve the recruitment process, such as better career pages, enhanced communication between parties, and more.
  • Payroll and benefits admin: Streamlines payroll-related time-consuming tasks, ensures easy access to compensation data, avoids manual data input, and clears calculation mistakes.
  • Time-tracking tool: Efficient work time tracking, which leads to accurate pay stubs and reports. Additionally, it removes the necessity to understand complicated tax legislation.
  • Performance evaluation: Easy assessment of team members through performance indicators, plus provides guidelines on what to develop further and improve.
  • Analytics, reports, and data: Real-time analytics, reports, and organized data are crucial for a business to prosper.

Key features to look for in HR software

The future of HR software

We live in an era of digital transformation, where companies adopt new technologies to hone and optimize all work-related processes. Trying to stay competitive compels companies to adopt better policies, tools, and procedures, which makes considering HR software crucial.

For example, hybrid working models that mix in-office with remote work are now common but challenging without HR software. This service can assist in recruitment, performance monitoring, task scheduling, and other related challenges. Moreover, the newest version of this software uses AI and machine learning, which can analyze resumes, evaluate interviews, update data, personalize learning, develop work culture, improve employee engagement, and identify general issues.

It’s become increasingly indispensable for any business to consider using HR management software, whether a large workforce with many tasks or a small company full of multitaskers. Automation, predictive tools, and customization not only help simplify the lives of everyone in HR but also ensure general workplace satisfaction, leading to a successful business no matter the size.

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