Best onboarding software in 2024 (2024)

Onboarding should be good news: Hiring new employees generally means your business is successful and growing. However, without the appropriate tools, onboarding can be a huge headache involving tons of paperwork. Plus, the stakes for organizing important documents like tax forms, background checks and direct deposit setups are high.

The right onboarding software can reduce the headache of integrating new hires onto your team so you can get back to celebrating your business’s growth. Check out our picks for the best onboarding software of 2024 to get started.

We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.

Featured Offers

SurePayroll

Monthly pricing

From $29.99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

6 Months

Best onboarding software in 2024 (1)

On SurePayroll's Website

Gusto

Monthly pricing

From $40 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

Not offered

Best onboarding software in 2024 (2)

On Gusto's Website

Paycor

Monthly pricing

From $99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

14 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (3)

On Paycor's Website

Paychex

Monthly pricing

From $35 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

30 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (4)

On Paychex's Website

Methodology

To help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) choose the best onboarding software, we evaluated 33 top providers and 54 distinct plan options using more than 3,000 data points to develop a ranked list. We assessed each onboarding tool’s features and functionalities, value and pricing, support services and customer/user reviews. We then assigned our Editors’ Score to the top 14 options from our ranked list, before narrowing the list to the 10 best. Read our full methodology.

Show summary

  • Zoho People

    : Best onboarding software for small businesses

  • TriNet

    : Best for streamlining the onboarding process

  • UZIO

    : Best for labor compliance

  • Gusto

    : Best for offering benefits or running payroll

  • Paycor

    : Best for industry-specific hiring and onboarding

  • SAP SuccessFactors

    : Best for enterprise-level onboarding and HR functionality

  • OmniHR

    : Best for modular pricing

  • GoCo

    : Best for dedicated customer support

  • UKG

    : Best for reporting

  • Paycom

    : Best for employee-driven technology

Zoho People

Best onboarding software for small businesses

Starting price

$1.50 per user per month

Free trial?

Yes

Support channels

Live chat (with premium support), phone and email

Best onboarding software in 2024 (5)

4.2/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

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From participating partners

Why we picked it

If you’re a small-business owner, you might already know Zoho from one of its other highly affordable business solutions. It offers tools to assist with a host of business processes, from sales and marketing to IT management and, of course, HR (in the form of Zoho People).

Onboarding tools are just part of Zoho People’s full-featured HR solution. Starting at $1.50 per user per month — the lowest-priced option on our list of best onboarding software — Zoho People’s Essential HR plan also gives you access to an employee self-service portal, time-off management and basic reports. Zoho People’s more advanced plans give you access to more HR tools, like attendance tracking, timesheets and performance management tools. Even Zoho People’s highest-tier plan is competitively priced: At $10 per user per month, it has the same price tag as the starting cost of the #2 provider on our list.

Focusing solely on its onboarding component, Zoho People allows managers to automate workflows for new hires. With its offer letter management tools, HR teams can digitally send offer letters, company policies and tax forms for new hires to complete and e-sign. The onboarding experience is customizable for new hires, allowing the team to modify the process based on role or experience level. And Zoho People’s reporting tools show you how far everyone needs to go until their onboarding process is complete.

However, while Zoho People receives highly positive reviews overall, it consistently gets dinged for its customer support. While Zoho’s Classic Support package is included free with all plans, it’s fairly limited, offering phone support only for critical requests and promising email responses within eight hours. Upgrading to the next tier of support gives users access to live chat, less limited phone support, faster email response time windows and a technical account manager. But its $114 per month price tag might deter those who were attracted to Zoho People for its low cost.

Pros

  • Lowest cost per user of all onboarding solutions on our list
  • Full HR suite in addition to onboarding tools
  • Direct integration with other Zoho tools

Cons

  • Basic support gets lackluster reviews
  • Enhanced customer support is expensive
  • Its many features can make it feel hard to set up

Who should use it

For small businesses that need onboarding basics at a very low cost, Zoho People is an obvious answer. It’s half as expensive as the onboarding software from the next-lowest priced provider on our list, offering a full suite of HR tools at a fraction of the cost of competitors.

TriNet

Best for streamlining the onboarding process

Starting price

$10 per employee per month

Free trial?

Yes

Support channels

Phone, live chat and email

Why we picked it

TriNet is an HR solution that claims its process allows 80% of new hires to complete onboarding before their first day of work. Its HR platform starts at $10 per employee per month for the Essentials package, which allows you to digitally onboard new hires through automated processes. With an emphasis on self-service and mobile tools, TriNet is a great choice if you want a streamlined, efficient onboarding process.

New employees can access their offer letters, tax forms and background checks and even receive login credentials for other systems through TriNet’s employee self-service portal. And you can keep the entire process paper-free with digital offer letters and e-signatures. Onboarding tools integrate with the rest of TriNet’s HR suite, which includes org charts, time-off tracking, reporting and a mobile app for employees and admins.

TriNet’s higher-level plans add modules for people analytics (powered by AI), performance management, employee engagement and payroll, among others. It also offers an outsourced HR manager service that handles the roles of a typical HR department, including managing employee onboarding, for $50 per employee per month.

Pros

  • Easy to use for employees and administrators
  • Strong self-service and mobile features
  • AI-powered analytics for easier data insights (starting with second paid plan)

Cons

  • More expensive than other self-service HR platforms
  • Plans require a five-employee minimum
  • Users frustrated by poor customer service considering the cost

Who should use it

TriNet’s easy-to-use self-service HR platform is a strong option for businesses looking to streamline their onboarding process. It offers mobile tools, allowing onboarding “on the go,” and claims most new hires complete onboarding before their first day of work with its tools. However, its plans require a five-employee minimum and don’t match the pricing of several of the other providers on our list, so small businesses on a budget may prefer something different.

UZIO

Best for labor compliance

Starting price

$4.50 per employee per month

Free trial?

Yes

Support channels

Phone, email

Best onboarding software in 2024 (7)

4/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

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From participating partners

Why we picked it

UZIO’s HRIS platform starts at $4.50 per employee per month. It includes onboarding tools (document tracking, employee self-service, automated task assignments, etc.), as well as PTO and document management. UZIO claims its onboarding process takes less than 30 minutes for new employees. However, if you run into issues, UZIO’s recently launched AI Copilot can assist you with setup questions and automate HR tasks.

But while AI is flashy, its real standout feature is something most of us don’t consider all that innovative: compliance. UZIO’s Core compliance package, included free with every plan, offers an HR assessment for businesses, law alerts and a compliance dashboard. Businesses with more complex needs can upgrade to UZIO’s Basic compliance plan, which costs $50 per month. The upgraded plan includes access to a compliance calendar and library, HR document templates, webinars and more.

Pros

  • AI-powered assistance for fast setup and implementation
  • Offers advanced compliance tracking packages
  • Is easy to use and has great customer service

Cons

  • HRIS plan lacks some advanced features
  • Employee self-service portal not available with HRIS plan
  • Offers limited integrations compared to competitors

Who should use it

Small businesses that want to stay updated with the latest labor laws or who have complex compliance needs should consider UZIO. However, businesses that want to integrate their onboarding software with other tools they use might want to consider a solution with a bigger integration marketplace.

Gusto

Best for offering benefits or running payroll

Starting price

$40 + $6 per user per month

Free trial?

No

Support channels

Live chat, phone and email

Best onboarding software in 2024 (8)

4/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

Learn More

On Gusto’s website

Why we picked it

Gusto’s Simple plan is priced at $40 per month plus $6 per employee per month. That’s quite a jump in cost from the providers previously covered in our list, but Gusto is primarily a payroll and benefits software product. It offers full-service payroll — including unlimited payroll runs and federal, state and local tax filings — and Gusto-brokered health insurance administration, along with employee profiles, reporting and other features.

Basic onboarding tools, such as offer letter templates, e-signatures and onboarding checklists, are included in the entry-level plan, with more advanced tools, such as customizable checklists and software provisioning, offered in Gusto’s next-level plan. The onboarding features aren’t numerous, but if you’re looking for payroll software anyway, Gusto might provide what you need.

Pros

  • Very easy to use
  • Offers the ability to manage employee benefits and payroll
  • Free account setup

Cons

  • Offers onboarding tools, but that’s not its main purpose
  • No free trial
  • Pricier than basic HR/onboarding software

Who should use it

Small businesses that just want simple onboarding software should look elsewhere. However, those that want payroll and benefits software that also includes onboarding tools should consider Gusto.

Read more about Gusto with our Gusto pricing guide and Rippling vs. Gusto comparison.

Paycor

Best for industry-specific hiring and onboarding

Starting price

Undisclosed

Free trial?

Yes

Support channels

Live chat and phone

Best onboarding software in 2024 (9)

3.8/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

Learn More

On Paycor’s Website

Why we picked it

Similar to Gusto, Paycor’s main focus is payroll rather than onboarding. In fact, Paycor’s Basic plan doesn’t even offer onboarding tools. Users have to upgrade to its Essential plan to access those, which include digital offer letters, employee self-service, document management, tax form management and task tracking. It touts its hiring and onboarding tools as being customizable for specific industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, food service and professional services.

In addition to onboarding tools, Paycor’s Essential plan gives users access to payroll management, time-off and benefits management, compliance, analytics and recruiting tools.

Paycor doesn’t publicly disclose its pricing. However, its full suite of offerings closely resembles Gusto. So if you get a personalized quote, comparing it to Gusto’s $40-plus per month price tag could be a good place to start.

Pros

  • Provides integrated payroll and benefits management
  • Customizable system allows for industry-specific hiring and onboarding
  • Once configured, the system is easy to use

Cons

  • Onboarding is a small piece of its solution
  • Non-transparent pricing
  • Customer reviews mention that support is lacking

Who should use it

Businesses that need specialized, industry-specific hiring and onboarding processes could benefit from Paycor’s customizable solution. However, its prioritization of payroll and compliance features might make it a more complex system than small businesses focused on hiring are looking for.

SAP SuccessFactors

Best for enterprise-level onboarding and HR functionality

Starting price

$91 per transaction per year

Free trial?

No

Support channels

Live chat

Best onboarding software in 2024 (10)

3.8/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

Compare Quotes

From participating partners

Why we picked it

SuccessFactors Onboarding is SAP’s onboarding tool. The tool is highly customizable, giving HR teams the ability to configure and automate the onboarding process from start to finish for each employee. In addition to offering standard onboarding features, such as document management, employee self-service and analytics, SuccessFactors supports cross-boarding and offboarding. With these features, your HR team can support employees through promotions and role changes as well as departures from the company.

Pricing for SAP SuccessFactors Onboarding is $91 per transaction per year, with transaction defined as “any message, job, action, response and/or task processed via the Cloud Service.” This atypical pricing could make it difficult to estimate monthly costs until customers have used the system for several months to calculate an average. The pricing, along with SAP’s blue-chip clients and reputation as a well-known ERP (enterprise resourcing planning) provider, make it a good fit for medium-sized businesses experiencing growth or those interested in enterprise-level functionality.

Pros

  • Highly customizable to suit the needs of your team
  • Part of an extensive ecosystem of business software
  • Customers rate support and implementation highly

Cons

  • Likely an overwhelming system for small businesses
  • Non-standard pricing structure makes cost estimation difficult
  • Some user reviews cite difficulty integrating the software with other platforms

Who should use it

While a business of any size could benefit from using SAP SuccessFactors’ powerful platform, its system and complex (and perhaps expensive) pricing could overwhelm small businesses. For small businesses looking for onboarding software, there are cheaper, more lightweight solutions on the market. That said, if your business is on the medium-sized end of the spectrum and growing, SAP SuccessFactors is a solid, well-regarded software ecosystem to explore.

OmniHR

Best for modular pricing

Starting price

$3.45 per employee per month

Free trial?

Yes

Support channels

Live chat, phone and email

Best onboarding software in 2024 (11)

3.8/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

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From participating partners

Why we picked it

Starting at $3.45 per employee per month, OmniHR re-enters the realm of pricing that’s more realistic for budget-conscious small businesses. Its workflow automation tools allow HR teams to create and assign onboarding processes to employees and then track the process digitally to ensure everything gets done correctly and on time. Integrations with Slack and Microsoft Teams also allow managers to send reminders and communicate with new hires using internal tools.

An employee database that supports onboarding and employee self-service is a succinct but accurate description of OmniHR. You can build out your instance of the system by purchasing add-on modules at an additional cost. These tools include time-off and attendance tracking, performance management and payroll.

While OmniHR has a far lower price tag than systems like Gusto and SAP, using additional modules can add up. Purchasing all its additional tools to make OmniHR a more full-featured HR system brings its price tag to about $12 per employee per month.

Pros

  • Modular solution means you only pay for features you need
  • Offers customization even for basic subscriptions
  • Subscription comes with dedicated customer success manager

Cons

  • Doesn’t offer as many features compared to similarly priced tools
  • Customer support team works Asian business hours
  • Early stages of development (founded in 2021)

Who should use it

Small businesses looking to only pay for the tools they want with straightforward, modular pricing will appreciate OmniHR’s offering. The Core plan offers basic features for $3.45 per user per month, with six add-on modules available for $1.15 to $2.30 per user per month each. However, those looking for a more full-featured HR solution — without purchasing additional modules — should consider other options.

GoCo

Best for dedicated customer support

Starting price (monthly)

$5 per employee

Free trial?

No

Support channels

Phone and email

Best onboarding software in 2024 (12)

3.6/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

Compare Quotes

From participating partners

Why we picked it

GoCo’s Premium HR solution starts at $5 per employee per month and includes onboarding tools like employee self-service, document management, progress tracking and automatic customization of offer letters. The full entry-level solution also offers org charts, PTO tracking, employee satisfaction surveys, reporting and integrations with about 100 tools, including QuickBooks, Google Calendar and Slack. Higher-level plans offer payroll and/or benefits administration.

Every GoCo customer gets a dedicated client success manager, alongside client success specialists and training specialists. Moreover, your employees can have their questions answered by a client success analyst.

GoCo’s pricing isn’t fully transparent on its site, with just a brief notation saying plans start at $5 per employee per month. It’s unclear if there is a base price in addition to the per-employee price, and GoCo’s add-ons — which include tools like performance management, advanced workflows and compliance tracking — have no pricing information. You must get a custom quote from the sales team.

Pros

  • Access to multiple dedicated support specialists
  • Add-ons allow you to pick the tools you need
  • Offers nearly 100 integrations with other tools

Cons

  • No free trial
  • Pricing not fully transparent on website
  • HR compliance only available as an add-on

Who should use it

If dedicated support is a key driver of your purchasing decision, GoCo is a good option for you. The provider offers dedicated success managers, success specialists and training specialists for its clients and success analysts for your employees. You have lifetime access to the training specialists, meaning that you can request training for a new HR team member even after implementation is complete.

UKG

Best for reporting

Starting price (monthly)

Undisclosed

Free trial?

No

Support channels

Live chat and phone

Best onboarding software in 2024 (13)

3.5/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

Compare Quotes

From participating partners

Why we picked it

UKG is the result of a 2020 rebrand and merger between Ultimate Software and time-tracking giant Kronos. It offers full-featured HR management solutions for both small (UKG Ready) and large (UKG Pro) businesses. The UKG Ready package offers users access to HR tools, payroll management, time and attendance tracking and custom reports.

UKG Ready’s onboarding tools allow managers to customize the onboarding process based on new employees’ roles. It also offers the option to connect new hires with in-house mentors for higher employee engagement. Both managers and mentors can view new employees’ progress on their onboarding checklists to ensure they’re on track and have access to the right resources. Prior to their first day, new hires can access a preboarding portal that houses forms and company information (videos, documents, links, etc.) all in one place.

Unlike many of its competitors, UKG Ready allows users to build custom reports in its basic plan; it also offers over 150 prebuilt reporting options. Built-in data visualizations make those reports easy to digest, even for managers who aren’t data wizards. And managers can schedule them to be sent out regularly to the appropriate team members.

Pros

  • UKG Ready is designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)
  • Full-featured HR solution, including payroll
  • Offers custom and prebuilt reporting in its standard plan

Cons

  • Customers have experienced difficulty with support since the 2020 merger
  • Lack of transparency around pricing
  • No free trial

Who should use it

Businesses that want visibility in their people operations should consider UKG for its custom reports. The ability to allow mentors to see their mentees’ progress also creates an atmosphere that makes success in the workplace a team effort.

Paycom

Best for employee-driven technology

Starting price (monthly)

Undisclosed

Free trial?

No

Support channels

Undisclosed

Best onboarding software in 2024 (14)

3.4/5

Our rating considers features, value for money, customer support and ease of use. Ratings are assigned exclusively by our editorial team.

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From participating partners

Why we picked it

As you might have guessed from the name, Paycom started out as a payroll solution in 1998. Now, it offers a full-featured HR platform with payroll, talent acquisition and management (including onboarding) and HR and time management.

Paycom’s paperless onboarding tools offer managers and new hires a fully digital onboarding experience that allows them to complete critical onboarding tasks before their first day on the job. Checklists and e-signatures help keep the onboarding process on track. The tools also allow managers to onboard contractors, in addition to full-time employees.

As with many of the providers on this list, Paycom’s onboarding features include a self-service tool so employees can take control of the process. However, that employee-driven focus expands beyond onboarding. The provider is known for its Beti payroll app, which lets employees review, fix and approve payroll before it’s processed (with final signoff/approval from your HR team, of course).

Pros

  • Allows new hires to complete paperwork before their first day at work
  • Platform can be customized based on industry needs
  • Innovative approach to payroll puts employees in charge

Cons

  • Lack of transparency around software packages and pricing
  • No free trial
  • Poor support frustrates some customers

Who should use it

Paycom’s employee-driven tools, particularly the Beti payroll app, make it a solid choice for SMBs looking to streamline their processes by offloading more responsibility to their employees. However, businesses only seeking onboarding capabilities might be overwhelmed by the number of features the system offers.

We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.

Featured Offers

SurePayroll

Monthly pricing

From $29.99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

6 Months

Best onboarding software in 2024 (15)

On SurePayroll's Website

Gusto

Monthly pricing

From $40 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

Not offered

Best onboarding software in 2024 (16)

On Gusto's Website

Paycor

Monthly pricing

From $99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

14 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (17)

On Paycor's Website

Paychex

Monthly pricing

From $35 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

30 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (18)

On Paychex's Website

Compare top onboarding software

CompanyStar ratingStarting priceFree trial?Support channels

Zoho People

4.2

$1.50/employee per month

Yes

Live chat (with Premium support), phone, email

TriNet

4.1

$10/employee per month

Yes

Live chat, phone, email

UZIO

4

$4.50/employee per month

Yes

Phone, email

Gusto

4

$40 + $6/employee per month

No

Live chat, phone, email

Paycor

3.8

Undisclosed

Yes

Live chat, phone

SAP SuccessFactors

3.8

$91/transaction per year

No

Live chat

OmniHR

3.8

$3.45/employee per month

Yes

Live chat, phone, email

GoCo

3.6

$5/employee per month

No

Phone, email

UKG

3.5

Undisclosed

No

Live chat, phone

Paycom

3.4

Undisclosed

No

Undisclosed

What is onboarding software?

Onboarding software is the suite of tools that helps companies add new hires to their teams. It automates tasks like filling out paperwork, learning about the company and its policies, submitting tax information and gaining access to critical work tools.

In short, onboarding software helps companies make sure new hires have everything they need to feel prepared and productive from their first day. It is often included as part of a broader HR software suite.

Benefits of onboarding software

Hiring involves tons of paperwork and tasks that can be difficult to track manually, even for the most organized HR administrator. Onboarding software eliminates some of the stress associated with hiring by making tedious tasks easy and/or automated. Here are some of onboarding software’s main benefits:

  • Decrease in manual paperwork — and physical paper: Most modern onboarding software gives you the ability to digitize many of the forms new hires need to fill out. It also typically offers e-signature capabilities so new hires can officially sign those documents. Once they’re signed and reviewed, they can be filed away in the cloud for easy access — not stuck in a dusty file cabinet.
  • Better compliance: Employees fill out all those forms for a reason, often related to compliance. With digital copies of employee forms, you can ensure they don’t get lost, physically damaged or even physically stolen.
  • More visibility into the onboarding process: The ability to see where your hires are in their onboarding journey allows you to give nudges when needed or identify bottlenecks in your processes. It also allows administrators to focus their time on new employees who might need help rather than checking in on those who are flying through the onboarding process.
  • Increased employee engagement: A good onboarding process can make employees feel more loyal to the business that hires them. By providing employees with access to the people, tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively, onboarding software can help new hires feel comfortable in the workplace.

Essential onboarding software features

A good onboarding system will offer the following basic features:

  • Document management: Paperwork is the foundation of hiring. At the very least, onboarding software should allow you to receive, store and retrieve critical employee documents.
  • Employee self-service: Self-service portals allow employees to fill out and submit documents, view company policies and even manage benefits on their own.
  • Reporting and analytics: Without visibility into your onboarding data, it will be difficult to make sure everything is going smoothly. Solid reporting tools help you better understand your onboarding process so you can make improvements where needed.
  • Customization capabilities: While the basics of onboarding are likely the same for most businesses, every company has its quirks. A good onboarding solution will give you the option to customize workflows so they fit with your existing processes.

How much does onboarding software cost?

Onboarding software is typically priced by the number of employees in your system. However, some systems — particularly those that offer payroll or other services — will charge a flat fee for access to their platform or charge by frequency of use.

Of the systems on our list, the cost of basic HR tools (including onboarding) ranges from $1.50 per employee per month to $10 per employee per month. So, for a small company of 10 employees, that’s $15 to $100 per month. Many HR solutions offer add-ons for specific features like time tracking or performance management. These add-ons can drive up the monthly cost of onboarding software. In addition, the next tier of HR tools typically involves adding benefits and payroll management. Solutions that offer these advanced features are more expensive than basic HR or onboarding platforms.

Other important considerations

Outside of principal features and cost, there are a few other things you should keep in mind when selecting onboarding software for your business:

  • Ease of use: HR solutions are essentially large databases that are historically difficult to navigate. Make sure your onboarding tools are easy to use and that your team receives proper training from your software vendor.
  • Customer support: Large databases like HR solutions can get complicated quickly. When you hit a snag, it’s important to know that you can get support from a helpful, informed team of professionals.
  • Security: Onboarding new employees involves collecting a lot of sensitive information like Social Security numbers and addresses. Make sure your onboarding software has implemented proper security measures to keep your employees’ data safe.

Methodology: How we evaluated onboarding software

To help business owners, managers and HR teams find the best onboarding software, we researched top onboarding tools using a specific set of desired data points. After we collected this data, we narrowed our list to 33 unique providers based on six primary categories encompassing 35 different metrics. We weighted each metric based on what matters most for SMBs. Using the final score for each onboarding tool, we selected the 10 that rose to the top for this list.

We assigned each onboarding software an Editors’ Score encompassing four key areas before converting final scores to a star rating out of five. This score does not affect our selection methodology or assessment of key data points for ultimate list inclusion.

Here’s how our methodology breaks down:

Onboarding and related features (30%)

Many of these providers offer a plethora of general HR tools, so we weighted onboarding and related features quite heavily to generate this list. For this category, we looked at the availability of an employee portal, tax document storage, alerts and reminders, and feedback functionality, among other features.

Pricing and value (20%)

Every decision small businesses make is influenced by cost and the overall value for your spend (i.e., ROI). This category’s weighting reflects that reality. We considered factors such as pricing transparency, free trial availability and plan costs (month-to-month and annual).

Additional features (20%)

We wanted to consider what else the software offers beyond the necessary onboarding functions. This includes core HR features (employee database, org charts, employee handbook, reporting, etc.), as well as e-signature functionality, learning management tools, automated workflows and offboarding.

Customer reviews (10%)

Businesses shouldn’t decide on an onboarding tool without considering real-world user experience. For this category, we considered the aggregate rating for each service from users on third-party review websites G2, Capterra and Trustpilot. We also looked at App Store and Play Store ratings for providers that offer mobile apps.

Service and support (10%)

Small-business owners can’t afford to waste time on difficult-to-use tools. For this category, we looked at how easy it is for users of these onboarding tools to get the support they need, whether via live chat, phone, email or an online knowledge base.

Editors’ Score (10%)

Our Editors’ Score for the best onboarding software for small businesses considered four key factors: included features, value for money, popularity and ease of use. After we ranked the software using metrics associated with each of the above categories, we evaluated those at the top of our ranked list and assigned each a grade on a scale from terrible to excellent (each descriptor is associated with a numerical value). The final score (inclusive of our Editors’ Score) was then converted into a star rating (where zero stars is the lowest possible score, and five is the max).

We receive compensation from our partners for Featured Offer placements, which impacts how and where their offer is displayed.

Featured Offers

SurePayroll

Monthly pricing

From $29.99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

6 Months

Best onboarding software in 2024 (19)

On SurePayroll's Website

Gusto

Monthly pricing

From $40 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

Not offered

Best onboarding software in 2024 (20)

On Gusto's Website

Paycor

Monthly pricing

From $99 plus $5 per employee

Free trial

14 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (21)

On Paycor's Website

Paychex

Monthly pricing

From $35 plus $6 per employee

Free trial

30 days

Best onboarding software in 2024 (22)

On Paychex's Website

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The best onboarding software should offer the basic features mentioned above, such as document management, self-service, analytics and customization. Ultimately, the best onboarding software will fit with your company’s current processes and allow you to welcome new employees effectively.

Cloud-based onboarding software with employee self-service portals can be accessed from anywhere. By using onboarding software, you can onboard remote employees very similarly to in-office employees no matter where they’re located.

First and foremost, a good onboarding process is compliant with all labor laws. It should clearly communicate what an employee needs to do to complete the onboarding process — which documents they need to turn in, who they need to meet with and which systems they should access. Finally, it should provide a sense of community, whether new employees are in-person or remote. A good onboarding process will share critical information about company culture and connect employees with the people and resources they need to be successful.

Although you may hear of onboarding being completed very quickly or before a new hire even starts, that’s generally just referring to filling out and submitting all the required documents. More broadly, onboarding typically takes three to six months. That includes integrating employees into your culture, making them comfortable in their roles, ensuring they have all the resources they need to succeed and more

Best onboarding software in 2024 (2024)
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