Human resources (HR) software takes the workload off you by automating HR tasks. Most providers have downloadable HR apps for mobile devices, enabling you and your employees to access HR tools from anywhere.
The best HR apps offer time and paid time off (PTO) tracking, scheduling, and employee information management functionalities and allow users to view and input data for timesheets, benefits enrollment, and online onboarding. Some also offer pay processing, hiring, and collaboration tools.
In this guide, we evaluated 12 human resource apps and narrowed our list down to the top seven.
- BambooHR: Best overall HR app and for small businesses that just need straight HR functions
- Paychex Flex: Best for growing companies looking for mobile payroll tools
- Paycor: Best HR app for employee benefits and learning management
- Rippling: Best for managing staff communications, expenses, and business apps while on the go
- Homebase: Best for retail and restaurant businesses that hire hourly workers
- Connecteam: Best for team management (shift and job scheduling) on mobile
- Monday.com: Best for tracking recruitment and onboarding tasks
Streamline your HR needs as you grow your small business. Start your 7-day free trial today with BambooHR. |
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Top HR Apps Compared
Are you looking for something else? Read our guides on the best HR information system (HRIS)/HR management system (HRMS) software and the best HR payroll software. If you only need pay processing tools, our best payroll systems and best payroll services guides contain our top recommendations.
Quiz: Determine Your Ideal HR App
BambooHR: Best Overall HR App & for Those Needing Straight HR Functions
Pros
- Handles most HR functions right on the app
- Easy to use, intuitive
- Easy to expand software with add-ons and third-party integrations
- Offers a seven-day free trial
Cons
- Software pricing is not transparent
- Payroll, time tracking, and performance reviews cost extra
- Can get pricey as you add more features
- You need a separate app, BambooHR Hiring, to access applicant tracking tools
What We Like
If you are looking for HR software that lets you do just about everything via the mobile app, BambooHR is worth considering. It comes with a wider range of built-in self-serve tools for employees—from PTO requests to document signing. It’s also an ideal solution for small HR departments because it takes on the everyday tasks of HR management while also allowing you to automate these processes so your HR manager can concentrate on the strategic side of HR.
It earned an overall rating of 4.06 out of 5 in our evaluation. Its ease of use, good user reviews on third-party review sites (like the App Store, Google Play, G2, and Capterra), and efficient HR solutions for managing employee information, PTO, onboarding, and even hiring contributed to its high scores (4 and up) in nearly all of our criteria. It lost points due to non-transparent pricing.
BambooHR Overview
What’s great about the main software? BambooHR’s mobile app may offer a lot of HR functionalities, but its main software provides you with access to tailored workflows and advanced reporting. If you sign up for its highest plan, you get an employee satisfaction with employer net promoter scores (eNPS) report to help you learn how workers feel about their work and identify areas to improve on.
To learn more about its features, read our full BambooHR review.
Paychex Flex: Best for New & Growing Businesses Looking for Mobile Payroll Tools
Pros
- Easy to use
- Payroll runs via its mobile app
- Software has flexible payroll plans; its services can grow with your company
- Has a wide range of HR solutions (such as time tracking, learning management, payroll, and performance reviews)
Cons
- Software pricing isn’t fully transparent
- Has separate apps for different products (e.g., app for tracking time and for employee self-service tools)
- App has limited HR functions
- Time tracking is a paid add-on
What We Like
Paychex is a top payroll, HR, and professional employer organization (PEO) solution that offers highly rated mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. The backbone is its Paychex Flex payroll software, which makes it easy to pay employees either via desktop or mobile. It comes with flexible solutions that lets you manage basic to advanced HR payroll processes—ideal for those with plans to grow their small business into a midsize to large company.
Paychex made it on our list of best HR apps because of the wide range of HR solutions and dedicated payroll support that it offers. Its ease of use and popularity among users also contributed to its overall score of 4.06 out of 5. What prevented it from getting a higher rating is its limited pricing transparency. Plus, you have to get separate apps for time tracking and benefits administration.
Paychex Overview
What’s great about the main software? You get more tools for new hire onboarding, background screening, performance reviews, and learning management. Paychex Flex also comes with a library of HR and business forms, including an online employee handbook builder.
To learn more about its features, read our full Paychex Flex review.
Paycor: Best HR App for Employee Benefits & Learning Management
Pros
- Highly rated mobile app with a wide range of HR functions, such as applicant tracking and learning courses
- On-demand pay feature lets employees access earned wages before paydays
- Robust employee self-service tools for tracking time, work schedules, and benefits details
Cons
- Pricing isn’t transparent
- Mobile app logins can be glitchy at times
- In terms of scheduling, the Paycor mobile app only allows employees to view schedules; managers need the Paycor Scheduling app to create and manage staff shifts
What We Like
Paycor is excellent software for HR and payroll, and its mobile app (for iOS and Android devices) also deserves high praise. It lets employers and employees handle an excellent range of time off and HR tasks—from applicant tracking to benefits management. Employees even have easy access to on-demand pay and financial wellness tools while on the go. In addition, Paycor offers a human capital management (HCM) system with advanced features for learning and talent management.
In our evaluation, Paycor earned an overall score of 3.94 out of 5. Its feature-rich HR platform, efficient mobile app functionality, and popularity among users contributed to its high ratings. However, its non-transparent pricing cost it several points. And, while its interface is relatively easy to use, learning how to navigate through all its features may take some time—mainly because of the many HR, payroll, and employee management tools that it provides.
Paycor Overview
What’s great about the main software? Paycor has a full-featured platform designed to streamline basic to advanced HR tasks—from onboarding to performance reviews and engagement surveys. Its payroll module comes with customizable stubs and pay grids, allowing you to select pay data items for running simple to complex payroll. While it doesn’t provide dedicated payroll specialists to its clients as Paychex does, you can get one-on-one support from HR professionals if you upgrade to its higher tiers.
To learn more about its features, read our full Paycor review.
Rippling: Best for Managing Staff Communications, Expenses & Business Apps
Pros
- Modular solutions that allow you to select modules that you need (payroll, HR, and IT tools)
- Access third-party sites and business apps from Rippling’s mobile app
- Integrates with 500-plus business apps
- Offers excellent tools for managing onboarding, company-assigned computers, business software, and passwords
- Has global payroll, PEO, and employer of record (EoR) solutions
Cons
- Software pricing isn’t all transparent; can get pricey as you add more modules
- Mobile app has limited features
- Its core workforce management platform is a must-purchase module (you can’t add other solutions without it)
- Separate app for time tracking
What We Like
Rippling has solid HR, IT, and payroll tools with an extensive network of 500-plus partner systems—more robust than any of the HR applications on our list. Not only does it integrate with other software, but it also lets you access them directly from Rippling’s main dashboard and mobile app. You can even use its app to manage PTOs, communicate with employees, and track expenses, as well as securely store and share passwords with your team through its “RPass” feature.
Apart from IT tools for managing business software and company-assigned computers, Rippling provides an assortment of HR management features that assist businesses in employee onboarding, healthcare, and payroll processing. These solutions, including its user-friendly platform, contributed to its overall rating of 3.90 out of 5. However, Rippling would have ranked higher on our list if it offered fully transparent pricing and an all-in-one mobile app for all of its HR solutions.
Rippling Overview
What’s great about the main platform? Rippling’s main software offers a wider range of HR features, such as applicant tracking, job postings, employee benefits, and learning management. It also has customizable workflow automation tools, allowing you to create workflows and approvals that fit your business’ HR processing needs.
To learn more about its features, read our full Rippling review.
Homebase: Best for Retail & Restaurant Businesses That Need Basic HR Payroll Tools
Pros
- Has a free plan for one-location businesses; covers unlimited employees
- Free plan comes with time tracking, scheduling, and basic hiring tools
- Payroll is a reasonably priced add-on
- On-demand pay feature available in mobile app (allows employees to access earned wages in between paydays)
Cons
- Lacks benefits and advanced HR solutions (like learning management)
- Mobile app doesn’t have payroll processing tools (only lets employees view payslips)
- Hiring and new hire onboarding are only available in most premium plan
- Can get pricey if you subscribe to its higher tiers and payroll add-on
What We Like
If your employees work shifts, then strong scheduling software can take a lot of work off your plate. Homebase not only lets you set schedules and track time but also allows employees to request shift trades, covers, and more. It integrates with several POS systems, making it a good option for retail shops and restaurant businesses. Plus, like Paychex Flex and Paycor, it has a highly-rated mobile app with easy-to-use features.
Scoring 3.85 out of 5 in our evaluation, Homebase earned ratings of 4 and up in pricing, ease of use, and popularity among users. While it has efficient mobile app features, it didn’t get perfect marks in this criterion because its app only has time tracking, scheduling, and employee communication tools.
Homebase Overview
What’s great about the main platform? Homebase’s free plan may include hiring and job posting tools, but you can only access these through its main platform. In addition, you can’t run payroll and create custom online onboarding packets through its app—you need its full software to manage these processes.
To learn more about its features, read our full Homebase review.
Connecteam: Best for Team Management on Mobile
Pros
- Easy to set up and configure
- Handles staff scheduling and project management
- Offers a free software plan (for up to 10 users); paid plans charge a fixed monthly fee for the first 30 users
- Fully mobile features
Cons
- Lacks payroll and benefits tools
- Additional users, in excess of the first 30 employees, cost extra
- PTO management, GPS/geofence time tracking, and payroll integrations are available only in higher tiers
What We Like
If you’re looking for a mobile app to handle scheduling, employee communications, and shift and time-tracking—Connecteam may be just what you need. It even has a free plan, which is perfect for budget-constrained businesses with very small teams. With all the functions made for mobile, the software makes it easy to manage your employees, no matter where they are. However, unlike apps such as Paychex and Paycor, Connecteam does not offer payroll processing.
In our evaluation, Connecteam earned an overall rating of 3.76 out of 5. Its free plan, fully-transparent pricing, and efficient mobile app functionalities are some of the factors that contributed to its high scores of 4 and up. However, its limited HR features and lack of live phone support cost it some points.
Connecteam Overview
What’s great about the main platform? While many of Connecteam’s features are available on its mobile app, the main platform provides easier access to customization features and reports.
To learn more about its features, read our full Connecteam review.
Monday.com: Best for Tracking Recruitment & Onboarding Tasks
Pros
- Affordable plans
- Has a free forever package
- Solid task and project management tools
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Free plan only has two user seats
- Mobile app is glitchy; crashes from time to time
- Doesn’t have the usual HR features you’ll find in a traditional HR software (but its project management solutions can help you track HR tasks)
What We Like
Monday.com may not be an HR system, but its excellent work and project management functionalities can help you track various HR tasks. Let’s say you’re recruiting new employees, you can use its Kanban boards and dashboards to create, assign, and track hiring-related tasks. It even has ready-to-use HR templates (although you can also create your own) to help you monitor and manage the recruitment pipeline, new hire onboarding, and more.
In our evaluation, this provider earned an overall rating of 3.59 out of 5, with high marks (4 and up) in pricing, popularity among users, and general ease of use. And since Monday.com is a project management software, it scored the lowest in HR features because it lacks the usual HR solutions that the other providers in our list offer.
Monday.com Overview
What’s great about the main platform? While many of Monday.com’s features are available on its mobile app, using its main platform lets you navigate its tools much better—plus, you have a wider screen to view project dashboards. You also can’t change your two-factor authentication method on the app, as well as select the notification types you’d like to receive.
To learn more about its features, read our full Monday.com review.
How We Evaluated the Best Human Resource Apps
To evaluate the best HR apps, we looked for essential tools that can support users who are always on the go but still need to access solutions for managing employees. We also considered ease of use, pricing, and user reviews, as well as the HR functionalities included in the app’s main platform.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria.
20% of Overall Score
We checked to see if the provider has transparent pricing, multiple plan options, and a free tier. Those priced at $50 or less per employee monthly were also given extra points.
35% of Overall Score
We gave priority to those that offer only one app for all of its on-the-go solutions. Apps that provide more than just time tracking tools and have robust access functionalities to view, edit, and approve transactions get additional points.
25% of Overall Score
While the features of the mobile apps are important, we also considered the breadth of HR solutions available on its main platform. These tools contribute to the overall functionality of the HR system, allowing users to easily switch from using its mobile app to its desktop software and vice versa.
10% of Overall Score
We considered mobile app reviews from Google Play and the App Store, including software reviews from third-party review sites (like G2 and Capterra), based on a 5-star scale. Any option with an average of 4-plus stars is ideal.
10% of Overall Score
We considered interface, integration options, online how-to guides, and live phone support when compiling this score.
How to Choose the Best HR App?
When looking for a mobile HR app for your business, consider the following factors:
- Features: Take stock of the HR features you want to access via the mobile app. Let’s say you’re always hiring, then look for HR apps that have applicant tracking and communication tools. For those with hourly-paid or remote workers, it’s best to have mobile time tracking tools to help you capture clock ins/outs.
- Ease of use and accessibility: You want an HR mobile app that is simple to set up, intuitive, user-friendly, and can be used on either Android or iOS devices.
- Support: Check if the mobile app comes with help functions, such as in-app how-to guides or an online chat. This way, you or your HR team can focus more on business-building strategies and spend less time answering queries from employees on how to use the app.
- Security: Check if the mobile app comes with two-factor authentication and other security protocols.
- Your budget: Check if the HR system you want is within your budget. Most apps are free to download, but you have to pay monthly software fees to access its functionalities. Note that you may also need to upgrade to its higher tiers if you want advanced HR solutions and customization options.
Best HR Apps Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
An HR app is a lightweight version of an HR system that you can download on mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones. It lets you access core HR solutions while on the go. These HR tools often include staff scheduling, PTO and time tracking, pay processing, and basic employee information management.
With an HR mobile app, you can easily access HR tools and information through tablets and smartphones at any time and place—provided an internet connection is available. This makes it convenient for both employers and employees to do HR tasks (such as clocking in/out, accessing payroll and tax forms, and scheduling work shifts) without having to use a computer or laptop to log into an HR system.
Bottom Line
In finding the right payroll solution or HR system, there is no single mobile app that can take the place of good HR software. Even software with excellent apps still has functions best done on a computer. Nonetheless, many HR and payroll services are developing apps that make it easy to do the most important tasks from your phone, allowing you to get the job done whether you’re in the office or on the beach.
Our recommendation for the best HR app is BambooHR. It has a full-featured platform and is overall a great solution for businesses that want to access basic to advanced HR tools—from tracking applicants and processing payroll to providing employees access to payslips and benefits information. It also comes with employee well-being surveys, allowing you to dig deep into the factors affecting staff engagement, happiness, and motivation at work.
Sign up for a BambooHR plan and download its mobile app today.