If you’re managing a growing team, you may be looking for an HR platform that keeps operations simple and efficient. The right tool can save time, reduce complexity, and support your team’s growth. 

Rippling is an HR system that offers a solution for various human capital management (HCM) needs. But is it the right choice for your team’s unique requirements?

This review looks at  Rippling’s key features, pricing structure, and user feedback to help you make an informed decision. We’ll also highlight top alternatives to Rippling, comparing their capabilities to ensure you find the best fit for your organization.

Key insights

  • Rippling offers an HR platform that focuses on HR, payroll, IT, and spend management, but it may be complex for smaller businesses due to limited offerings
  • HiBob provides a dynamic alternative, focusing on enhancing employee engagement and streamlining HR processes with features like onboarding automation and people analytics
  • Evaluating platform features, integration capabilities, and pricing structures across HR platforms helps leaders choose the best fit for their team

HR platforms compared at a glance

Platform Core focus Strengths
Rippling Unified HR, payroll, IT, and spend management Broad automation, centralized workforce data, device and access management, workflow customization
HiBob People-centric HR operations and insight Employee engagement, people analytics, intuitive workflows, onboarding automation, performance and feedback tools
BambooHR Core HR and people data management Centralized employee records, ATS, onboarding workflows, HR reporting
Employment Hero HR management with advisory support Built-in HR templates, payroll automation, compliance resources, AI-driven salary insights
Justworks PEO-led HR, payroll, and benefits Compliance support, benefits access, payroll administration, self-service tools
Paycom HCM with payroll-first automation Integrated payroll and talent management, employee-verified payroll (Beti), compliance support

What does Rippling HR do?

rippling logo modern design black and white, stylized waves represent connectivity and technology on branding

Rippling is an all-in-one business software platform that combines HR, payroll, IT, and spend management into a single system. Organizations often choose Rippling to centralize administration and automate workflows across employee data, devices, and financial operations.

The platform supports HR teams with core capabilities across HCM, payroll, IT, and spend management, including:

  • Onboarding and offboarding
  • Payroll management across multiple locations
  • Employee benefits administration and enrollment
  • Time tracking and attendance
  • Workforce management

Rippling review

Let’s explore Rippling’s strengths, weaknesses, and customer reviews to help you decide if Rippling is the right fit.

Rippling key features 

job application dashboard, candidate progress tracking
  • Employee graph: Connect roles, locations, and reporting structures to external tools and systems
  • Custom reporting: Create visual reports using filters, pivots, and drilldowns to present workforce insights
  • Workflow automation: Automate tasks like onboarding, equipment provisioning, and approvals with custom triggers and rules
  • Role-based policies: Enforce policies based on attributes like location or level
  • Manager permissions: Grant managers controlled access to team data

Pros: 

Some Rippling customers appreciate the platform’s: 

  • Interface: “It’s all well structured, the UX is intuitive and direct” – verified user
  • Documentation: “The self-service documentation is incredibly thorough and easy to navigate” – verified user
  • Mobile experience: “Mobile experience is solid, which is to say that I can do all the things I need to from the mobile app or from my desktop.” – verified user

Cons:

Other customers report having some trouble with: 

  • Complexity for small-mid businesses: “I definitely feel like it is designed for a larger company, so a lot of the new products that get recommended just are not useful for us.” – verified user
  • Limited integration capabilities: “Rippling does not communicate seamlessly with other software” – verified user
  • Challenging user experience for payroll: “It isn’t as straightforward when it comes to making changes or requests as some other payroll trackers I have used.” – verified user

Source: These pros and cons are compiled from reviews found on G2.

Rippling pricing

Rippling offers several plans, but customers must contact the Rippling sales team for specific pricing information. 

Rippling Platform includes:

  • Unified workforce directory
  • Global workforce analytics and dashboards
  • Onboarding and offboarding automation
  • Advanced admin and field privileges
  • Compensation bands
  • Rippling mobile app
  • Workflow Studio
  • Advanced policy management
  • Dynamic permissions and approvals management
  • Advanced document management
  • Compliance 360
  • Holiday and leave management

Rippling HR includes:

  • US and Global Payroll
  • Time and attendance
  • Benefits administration
  • Scheduling
  • Recruiting
  • Learning management
  • Headcount planning
  • Performance management
  • Surveys
  • PEO Services
  • ASO
  • Global employer of record services

Rippling IT includes:

  • Identity and access management
  • Device management
  • Inventory management

Rippling Spend includes:

  • Corporate cards
  • Expense management
  • Bill pay

Rippling reviews

As of the published date of this article, Rippling holds a 4.8/5 star ranking from customer reviews on G2. If you’re interested in a deeper exploration of individual Rippling reviews, you can access further details on several review platforms:

Best Rippling alternatives

Rippling’s features may not suit every organization’s needs. Here are some Rippling alternatives for HR leaders looking for people-first, global HR software. 

HiBob 

HiBob Logo

Global HR leaders use HiBob’s comprehensive solutions to manage essential HR functions including employee management, automated payroll processing, onboarding and offboarding, and time and attendance tracking. 

The platform empowers HR leaders to become strategic partners in the organization’s success. HR leaders can run engagement surveys, set up 360-degree performance reviews, and establish reward channels to keep teams productive and reduce turnover. 

Bob creates a welcoming environment that inspires people to engage with their peers and connect to the company’s mission and values. Team members use Bob’s social media-like platform to form a more interactive, engaged company culture

dashboard interface, team growth statistics and salary data displayed on a laptop screen

Key features: 

  • Centralized HR management: Store and manage all team member records securely in one platform for easy access and organization
  • Onboarding automation: Create personalized onboarding journeys with customized checklists, automated tasks, and welcoming workflows to support new joiners from day one
  • Time tracking and attendance: Monitor hours worked, absences, and attendance to ensure accurate payroll processing
  • Compensation planning: Manage base pay, bonuses, and equity plans for local and global teams to ensure equitable compensation management and attract top talent
  • Payroll integration: Connect seamlessly with top payroll software to ensure accurate and on-time payments
  • Recruitment tools: Simplify hiring with features for evaluating applicants, tracking candidates, scheduling interviews, and managing offer letters
  • Learning and development: Provide teammates with personalized training programs, track progress, and create interactive courses with quizzes and assessments for self-guided learning
  • Leave management: Simplify time-off requests and approvals through notifications in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the Bob app
  • Surveys: Collect meaningful feedback with customizable surveys to measure engagement and team sentiment
  • Performance reviews: Run 360-degree reviews, track progress toward goals, and deliver ongoing feedback to support individual development
  • People analytics: Access workforce insights like KPIs, attrition rates, and proactive reporting to make data-driven decisions
  • Feedback channels: Create confidential spaces for people to share concerns, provide feedback, or report issues safely
  • Workforce planning: Manage current roles, forecast future workforce needs, and streamline schedule planning 

Manage and align complex HR processes with Bob’s global, modern platform. 

Discover the power of a modern HR platform and learn firsthand how Bob can optimize your HR processes

BambooHR

bambooHR logo with green text and leaf graphic, representing HR software solutions, professional HR management branding

BambooHR is an HR platform for businesses of all sizes. It centralizes people data, streamlines payroll processing, and offers team member performance tracking. BambooHR can connect externally with over 125 integrations.

employee dashboard, vacation sick leave hours available

Key features: 

  • Data management: Centralizes records in one location
  • Applicant tracking system (ATS): Manages job postings, applications, and candidate communications
  • Onboarding automation: Customizes onboarding workflows with tasks and checklists 
  • Employee experience management: Provides eNPS surveys for gathering anonymous team satisfaction scores
  • HR data and reporting: Manages and analyzes team data 

Employment Hero

employment hero logo, business branding design

Employment Hero offers a cloud-based HR platform that handles human resources and employee management needs. The platform automates various HR processes, including onboarding, payroll processing, compliance management, and benefits administration.

It also offers an HR advisory service with support, tools, templates, and protection resources for smaller businesses.

hiring-dashboard, candidate-listing-senior-project-manager

Key features: 

  • Core HR management: Manages built-in contracts, policies, and HR templates 
  • SmartMatch: Shares real-time salary data and market insights using AI
  • Hero AI: Offers a virtual assistant to reply to team member FAQs 
  • Shift management: Allows people to swap or bid on open shifts and receive email notifications when shifts are assigned 

Justworks

Justworks is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that provides small and medium-sized businesses with resources to manage HR, payroll, compliance, and benefits. HR teams can use the Justworks platform to manage their own HR workflows or outsource administrative tasks. 

Key features: 

  • Payroll processing: Automates payroll for team members and contractors
  • Benefits administration: Provides access to health insurance plans, 401(k) retirement options, and other benefits
  • Compliance support: Assists with adherence to federal, state, and local employment regulations
  • Self-service: Allows people to access pay stubs, manage personal information, and request time off through an online portal

Paycom

paycom logo with green gradient symbol and bold text, representing payroll and HR solutions, payroll software provider logo

Paycom is an HCM platform that integrates payroll, talent acquisition, talent management, time and labor management, and HR management. Its HR management platform helps automate HR processes to reduce workload, streamline benefits enrollment, support compliance, and streamline reporting.

employee dashboard showing changes, logins, and usage scores, data insights with charts, tables, and performance metrics

Key features: 

  • Beti: Helps people identify and correct paycheck errors before payroll submission 
  • Talent management: Facilitates performance reviews with auto-assigned training and measure progress
  • Feedback: Schedules feedback surveys and checklists 

Choose the best Rippling alternative for HR operations 

Rippling’s suite of tools can be valuable for organizations seeking a single system that spans HR, IT, and finance. However, some teams look for alternatives when their primary focus is people operations, employee engagement, and ease of adoption across the organization.

In these cases, HR leaders often evaluate platforms that offer strong people analytics, intuitive workflows, and tools designed to support culture, performance, and alignment without the added complexity of managing IT infrastructure.

For businesses looking for a more complete solution, consider Bob. HR leaders use HiBob’s platform to access practical tools they rely on daily, such as onboarding automation, review mechanisms, time tracking, and more. Every feature reduces manual workload so your team can focus on strategic initiatives and give the team their full attention.

Bob scales with you as your business grows so you can refocus your efforts on what matters most—your people.

Discover the power of a modern HR platform and learn firsthand how Bob can optimize your HR processes

Disclaimer: 

This content reflects HiBob’s perspective, informed by our experience supporting HR teams as they evaluate and implement HR software. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as independent research or professional advice. Prospective users should conduct their own evaluation before making a decision.

Feature descriptions, pricing references, and availability for third-party platforms are based on publicly available information at the time of publication and may change. HiBob does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of information related to third-party products. Prospective users should verify details directly with each provider.

Rippling FAQs

Does Rippling track you?

Rippling has time and attendance tracking features that monitor when and where people clock in and out using GPS. It also offers device management so you can see to whom the device is registered and its current status.

Is Rippling the right choice for your organization?

Determining whether Rippling warrants the investment depends on your organization’s specific needs. Rippling may work for large enterprises needing HR and IT tools, device management, and payroll in one platform. However, it can be expensive and limiting for teams needing third-party payroll integrations or fully customizable workflows. 

HR leaders use platforms like Bob daily, delivering immediate value without having to pay for extra features. This leads to a higher return on investment from the start.

Does Rippling have a scheduling tool?

Yes, Rippling includes a scheduling tool that allows managers to create, assign, and adjust work schedules. For teams looking for additional scheduling and attendance tracking tools, consider Bob. HR leaders use Bob to automate shift assignments and track attendance patterns for better workforce planning and fewer scheduling conflicts. 


Madeline Hogan

From Madeline Hogan

Madeline Hogan is a content writer specializing in human resources solutions and strategies. If she's not finishing up her latest article, you can find her baking a new dessert recipe, reading, or hiking with her husband and puppy.