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Short answer
BambooHR is our top pick among the 6 HRIS tools we ranked, scoring 85/100. Paid plans start at $250/mo.
BambooHR (85/100): best for small and midsize companies that want a complete, easy HRIS.
Factorial (82/100): best for small teams that want time off, time tracking and documents in one tool.
Zoho People (81/100): best low-cost HRIS, with a free plan for up to 5 users.
Rippling (80/100): best for growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one employee record.
HiBob (78/100): best for mid-size and international companies focused on culture and engagement.
An HRIS (human resources information system) is the system of record for your people: employee profiles and documents, org charts, time off, onboarding checklists and, on higher plans, performance reviews. Most HRIS vendors price per employee per month, but the plan that first includes performance reviews, time tracking or payroll varies a lot, and several vendors only publish a starting price.
We scored six HRIS platforms on six weighted criteria. Published entry prices run from free (Zoho People for up to 5 users, Connecteam's Small Business plan for up to 10) to $250 a month for up to 25 employees on BambooHR Core. Rippling and Factorial publish only a starting price per employee, and HiBob quotes every customer.
The shortlist
1BambooHR Best for small and midsize companies that want a complete, easy HRIS85/100Review
2Factorial Best for small teams that want time off, time tracking and documents in one tool82/100Review
3Zoho People Best low-cost HRIS, with a free plan for up to 5 users81/100Review
4Rippling Best for growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one employee record80/100Review
5HiBob Best for mid-size and international companies focused on culture and engagement78/100Review
6Connecteam Best for deskless and frontline teams that run HR from their phones77/100Review
Deskless and frontline teams that run HR from their phones
Free plan + 14 days
$29/mo for 30 users
4.6/5
77/100
Starting prices are the entry paid plan from each vendor's own pages on Nov 1, 2026. BambooHR's plan cards show $10, $17 and $25 per employee a month while its FAQ shows $10.25 and $17.50 for Core and Pro; we list the plan-card figures. Zoho People's plan prices load by region and didn't render for us; $3 per user is the starting price on Zoho's US page. Factorial's and Rippling's starting prices come from their own websites; both quote the final price. Connecteam's HR prices are the yearly-billing rates. HiBob prices by quote.
The reviews
1
BambooHR
Best for small and midsize companies that want a complete, easy HRIS
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It covers the core HRIS jobs best and publishes its prices, and payroll and benefits administration can be added for US employees with a 15% bundle discount.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It includes time tracking and scheduling alongside core HR at a published $8 per employee, which BambooHR sells separately.
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.
Score breakdown
Core HR & records (20%)4.5/5
Time off & onboarding (20%)4.5/5
Performance & engagement (15%)4/5
Payroll & integrations (15%)4/5
Ease of use (10%)4/5
Price & transparency (20%)3.5/5
3
Zoho People
Best low-cost HRIS, with a free plan for up to 5 users
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It has the lowest published starting price here, a free plan, a 30-day trial on every plan, and each plan's features are clearly listed.
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.
Score breakdown
Core HR & records (20%)4/5
Time off & onboarding (20%)4.5/5
Performance & engagement (15%)4/5
Payroll & integrations (15%)3.5/5
Ease of use (10%)3/5
Price & transparency (20%)4.5/5
4
Rippling
Best for growing companies that want HR, payroll and IT on one employee record
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.
Why it made the shortlist
Every module shares one employee database, so a new hire's payroll, apps and laptop can be set up from one onboarding workflow.
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.
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.
Why it made the shortlist
Its Core HR plan is strong on employee data, time off and workflows, and its talent and compensation modules suit growing multi-country teams.
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.
Score breakdown
Core HR & records (20%)5/5
Time off & onboarding (20%)4.5/5
Performance & engagement (15%)4.5/5
Payroll & integrations (15%)3.5/5
Ease of use (10%)4/5
Price & transparency (20%)2/5
6
Connecteam
Best for deskless and frontline teams that run HR from their phones
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.
Why it made the shortlist
It has the lowest published price for a 30-person team, a free plan for up to 10 users and an app built for employees who only use a phone.
Strengths
$29 a month covers the first 30 users on Basic
Free Small Business plan with every hub for up to 10 users
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.
Score breakdown
Core HR & records (20%)3.5/5
Time off & onboarding (20%)4/5
Performance & engagement (15%)2.5/5
Payroll & integrations (15%)3/5
Ease of use (10%)5/5
Price & transparency (20%)5/5
What is HRIS software?
An HRIS (human resources information system) is the system of record for employee data: personal details, job and compensation history, time off, documents and onboarding. Many HRIS platforms also run payroll and benefits, or connect to a payroll provider.
Key features to look for
Employee records. One profile per person with job, pay and document history.
Onboarding and offboarding. Checklists, e-signatures and equipment tasks.
Time off. Policies, requests, approvals and balances.
Reporting. Headcount, turnover and compensation reports.
Integrations. Payroll, benefits, applicant tracking and identity systems.
How much HRIS software costs
Among the 6 HRIS tools we ranked, published entry prices start at $3/user/mo (Zoho People) and go up to $250/mo (BambooHR). Units differ by vendor (per user, per agent, per contact tier or flat), so compare at your own team size. Free plans: Zoho People, Connecteam. No published price: HiBob.
Entry prices from each vendor's pricing page, as shown in the comparison table above. Higher tiers usually add automation, reporting and admin controls.
Other HRIS tools to consider
These tools didn't make our ranked shortlist but are worth a look for specific needs. We haven't scored them.
Personio: HR platform connecting core HR, talent and payroll for growing companies.
Paycor: HR, payroll, talent and benefits software for mid-market and larger companies.
Workday HCM: Human capital management for midsize to Fortune 500 organizations.
Deel: Hire, pay and manage workers across 150+ countries.
How we scored HRIS software
Each tool gets a 0 to 5 rating on every criterion. We weight the ratings below, convert the total to a score out of 100, and only rank tools that score 70 or higher. Open any tool's Score breakdown to see its ratings. Full process on our methodology page.
Core HR & records20%
Time off & onboarding20%
Performance & engagement15%
Payroll & integrations15%
Ease of use10%
Price & transparency20%
How to choose an HRIS
Price your headcount, not the entry price. At 20 employees, BambooHR Core costs $250 a month, Factorial Business about $160, Rippling's HRIS module from $160 before other modules, and Connecteam HR Basic $29 billed yearly.
Decide when you need performance reviews. BambooHR adds review cycles on Pro ($425 a month up to 25 employees), Zoho People on Premium, and HiBob and Rippling sell performance as a separate module.
Check where time tracking lives. Factorial includes time tracking and shift scheduling; Zoho People adds timesheets on Professional; BambooHR sells Time & Attendance as an add-on.
Plan the payroll connection. BambooHR and Rippling sell payroll in the same platform (BambooHR for US employees only). Zoho People pairs with Zoho Payroll; Connecteam and Factorial mostly connect to an outside payroll provider.
Ask for the full quote in writing. Rippling, HiBob and Factorial's Starter and Enterprise plans are quoted. Ask for the per-employee price, every module and any implementation fee before you compare.
HRIS FAQ
What is the best HRIS for small businesses?
BambooHR scores highest in our ranking (85/100). It publishes its prices, starting at $250 a month for up to 25 employees on Core, and covers records, time off and applicant tracking on that plan. Factorial (82/100) is a cheaper option at $8 per employee on its Business plan.
How much does HRIS software cost?
Most HRIS tools charge per employee per month. At published prices, 20 employees cost $250 a month on BambooHR Core, about $160 on Factorial Business and $29 on Connecteam HR Basic billed yearly. Rippling's HRIS starts at $8 per employee before other modules, and HiBob quotes every customer.
Is there a free HRIS?
Yes. Zoho People is free for up to 5 users, Connecteam's Small Business plan is free for up to 10 users with every hub, and Connecteam's limited free HR plan covers up to 30 users with fewer features.
What's the difference between an HRIS and payroll software?
An HRIS stores employee records, time off, onboarding and reviews; payroll software calculates pay and files taxes. BambooHR and Rippling sell both in one platform. See our payroll software ranking if you need full-service payroll.