Best HR & Payroll Software in 2026

8 hr & payroll tools ranked by a transparent score: 60% feature coverage, 25% price value and 15% free plan availability.

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#	Tool	Score	Starting Price	Free Plan
1	Rippling tech companies, combined HR and IT device management	84	$8/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Rippling →
2	Remote transparent flat pricing, IP protection via owned entities	78	$29/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Remote →
3	Personio European companies, GDPR-compliant HR management	78	$3/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Personio →
4	Oyster HR global remote teams, equity & benefits localization	78	$29/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Oyster HR →
5	Deel remote startups, international contractors & global EOR	73	$49/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Deel →
6	Gusto US small businesses, integrated health benefits & 401k	61	$40/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Gusto →
7	Workday large enterprises, Fortune 500 workforce planning	53	$100/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try Workday →
8	BambooHR growing SMBs, employee experience & culture	50	$54/mo	❌ Paid Only	Try BambooHR →

Compare costs for your team

Team size: 5 users

Based on entry-level paid plans. Prices change, so check the vendor before you buy.

Feature	Rippling	Remote	Personio	Oyster HR	Deel	Gusto	Workday	BambooHR
Free plan	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Starting price	$8 /user/mo	$29 /user/mo	$3 /user/mo	$29 /user/mo	$49 /user/mo	$40 /mo	$100 /user/mo	$54 /mo
Global Employer of Record (EOR) hiring	✅	✅	—	✅	✅	—	—	—
Automated multi-currency global payroll	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Contractor onboarding & contracts	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—
Local healthcare, pensions & equity	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Compliance shield & local labor laws	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	—	✅	—
Leave, holiday & PTO tracking	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Employee expense management	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
HRIS integrations & developer API	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Highlighted rows are where the tools differ.