How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
What is the best HR software for a small business in Canada?
Humi, now Employment Hero, is the best overall pick for most Canadian small businesses because it combines HR, payroll, benefits, and hiring in one system built for Canadian rules. Rise People is the best value alternative at $8 CAD per employee per month. Wagepoint is the cheapest option if payroll is your main job.
Key takeaways
- Humi (Employment Hero) leads on Canadian compliance, with payroll from $7 per employee a month and Quebec support.
- Rise People and Collage HR are the strongest Canada-built all-in-one options, with CAD pricing from $8 and $14 per employee a month.
- Wagepoint is the cheapest compliant payroll at $20 CAD a month plus $4 per employee, but payroll comes before HR.
- BambooHR, Rippling, and Deel serve Canadian teams well, but watch for USD pricing, quote-only plans, and payroll add-ons.
- Dayforce was left out because its Canadian site sends companies under 200 employees to Powerpay.
What Canadian compliance rules should HR software handle?
HR software for a Canadian small business should handle CPP and CPP2, EI, federal and provincial income tax, CRA remittances, T4 and RL-1 slips, and records of employment, because those are the filings every employer must get right. Provincial rules add a second layer: minimum wage, overtime, vacation pay, and statutory holidays differ by province, so the software should apply the rules where each employee works. Quebec needs extra care, with QPP, QPIP, RL-1 slips, and French-language support. For 2026, CPP2 applies at 4.00 percent on earnings between $74,600 and $85,000, and your software should track that threshold automatically. Data residency matters too: storing employee records in Canada helps with PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25, so ask each vendor where its servers sit before you sign.
How much does HR software cost for a small business in Canada?
A small Canadian business should expect to pay roughly $20 to $350 a month for HR software, depending on headcount and payroll. The cheapest path is Wagepoint Lite at $20 CAD a month plus $4 per employee, or $60 a month for a 10-person team on one monthly pay run. Rise People Start costs $8 CAD per employee a month plus a base fee, so the same team pays about $80 plus the fee. Collage HR Premium runs $14 per employee a month, or $140 for 10 people; BambooHR charges a flat $250 a month for teams of 25 or fewer. Humi payroll starts at $7 per employee with a $70 monthly minimum. Watch for three hidden costs: a monthly base fee on top of the per-employee rate, add-ons for benefits and time tracking, and USD pricing, which adds roughly a third for Canadian buyers.
Should a small business buy HR software, payroll software, or both?
Buy payroll software first if paying people correctly is the urgent job, and add HR software when hiring, time off, and employee records start taking real hours each week. Payroll-first tools like Wagepoint and Payworks handle CRA remittances, T4s, and ROEs well, but offer only basic HR records. All-in-one tools like Rise People, Collage HR, and Humi cover both jobs in one system, which suits most teams under 50 people: one login, one record, one bill. HR-only tools like BambooHR need a payroll add-on or a separate payroll system, so price the pair together before you compare it with an all-in-one. If your team is mostly contractors or spread across countries, Deel may matter more than a Canada-only payroll tool.
We picked tools that serve Canadian small businesses directly, publish or confirm Canadian pricing, and cover at least HR records, time off, and payroll or a payroll integration. Prices were checked on 11 Nov 2026 against vendor pricing pages. Dayforce was left out because its Canadian site sends companies with 1 to 199 employees to Powerpay, so Dayforce itself is not a small-business product. Gusto was left out because it does not serve Canada. Two prices carry a caveat: BambooHR and Wagepoint use JavaScript-rendered pricing pages, so their figures rest on October 2026 reads of the same pages, and Payworks publishes no price list. Confirm every price with the vendor before you buy.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Humi (Employment Hero) | Canadian small businesses that want HR, payroll, benefits, and hiring in one Canadian system | From $7 per employee/month for payroll ($70 monthly minimum); HR plans by quote | No free plan; free demo available |
 Rise People | Canadian small businesses that want an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform priced in CAD | From $8 CAD per employee/month (Start plan), plus a base fee | No free plan; free demo available (the Rise Lite free tier was discontinued) |
 Collage HR | Canadian small and mid-sized businesses that want HR, payroll, and group benefits in one Toronto-built platform | From $14 CAD per employee/month (HR Premium) | No free plan; free demo available |
 BambooHR | Small businesses that want clean, simple HR records, hiring, and time off without payroll complexity | From $10 USD per employee/month (Core); flat from $250/month for teams of 25 or fewer | No free plan; free trial available |
 Rippling | Growing Canadian businesses that want HR, payroll, and IT device management on one employee record | From $8 per user/month plus a $40/month base fee | No free plan; free trial available |
 Deel | Canadian small businesses hiring contractors or employees in other countries | Deel HR from $5 per employee/month; Canada payroll from $35 per employee/month | Free core HRIS for teams up to 200 employees |
 Payworks | Canadian small businesses that want payroll done by specialists, with HR layered on top | Quote (custom pricing; third-party reports put payroll from about $25 CAD/month) | No free plan; no free trial; demo and quote available |
 Wagepoint | Canadian small businesses that mainly need simple, compliant payroll at the lowest cost | From $20 CAD/month base plus $4 per employee (Lite plan) | No free plan; 14-day free trial |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
These eight tools cover what a Canadian small business actually needs, from the cheapest compliant payroll to a full HR, payroll, and IT platform. The table gives each starting price, and the reviews explain who each tool suits best.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
| Humi (Employment Hero) | Canadian HR plus payroll and benefits | From $7 per employee/month (payroll; HR by quote) | No free plan |
| Rise People | Canada-built all-in-one HR and payroll | From $8 CAD per employee/month (Start) | No free plan |
| Collage HR | Canadian all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits | From $14 CAD per employee/month (HR Premium) | No free plan |
| BambooHR | Simple HR records and hiring | From $10 USD per employee/month (Core) | No free plan |
| Rippling | HR, payroll, and IT in one system | From $8 per user/month plus $40/month base fee | No free plan |
| Deel | Global hiring and Canadian payroll | Deel HR from $5 per employee/month | Free core HRIS up to 200 employees |
| Payworks | Canadian payroll with HR add-ons | Quote (custom pricing) | No free plan |
| Wagepoint | Simple Canadian payroll for small teams | From $20 CAD/month plus $4 per employee (Lite) | No free plan |
#1
Humi (Employment Hero)
Best for: Canadian small businesses that want HR, payroll, benefits, and hiring in one Canadian system
Visit humi.ca
Starting priceFrom $7 per employee/month for payroll ($70 monthly minimum); HR plans by quote
Free planNo free plan; free demo available
Humi was founded in Canada and acquired by Employment Hero in 2025; humi.ca now redirects to Employment Hero Canada, and the Humi by Employment Hero product still serves Quebec and existing clients. Payroll costs $7 per employee a month with a $70 monthly minimum, and managed payroll runs $30 per employee with a $500 minimum. The platform files T4s, generates ROEs, and handles CRA remittances, with RL-1 slips for Quebec.
What we like- Built for Canadian compliance, including Quebec support through Humi by Employment Hero
- Payroll, HR, benefits, and hiring in one system
- Employee data stored in Canada
Watch out for- Most plans carry a 10-user minimum, so teams under 10 may not qualify
- Billing uses the higher of contracted or active users, which penalizes fluctuating headcounts
- HR prices are quote-only
#2
Rise People
Best for: Canadian small businesses that want an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform priced in CAD
Visit risepeople.com
Starting priceFrom $8 CAD per employee/month (Start plan), plus a base fee
Free planNo free plan; free demo available (the Rise Lite free tier was discontinued)
Rise People, branded as Rise, calls itself Canada's first all-in-one people management platform, and the claim holds up for small teams: the Start plan covers people management, payroll, onboarding, time off, and recruiting basics for $8 CAD per employee a month. Payroll includes automated tax remittance, direct deposit, and automatic T4 generation, and the platform is hosted in Canada with Canadian support. Rise suits teams of 20 to 250 best; smaller teams should check the base fee first.
What we like- All pricing in Canadian dollars with no currency surprises
- Payroll, HR, benefits, time tracking, and recruiting in one platform
- Month-to-month terms with no cancellation fees
Watch out for- Only the Start plan shows a published price
- Grow and Optimize need a sales call
- A base fee applies on every tier, so the per-employee rate is not the full bill
- The free Lite tier was discontinued
#3
Collage HR
Best for: Canadian small and mid-sized businesses that want HR, payroll, and group benefits in one Toronto-built platform
Visit collage.co
Starting priceFrom $14 CAD per employee/month (HR Premium)
Free planNo free plan; free demo available
Collage HR is built in Toronto for Canadian employers, and its pricing page is one of the clearest here: HR Premium costs $14 per employee a month and HR and Payroll costs $18. The payroll plan adds CRA remittances, pay stubs, T4s, and ROEs, plus expense management and payroll experts on call. The platform covers onboarding, records, training, engagement, time off, performance, and benefits enrolment with major Canadian carriers. Collage is a strong default for a Canadian team of 10 to 200 people.
What we like- Published CAD pricing with no sales call needed for the entry plans
- CRA remittances, pay stubs, T4s, and ROEs included on the payroll plan
- Expert HR advice and 100-plus templates included
Watch out for- No free plan or trial, only a demo
- The full HR and payroll plan costs $18 per employee a month, which adds up fast past 25 people
- Collage only serves Canadian businesses
#4BambooHR
Best for: Small businesses that want clean, simple HR records, hiring, and time off without payroll complexity4.4/5 on
G2 (7,718 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit bamboohr.com
Starting priceFrom $10 USD per employee/month (Core); flat from $250/month for teams of 25 or fewer
Free planNo free plan; free trial available
BambooHR is the simplest HR system on this list to explain to a finance team. Core covers employee records, custom reports, workflows, hiring, onboarding, time off, and benefits tracking, while Pro adds performance management and Elite adds compensation planning and salary benchmarking. Prices are in US dollars, which adds roughly a third on top for Canadian buyers. The $250 monthly flat rate for small teams is the number most Canadian small businesses will actually pay.
What we like- Clear published pricing and a simple interface that non-HR staff can learn fast
- Strong hiring, onboarding, and time-off tools
- Large integration marketplace
Watch out for- Payroll, benefits, and time tracking are paid add-ons with no published prices, so the real bill tops the Core rate
- Teams of 25 or fewer pay a flat $250 a month, or $25 per person for 10 people
- Canadian payroll is not native
#5Rippling
Best for: Growing Canadian businesses that want HR, payroll, and IT device management on one employee record4.8/5 on
G2 (13,464 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit rippling.com
Starting priceFrom $8 per user/month plus a $40/month base fee
Free planNo free plan; free trial available
Rippling is the most powerful platform here, and the most complex to buy. Its employee graph keeps pay, performance, devices, and app access in one record, so a new hire gets accounts, a laptop, and payroll from one onboarding flow. Canadian payroll handles CPP, EI, provincial taxes, T4s, and ROEs, and the platform runs payroll in every province including Quebec. Small teams should get a written quote for their module mix first.
What we like- One employee record drives HR, payroll, IT provisioning, and app access, so onboarding provisions a laptop and payroll together
- Canadian payroll covers every province including Quebec
- Modular pricing lets you buy only the products you need
Watch out for- Pricing is modular and quote-based beyond the $8 starting rate, so the real cost only appears after a sales call
- Every product sits on the required core platform, which adds a base fee
- Support quality varies by product line
#6Deel
Best for: Canadian small businesses hiring contractors or employees in other countries4.7/5 on
G2 (6,959 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit deel.com
Starting priceDeel HR from $5 per employee/month; Canada payroll from $35 per employee/month
Free planFree core HRIS for teams up to 200 employees
Deel is the international hiring platform for Canadian small businesses that hire contractors abroad. Deel HR starts at $5 per employee a month, and the free core HRIS covers teams up to 200 people. Contractors cost $49 a month, global payroll starts at $29 per employee, and employer of record starts at $599. If your whole team is in Canada, a Canada-first tool is cheaper; Deel wins when even one hire sits abroad.
What we like- Free core HRIS for up to 200 employees is the best free tier on this list
- Employer of record hiring covers 150-plus countries
- Contractor management, global payroll, and immigration support in one dashboard
Watch out for- Employer of record starts at $599 per employee a month, far beyond a small-business budget
- Country surcharges and a one-month salary deposit are not shown on the pricing page
- Support quality varies by region
#7
Payworks
Best for: Canadian small businesses that want payroll done by specialists, with HR layered on top
Visit payworks.ca
Starting priceQuote (custom pricing; third-party reports put payroll from about $25 CAD/month)
Free planNo free plan; no free trial; demo and quote available
Payworks has run Canadian payroll since 2001, and its service-led model keeps small businesses loyal. Every client gets a dedicated service representative, and the platform handles CPP, CPP2, EI, provincial taxes, T4 and RL-1 generation, ROEs, and CRA remittances. Time and absence management, HR records, and benefits are integrated modules; the HR module starts at about $1 per employee per pay period for CFIB members. Payworks suits owners who want a person to call when payroll gets complicated.
What we like- Winnipeg-based Canadian company with more than 25 years of payroll experience
- Dedicated payroll specialists and National Payroll Institute-trained support
- Handles Quebec payroll, including QPP and RL-1
Watch out for- No published price list, so every quote needs a sales conversation
- HR, time, and absence management are add-on modules, so the bill grows past the payroll base
- The interface feels dated next to newer platforms
#8
Wagepoint
Best for: Canadian small businesses that mainly need simple, compliant payroll at the lowest cost
Visit wagepoint.com
Starting priceFrom $20 CAD/month base plus $4 per employee (Lite plan)
Free planNo free plan; 14-day free trial
Wagepoint is Canada's small-business payroll specialist: Lite costs $20 CAD a month plus $4 per employee for one monthly pay run, Core costs $40 plus $6 for unlimited runs, and Plus costs $80 plus $10. Every plan includes direct deposit, tax calculations, T4s, ROEs, and a reporting dashboard, with year-end forms included free. It integrates with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and FreshBooks, and payroll expert support is included. It is the best first payroll tool for a Canadian team under 50 people.
What we like- Cheapest compliant Canadian payroll on this list, with transparent calculator-based pricing
- Automatic CRA remittances, T4s, T4As, and ROEs
- Trusted by more than 30,000 Canadian businesses
Watch out for- Payroll first and HR second, with no full HR module, so growing teams outgrow it
- Canada only, so adding US staff needs a second system
- Lite allows only one pay run a month, which does not suit biweekly payroll
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest HR software for a small business in Canada?
Wagepoint is the cheapest compliant option, at $20 CAD a month plus $4 per employee on Lite, or $40 plus $6 on Core for unlimited pay runs. Rise People is the cheapest all-in-one, at $8 CAD per employee a month plus a base fee. Deel HR is free for core HR up to 200 employees, but payroll costs extra. Compare the full monthly bill, not just the per-employee rate.
Does HR software handle CRA payroll and T4s?
Most tools here handle Canadian payroll filings, but depth varies. Humi, Rise People, Collage HR, Payworks, and Wagepoint all calculate CPP, CPP2, and EI, file CRA remittances, and generate T4s and ROEs. BambooHR needs a payroll add-on for Canadian payroll, and Deel sells Canada payroll separately from $35 per employee a month. Confirm T4, RL-1, and ROE handling for your provinces first.
Which HR software is best for a Quebec business?
Humi by Employment Hero is the strongest pick for Quebec, with French-language support, Revenu Quebec remittances, and RL-1 slips. Payworks also handles Quebec payroll well, including QPP and QPIP. Rise People, Collage HR, and Rippling all run payroll in Quebec, but check French support and Quebec leave rules during the demo. Quebec standards differ from the rest of Canada, so generic US tools are a poor fit.
Do I need HR software if I already have payroll software?
Not always. If payroll software already covers time off, employee records, and onboarding, a separate HR system adds little. Buy HR software when hiring, performance reviews, training, and policy documents take real hours each week, or when employee records live in spreadsheets. All-in-one tools like Rise People or Collage HR can replace both systems, while BambooHR pairs with a payroll tool instead.
Is my employee data stored in Canada?
It depends on the vendor. Humi by Employment Hero, Rise People, and Payworks store data in Canada, which helps with PIPEDA and Quebec Law 25 compliance. BambooHR, Rippling, and Deel are US-based platforms with global infrastructure, so ask where Canadian employee records are stored and whether data crosses the border. Get the answer in writing before signing, especially for health or payroll data.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://employmenthero.com/en-ca/pricing/
- https://www.humi.ca
- https://risepeople.com/pricing/
- https://www.collage.co/pricing
- https://www.bamboohr.com/pricing
- https://rippling.com/paid-aff-hris-smb
- https://www.deel.com/pricing/
- https://www.payworks.ca/solutions/small-business
- https://www.wagepoint.com/pricing/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.