Ikaroa Partners
Best HR & Payroll Software (2026)
Compare the top HR and payroll platforms for growing businesses. From employee management to global payroll, find the right solution for your team.
Reviewed by the Ikaroa team · Last updated: March 2026
All HR & Payroll Tools Reviewed
BambooHR
Top RatedBambooHR is a leading HR software platform designed for small to medium businesses. It centralises employee data, time-off management, onboarding, performance reviews, and reporting into one intuitive system. Known for its clean interface and focus on making HR processes less painful for growing companies.
Gusto
Gusto is a modern payroll and HR platform that simplifies paying employees, filing taxes, and managing benefits. Known for its delightful user experience and full-service payroll, it handles everything from direct deposits and tax filings to health insurance and retirement plans. Primarily focused on the US market.
Deel
Deel is a global payroll and compliance platform that enables businesses to hire and pay employees and contractors in over 150 countries. It handles local compliance, contracts, tax withholding, and payments, removing the complexity of international hiring. One of the fastest-growing HR tech companies globally.
Remote
Remote is a global employment platform that helps businesses hire, manage, and pay employees and contractors worldwide. Like Deel, it offers Employer of Record (EOR) services, but Remote owns its own entities in every country rather than using third-party partners, which can provide better consistency and pricing.
Rippling
Rippling is a workforce management platform that unifies HR, IT, and Finance into a single system. Beyond payroll and benefits, it manages device provisioning, app access, expense management, and more. Known for its automation engine that connects employee data across all business systems.
Personio
Personio is a European HR platform designed for small to medium businesses. It covers the entire employee lifecycle from recruiting and onboarding to payroll preparation and offboarding. Built with European compliance in mind, it handles GDPR, local labour laws, and multi-country requirements natively.
CharlieHR
CharlieHR is a UK-built HR platform designed specifically for small businesses. It handles onboarding, time off, performance reviews, and employee engagement with a focus on being simple and delightful to use. Popular with UK startups and small teams for its affordable pricing and genuinely useful features.
Breathe
Breathe is a UK HR software platform designed for SMEs with up to 250 employees. It simplifies core HR tasks including holiday management, sickness tracking, document storage, and reporting. Known for its simplicity and focus on making people management less time-consuming for small business owners.
HR & Payroll Software at a Glance
| Platform | Starting Price | Free Plan | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | From £4.50/employee/month | No | Small to medium businesses wanting intuitive HR software wit... | ★ 4.4 |
| Gusto | £30/month + £5/person | No | US-based small businesses wanting simple, full-service payro... | ★ 4.3 |
| Deel | £38/contractor/month | No | Companies hiring internationally who need compliant global p... | ★ 4.4 |
| Remote | £24/contractor/month | No | Companies wanting global employment with owned entities in e... | ★ 4.3 |
| Rippling | From £7/user/month | No | Growing companies wanting unified HR, IT, and Finance manage... | ★ 4.4 |
| Personio | From £3/employee/month | No | European SMEs wanting compliant HR software covering the ful... | ★ 4.2 |
| CharlieHR | £4/employee/month | No | UK small businesses and startups wanting simple, affordable ... | ★ 4.1 |
| Breathe | From £13/month | No | UK SMEs wanting simple, affordable HR software for holiday a... | ★ 4 |
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