Top 10 cloud-based HR software to drive your business

Cloud-based HR software is a vital solution for businesses to help them carry out their HR processes. 

According to recent research, the global HR software market size was worth around USD 18.54 billion in 2023. However, it is predicted to grow to around USD 52.24 billion by 2032 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 12.20% between 2024 and 2032.

With this rise in the growth of this market, where HR software as a service (HR SaaS) is a key player, it becomes paramount for businesses to know about the top HR cloud-based solutions in the market. 

This blog post will discuss the top 10 cloud HR solutions and what you need to know before availing them. Let’s begin. 

What is cloud-based HR software?

Cloud HR software is an online platform that supports and automates various HR functions, including human resources management systems (HRMS) and human resources information systems (HRIS).

Rather than relying on traditional, on-premise HR software that requires to installed on individual servers or computers, cloud-based HR solutions operate online, making them accessible anytime, from anywhere, and from nearly any device. 

Its primary purpose is to optimize and improve HR processes, enhancing both efficiency and accuracy. Acting as a centralized hub, it covers vital functions like:

– Employee benefits administration  

– Employee data management  

– New hire onboarding  

– Learning and development  

– Performance management  

– Talent recruitment 

– Talent Management

– HRIS & Payroll  

This solution helps businesses eliminate manual paperwork, significantly reduce administrative workloads, and ultimately boost HR productivity. 

To fully benefit from these advantages, you must select software whose features and capabilities align with your organization’s specific requirements. Let’s explore 10 cloud-based human resources software solutions that will simplify your HR processes in 2025. 

Summarized Chart of the 10 cloud HR solutions

Tool	Payroll	HRIS	Attendance & Time Tracking	Recruitment	Performance Management	AI Integration
Gusto	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Rippling	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Paycor	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
BambooHR	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Workday	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Lattice	❌	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅
GoCo	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Deel	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
SAGE HR	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
ADP	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌

Gusto

Gusto is a cloud-based HR platform offering automated workflows, end-to-end recruiting, hiring, and onboarding, as well as a comprehensive suite of time-tracking and performance tools. It caters to organizations of all sizes, including single-person operations, independent contractors, and globally distributed or remote teams.

Gusto distinguishes itself among top cloud-based payroll software by offering a well-rounded set of frequently used payroll tools tailored for small and mid-sized businesses. Its standout feature, however, is an intuitive user experience that appeals to both seasoned payroll professionals and newcomers alike.

Top Features

Payroll

• Employers can run payroll multiple times monthly without extra fees.
• Payments to staff require only a few clicks, with an AutoPilot™ feature.
• Handles tax calculations and filings with government agencies.
• The platform integrates health insurance, 401(k) plans, workers’ compensation, time tracking, PTO, and other HR essentials in one place.
• Users can set up and sign workers’ compensation policies with a pay-as-you-go option.

Recruiting & Onboarding

• Makes it easy for organizations to post job openings, 
• disseminates ads to popular job boards such as LinkedIn and Indeed, and automatically tracks and manages applicants. 
• Key hiring and recruitment features include:

• Custom job posts
• Syndication to leading job boards
• Centralized applicant tracking system
• Custom offer letter templates
• Integrations with modern software solutions

• Gusto’s onboarding capabilities allow employers to create custom checklists for distributing essential documents, enrolling staff in benefits, and even provisioning software. 

Talent Management

• combine both efficiency-focused features and culture-building resources in one user-friendly, integrated system. 
• Its automated workflow streamlines the entire process, offering elements like self-evaluations, manager reviews, and career development resources. 
• offers integrations with a variety of apps, all aimed at fostering employee growth and retention.

Integrations

159 integrations including: 

• Arvo
• Asana
• Dropbox
• Google Workspace
• Human Interest
• Microsoft 365
• Quickbooks Online
• Slack
• Xero
• Salesforce

Pricing

Simple	Plus	Premium
$40/moplus $6/mo per person	$60/mo plus $9/mo per person	$135/mo plus $16.50/mo per person

Rippling

Rippling emerges as a top contender among cloud-based HR solutions for businesses prioritizing scalability. It delivers an extensive set of HR services, professional employer organization capabilities, and standout features like remote laptop management and local tax registration. This flexibility allows companies to add only the features they need at each growth stage, creating a tailored HR solution.

Beyond its broad support for HR and IT—including payroll, employee benefits, and risk compliance—Rippling also provides an intuitive online platform under a reputable co-employment model. Its true strength, however, lies in its capacity to grow alongside a company, serving as a centralized hub of information and practical resources for expanding small businesses.

Top Features

Global Payroll

• It is one of the few solutions that enable global teams to manage their entire payroll within a single, dependable system. 
• Its payslip feature offers clear visibility into each individual’s compensation details—covering hours worked, expense reimbursements, benefits elections, and more
• Allows businesses to forecast total payroll costs, factoring in salaries, taxes, benefits, and reimbursements. 
• Displays comparisons to previous pay periods and highlights any adjustments that have been made.

Onboarding

• Just enter a few employee details, and the system implements the remaining actions across all departments. For instance, when you hire someone, Rippling automatically adds them to the payroll, sends a welcome email, and provides relevant details, parking rules, brand guidelines, and access logins. 
• Offers pre-built workflow templates that you can easily customize to suit your needs. You can install these templates, either using them as-is or tailoring them to your specific requirements.
  • Examples include Rippling’s new hire onboarding survey, welcome messages, referral bonus reminders, and benefits enrollment deadline alerts.

Integrations

600+ integrations including:

• HiringThing
• Google Work
• Slack
• Chekr
• Human Interest
• Guideline
• Zoom
• Carta
• GitHub
• Asana

Pricing

Starts at $8 per month, per user. Need to contact sales for more customized pricing.

Paycor

Paycor stands out as a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solution that streamlines HR workflows and promotes better team coordination. It offers a comprehensive feature set for overseeing employee data, handling time-off and absence requests, and creating effective onboarding programs. Administrators can maintain staff records, generate specialized reports, and control system access permissions. 

Paycor’s user-friendly web and mobile applications empower employees to independently manage various HR tasks through a self-service portal—updating personal information, signing documents, and viewing or printing payslips. 

Top Features

Payroll Automation 

• Can generate detailed payroll reports, create invoices, facilitate performance reviews, and schedule reminders for key deadlines. 
• Also extends to repetitive tasks—like employee shift scheduling or supply ordering—so teams can dedicate more time and resources to higher-level priorities.

Performance Appraisal

• Enhances employee performance reviews by incorporating all essential data, thereby making the review process both organized and efficient. 
• The system further includes an integrated rating feature that evaluates employee performance objectively, contributing to a fair and accurate assessment.

Integrations

300+ integrations including:

• Human Interest
• Paycards
• PuzzleHR
• Guideline
• Sterling
• Emburse
• Flexspring
• Mitratech AssureHire

Pricing

Need to contact sales. 

BambooHR

It is the best cloud HRIS solution for cloud employee self-service. By consolidating all data into a single system, updating employee records becomes both quick and straightforward, and conducting in-depth, insightful reporting on that data is significantly simpler.  

The cloud-based HR platform incorporates fundamental HR features, including an applicant tracking system (ATS), preboarding, onboarding, and offboarding tools, e-signature functionality, time and PTO (paid time off) tracking, a performance management module, an employee satisfaction feature that calculates the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).

They also offer a wide variety of optional enhancements that can be tailored to organizational needs, such as comprehensive payroll processing, tax filings compliant with U.S. federal and state regulations, year-end documentation, and more.

Top Features

Employee Self-Service 

• Enables staff to manage their own HR records by uploading relevant documents, such as health forms, certifications, and driver’s licenses. 
• Other notable self-service tools include a user-friendly Time-Off Manager, an employee directory, and an organization chart that updates instantly. 

Onboarding

• New Hires Packet Templates that creates and modifies onboarding templates for new hires of different departments and locations. 
• The HR Task List includes multiple tasks which you can assign to any new employee and set them a time to complete the tasks. 
• Gives the option to automatically send onboarding tasks to new hires to complete at their own pace.
• E-signature tool lets you automate e-signature requests. 
• The New Employee Paperwork lets you save important documents and forms, besides entering the e-signature. 

Integrations

60+ integrations including:

• Payscale
• Chekr
• Indeed
• TravelPerk
• Cronofy
• Slack
• Zapier
• NetSuite

Pricing

From $6.19/user/month (billed annually). Need to contact sales for more. 

Workday

Workday delivers a comprehensive suite of human resources solutions that span talent management, workforce planning, and administration, analytics, and reporting, as well as human capital and resource management.

Workday accommodates businesses of any size—from small and medium organizations to large enterprises—and includes specialized features geared toward the healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and technology/media sectors.

The platform lets organizations oversee employee records, manage compensation and benefits, foster leadership and talent growth, and ensure compliance with international regulations.

Top Features

Employee Engagement

• Employee experience platform offers timely insights, recommendations, and assistance, all tailored to each user’s needs, using machine learning.  
• Workday Peakon Employee Voice enhances this personalization, enabling organizations to proactively address critical moments in the employee journey
• Continuous listening approach provides real-time sentiment data and meaningful insights. 

Recruitment Integration

• HiredScore AI for Recruiting, when integrated with Workday, offers  intelligent workflows and real-time action alerts that empower recruiters and hiring managers to move quickly and confidently through the recruitment process.
• The AI coaching functionality offers a clear advantage, helping decision-makers optimize outcomes from the very start. 
• HiredScore’s talent rediscovery feature taps into existing pools of past applicants, CRM leads, and current employees, enabling recruiters to pinpoint high-quality, likely-to-apply candidates for open roles.

Integrations

185+ integrations including:

• HiredScore
• Microsoft
• Harvard Business Publishing
• HireVue
• Accenture
• PaySpace
• Pluralsight
• LinkedIn

Pricing

Need to contact sales for pricing info. 

Lattice

Lattice is a cloud-based people management solution focused on employee engagement, performance management, and professional development. Its built-in review process encourages ongoing feedback, clarifies expectations through goal-setting, and makes room for meaningful recognition of team achievements. 

Managers can schedule check-ins, foster open communication, and publicly celebrate successes—all within a single platform.

Geared primarily toward mid to large-sized organizations, Lattice is especially valuable for businesses seeking to boost performance tracking and goal alignment across hybrid or distributed teams. 

Top Features

Performance Management

• Customizable templates, workflows, and dashboards make it easy to tailor and refine your processes. From configuring automatic rules and making mid-cycle adjustments to streamlining calibration,
• supports a flexible and efficient performance management experience via automatic rules and mid-cycle adjustments.
• AI-powered peer feedback summaries for more holistic insights, 

Data-Driven DEIB Analytics

• Adds visibility into your organization’s demographic data over time, allowing you to track shifts in employee composition and address the unique needs of different groups. 
• Provides essential insights into whether employees feel included, respected, and supported—guiding organizations in creating a more inclusive and welcoming culture.

Integrations

26 integrations including:

• Slack
• Workday
• JIRA
• ADP
• Microsoft Azure
• Microsoft Teams
• Salesforce

Pricing

Talent Management	HRIS
$11 seat/month	$10 seat/mo
Add-on: Grow+$4 seat/month Add-on: Engagement+$4 seat/month Add-on: Compensation+$6 seat/month	Payroll and time-tracking modules coming soon
*Billed annually

GoCo

GoCo serves as an all-in-one SaaS HR software solution tailored to small and mid-sized businesses. It brings together essential functions—like payroll, benefits administration, time tracking, compliance, and talent management—into a single, cohesive platform.

A standout feature is the employee self-service portal, which empowers team members to independently update personal information, enroll in benefits, and submit leave requests. Meanwhile, automated workflows eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce administrative overhead, helping HR teams operate more efficiently.

GoCo’s integrated benefits administration is another strong selling point. With online enrollment, ACA compliance support, and carrier integrations, businesses can manage all aspects of benefits with minimal hassle.

Top Features

New hire onboarding

• Offers a Digital Offer Letter which simplifies the offer acceptance process and reduces paperwork, 
• Interactive Onboarding Workflows feature helps you create engaging and personalized onboarding experiences that match your company culture and values.

AI for HR

• AI knowledge base functions much like a dedicated HR ChatGPT, providing rapid, on-demand answers to questions about company-specific policies, handbooks, and leave regulations. 
• Its “magic documents” feature also speeds up the process of creating form templates—offering quick drafts for items like offer letters or performance improvement plans with just a simple prompt.
• GoCo’s performance management solution incorporates an AI-driven summary tool that aggregates key data—past reviews, employment history, goals, and other relevant details—into one easily accessible location. 

Integrations

100+ integrations including:

• Human Interest
• Chekr
• Remote
• Paychex
• JazzHR
• Zoom
• Gmail
• Ideon

Pricing

Need to contact sales for package pricing.

Deel

Deel is a complete HR platform developed for global onboarding, enabling HR teams to deliver a smooth and consistent experience to workers regardless of their location. It provides a secure, compliant solution for managing employee data, automating workflows, and setting up local payroll and benefits.

Deel’s employer of record service simplifies the process of hiring and onboarding through its network of 100+ local entities, ensuring compliance. Its contractor management service helps collect necessary compliance documents and generate localized agreements. 

Additionally, Deel’s HR tools make it easy to provide software access, distribute company equipment, and initiate background checks.

Top Features

Global onboarding

• Onboarding Item Localization localizes onboarding items —from minimum wage to country-specific documentation requests—to quickly, compliantly onboard anyone.
• Employee onboarding tracker lets you add new employees to the system and track their progress throughout the orientation and onboarding process. 

Employer of Records (EOR)

• Serves in over 150 countries, eliminating the need for businesses to set up local entities. Handles hiring and onboarding on your behalf.
• stays on top of wage, pension, and leave requirements, ensuring companies remain compliant no matter where they operate.

Integrations

100+ integrations including:

• Quickbooks
• Google Workspace
• Slack
• JIRA
• Brex
• SAP S/4HANA
• Scribe

Pricing

Deel Contractor	Deel EOR	Deel Engage
Starting at $49/month	Starting at $599/month	Starting at $20per employee/month
Deel HR can be availed FREE.

SAGE HR

Sage HR is a user-friendly, cloud-based HR platform for small and midsize businesses seeking to attract and retain top talent. The solution’s breadth of features—from customizable onboarding workflows to performance management tools—helps organizations streamline HR tasks in one centralized location.

Sage HR also facilitates easier access to important documents and resources, ensuring employees can find what they need quickly. Additionally, it offers expense and timesheet tracking for improved oversight. 

Top Features

Leave Management

• Digitizes leave requests and approvals, logging them in integrated calendars and reports. 
• Allows administrators to build custom time-off policies while employees conveniently submit requests from either the web or a mobile app. 
• Shared calendars keep everyone on the same page, and real-time access to leave information from any device supports effective scheduling, project management, and resource allocation. 

Digital Directory for Workflows

• Offers a digital workforce database that’s both precise and easy to manage, all while maintaining high security and compliance standards.
  • You can set up your company directory in just minutes using pre-built templates.
• The platform’s organizational chart feature provides a clear snapshot of who’s who in the company. Just schedule the move in advance or use a quick drag-and-drop action in the org chart.

Integrations

200+ integrations including:

• Besyncly
• Clarity
• Stripe
• Azure
• LiveCosts
• Zapier

Pricing

Core HR + Leave Management:	Plus:Performance	Plus:Timesheets	Plus:Shift scheduling:	Recruitment
£4.40 per employee/month	£2.20 per employee/month	£2.20 per employee/month	£2.20 per employee/month	£165 per month

ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now is to be a robust, all-encompassing platform that consolidates payroll and HR functions while delivering the analytics and expert support needed for data-driven decision-making. 

Human Resources teams can use this system to maintain digital records, automate compliance tasks like tax filing, and simplify the onboarding process. Additionally, the platform’s reporting and trend analysis tools empower HR professionals to make more informed choices based on real-time insights. 

Top Features

Automated Onboarding Workflows

• Simplifies the process of monitoring new hire progress, saving time, and keeping everyone aligned throughout onboarding.

Benefits Management

• Expedites the process of monitoring employee benefit eligibility and enrollment, including ACA compliance.

Integrations

100+ integrations including:

• Xero
• Wave
• Quickbooks
• Instant
• ZayZoon
• Wex
• JazzHR

Pricing

Need to contact sales for pricing. 

Features to look for in a cloud HR platform

So, when you want to purchase a cloud-based HR solution, what major factors or features must you consider? Let’s look at those then to help you guide in your decision-making process:

01. Core HR (HRIS/HRMS) Functionality

A robust Human Resources Information System (HRIS) or Human Resources Management System (HRMS) serves as the foundation for tracking and managing employee data, such as personal details, employment history, and payroll information.

Cloud HRIS solutions help in Centralized Data Management keeping all employee records—personal details, contracts, performance reviews—in one place, eliminating the need for multiple spreadsheets.

This also helps in automated data entry and reduces duplicate records and human error. Eventually, that makes it easier to maintain accurate records for legal and regulatory audits.

02. Employee Self-Service Portal

Another key feature is a user-friendly portal that allows employees to access information, update personal data, request leave, view pay stubs, and manage benefits without HR’s direct involvement.

This helps to reduce routine inquiries to HR (e.g., “How many vacation days do I have left?”) and lets the operations flow smoothly. In addition, this feature empowers staff by giving them direct control over their information and requests along with Ease of Access. Employees can log in from anywhere, enabling a globally dispersed workforce to self-manage.

03. Payroll and Benefits Administration

Another important element is a secure, automated system for managing salaries, wages, bonuses, taxes, and employee benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks.

Automated payroll helps ensure timely, precise calculations of pay and tax deductions. Also, smooth enrollment, updates, and tracking of benefits reduce administrative headaches. Plus, as the company grows, the system can handle more complex pay structures and additional benefit options, adding scalability to the mix. 

04. Time and Attendance Tracking

This module captures work hours, tracks vacation and sick leave, and records overtime. This may include clock-in/clock-out functionality, scheduling, and attendance analytics.

Through time-tracking, you can eliminate errors and discrepancies common with manual timesheets. Also, it provides insights into workforce availability, making it easier to plan and allocate resources.

These all eventually feed into maintaining compliance with labor laws regarding overtime and working hours.

05. Performance Management

A key feature of SaaS HR software is to facilitate goal-setting, performance reviews, continuous feedback, and employee development plans. All of these are part of a robust performance management system. 

This matters because it increases transparency as both managers and employees understand performance expectations and progress. With Actionable Insights, performance data can be analyzed to identify high performers, skill gaps, and development needs. This eventually kills biasedness. 

06. Recruitment and Applicant Tracking

Having recruitment and an applicant tracking system (ATS) integrated with your HR platform helps to manage job postings, applications, candidate communications, and hiring workflows.

This ensures centralized candidate data and automated workflows accelerate the recruitment process, which leads to better collaboration and candidate experience. Consistent communication and quicker response times lead to a positive applicant journey.

07. Reporting and Analytics

Built-in analytics help you generate reports and dashboards on key HR metrics—turnover rates, engagement levels, payroll expenses, training ROI, and more.

HR and leadership can base strategies on clear data-driven insights rather than guesswork. Also, early detection of rising turnover or other warning signs helps you take corrective action.

08. Security and Compliance

Your system should ensure robust data protection measures such as encryption, role-based access, two-factor authentication, and compliance with standards like GDPR and SOC 2.

HR platforms store sensitive personal and financial data, making security paramount, so data protection is paramount. This also helps you avoid hefty fines and legal ramifications by meeting data privacy and protection laws.

09. User Experience (UX) and Interface

An intuitive design, easy navigation, and minimal learning curve ensure quick user adoption and productivity. A clean interface encourages regular interactions, allowing HR processes to run smoothly with better engagement. 

If the system is intuitive, your team spends less time teaching new hires how to use it. Complex or cluttered interfaces lead to frustration, errors, and a lack of consistent usage, which triggers steep learning curves. 

10. Customization and Scalability

You need a system that lets you have the options to tailor to your growing business needs. These can include elements like custom fields, workflows, and reports that change with your company’s unique processes and growth trajectory.

For instance, your manpower might increase from 100 to 200 in 3 months or the number of positions and types of positions might change or be added. You need scalability in your selected cloud-based HR software. 

This feature also helps in cost efficiency as the solution can prevent frequent migrations to new platforms.

11. Pricing and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Costs can vary significantly—monthly per-user fees, setup costs, integration costs, or tiered pricing models with add-on modules. TCO also includes indirect costs such as training, system maintenance, and potential customization. You should select a system that meets your budget. 

You should also weigh the potential ROI from improved efficiency, reduced errors, and better employee retention that create long-term value. 

Summing Up

So, now that you know which cloud-based HR solutions to try in 2025, I hope you get your hands on the right one for your business. Keeping the features in mind and the factors to consider before purchasing, I would suggest you try out at least one today. 

However, make sure you do not waste your time with the wrong tool. Go over our detailed descriptions to know which tool will help you expedite your HR processes.