Gusto
Best all-in-one workforce management software for small business
Overview
Gusto delivers everything most small businesses need to manage their workforce in one intuitive platform. From hiring and onboarding to time tracking, payroll, and HR, Gusto’s all-in-one system reduces admin overhead and keeps your team on track. Its people-first tools are designed for ease of use, and its transparent pricing makes it easy to scale. While it doesn’t include native shift scheduling, it integrates seamlessly with top scheduling tools like Homebase and 7Shifts.
Key Features
Fully integrated payroll, HR, benefits, and time tracking
Automated PTO, sick leave, and compliance workflows
Project tracking and AI-powered labor cost reporting
Built-in org charts, surveys, and performance tools
New-hire compliance, onboarding, and e-signatures
Employee self-service and mobile access
Support for international contractors (120+ countries)
Integrates with Homebase, 7Shifts, and more
Pros and Cons
Pros
Easy-to-use all-in-one HR and payroll platform
Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
Strong reporting and workforce insights
Dedicated HR support on higher-tier plans
Seamless third-party scheduling integrations
Cons
No built-in shift scheduling
Basic plan lacks time tracking
Mobile admin tools are limited
Pricing
Simple: $49/month + $6/person/month
Plus: $80/month + $12/person/month
Premium: Custom pricing — includes full HR support and compliance alerts
Free trial: Yes — pay only when you run payroll
Free plan: No
Transform your payroll processes with Gusto, a platform that’s already the choice of over 500,000 businesses.
monday.com
Best dedicated workforce management solution
Overview
monday.com is a powerful project and workforce management tool that helps small teams stay on task, optimize workflows, and boost productivity. While it lacks core HR features like payroll and benefits, its dashboards and automations streamline operations across departments. With prebuilt templates, industry-specific solutions, and visual tools for tracking OKRs, tasks, and time, monday.com is ideal for managing people, projects, and performance—especially if you already have an HR or payroll system in place.
Key Features
200+ customizable dashboards and workflow templates
Built-in time tracking, goal setting, and task management
OKR and performance tracking
Automations and alerts to streamline workflows
Prebuilt HR templates for onboarding and recordkeeping
CRM tools for lead and pipeline management
200+ integrations (Slack, Google Workspace, Zoom, etc.)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Beautiful, intuitive dashboards
Flexible workflows for any department
Transparent, tiered pricing
Prebuilt templates for fast setup
Excellent customer support
Cons
No payroll, benefits, or HR compliance tools
Automations/integrations not included in basic plan
Not designed for shift-based or hourly scheduling
Pricing
Basic: $9/seat/month — 1 dashboard, no automations
Standard: $12/seat/month — adds calendar view, 250 automations/month
Pro: $19/seat/month — adds time tracking, chart view, 25k automations
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Free trial: Yes, 14 days
Free plan: Yes — up to 2 seats with limited features
Remote
Best workforce management software for global teams
Overview
Remote makes it easy to hire, manage, and pay teams in over 180 countries with built-in compliance, local contracts, and benefits support. It’s ideal for businesses working with global contractors or full-time employees through Employer of Record (EOR) services. While Remote doesn’t offer detailed workforce analytics or advanced scheduling tools, it excels at simplifying cross-border hiring and payroll through a single platform—no third-party vendors required.
Key Features
Global contractor payments in 180+ countries
EOR and global payroll services in 80+ countries
Time tracking, PTO, and expense management
Localized contracts, benefits, and compliance
70+ currencies supported with no conversion fees
Self-service onboarding portal
One-click or autopay invoicing
Built-in contractor misclassification risk tools
Pros and Cons
Pros
Excellent for global hiring and contractor management
Owned local entities = better support, faster service
Fully integrated payroll and HR tools
Easy onboarding and payment workflows
No added cost for benefits administration
Cons
No workforce cost reporting or scheduling tools
Pricing for global payroll is not public
Email-only customer support
Limited international payment method support
Pricing
Contractor management: $29/month per contractor
EOR services: $599/month per employee (annual); $699/month month-to-month
Global payroll (own entity): Contact sales
Free trial: 30 days (for onboarding features)
Free plan: No
UKG Ready
Best workforce management software for reporting & analytics
Overview
UKG Ready offers an all-in-one HR and workforce management platform built for mid-sized businesses. It includes tools for time tracking, payroll, HR, scheduling, talent management, and compliance. What sets it apart is its powerful reporting engine, with over 150 prebuilt reports and endless customization options. UKG is scalable and highly configurable, though it may be overbuilt for smaller teams and shift-based businesses.
Key Features
Time tracking and time-off management
Hiring, onboarding, and employee self-service
Advanced compliance and scheduling tools
Talent development and retention features
Real-time workforce analytics and benchmarking
Custom reporting on any system data
Integrated payroll and tax services
Mobile access for admins and employees
Pros and Cons
Pros
Best-in-class custom and prebuilt reporting
Comprehensive, scalable platform
Strong compliance and payroll features
Highly configurable to fit complex workflows
Includes self-service tools for employees
Cons
No public pricing; quote required
Expensive for smaller businesses
Onboarding takes time and training
Limited third-party integration support
Support can be slow for smaller accounts
Pricing
UKG does not publish pricing online.
UKG Pro (enterprise): Starts around $600/year per 5 employees
UKG Ready (mid-size): Custom quote required
Free trial: No
Free plan: No
Rippling
Best workforce management system for remote workforces
Overview
Rippling combines HR, IT, payroll, and finance into a single, modular platform built for growing remote teams. With advanced workflow automations, global EOR services, and support for remote device and app management, Rippling helps companies onboard, manage, and pay teams anywhere. It’s especially strong for tech-forward businesses, but pricing can add up quickly—and many features are overkill for teams under 100.
Key Features
Integrated payroll, HR, IT, and benefits
Global contractor and EOR services in 150+ countries
App provisioning, device management, password control
Workflow automations triggered by custom rules
Headcount planning, compensation bands, cost reports
Custom workforce and project cost analytics
500+ integrations with tools like Slack, Zoom, QuickBooks
A-la-carte pricing by module
Pros and Cons
Pros
Powerful automations save hours on manual work
Strong support for remote hiring and global payroll
Advanced analytics and headcount planning tools
Deep integration library
Modular pricing grows with your team
Cons
Pricing lacks transparency and adds up quickly
Some HR features cost extra (e.g., HR help desk)
Best suited for mid-sized or fast-scaling companies
No free trial or free plan
Pricing
Core platform (Unity): ~$35/month + $8/user (HR & payroll basics)
Global payroll: $20/user/month
EOR services: $599/month per employee
Contractor payments: $20/month per contractor
Free trial: No
Free plan: No
ADP
Best workforce software for midsize businesses
Overview
ADP offers two workforce management platforms: RUN for small businesses and Workforce Now for midsize teams. Workforce Now is a robust solution for managing HR, payroll, benefits, and compliance at scale—with flexible modules and over 700 integrations. However, pricing is quote-based and often unclear, and many useful features are locked behind premium tiers or add-ons. Smaller businesses may find ADP overly complex or expensive.
Key Features
Fully integrated HR, time tracking, payroll, and benefits
Flexible time collection and employee scheduling
PTO management and custom accrual policies
Advanced reporting, analytics, and benchmarks
Learning and development content library
Talent acquisition and compensation planning modules
700+ integrations
Optional PEO services (ADP TotalSource)
Pros and Cons
Pros
Deep functionality for growing midsize teams
Customizable platform with modular pricing
Broad range of learning, payroll, and HR tools
Optional HR outsourcing via PEO
Scalable for long-term growth
Cons
Pricing is not transparent and adds up fast
Clunky interface compared to newer tools
Small business features are limited in RUN
Support can be slow or inconsistent
Premium tools locked behind higher tiers
Pricing
RUN (under 50 employees): 4 plan tiers (Essential to HR Pro)
Workforce Now (50–999 employees): Select, Plus, and Premium tiers
Premium includes full workforce management suite
Reported pricing: Starts around $62/month; often much higher
Free trial: Yes — up to 3 months on select products
Free plan: No
BambooHR
Best pure HR management system
Overview
BambooHR is a full-featured HRIS designed to simplify HR admin and improve employee experience. It’s best known for top-tier onboarding, self-service, and performance tools—making it a strong choice for businesses that prioritize team development. Payroll, time tracking, and benefits are available as add-ons. While not ideal for international teams or deep workforce cost reporting, BambooHR offers excellent value for HR-focused companies ready to scale their people operations.
Key Features
Robust onboarding and offboarding workflows
Employee self-service and document storage
Automated workflows for promotions, time off, and pay changes
Optional add-ons for payroll, benefits, and time tracking
Integrated ATS and performance management
Custom reporting on any HR data
Visual dashboards for employee satisfaction and development
125+ software integrations
Pros and Cons
Pros
Industry-leading HR suite and user-friendly interface
Best-in-class onboarding and self-service tools
Custom reporting and automation streamline admin
Scales easily with team growth
Modular pricing keeps costs flexible
Cons
Add-ons increase cost quickly
No transparent pricing
Limited global or international support
Mobile app lacks full functionality
Chat and phone support limited to higher-tier plans
Pricing
Essentials: Includes HR records, PTO tracking, and basic workflows
Advantage: Adds onboarding, ATS, custom reports, and more
Add-ons: Payroll, benefits, time tracking, and performance tools available
Pricing is per employee/month or flat rate for ≤20 employees
Free trial: Yes — 7 days
Free plan: No
Homebase
Best workforce software for shift-based businesses
Overview
Homebase is built for hourly teams in industries like retail, hospitality, and restaurants. It combines scheduling, time tracking, hiring, and basic HR in one platform. With shift swapping, auto-scheduling, team messaging, and easy PTO tracking, it’s designed to reduce admin time and keep hourly teams engaged. While its payroll add-on costs extra, the free plan makes it an affordable entry point for growing teams.
Key Features
Smart scheduling with auto-assign and labor forecasting
Clock-in/out, time tracking, and PTO tools
Team messaging and mobile communication
Hiring and onboarding with job board integrations
Payroll add-on with tax filing and direct deposit
Employee happiness surveys and shift feedback
Built-in compliance for breaks, wage rules, and more
Integrates with POS and payroll tools
Pros and Cons
Pros
Designed for hourly, shift-based teams
Scheduling and time tools save hours weekly
Great free plan for small teams
Integrated hiring and team communication
Scales easily across locations
Cons
Payroll add-on is priced separately
Advanced HR tools only in top-tier plan
Time corrections can be tricky
Occasional glitches reported
Pricing
Basic: Free for up to 20 employees at one location
Essentials: $20/month — adds messaging, performance, mobile tools
Plus: $48/month — adds labor budgeting and PTO tracking
All-in-One: $80/month — includes full HR suite
Payroll: $39/month + $6 per employee
Free trial: Yes — 14 days
Free plan: Yes
Compare All
| Pricing | Free Trial | Free Plan | Best Use Case | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Simple $49/mo + $6/user/mo; Plus $80/mo + $12/user/mo; Premium custom pricing | Small businesses wanting an all-in-one workforce management platform with payroll, HR, and time tracking | ||
 | Basic $9/user/month; Standard $12/user/month; Pro: $19/user/month | (14 days) | (2 users) | Teams needing visual workforce and task management without payroll |
 | $29/mo contractors; $599/mo EOR | (30 days) | (contractors) | Businesses managing global employees or contractors with compliance needs |
 | Custom pricing | SMBs needing deep workforce analytics, compliance, and reporting | ||
 | ~$8/user/mo + base fee 35-$40/month + add‑ons | (varies by product) | Tech-forward, remote-first teams needing automated workforce workflows | |
 | Custom pricing | (select plans) | Midsize businesses needing scalable workforce management and compliance | |
 | Custom pricing | (7 days) | HR-focused teams prioritizing onboarding, engagement, and performance | |
 | Free; paid plans $24.95+/location | Hourly and shift-based businesses needing scheduling and time tracking |
| Pricing | Free Trial | |
|---|---|---|
| Simple $49/mo + $6/user/mo; Plus $80/mo + $12/user/mo; Premium custom pricing | |
| Basic $9/user/month; Standard $12/user/month; Pro: $19/user/month | (14 days) |
| $29/mo contractors; $599/mo EOR | (30 days) |
| Custom pricing | |
| ~$8/user/mo + base fee 35-$40/month + add‑ons | (varies by product) |
| Custom pricing | (select plans) |
| Custom pricing | (7 days) |
| Free; paid plans $24.95+/location |
FAQ
What is the best workforce management software?
The best option depends on your business needs—Gusto is ideal for small teams wanting an all-in-one HR and payroll solution, while Rippling and Remote excel for remote and international workforces. Homebase is the go-to for shift-based teams in retail and hospitality.
What’s the difference between workforce management and HR software?
Workforce management software focuses on scheduling, time tracking, and labor optimization, while HR software covers recruiting, onboarding, benefits, and performance management. Many modern platforms (like Gusto and BambooHR) combine both.
Is Salesforce a workforce management software?
No, Salesforce is a CRM, not a workforce management system. It’s designed to manage customer relationships, sales, and marketing—not employee scheduling, time tracking, or payroll.
Can workforce management software integrate with other systems?
Yes. Most platforms integrate with payroll, HR, CRM, and accounting tools. For example, Gusto integrates with QuickBooks and Homebase, while monday.com connects with Slack, Zoom, and Trello.
What is the best performance management software?
BambooHR offers some of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use performance management tools, including automated reviews, visual progress tracking, and customizable reporting.
