Rippling Review: The Only HR System You’ll Ever Need?

Based on expert testing, Rippling is actually our top-rated payroll software, thanks to strong features, customizability, and its ability to pay employees internationally – a strength that few payroll solutions offer.

The service can handle typical payroll needs, from holidays to deductions or off-cycle payments, and it will also file state and local payroll taxes. It offers users great educational resources and good support options including phone and email, but it's worth noting this isn't 24/7. Our researchers gave it 4.6/5 points overall, our highest score for payroll software.

Read on for a full look at Rippling's core features and why they matter. Once you're ready, you can gather a free quote for Rippling Payroll.

In this review:

• What Is Rippling and How Does It Work?
• Rippling – Quick Fact-File
• Is Rippling Right for Your Business?
• Rippling Review – Key Features
• How Does Rippling Compare With Other Providers?
• Our Methodology
• Final Thoughts – Is Rippling Worth It?
• FAQs

What Is Rippling and How Does It Work?

Rippling offers a feature-rich payroll and human resources (HR) system that can pay employees all over the world. It is our top pick for the best payroll software.

Users can customize which features are included in their software package, including tools and benefits that many other payroll or HR solutions do not offer. Two examples of stand-out features are automated compliance breach alerts, which warn your business of labor law violations, and Implementation Managers, who give clients personalized training. Rippling does have a limitation worth mentioning: It doesn't have third-party integrations for HCM platforms including SAP and Oracle, so you'll need a custom-built solution if you need them integrated.

Rippling – Quick Fact-File

• Data security – Staying safe is key when it comes to sensitive payroll information, so we're glad to say that Rippling earned a perfect 5/5 security score for its user permissions, encryption, certifications, and lack of any data breaches for the last two years in our tests.
• Software functionality – Employees can access Rippling's software through the self-service mobile app, which includes a timeclock function, and through a web portal, which lets users view payslips).
• Payment controls – In addition to timeclocks, Rippling's tools include automatic sick day and holiday calculations, overtime (or other different pay rates), non-employee payments, and off-cycle payments. The time a payment takes to hit an employee bank account is either two or four days, depending on the plan.
• Customer support – Rippling earns a strong 4.3/5 support score, since it offers phone, email, and live chat options in addition to an online knowledge base – but does not offer 24/7 support.
• Price – Rippling charges $8 per employee per month in addition to a set monthly fee, which is available on request. It has a free demo and 12-month contract minimum, with no money-back guarantee.
• Taxes and Compliance – Rippling has great tax tools, earning it a 5/5 expertise score. It can file State and Federal taxes on your behalf, has compliance alerts, and offers resources to help you better understand taxes.
• Reporting – Rippling logs employee data in a payroll register, and supports a wide range of reports including individual employee, changes, tax, and custom reports. Your dashboard will keep you up to date on real-time data as well.

The home page on a Rippling payroll software account.

Is Rippling Right for Your Business?

If your business is looking to scale up, Rippling can save you time and money on HR administration. Common growing pains include the inability to quickly run payroll, assess payroll reports, or view attendance, as well as errors made in the process of transferring data. Rippling's global system fixes all of these issues, and it remains our top payroll software recommendation for any business, small or large.

Rippling's pricing isn't public, but the service confirms that costs will vary based on two factors: the total number of users and the feature packages you select. It's a build-your-own model that lets you add select HR functions to an overall package, with a starting price of $8 per user per month.

Does Rippling Have a Free Plan?

Rippling does not have a free plan and it doesn't offer free trials. However, businesses of any size can receive a free demo of the software. Upon request, a free 30-minute product demo will be provided, followed by a Q and A session. You can get your free demo by contacting Rippling Payroll for a quote.

Rippling Review: Key Features

Rippling's high customizability, strong data security, and large number of features make it stand out. Here are the key features to know.

Payment Controls

Rippling supports all core payment needs: you'll be able to track and offer sick pay, holidays, time tracking, multiple pay rates per employee, automated deductions, off-cycle payments, and non-employee payments, with pay runs operating automatically once they are set up. However, these tools are offered on all the top payroll software we tested.

Scalability

Rippling's global scope means that a pay run can cover those based outside of the US as easily as those within the country. This makes it a great pick for a large operation, and it's a rare benefit for payroll software: other than Rippling, Oyster HR is the only other top solution to offer international payment within its main package. Outside of an Employer of Record service, Rippling is the best tool for operating around the globe.

Training material is also offered to help businesses filled in any knowledge gaps, which is one common barrier to scaling up an operation.

A global pay run within the Rippling software.

Tax Tools

Rippling will file state and local taxes, as well as offer resources to guide you through the payroll taxes that apply to your operation. If you violate a federal or local labor law, Rippling's software will automatically alert you, giving you a chance to correct the issue with as few penalties as possible.

Building a report with the Rippling interface.

Open API and Integrations

Rippling's open API makes it easy for developers with some coding knowledge to craft custom integrations, which can address unique concerns such as exporting or importing set types of data for use on other platforms.

Rippling also offers many third-party integrations, covering accounting software (Quickbooks, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and Xero), benefits administration (Human Interest, Guideline, One Medical, Workers Comp, Betterment, and Vanguard), and attendance software (QuickBooks Time, Deputy, Homebase, Toggl, Timeero, Everhour, Clockify, TimeDoctor, Humanity, TimeworkPlus, ClickTime, Legion).

Limited HR Integrations

Rippling has HR software, so its clients can grow their human resource operations without the need for third-party platform integrations. This is one of the few limitations you'll find with the Rippling software: it has no pre-made integrations with large HCM platforms like SAP or Oracle. Thanks to the open API, you can create your own, but if that sounds too time-intensive, you can opt for rival software APD Run, which supports both SAP and Oracle integrations.

How Does Rippling Compare With Other Providers?

Rippling and ADP Run both offer unbeatable data security and offer an open API that can help fast-scaling companies. However, ADP has more integrations than Rippling, offering apps for third-party HR resources including BambooHR and Oracle, while Rippling offers no HR integrations. ADP's lack of email support means that we rank Rippling higher overall, but ADP's integrations make it a better pick for companies wanting to scale up.

Paychex Flex is our third top choice, offering users a 24/7 support service. Paychex does not offer international payment features while Rippling does, and Paychex also lacks the automatic compliance alerts that are available with Rippling.

You can read about other ADP payroll competitors as well, though Rippling Payroll remains our top pick among a handful of great payroll systems on the market.

Our Methodology

Tech.co's team of expert researchers and testers has put hundreds of hours into testing the pros and cons of every major payroll software. To compare them accurately, our team created five research categories, with a scoring system out of five, depending on the number and quality of features offered for each.

These categories cover customer support options, data security tools, scalability (recruitment, benefits, and international support), control (reporting, mobile app functions, timetracking, and deductions), and, finally, expertise tools, like tax filing and compliance. All five categories are then condensed down into a single score out of five for each brand.

FAQs