Ready to improve employee experiences and boost operational efficiency? Centralize your workforce data and processes with a human resource information system (HRIS) for small business teams. The best HRIS platform automates payroll processing, hiring, and benefits administration, giving owners and managers more time for high-value tasks.
To help you develop a shortlist of HRIS software, this guide shares vendor profiles with core features, pros, and cons. For more tips, review the criteria for assessing popular HRIS systems for small companies.
Top HRIS systems for small companies
- BambooHR: Popular HRIS software for performance management.
- Gusto: The best HRIS tools for beginners.
- Zoho People: A budget-friendly small business HRIS.
- HiBob: The top HRIS platform for company culture and engagement.
- Rippling: An excellent HRIS system for workflow automation.
- Paycor: The best HR software for small business workforce analytics.
- ADP Workforce Now: Top HR tools for employee self-service.
- Deel: A global HRIS platform for hiring and retention.
- OnPay: Straightforward HRIS payroll and HR.
What is an HRIS?
An HRIS is software with a database for storing employee information and tools for managing HR processes. It's like a digital file cabinet containing details about everyone working for you. Small business HRIS systems provide employee self-service portals, basic workforce reports, and automation features.
Consider a typical workweek involving payroll processing, paid time-off (PTO) requests, and onboarding. An HR manager might use the HRIS to automate payroll, approve PTO via a mobile device, and guide new hires through onboarding checklists — all from one platform.
[Read more: PEO vs. HRO: Comparing Small Business Solutions]
Best HRIS providers for employers
HRIS companies offer subscriptions tailored to small businesses. Though the costs and features vary, each platform helps streamline core processes, like onboarding new hires and approving time off. Use this HRIS systems list to jump-start your research and compare solutions.
BambooHR: Popular HRIS software for performance management
BambooHR made the HRIS systems list because of its comprehensive HR features, including strong support for employee performance management. It’s a great fit for small businesses looking to improve recruitment and hiring processes and increase retention rates by enhancing employee experiences and tracking performance.
BambooHR pros:
- Comprehensive performance management and employee experience features.
- An applicant tracking system (ATS) with automated emails and job board postings.
- Customizable templates, reports, and workflow automations.
BambooHR cons:
Extra fees for HRIS payroll processing, benefits administration, and time tracking.
No built-in learning management capabilities aside from training tracking tools.
BambooHR doesn't have a free HR plan or share pricing details online.
Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders co-founded the privately held company in Utah in 2008. BambooHR now serves more than 33,000 clients across 55 industries. The HRIS platform offers two subscriptions and three add-on packages.
BambooHR pricing for businesses with over 25 employees is based on a per-person monthly fee, whereas companies with 25 workers or less pay a flat monthly rate. The HRIS software provider automatically applies volume discounts as your personnel count rises.
BambooHR features include the following:
- A customizable, central employee database.
- HR dashboards and reports.
- Custom workflows and approval processes.
- Applicant tracking with in-app messaging.
- Onboarding and offboarding templates and tools.
- Time-off and benefits tracking.
- Over 125 prebuilt integrations, including Slack and Jobvite.
- Add-ons for payroll, benefits administration, and time-off tracking.
Gusto: Best HRIS tools for beginners
Gusto is a popular HRIS for small business startups and beginners because of its self-guided setup tools and user-friendly interface. It's best known for payroll processing, but Gusto also administers benefits and simplifies onboarding.
Gusto pros:
- A straightforward setup process and intuitive apps.
- All Gusto plans include benefits administration with no added fees.
- Customer service support is available via phone or live chat.
Gusto cons:
- PTO and team-management tools don’t come with the base plan.
- Limited employee training and performance management features.
- Fewer artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features than other HR software with payroll.
Josh Reeves, Tomer London, and Edward Kim launched ZenPayroll in 2012, then rebranded it in 2015 as Gusto. It's based in California, has over 300,000 business clients nationally, and processes billions in payroll. This HRIS payroll system offers three plans, a contractor-only version, and various add-on services.
Gusto charges a monthly base rate and a per-employee fee, starting at $40 plus $6 per person. All subscriptions integrate with QuickBooks, Xero, and WhenIWork. Gusto Simple focuses on payroll, whereas Gusto Plus includes additional HRIS tools for hiring and employee management.
Gusto features include the following:
- Full-service payroll processing for W-2 and 1099 workers.
- Basic and advanced onboarding tools, including one-click software provisioning.
- PTO management and policies with automatic payroll syncing.
- Integrations for accounting, time-tracking, and expense management apps.
- Payroll and workforce costing reports.
- A company directory and hiring document storage.
[Read more: Choosing the Right Online Payroll Service for Your Business]
Zoho People: A budget-friendly small business HRIS
Zoho People is the best HRIS system for small companies looking for low-cost or free HRIS software. This all-in-one HR management platform centralizes employee data and documents, uses intelligent workflow automation, and provides meaningful insights.
Zoho People pros:
- Economical paid plans include a 30-day free trial.
- A wide range of workforce features for performance, skills tracking, and communication.
- Free HRIS software with an employee database and time management tools.
Zoho People cons:
- Paid HRIS subscriptions require five users.
- Add-on payroll service doesn’t include tax filing.
- Zoho only provides email support for most HRIS plans.
In the late 1990s, American and Indian entrepreneurs bootstrapped Advent Network Management, turning it into Zoho. They chose not to accept venture capital funds, show ads in its products — even free versions — or sell user data to third parties. Today, Zoho has over 100 million users, 16 data centers, and more than 15,000 employees. Most Zoho software, including its small business HRIS, offer forever free editions.
Zoho People is a comprehensive HRIS platform offering five paid plans, a free HRIS software package, and three add-ons. Monthly pricing starts at $1.50 per person. You can create custom time-off policies with the free HR management software, but you must upgrade to personalize forms and automate workflows.
Zoho People features include the following:
- An employee database and HR files management.
- Individual, team, and organization reports across various modules.
- Custom guided onboarding workflows with new hire portals.
- Attendance management for remote and on-site teams.
- A learning management system.
- A performance module with 360-degree feedback systems.
- Shift scheduling and calendar tools.
HiBob: Top HRIS platform for company culture and engagement
Employee engagement and culture-building tools set HiBob apart from rivals on the top HRIS systems list. In addition to core HR management features, Bob's social media-like homepage, feedback surveys, and clubs connect remote teams. This HRIS software is a great pick for small to midsized businesses wanting to unify their globally distributed workforces around the company brand.
Bob pros:
- Unique company homepage for news, shoutouts, and organization-wide interactions.
- All plans support automated HR process workflows.
- The main HRIS system includes robust people analytics with key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards.
Bob cons:
- Bob lacks a built-in payroll option and possibly limited third-party payroll integrations.
- It lacks online pricing transparency, and a la carte plans could be pricey.
- The Core HR package doesn't include time-off management.
Ronni Zehavi, Israel David, Andy Bellass, and Amit Knaani launched HiBob as a London and Tel Aviv-based startup in 2015, with New York headquarters opening in 2016. Today, Bob serves over 4,000 HR teams who have onboarded more than 1 million employees. HRIS pricing depends on your headcount and module selection.
Pricing includes Core HR and Digital Admin, and you can customize your plan by choosing from various modules and features. Although Bob doesn't offer U.S.-based HRIS payroll services, it integrates with ADP, Paylocity, and TriNet.
Bob's features include the following:
- People analytics through KPI dashboards for measuring real-time data.
- Employee engagement surveys to track milestones, events, or satisfaction.
- Time-off, attendance, and time-tracking tools.
- A workforce planning tool for visualizing current and future job positions.
- A people directory, an org chart, and a central repository for HR documents.
- Compensation worksheets for calculating bonuses.
- Add Bob Learning or Hiring modules to access more features.
Start by identifying who will use the HRIS. Then determine the specific problems it should solve, such as reducing time spent on payroll, improving employee onboarding, or simplifying PTO requests.
Rippling: Excellent HRIS system for workflow automation
Rippling is a global HRIS platform that centralizes finance, HR, and information technology (IT). It features hundreds of ready-to-use workflows, templates, and reports, along with over 500 third-party integrations. This small business HRIS system works well for growing and distributed teams looking for customizable plans.
Rippling pros:
- Automated compliance management features come with the core HRIS software.
- Rippling offers professional employer organization (PEO), administrative services organization (ASO), and employer of record (EOR) services.
- Base HR plans automate onboarding and offboarding, including software provisioning.
Rippling cons:
- No online pricing data is available, and it could cost more than less customizable alternatives.
- Report scheduling isn't included with the base HRIS platform.
- Rippling lacks native employee engagement and culture-building tools.
Parker Conrad and Prasanna Sankar founded Rippling in 2016, and it's headquartered in San Francisco. Over 16,000 companies trust Rippling with their data, with the majority of clients having 50 to 200 employees. In addition to its small business HRIS, Rippling offers PEO, ASO, and EOR services.
To build a plan, first you choose from four Rippling Workforce packages, then add various HR, finance, and IT modules. Most add-ons incur monthly per-employee fees, but some may have a base rate.
Rippling features include the following:
- Global 1099 and W-2 staff payroll, including EOR services.
- Complete benefits administration and third-party broker support.
- Employee management software for recruiting and performance reviews.
- Compliance, time and attendance, scheduling, and time-off tools.
- Automated onboarding, offboarding, and compliance notifications.
- Employee engagement surveys and learning management software.
[Read more: PEO vs. ASO: Which HR Service Do You Need?]
Paycor: Best HR software for small business workforce analytics
Paycor is one of the top HRIS systems for small companies wanting payroll and HR in a single platform. Decision-makers can use Paycor's easy-to-consume workforce analysis and planning tools to understand employee turnover and absences.
Paycor pros:
- Real-time dashboards and benchmarking reports for workforce planning.
- Unique manager effectiveness tools and industry-based insights.
- All-in-one HR software for payroll, expense, and performance management.
Paycor cons:
- Time tracking and scheduling are paid add-ons.
- Paycor has less robust third-party integrations than other small business HRIS systems.
- It has fewer plan customization options compared to competitors.
In 1990, Robert J. Coughlin founded Paycor in Cincinnati, Ohio. The HR software for small businesses went public in 2021. It serves over 40,000 companies nationwide with more than 2.5 million users. Paycor offers four plans. The base package includes payroll and tax services, whereas the step-up version adds time-off, recruiting, and hiring support. However, Paycor HR functions only come with the top-tier plans Core and Complete.
Paycor features include the following:
- Robust payroll processing features.
- An AI assistant to find answers, locate data, and summarize policies.
- Workforce reports, real-time dashboards, and predictive analytics.
- Automated talent sourcing, ATS, and onboarding software.
- Modules for pulse surveys and compensation management.
- Time, attendance, and scheduling software.
- It integrates with over 300 apps and technology partners.
ADP Workforce Now: Top HR tools for employee self-service
ADP Workforce Now unifies payroll, time and attendance, benefits, and talent management in a single HRIS platform. It provides real-time analytics and self-service tools, with most features available on any internet-connected device. While ADP Workforce Now supports businesses of all sizes, it's popular among midsized companies.
ADP Workforce Now pros:
- Real-time dashboards and benchmarking reports for workforce planning.
- Unique manager effectiveness tools and industry-based insights.
- All-in-one HR software for payroll, expense, and performance management.
ADP Workforce Now cons:
- No online pricing transparency.
- PTO and time-off approvals are only available on the highest plan tier.
- Add-on required for turnover analytics and benchmarking tools.
Henry Taub founded Automatic Payrolls Inc. in 1949 with his brother Joe Taub. By 1961, the company rebranded to Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) while rolling out its use of mainframe computers and check printing machines. Today, ADP is a publicly traded company headed by Maria Black, President and CEO. Over 60,000 employees serve more than 1 million clients across 140 countries.
In addition to the all-in-one ADP Workforce Now solution, the vendor provides PEO services and payroll packages. Businesses can choose from three ADP Workforce Now plans: Select, Plus, or Premium. ADP offers various add-on modules for enhanced insights and workforce management.
ADP Workforce Now features include the following:
- A single system of record for U.S. and Canadian employees.
- Full-service payroll processing and tax filing.
- Time and attendance tools with real-time insights.
- Benefits administration with employee decision support.
- Recruitment module for finding and hiring employees.
- Engagement and strength assessment tools.
- Almost 200 reports and dashboards.
Deel: A global HRIS platform for hiring and retention
Deel is a customizable, all-in-one HRIS solution for businesses with remote or global workforces. AI-powered performance tools and payroll support for 150 countries help employers onboard, motivate, and pay team members worldwide. It's a good choice for companies looking for free HRIS software that scales to a complete people platform.
Deel pros:
- Free HRIS software with automation and analytics.
- Provides EOR services and robust compliance support.
- Add-on modules for immigration and IT management.
Deel cons:
- Potentially higher learning curve for backend administration.
- Deel could cost more than comparable HRIS platforms.
- It has fewer third-party integrations than Rippling or Paycor.
CEO and Co-Founder Alex Bouaziz and Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder Shuo Wang founded Deel in 2019. In under 20 months, the company scaled its annual recurring revenue from $1 million to $100 million. It took them less than four years to expand their workforce to over 4,000 employees and serve more than 35,000 clients, including Lego, Nike, and Shopify.
Small businesses can start with the free HRIS software and then add modules, such as Deel Engage (starting at $20 per employee monthly) for performance and learning management or Deel's U.S. or international payroll ($19 to $29 per employee monthly). Deel also offers U.S.-based PEO and payroll services.
Deel features include the following:
- Analytics and dashboards for tracking headcount and global costs.
- Performance, learning, and career management tools.
- Worker feedback and sentiment surveys.
- Localized onboarding and holiday schedules.
- A compliance hub with regulatory updates and warnings.
- Add-ons for background checks and contractor-of-record services.
[Read more: PEO vs. EOR: Differences Explained]
OnPay: Straightforward HRIS payroll and HR
OnPay appeals to small business owners looking for straightforward pricing and all HR essentials without complexity. It combines core payroll, benefits, and HR features into one plan for one per-employee fee. In addition, OnPay supports industries with special tax requirements, such as restaurants and farms.
OnPay pros:
- Integrated workers' compensation administration.
- A custom report builder for over 50 data points.
- In-app messaging.
OnPay cons:
- Limited integrations.
- OnPay is not as scalable as BambooHR or Bob.
- It lacks specialized learning and performance management software.
OnPay is a privately held corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It stemmed from a traditional payroll company, Payroll Center Inc., founded by John McDowell in 1982. Jesse Burgess joined the firm in 2007 and launched OnPay in the years after. Today, the HRIS software company has over 10,000 clients.
OnPay costs $40 monthly plus $6 per employee. This fee includes assistance setting up integrations, support for nonstandard industries, and accountant services.
OnPay features include the following:
- Document, message, and personnel file storage.
- Customizable checklists and PTO approval workflows.
- Workers' comp, 401(k), and health insurance benefits administration.
- Full-service multistate payroll with all tax filings and payments.
- Prebuilt reports and custom views for HR staff, finance teams, or accountants.
- OnPay integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and a dozen other apps.
How to choose the right HRIS for your business
Start by identifying who will use the HRIS. Then determine the specific problems it should solve, such as reducing time spent on payroll, improving employee onboarding, or simplifying PTO requests. These steps will help determine the features and functions your HRIS platform should have.
Also, consider which tools the software should integrate with. These include accounting programs like FreshBooks, collaboration tools like Monday.com, or single sign-on apps like Okta. With this information in mind, request recommendations from your professional network and check out reviews of HRIS systems for small companies.
Develop a shortlist of HRIS companies that offer free trials and demonstrations, then schedule meetings to evaluate them against your criteria.
[Read more: What Is AI-Powered Business Automation?]
Criteria for choosing the best HRIS for small business owners
Once you have a clear idea of your ideal HRIS platform, it's time to assess your options. Use feedback forms to review each company on your HRIS systems list. Consider rating ease of use, customer service, and other key decision factors while leaving room for reviewers to comment on their experience.
The assessment questions should be consistent for evaluators (administrators, managers, and employee testers). But it should also include criteria that address how well the HRIS for small business supports role-specific workflows. Here are tips for choosing software for HR:
- User experience: Does the HRIS work smoothly on desktops, smartphones, and tablets for employee self-service?
- Search and assistance tools: Are there practical search functions or AI features to help users find information quickly?
- Vendor support: Can you get help fast through multiple channels when needed? What type of customer service can employees access?
- Scalability: Will the HRIS platform grow as your business evolves? Does it support global expansion or additional software integrations?
- Total cost and training: What’s the total cost per employee after any promotional periods? How long does it typically take to train HR managers and employees?
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