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.
Key takeaways
- Rippling and Gusto suit small and mid-size US employers that want payroll, benefits, and HR in one system with a clear per-person price.
- Paylocity and BambooHR suit growing teams that need stronger HR workflows, reporting, and employee self-service alongside payroll.
- ADP Workforce Now, Workday, and UKG Pro suit larger employers with complex compliance, multi-state payroll, and workforce management needs.
- Deel suits teams with international contractors or employees, where local compliance and payments across countries matter most.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Rippling | All-in-one HR and IT | See website | Free trial |
 Gusto | Small business payroll | See website | Free trial |
 Paylocity | Growing team HR and payroll | See website | Free trial |
 BambooHR | Core HR and reporting | See website | Free trial |
 ADP Workforce Now | Large employer payroll | See website | Free trial |
 Workday | Enterprise HCM | See website | No |
 UKG Pro | Workforce management | See website | Free trial |
 Deel | Global hiring and payroll | See website | 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Is your product missing or out of date?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.
Paycom combines payroll, HR, talent, and time management in one system, with a single database for employee data. Teams that look for an alternative usually want a different price model, a simpler setup, stronger international support, or a better fit for their company size. Small employers often care most about easy payroll and benefits. Larger employers care more about compliance, reporting, and workforce scheduling. The tools below cover that range, from small-business payroll to enterprise human capital management.
#1Rippling
Best for: All-in-one HR and IT4.8/5 on
G2 (13,464 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit rippling.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Rippling unites HR, payroll, benefits, and IT management, so a new hire can get payroll setup, benefits enrollment, app access, and a laptop workflow from one onboarding flow. When an employee leaves, access and payroll steps can close together, which reduces missed steps. Payroll handles US federal and state taxes, benefits administration covers health plans and retirement, and time tracking feeds payroll without manual re-entry. That single-system design suits companies that want less admin work across HR and IT.
Pricing is quote-based and depends on headcount and modules, so small teams should get a written quote for their exact module mix before comparing. Add-ons for IT, spend management, and global payroll raise the total. Rippling fits startups and mid-size companies that want one system for people and devices. Companies that only need basic payroll may find Gusto simpler and cheaper.
What we like- Payroll, HR, benefits, and device management in one system
- Strong automation for onboarding and offboarding
- Broad app integrations
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based and can rise with add-ons
- Smaller teams may not use the IT features
#2Gusto
Best for: Small business payroll4.6/5 on
G2 (13,355 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit gusto.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Gusto is built for small US businesses that need payroll done correctly without a large HR team. Employers can run payroll in a few steps, with federal and state tax filings handled by Gusto, direct deposit for employees, and contractor payments in the same system. Benefits administration, time tracking, and hiring tools are available in higher tiers, and employees can view pay stubs, tax forms, and benefits choices through self-service. That simplicity is why many small businesses start with Gusto.
Limits appear as teams grow. Advanced workforce management, complex scheduling, and deep enterprise reporting are thinner than in Paylocity, ADP, or Workday. International employees and contractors also need a separate global solution, such as Deel. Gusto fits US teams up to a few hundred employees that want simple, reliable payroll and core HR. Larger or more complex employers should shortlist Paylocity or ADP instead.
What we like- Simple payroll setup for small US teams
- Benefits and contractor payments in one place
- Clear employee self-service
Watch out for- Advanced HR, scheduling, and enterprise reporting are limited
- International hiring needs a separate solution
#3Paylocity
Best for: Growing team HR and payroll4.4/5 on
G2 (6,312 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit paylocity.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Paylocity combines payroll, HR, time and labor, talent management, and employee engagement in one cloud platform. Managers can approve time, view team reports, and handle hiring steps without switching systems, while employees can check pay, request time off, and complete training from a mobile app. Reporting covers headcount, turnover, labor cost, and payroll trends, which helps growing teams make staffing decisions with real numbers.
Pricing is quote-based, based on headcount and modules, and implementation takes longer than a small-business payroll setup. Teams should plan for setup, data migration, and training time. Paylocity fits mid-size employers that have outgrown simple payroll and need stronger HR workflows, reporting, and engagement tools. Small teams that only need payroll will likely find Gusto faster and cheaper.
What we like- Payroll plus HR, talent, and engagement tools
- Strong reporting and dashboards
- Good employee self-service and mobile app
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based
- Implementation and setup take more time than small-business tools
#4BambooHR
Best for: Core HR and reporting4.4/5 on
G2 (7,718 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit bamboohr.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
BambooHR focuses on core HR: employee records, time off, onboarding, performance, and reporting. HR teams can keep a single employee record, track time-off balances, run approval workflows, and build reports on headcount, turnover, and diversity data. Onboarding checklists help new hires complete forms, sign documents, and meet their team without a pile of emails. The interface is clean, and most HR staff learn it quickly.
Payroll is available as an add-on in the US, but it is not the core strength of the platform, and some employers pair BambooHR with a separate payroll provider. Workforce scheduling and complex time management also need other tools. BambooHR fits small and mid-size teams that want a strong HR system first, with payroll as a secondary need. Teams that want payroll as the center of the system should look at Rippling, Gusto, or Paylocity first.
What we like- Clean core HR system with employee records
- Strong reporting and time-off tracking
- Good onboarding workflows
Watch out for- Payroll is an add-on and varies by state
- Advanced workforce management needs other tools
#5ADP Workforce Now
Best for: Large employer payroll4.2/5 on
G2 (4,475 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit adp.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
ADP Workforce Now serves mid-size and large US employers with payroll, HR, benefits, time, and talent in one platform. Its strength is payroll depth: multi-state tax handling, garnishments, complex pay rules, and compliance support for US employers with varied workforces. Benefits administration, recruiting, performance, and learning modules can be added as a company grows, without moving to a new core system. ADP also offers a large service network for employers that want guided support.
That depth comes with complexity and cost. Pricing is quote-based, and the total depends on headcount, modules, and service level. Setup and training take time, and smaller teams may find the system more than they need. ADP Workforce Now fits employers with complex payroll, multi-state teams, or plans to scale well beyond a few hundred employees. Smaller teams will usually move faster with Gusto or Rippling.
What we like- Deep US payroll and tax compliance
- Broad HR, benefits, and talent modules
- Large support and service network
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based and can be high
- System complexity grows with module count
#6Workday
Best for: Enterprise HCM4.2/5 on
G2 (2,449 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit workday.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Workday Human Capital Management covers HR, payroll, talent, workforce planning, and analytics for large enterprises, often alongside Workday Financial Management. Companies can plan headcount and cost, track talent across regions, and report on workforce data from one system. Payroll and benefits integrate with HR records, and managers get dashboards for team planning and approvals. For global enterprises, Workday supports many countries, currencies, and compliance rules.
Workday is not a small-business tool. Pricing is enterprise-level, implementation is a major project, and ongoing administration needs trained staff. Companies below a few thousand employees rarely need its full scope, and the cost and setup time would outweigh the benefits. Workday fits large enterprises that want one HCM and finance system, with strong planning and reporting. Mid-size employers should compare ADP, UKG Pro, or Paylocity first.
What we like- Enterprise human capital and financial management in one system
- Strong reporting and workforce planning
- Global support
Watch out for- Enterprise pricing and implementation
- Overkill for small and mid-size teams
#7UKG Pro
Best for: Workforce management4.3/5 on
G2 (2,256 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit ukg.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
UKG Pro, formerly UltiPro, combines HR, payroll, talent, and workforce management, with particular strength in time tracking and scheduling. Employers with shift workers, hourly staff, or complex overtime rules can build schedules, track attendance, manage leave, and feed time data to payroll in one flow. That matters for healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and hospitality, where labor cost and compliance depend on accurate time data. HR and payroll modules cover the rest of the employee lifecycle.
Pricing is quote-based, and scheduling setup needs careful work on pay rules, overtime, and union or policy requirements. A rushed setup can create payroll errors, so plan testing time. UKG Pro fits mid-size and large employers with shift-based workforces and complex time needs. Office-only teams with simple time tracking may find Paylocity or Rippling simpler.
What we like- Strong time, scheduling, and workforce management
- Payroll and HR in one suite
- Good for shift-based teams
Watch out for- Pricing is quote-based
- Setup for scheduling rules takes planning and testing
#8Deel
Best for: Global hiring and payroll4.7/5 on
G2 (6,959 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit deel.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Deel helps companies hire contractors and employees in many countries without setting up a local entity in each place. It handles local contracts, compliance, benefits, tax forms, and payments, and it supports both contractor payments and employer-of-record services for full employees. A US company can hire a designer in Brazil, an engineer in Poland, and a support lead in the Philippines, and manage them from one dashboard with local rules handled by Deel.
For a US-only team, Deel is not the best payroll pick, because its strength is global coverage, not domestic payroll depth. Pricing also varies by worker type and country, so a quote for your exact hiring mix matters. Deel fits remote-first companies and any employer with international workers. US-only teams should pick a domestic payroll tool, and add Deel only when international hiring starts.
What we like- Hiring and payroll across many countries
- Local compliance, contracts, and benefits
- Contractor and employee options
Watch out for- US-only payroll is not its core strength
- Pricing varies by worker type and country
How we chose
We compared vendor documentation, pricing pages, and public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Reddit, focusing on payroll accuracy, HR depth, benefits handling, time management, company-size fit, and US compliance support. Each tool here exists today and serves US employers as a payroll or HCM platform. Where a price could not be confirmed at the time of writing, the entry reads See website, because most of these vendors price by headcount and modules through quotes. We did not run hands-on payroll tests, and the order reflects fit for common employer sizes, from small business to enterprise, rather than a lab score.
What to check before switching payroll providers
Payroll switching carries real risk, because tax filings, pay history, and benefits data must move without errors. Start the switch well before a year-end or a benefits renewal, and keep the old system accessible for at least one full quarter. A careful migration costs time up front, but it prevents pay errors that damage trust fast.
Confirm tax and state coverage
List every state where employees work, plus any local taxes, garnishments, and pay rules that apply. Confirm in writing that the new provider handles each state and rule, and ask how tax filings are delivered and corrected. A provider that covers most states but not one of yours is not a fit.
Map benefits and time data
Benefits elections, time-off balances, and time history must transfer accurately. Export current balances, check how the new system imports them, and test one full pay run with real time data before going live. Pay special attention to overtime, shift differentials, and leave accruals for hourly teams.
Test employee self-service
Employees will use self-service for pay stubs, tax forms, time-off requests, and benefits choices. Test those flows with a small pilot group, including mobile access, before a full rollout. A system that works for HR but frustrates employees will create support work every pay period.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Paycom alternative for small businesses?
Gusto is the simplest pick for small US businesses that need reliable payroll, tax filings, and contractor payments. Rippling is the better pick when a small team also wants IT management and stronger automation. Both offer trials, so test payroll setup with your real employee mix before choosing.
Which alternative is best for large employers?
ADP Workforce Now, UKG Pro, and Workday are the strongest large-employer options in this list. ADP suits complex US payroll, UKG Pro suits shift-based workforces, and Workday suits global enterprises that also want finance and workforce planning in one system. The right pick depends on workforce type and global scope.
Can I run payroll and HR in one system?
Yes. Rippling, Paylocity, ADP Workforce Now, UKG Pro, and Workday all combine payroll and HR, with benefits and time tracking in the same system. BambooHR focuses more on HR, with payroll as an add-on. If one system matters most, shortlist the all-in-one platforms first.
Do these tools handle multi-state payroll?
Most do, with depth varying by vendor. ADP and Paylocity handle multi-state US payroll well, and Rippling and Gusto cover US federal and state taxes for small and mid-size teams. Confirm your exact states, local taxes, and pay rules with the vendor before signing, because coverage can vary by plan.
What about international employees?
Deel is the clear pick for international contractors and employees, with local compliance and employer-of-record services. Workday also supports global enterprises. US-focused payroll tools handle domestic teams well but need a global partner for workers abroad, so plan for that split if you hire internationally.
How long does a payroll switch take?
A simple small-business switch can take a few weeks, while a mid-size or enterprise switch can take one to three months, including data migration, testing, and training. Start early, test a full pay run in parallel with the old system, and avoid switching during year-end, open enrollment, or a major benefits change.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.rippling.com/pricing
- https://gusto.com/pricing
- https://www.paylocity.com/pricing/
- https://www.bamboohr.com/pricing/
- https://www.adp.com/what-we-offer/products/adp-workforce-now.aspx
- https://www.workday.com/en-us/products/human-capital-management.html
- https://www.ukg.com/pricing
- https://www.deel.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.