BambooHR is the default pick for most small and mid-size teams that want central employee records, time off, hiring and onboarding in one system, with Zoho People as the low-cost pick and Deel as the free starting point for teams under 200 people. Prices in this guide run from $3 per user per month for Zoho People to $10.25 per employee per month for BambooHR Core, before base fees, add-ons and payroll, so the headline rate is rarely the full monthly bill. BambooHR charges a flat $250 per month for teams of 25 or fewer people on Core, which means a 10-person team pays $25 per person per month, not $10.25, and that flat-rate detail changes the choice for very small teams.
Employee records software should hold the file for each person in one place: contact details, job history, documents and time off. The best choice depends on headcount, country coverage and whether payroll sits in the same system. A low per-person rate can hide a base fee or a separate payroll charge, so compare the monthly total at your headcount.
On this page
Best employee records management software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BambooHR | Growing teams that need central employee records | $10.25 per employee/month | Free trial (7 days) | Visit |
| 2 | Rippling | Growing teams that want HR, payroll and IT in one system | $8 per user/month | No | Visit |
| 3 | Gusto | Small United States teams that need payroll with records | $49 per month | No | Visit |
| 4 | Zoho People | Small teams that want low-cost records and time off | $3 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 5 | Factorial | European small and mid-size teams | $8 per employee/month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Deel | Global teams that want a free core HR system | $5 per user/month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Eddy | Small local teams with hourly workers | $4 per person/month | No | Visit |
| 8 | HiBob | Mid-size teams that want a modern people platform | quote only | No | Visit |
The 8 best best employee records management software tools, in detail
BambooHR
Best for: Growing teams that need central employee records
BambooHR Core covers employee records, standard and custom reports, workflows and approvals, hiring and onboarding, time off and benefits tracking, plus an applicant tracking system with 5 job openings. Pro adds performance management, 360-degree feedback, goals and an employee community at $17.50 per employee per month. Elite adds compensation planning, salary benchmarking, custom dashboards and 50 job openings at $25 per employee per month.
- Choose BambooHR when you want one clear system of record with published plan prices and month-to-month billing.
- It suits teams that have outgrown spreadsheets and need approval workflows and e-signatures in the same place.
- Do not choose it for a very small team, because the $250 flat minimum makes Zoho People or Eddy cheaper at 10 people.
Pros
- Central employee records with custom reports and approval workflows
- Core includes hiring, onboarding, time off and 5 job openings
Cons
- Teams of 25 or fewer pay a flat $250 per month on Core
- payroll, benefits and time tracking are add-ons with no published price
Rippling
Best for: Growing teams that want HR, payroll and IT in one system
Rippling starts with a required platform layer at $8 per user per month plus a $40 monthly base fee. That platform holds employee records, onboarding, the org chart, documents, permissions and reporting. United States payroll is a separate module at $8 per employee per month when billed annually, or $10 when billed monthly.
- Benefits, time and attendance, device management and expense management are also separate modules.
- Choose Rippling when one change to an employee record should update payroll, app access and device access at the same time.
- It suits growing companies that want HR, IT and finance in one system.
- Do not choose it when you want a single published price for a complete system, or when you only need records and time off.
Pros
- One employee record drives HR, payroll, IT access and device management
- United States payroll starts at $8 per employee per month when billed annually
Cons
- Every module beyond the platform is quoted or charged separately
- no free trial is offered, only a guided demo
Gusto
Best for: Small United States teams that need payroll with records
Gusto Simple costs $49 per month plus $6 per person and covers single-state payroll, unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit, federal, state and local tax filing, employee self-service and benefits access. Plus costs $80 per month plus $12 per person and adds multi-state payroll, time tracking, contractor invoice upload and next-day direct deposit. Premium costs $180 per month plus $22 per person and adds custom admin roles and dedicated support.
- Choose Gusto when your team is in the United States, runs payroll every cycle and wants employee records tied to that payroll.
- Do not choose Simple when you have people in more than one state, because that limit forces the move to Plus and doubles the per-person rate from $6 t
- A 10-person team pays $109 per month on Simple and $200 on Plus.
Pros
- Simple plan includes unlimited payroll runs, direct deposit and tax filing
- Plus adds multi-state payroll, time tracking and PTO at $80 per month plus $12 per person
Cons
- Simple covers payroll in one state only, so multi-state teams must move to Plus
- no free plan is listed on the pricing page
Zoho People
Best for: Small teams that want low-cost records and time off
Zoho People Essential HR costs $3 per user per month when billed annually, or $4 when billed monthly, and covers onboarding, the employee database, document management, time-off management and HR reports. Workforce costs $5 per user per month when billed annually and adds attendance, timesheets and roster management. Talent also costs $5 and adds performance and hiring features.
- Enterprise costs $8 and adds the HR help desk, learning management and a sandbox.
- Choose Zoho People when cost is the main limit and your team is small, because the free edition covers up to 3 users and Essential HR stays low at lar
- A 10-person team pays $30 per month when billed annually.
- Do not choose it when you need attendance or performance reviews on the entry plan, or United States payroll in the same system.
Pros
- Free edition for up to 3 users with employee database, time off and document management
- 30-day free trial on the higher plans
Cons
- Attendance, performance and learning features sit on higher plans
- teams with more than 500 users must ask Zoho for a quote
Factorial
Best for: European small and mid-size teams
Factorial Core starts at $8 per employee per month and covers employee profiles, time off, documents, workflows, onboarding and reporting. Business hubs add Time, Talent, Finance and IT features, and Enterprise adds performance, recruitment and payroll preparation. The vendor lists a free plan limited to document management and digital signature, plus a 14-day free trial.
- Factorial grew up serving European companies, so its time off features fit European leave rules.
- Choose Factorial when your team is based in Europe and wants one system for records, time, documents and hiring, with a clear Core starting rate.
- It suits teams of 20 to 500 people that want modular hubs.
- Do not choose it when you need full payroll in the United States, because you will still run a separate payroll provider.
Pros
- Core HR, time off, documents and approval workflows in one system
- free plan covers document management and digital signature
Cons
- Full payroll is strongest in Spain, so other countries need a local payroll provider
- most hub prices beyond Core are quoted, not published
Deel
Best for: Global teams that want a free core HR system
Deel HR Core costs $5 per user per month and covers worker profiles, org chart, roles and permissions, time off, attendance, job architecture, compliance and analytics. HR Advanced costs $19 per user per month and adds performance reviews, goals, check-ins, feedback and engagement surveys. HR Elite costs $29 per user per month and adds pay bands, compensation cycles and headcount planning.
- Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people, while global payroll starts at $29 per employee per month.
- Choose Deel when your team works across countries and you want a free core system of record before you pay for global hiring.
- Do not choose Deel HR alone when you need employer of record hiring, because that service starts at $599 per employee per month, and a 10-person team
Pros
- Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people, with records, time off, org charts and onboarding
- HR Core is $5 per user per month after that limit
Cons
- Contractor management is $49 per contractor per month and employer of record starts at $599 per employee per month, so global hiring costs rise fast
Eddy
Best for: Small local teams with hourly workers
Eddy Starter costs $4 per person per month plus a $50 monthly base fee, so a 10-person team pays $90 per month for core HR. Growth costs $8 per person per month plus a $75 monthly base fee, so the same 10-person team pays $155 per month, and a 25-person team on Growth pays $275 per month. Payroll is a separate add-on at $6 per person per month plus a $50 base fee, and hiring is a separate add-on at $199 per month.
- Choose Eddy when you run a small local business, want clear month-to-month pricing and need onboarding, PTO and a directory without enterprise complex
- Do not choose Eddy when hiring is a core weekly job, or when you need payroll in the base price.
Pros
- Starter includes digital employee profiles, document storage, onboarding, PTO tracking and basic reporting
- billing is month to month with no long-term contract
Cons
- Hiring is a $199 per month add-on and payroll is a separate $6 per person plus $50 add-on
- Premium pricing is quoted, not published
HiBob
Best for: Mid-size teams that want a modern people platform
HiBob, sold as Bob, starts every subscription with Core HR, which covers the employee database, documents, time off, lifecycle workflows, integrations, analytics, the mobile app and the AI companion. Talent, Payroll, HR Planning and Finance are optional suites on top of Core, and each module is priced separately. The pricing page asks for company size and offers a custom proposal, and the FAQ says the quote depends on headcount and modules.
- Choose HiBob when you want a modern people platform for a mid-size team and you are ready to run a sales process to get a quote.
- Do not choose it when you need a published price before a demo, or a free trial to check the system yourself, because only a demo is offered.
- Ask for implementation fees and renewal terms in writing.
Pros
- Core includes the employee database, documents, time off, lifecycle workflows, analytics, mobile app and AI companion
- payroll is available in the United States and the United Kingdom
Cons
- No price is published, so budgeting needs a sales call and a written quote
- no free trial is offered, only a demo
How we chose
We chose systems that hold a central employee record, with time off, documents and access control, and we checked prices and plan limits on official vendor pricing pages on 12 November 2026. We did not test any tool hands-on. BambooHR charges a flat $250 per month for teams of 25 or fewer people on Core, so a 10-person team pays $25 per person per month, while Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people.
Which system fits your team size and budget
| Team size | Lowest monthly total in this guide | Pick to check first |
|---|---|---|
| 3 people | $0 on Zoho People free edition or Deel HR free tier | Zoho People, Deel |
| 10 people | $30 on Zoho People Essential HR, $90 on Eddy Starter, $109 on Gusto Simple | Zoho People, Eddy, Gusto |
| 25 people | $75 on Zoho People Essential HR, $250 on BambooHR Core flat rate, $150 on Eddy Starter | Zoho People, Eddy, BambooHR |
| 50 people | $150 on Zoho People Essential HR, $250 on Eddy Starter, $512.50 on BambooHR Core | Zoho People, Eddy, BambooHR |
| 200 people | $600 on Zoho People Essential HR, $1,600 on Factorial Core, quote only on HiBob | Zoho People, Factorial, HiBob |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best employee records management software for most teams?
BambooHR is the best pick for most small and mid-size teams, because Core covers central records, hiring, onboarding, time off and custom reports at a published $10.25 per employee per month, with a $250 flat rate for teams of 25 or fewer. Zoho People is the best low-cost pick at $3 per user per month, and Deel is the best free starting point for teams under 200 people.
How much does employee records management software cost?
Costs in this guide run from $0 on Deel HR for teams under 200 people and $0 on Zoho People for up to 3 users, to $3 per user per month for Zoho People Essential HR, $4 per person plus a $50 base fee for Eddy Starter, and $10.25 per employee per month for BambooHR Core. A 10-person team pays $30 on Zoho People, $90 on Eddy Starter, $109 on Gusto Simple and $250 on BambooHR Core.
Which employee records software is best for small teams?
Zoho People is best for very small teams, because the free edition covers up to 3 users and Essential HR costs $30 per month for 10 people. Eddy is best for small local teams with hourly workers at $90 per month for 10 people on Starter. Deel is best for small global teams, because Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people.
Which employee records software is best for global teams?
Deel is best for global teams, because Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people and the platform covers contractors, global payroll and employer of record hiring in many countries. Factorial is best for European teams, because its records, time off and document features fit European teams and Core starts at $8 per employee per month.
Do any of these systems have a free plan?
Yes. Deel HR is free for teams under 200 people, Zoho People has a free edition for up to 3 users, and Factorial offers a 14-day free trial. BambooHR offers a 7-day free trial, and Zoho People also offers a 30-day free trial on higher plans. Rippling, Gusto, Eddy and HiBob have no free plan in this guide, and HiBob offers a demo instead of a trial.
What should I check before I move records from spreadsheets?
Check who can see and edit each field, how documents are stored, how time off approvals work, and how you export the full record if you leave. Also check the monthly total, the base fee and the job opening limit, because BambooHR Core allows 5 job openings and Gusto Simple covers one state only.
Sources
- https://www.bamboohr.com/
- https://www.bamboohr.com/pricing
- https://www.rippling.com/
- https://www.rippling.com/pricing
- https://www.gusto.com/
- https://www.gusto.com/product/pricing
- https://www.zoho.com/people/
- https://www.zoho.com/people/zohopeople-pricing.html
- https://www.factorialhr.com/
- https://www.deel.com/
- https://www.deel.com/pricing/
- https://eddy.com/
- https://www.hibob.com/
- https://www.hibob.com/pricing-plans
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.