2020's Best HR Software

BambooHR is a versatile solution that covers essential HR alongside employee self-service, hiring, and onboarding. This small business HR software also tackles customer support, reporting, and analytics. In terms of HR management, useful functionalities include employee records, benefits tracking, document storage, and standard access levels. BambooHR also comes with workflows and approvals capabilities that provide full automation. Streamline your processes and ensure smooth onboarding as well as offboarding with this robust platform.

Employees get their own self-service portal. It comes equipped with a company calendar, time-off management, and a worker directory. Audit trail, custom fields, and company branding are other vital features of the BambooHR human resources software.

Those who need performance management and time tracking can get both as add-ons for an additional cost. The first offers goals, peer feedback, and performance reports, while the latter provides daily time entry, automatic reminders, approvals, and timesheets to the table.

Testing BambooHR is easy thanks to the brand’s free trial and product demo. To get either of them, you must sign up first. If you like the platform, you can ask for a quote. BambooHR offers two premium plans, Essentials and Advantages, as well as two add-ons.

A user-friendly UI and beautiful design make Zoho People an excellent platform. As an online HR software, the product is robust and efficient. With Zoho People, you get access to a secure and centralized employee database. Tracking time, attendance and leaves is another capability of the platform. Give your employees access to the self-service portal where they can add contact details, tag skills, and receive real-time notifications.

Document management is a crucial part of Zoho People. It enables users to store and categorize all critical documents. The ultimate champion here though is the full automation provided by the HRM system. Create automatic mail alerts, checklists, updates, and workflows. The platform also features performance management and reporting which will help you track how your employees are doing as well as spot any weaknesses.

Zoho People could do better in terms of integrations. The platform integrates best with the other Zoho products like Zoho Books and Zoho CRM, and only supports several other apps, including Zapier, QuickBooks, and G-Suite.

Users can test the Zoho People web-based HR software for free by requesting a 15-day free trial. No credit card needed. Those with up to five users can subscribe to the Free Plan, which comes with the essentials only.

Apart from the Free Plan, there is a total of four premium packages to choose from. Here is their monthly cost (no VAT included):

• Essential HR – $1/month/user (basic HRIS, onboarding, leave management)
• Professional – $2/month/user (Essential HR, attendance, timesheets, shifts)
• Premium – $3/month/user (Professional HR, performance management, analytics)
• Enterprise – $5/month/user (Premium HR, cases, learning management)

Annual billing comes at a discount, while each plan requires a minimum of five users. Those who need an enterprise HR software for over 500 users should ask the vendor for a custom quote.

In terms of HR tools, Zenefits doesn’t disappoint. The software automates hiring and onboarding. Users get to create compensation packages, send offer letters, and track progress with checklists. Employers and HR teams also have overviews of workers’ activity. Plus, they get to manage PTO from both desktop and mobile devices.

Employee records and document management are also among Zenefits’ features. They provide quick access to any data you may need and ensure all company and workforce information is correct. Powerful reporting and business intelligence are further included in the package. Insights help boost your employees’ efficiency by detecting weak performance in a timely manner.

Test the Zenefits human resources system software for two weeks for free. No credit card or setup needed. There is no free version of Zenefits, and users can choose from three packages. This is their monthly price when billed annually:

• Essentials – $8/month/employee (core HR, time and scheduling, integrations, mobile apps)
• Growth – $14/month/employee (Essentials, compensation, performance)
• Zen – $21/month/employee Growth, well-being)

In addition to these plans, there are several useful add-ons you can purchase:

• Payroll – $6/month/employee
• Advisory services – $8/month/employee
• Benefits using own broker – $5/month/employee

The minimum number of users per plan is five, with no custom bundles allowed. When you buy all features, Zenefits becomes a pricey alternative. That said, this product has a significant value for money.

A long list of features placed Freshteam among the best human resource information systems. The product covers applicant tracking by useful tools such as sourcing candidates and 360-degree overviews. Smart automations and hiring workflows ensure new hires get an excellent first impression of your business. Additional functions here include making offers, collecting feedback, and integrated emails.

Onboarding is also easy with Freshteam. Within a few clicks, you get all necessary documents signed, tasks tracked, and reminders sent. The employee information system further centralizes all critical people data. PTO management is a crucial capability of leading human resources software systems, Freshteam included. Approve requests, set policies, and streamline approval workflows within minutes.

In addition to HR functionalities, Freshteam offers many other useful tools such as vendor management, support, and custom user roles.

Test Freshteam by requesting a 21-day free trial. No credit card needed and no cancellation fees. Startups with up to 50 employees get to use the platform for free, forever. The Sprout Plan comes with essential HR tools only and up to three job postings.

The monthly price per 50 workers, when billed annually, for the other premium plans is the following:

• Blossom – $50 (up to 10 job postings, autopilot, TOA workflows, custom hiring pipelines)
• Garden – $100 (unlimited job postings, advanced customization, offer management, new hire onboarding)
• Estate – $200 (unlimited job postings, custom user roles, unlimited onboarding checklists, dedicated account manager)

All plans include email support around the clock and 24/5 phone support. Users of the Freshteam cloud HR software can downgrade and upgrade anytime. Nonprofits, educational organizations, and large teams are eligible for discounts.

If you want to try Invoice2go, you can claim a free 14-day trial to test all its features. Moreover, in case you purchase the product and can’t find your way around it, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. The 100% refund applies to first purchases only, while renewals and upgrades don’t qualify for it.

Multiple modules make the CakeHR human resources management software stand out from the crowd. The product offers a total of six modules, namely leave management, performance, shift scheduling, timesheets, expenses, and recruitment.  Each of these covers a specific area of HR, enabling users to get what they need.

Leave management comes equipped with a shared calendar, self-service portal for employees, custom approvals, and detailed reporting. Those who want to track performance get access to tools such as goals, 360-degree feedback, and one-on-one meetings. Shift-scheduling works like a charm, thanks to the interactive shift planning and categorization. This HR system software also includes timesheets and expense management to simplify your operations further.

The recruitment module is an advanced end-to-end solution that helps with pipeline management, interview scheduling, and detailed reports.

CakeHR offers new clients a two-week free trial. Setup is easy, and you can cancel at any time without any charges.

The pricing meanwhile depends on the number of employees and modules. On the CakeHR website, you can use their HR management system calculator to check the exact cost. Here are the individual prices per employee per month when billed annually:

• Leave management – $4.2
• Performance – $4
• Shift scheduling – $2.5
• Timesheets – $1.5
• Expenses – $1
• Recruitment – $99

All modules except recruitment cost a reasonable $13.2 per employee, per month for annual subscriptions.

Onboarding, PTO, calendars, document storage, permissions, and reporting are the cornerstones of Justworks HR. These provide valuable business insights to users in custom reports and enable PTO management in one place. Users of this system get to track accruals, create holiday calendars, and approve/reject requests. Justworks also enables online onboarding of new hires. This process is fully automated, ensuring swift and correct completion.

Payroll, benefits, and compliance are the other modules included in the Justworks platform. Each of these comes with robust functions that guarantee smooth operations. Make automatic deposits, get automated notifications, and handle one-off payments. Tackle all types of employee benefits while staying compliant with applicable regulations. These capabilities make Justworks much more than simple human resources SaaS.

Any business can request a free product demo by completing a simple form on the Justworks website.

After that, the options include two premium plans. Justworks Basic costs $44 per month per employee for companies that employ up to 25 people. Payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance are included here. For $89 per employee, grab Justworks Plus, which includes access to medical, dental and vision insurance. 

The price for each plan drops for larger companies. So, make sure to use the Justworks calculator and check the fee that applies to your business. Also, annual billing gets you a 15% discount.

SuitePeople is a smart approach to tackling HR and payments with a single solution. NetSuite has integrated a fully functional payroll platform into their HR software. Specific HR functionalities here include a centralized employee database alongside an employee center. This gives staff the freedom to add and edit personal data as well as stay informed on the latest company updates.

Workflows will streamline all your processes and remove any repeated manual tasks from your schedule. Ensure correct payments with time tracking while being able to manage time-off requests within several clicks. Health and safety, effective dating, compliance, and job management are several strengths of NetSuite SuitePeople HCM.

In addition to being a top-performing human resources management system software, the tool also operates as a payroll solution, handling taxes and generating reports. Direct deposits, online pay statements, and automated time-off accruals are key options here.

NetSuite offers a free product tour on all its solutions. Pricing, however, is provided upon request only. To get a custom quote, make sure to complete their form and include crucial details about your business. The price depends on your number of employees, specific demands, and wanted modules.

Since Netchex comes with multiple tools, it’s hard to go over all of its features. The system has seven sections that you can combine or get separately. In addition to the human resources information system, the product offers payroll and tax, benefits, and talent management. Time and attendance, administration management, and reporting are also included. Each of these is equipped with a separate set of functionalities that make this top-performing software.

Netchex’s capabilities include salary metrics, performance management, and labor trend analysis. These give you an overview of your workers along with useful insights. A self-service portal meanwhile handles PTO requests, updating personal data, and benefits. With this system providing a complete employee timeline alongside compensation and salary history, finding any details is just a few clicks away.

An exclusive feature of Netchex is the platform’s HR online resources. These help you improve your HR game by using tested templates. You should also expect automated notifications and alerts regarding applicable law changes.

The vendor’s website features a demo of each Netchex module.

In terms of packages, there are several plans to choose from. Each of them features essential HR management software capabilities.

• Core – payroll, tax, self-service, time, attendance
• Connect – Core features, onboarding, talent management, NetRecruiter, NetInsight
• Comply – Core features, compliance, NetBenefits, performance management
• Complete – Core and Connect feature, e-verify, NetBenefits, limited compliance

Pricing is provided upon request. Those who need a custom solution can ask for one as well.

Namely comes with several modules and module extensions.

Most HR capabilities are included in the People Operations central platform. Here, users get access to employee management, onboarding, talent acquisition, benefits, payroll, and HR compliance. Namely’s human resources information system further provides in-depth analytics of all these areas, giving you an overview of how your company is performing.

Recruiting, time and attendance, and benchmarking are offered as extensions to the primary system. These are both useful and simple to operate. A separate package focuses on full HR compliance. Its functionalities include live HR advisors, learning management systems, handbooks, and OSHA logs. Extensions for this program include benefits consulting and managed services.

All these powerful tools make Namely a top choice among companies that employ between 50 and 1,000 workers. That said, it also performs excellent as HR software for small business.

This vendor doesn’t provide a free trial of its platform. They do, however, give a product demo tour. Pricing is given upon request, which can be submitted directly from the Namely website.

With a long list of HR capabilities, APS makes dealing with your workforce easy and efficient. The platform lets you streamline employee lifecycle processes such as event tracking and performance. Another key HR software feature here is recruiting and onboarding. This, however, comes as an extension that costs extra. Either way, you get to introduce and integrate new hires effortlessly. Evaluate applicants, access job boards, and eliminate paper use.

Real-time HR analytics is what makes APS stand out. This functionality provides insight on workforce diversity, overtime trends, absenteeism, and turnover rates. You will never be in the dark again, thanks to APS’ thorough reporting capabilities.

In addition to being a top-performing software for human resources management, APS also tackles payroll and attendance. The system also integrates with more than 100 applications such as Xero, Microsoft Dynamics, and QuickBooks.

A free trial isn’t on the menu at APS, but interested clients can request a product demo. While the pricing of the APS plans is given upon request, the minimum billable monthly amount is $250, making the platform a costly one.

Getting the payroll module is a must, while attendance and HR aren’t mandatory, meaning this isn’t one of the standalone human resource systems. Additionally, there are several add-ons to consider. These include:

• Benefits and COBRA administration
• Carrier connections
• Recruiting and onboarding
• Affordable Care Act
• Scheduling
• HR support
• Customer success

To discover the exact pricing, you must complete a simple form featured on the APS website.