Employee management softwares are compared on feature lists, and feature lists are where the difference disappears. Compared on the record, the difference is plain: whether the record holds the signed contract, handbook acknowledgment, reviews and write-ups or only the fields; whether the system chases a document when it is due; whether one person's record exports in one action; and whether the price is per location or per employee. The tools on this site print every document free, without an account; this page is the comparison and the prices from the vendors' pages.
The record
Fields alone are an address book. The documents against the record, signed, dated, locked, are what an audit or a dispute asks for. The contract tool, handbook template, onboarding checklist and review template on this site print the documents any product should hold.
The chase
On the trial, date a hire a month back and see whether anyone is told what is due. The products that chase are the ones whose records are complete a year later. A system that stores and does not chase is the folder with a login, and its records have the same gaps the folder had.
The export
One person's whole record in one action. The test of whether the business could leave, and the one to run before joining. Ask for it on the trial with the hire's record that was just entered, and count the documents that arrive against the ones that went in.
The price basis
From the vendors' own pricing pages, cited below: Homebase lists its Essentials plan at $30 per location per month billed monthly or $24 billed annually, with unlimited employees, and a Basic plan at $0 for one location with up to 10 employees; BambooHR starts at $10 per employee per month for Core and $17 for Pro; Deputy's Core plan is $6.50 per user per month. HeadcountDesk Pro is $24 per month per location. Per location stays the same after the next hire; per employee does not.
Questions people ask about employee management softwares
Do all of them do payroll?
Some bundle it; the record and the documents are the part the payroll product does not do.
How many should I trial?
Two, on the three tests above, in one afternoon each.
What is free here?
Every document tool, without an account.