Short answer
Connecteam is our top pick for small businesses, scoring 85/100 when price and ease of use carry more weight. Paid plans start at $29/mo for 30 users (HR Basic, billed yearly ($35 monthly); $0.50 per extra user).
This list uses the same tools and ratings as our main HRIS tools ranking, reweighted for teams of roughly 1 to 50 people: price and ease of use count for more, and enterprise depth counts for less. Tools that score 70 or higher on the small-business weights are included.
The shortlist
- 1
Connecteam
Best for deskless and frontline teams that run HR from their phones85/100Details - 2
BambooHR
Best for small and midsize companies that want a complete, easy HRIS83/100Details - 3
Zoho People
Best low-cost HRIS, with a free plan for up to 5 users80/100Details - 4
Factorial
Best for small teams that want time off, time tracking and documents in one tool79/100Details - 5
Rippling
Best for growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one employee record72/100Details - 6
HiBob
Best for mid-size and international companies focused on culture and engagement70/100Details
The reviews
Starting price$29/mo for 30 usersHR Basic, billed yearly ($35 monthly); $0.50 per extra user
Free trial / planFree plan for up to 10 users; 14-day trial
Main score77/100
Connecteam is a mobile-first app for frontline teams; its HR & Skills hub covers employee documents, time off, onboarding packs, courses and recognition. Basic costs $29 a month for the first 30 users billed yearly ($35 monthly) plus $0.50 per extra user; Advanced ($49) adds e-sign documents and unlimited documents; Expert ($99) adds unlimited time-off policies and API access. A free Small Business plan covers all hubs for up to 10 users.
Who it's best for
Restaurants, retail, construction and field-service businesses whose employees don't sit at a computer.
Strengths
- $29 a month covers the first 30 users on Basic
- Free Small Business plan with every hub for up to 10 users
- Rated 4.6/5 on G2 across more than 3,500 reviews
Watch-outs
- Basic allows 6 time-off policies; unlimited needs Expert ($99)
- No performance review cycles, only per-employee KPIs
- Thinner employee records and reporting than a dedicated HRIS
Skip it if: You need performance reviews, compensation planning or detailed HR reporting.
Read our full Connecteam review →
Starting price$250/moCore, up to 25 employees; above 25, from $10/employee/mo. Pro $425/mo, Elite $650/mo
Free trial / planNo trial listed; free price quote
Main score85/100
BambooHR is an HRIS sold in three plans. Core ($250 a month for up to 25 employees, or $10 per employee above 25) covers employee records, time off with unlimited custom policies, reporting, eNPS and applicant tracking for 5 job openings. Pro ($425, or $17 per employee) adds 360° reviews, 1:1s, recognition and 25 openings; Elite ($650, or $25) adds compensation planning, salary benchmarking and 50 openings. US payroll and benefits administration are add-ons.
Who it's best for
Companies with roughly 10 to 500 employees that want employee records, time off and hiring in one easy tool, and performance reviews when they're ready.
Strengths
- Published prices on all three plans, month-to-month terms available
- Time off with unlimited custom policies and applicant tracking on Core
- Rated 4.4/5 on G2 across more than 8,000 reviews
Watch-outs
- Flat $250 a month minimum, even for a 5-person company
- Performance reviews need Pro ($425 a month or $17 per employee)
- Payroll is an add-on for US employees only, with no published price
Skip it if: You have fewer than 10 employees; Zoho People's free plan or Connecteam's free Small Business plan covers basic records and time off.
Read our full BambooHR review →
Starting priceFrom $3/user/moPaid plans from 5 users; yearly billing saves more than 20%
Free trial / planFree plan for 5 users; 30-day trial
Main score81/100
Zoho People has a free plan for up to 5 users and four paid plans with a 5-user minimum. Free includes custom time-off policies; Essential HR adds onboarding and offboarding, the employee database, document management and HR reports; Professional adds attendance, timesheets and rostering; Premium adds performance, compensation and engagement; Enterprise adds an HR help desk and learning management.
Who it's best for
Small businesses on a tight budget, especially those already using Zoho apps such as Zoho Payroll or Zoho Books.
Strengths
- Free for up to 5 users
- Plans start at $3 per user per month
- 30-day free trial on all plans
Watch-outs
- Performance management needs Premium; time tracking needs Professional
- Plan prices vary by region and weren't shown to us
- More configuration than BambooHR or Connecteam
Skip it if: You want an HRIS a non-HR manager can set up in an afternoon.
Read our full Zoho People review →
Starting priceFrom $8/employee/moBusiness plan, up to 100 employees; Starter and Enterprise quoted
Free trial / planFree trial offered; demo-led sign-up
Main score82/100
Factorial is an all-in-one HR platform covering employee records, document management, time off with a shared leave calendar, time tracking, shift scheduling, onboarding, recruiting, performance management and payroll reporting. Its Business plan is listed at $8 per employee per month for companies up to 100 employees; a Starter plan for up to 10 employees and an Enterprise plan are priced by quote.
Who it's best for
Small and midsize companies that want time tracking and shift scheduling in the same tool as their employee records.
Strengths
- $8 per employee on the Business plan, about $160 a month for 20 employees
- Time off, time tracking and shift scheduling in one platform
- Recruiting and onboarding built in
Watch-outs
- Only the Business plan has a published price; Enterprise is quoted
- Few G2 reviews (109) compared with BambooHR or Rippling
- No published price for the Starter plan (up to 10 employees)
Skip it if: You want every plan price published before you talk to sales.
Read our full Factorial review →
Starting priceFrom $8/employee/moBase HRIS module; final price quoted by the modules you choose
Free trial / planNo trial listed; free demo
Main score80/100
Rippling's base HRIS module starts at $8 per employee per month and covers employee records and org charts, onboarding and offboarding workflows, time-off tracking with accrual rules, document storage with e-signatures, an employee self-service portal and compliance alerts. Payroll, global payroll, scheduling, IT device and app management, performance and surveys are separate modules in the same platform.
Who it's best for
Companies that expect to add payroll, benefits, devices and app access to the same employee record as they grow.
Strengths
- HR, payroll and IT modules on one employee record
- Offboarding can recover devices and remove app access
- Rated 4.7/5 on G2 across more than 14,000 reviews
Watch-outs
- Only the HRIS starting price is published; the total comes from a quote
- Performance and surveys are separate modules
- Rippling says it can feel complex at first
Skip it if: You only need employee records and time off for a small team.
Read our full Rippling review →
Starting pricePricing on requestPer employee, quoted by headcount and modules
Free trial / planNo trial listed; free demo
Main score78/100
HiBob (Bob) sells a Core HR subscription with optional modules. Core includes the employee database, document management, time off, lifecycle workflows, integrations, analytics and a mobile app. Talent, Learning, Hiring, Planning, Compensation, US Payroll, UK Payroll and a Payroll Hub are add-on modules, and the price is quoted per employee by headcount and modules.
Who it's best for
Companies with about 50 to 1,000 employees, often across several countries, that want a social, engaging HR platform.
Strengths
- Time off, workflows and analytics included in Core
- US and UK payroll modules plus a Payroll Hub for other providers
- Rated 4.5/5 on G2 across more than 2,700 reviews
Watch-outs
- No published prices or plan tiers
- Performance, hiring and compensation are add-on modules
- No free trial listed
Skip it if: You're under 50 employees and want to see a price before a sales call.
Read our full HiBob review →
How we weighted this list
| Criterion | Main ranking | Small business |
|---|
| Core HR & records | 20% | 13% |
| Time off & onboarding | 20% | 13% |
| Performance & engagement | 15% | 10% |
| Payroll & integrations | 15% | 10% |
| Ease of use | 10% | 20% |
| Price & transparency | 20% | 34% |
FAQ
What are the best HRIS tools for small businesses?
Connecteam scores highest (85/100) once price and ease of use carry more weight, followed by BambooHR, Zoho People.
How is this different from your main ranking?
Same tools and the same 0 to 5 ratings, but price and ease of use count for more, because small teams rarely have an admin or a big budget. The weights are in the table on this page. Connecteam move into the top three as a result.
Which HRIS tools are cheapest for a small team?
See the starting prices in the comparison table; free plans and trials are listed next to them. Price the plan that covers your team size, not only the entry plan.
What should a small business look for?
A free plan or low entry price, quick setup without an admin, and the two or three features you need on day one. Avoid paying for enterprise controls you won't use yet.
Vettlo Editorial TeamResearched and written by the Vettlo editorial team using our methodology. Prices and plan details come from each vendor's public pricing page.