Rippling’s fast factsStarting price: $8.00/employee/mo. Key features:
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Rippling is an excellent payroll and human resources solution for growing small businesses, as you can start small and add on additional functions over time. Plus, it supports international payroll in house, so global firms are welcome.
However, the platform lacks a free trial. So, you’ll have to commit to a non-refundable charge just to get started. Plus, lots of features involve automation, and while this is outstanding for saving time over the long term, it requires lots of upfront setup and ongoing maintenance as processes evolve.
But let’s dig deeper to see if Rippling is right for you.
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Rippling’s pricing
Rippling is built for long-term growth. You can start simple and add on a la carte offerings as your business grows.
But unfortunately, the platform’s costs aren’t transparent. Rippling starts at $8 per employee, with a flat-rate platform fee of an unspecified amount. Our research suggests this platform fee is around $35 per month. Competitors like Gusto and Paychex Flex charge a similar amount, so Rippling costs an average amount in comparison.
Although it is inconvenient, this opaque pricing isn’t unique. Many other payroll software options, like ADP, similarly hide their costs, especially if they offer more customization per customer. Still, there are ways to unearth approximate pricing information.
We’ve found the following starting costs based on customer feedback and previously published prices, though they may be subject to increases specific to your needs:
- App, Device, and Computer Inventory Management: $8 per employee per month — includes IT tools for managing business apps and setting up and terminating network accounts.
- Global Payroll: $20 per employee per month — supports international payroll, IT management, accounting in multiple currencies and localized legal compliance, among other offerings.
- Employee of Record Services: $599 per employee per month — makes Rippling the legal employer of your staff in other countries, so you don’t need to establish a local presence.
These unverified user-submitted figures are about average. Still, it can be hard to compare your options when there aren’t solid, published numbers available. It’s best to give yourself ample time to shop around and compare a sales agent’s quote to competitors before committing to Rippling.
Rippling’s key features
Automated employee onboarding
One of Rippling’s most notable features is its automated employee onboarding process. This system is capable of setting up payroll, benefits and necessary applications for new hires in just 90 seconds. This level of efficiency is rare in HR software, streamlining the onboarding process significantly.
IT device management
Another unique aspect of Rippling is its direct management of employee devices. This inclusion of equipment tracking is a perk not commonly seen among competitors. This function includes installing or updating software remotely, offering a high degree of control and security over company devices.
Customizable workflow automation
Rippling also provides highly customizable workflow automation. Users can design specific workflows triggered by particular events. Best of all, no special coding or technical skills are required. You can simply point and click on the conditions that trigger specific actions. This zero-code automation saves boatloads of time since it eliminates manually performing repetitive tasks.
Global payroll support
Rippling’s global payroll capability is a significant advantage for businesses with international operations. The platform supports paycheck cutting overseas, along with hiring and legal compliance. And impressively, the software handles this worldwide service natively. Unlike many competitors, there are no third-party contractors involved. As a result, you can manage your multinational team in house without additional software.
Rich financial tools
Rippling’s Finance Cloud is a suite of money management tools designed to replace accounting software. Conveniently, it integrates closely with the other components of the Rippling platform, like HR and IT, to provide a more unified experience.
The suite’s chief function is its analytics and reporting. You can get details on nearly every aspect of your business’s finances, from taxes to meal reimbursements and more. Plus, you can manage employee charge cards, pay third-party vendors and implement custom mathematical formulas to calculate special situations, among other perks.
Rippling pros
Proactive compliance alerts
The platform delivers brilliantly sharp warnings about potential legal compliance issues. For example, Rippling alerts you if an employee’s inputted wage falls below their locale’s minimum wage. It also alerts you if it detects broader pay inequalities, like gender pay gaps. There are also warnings for non-personnel issues, like data security vulnerabilities. These proactive measures keep you safe and out of trouble, and it’s a perk that many competitor platforms lack.
Crowd-sourced functionality
If you want more than what the platform includes out of the box, you’re in luck. The platform boasts a marketplace of user-made accounting formulas, custom workflows, employee surveys and more. These handcrafted offerings, called “Recipes,” are designed to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks without the need for complicated source code or reverse engineering. Many competitors don’t feature this advanced level of customizability, making it a highly valuable and unique perk.
All-inclusive functionality
The platform’s chief benefit is its broad, all-encompassing value. Rippling can serve your business from beginning to end. And you can add or subtract functions as needed, helping you ride out financial ups and downs over time.
Many competitors, like Gusto and Patriot Software, focus primarily on payroll. Others, like ADP, offer comprehensive value but with a steep, complicated learning curve. Rippling, on the other hand, blends breadth with user-friendliness. Indeed, it’s an excellent choice if you have big dreams but crave a straightforward user experience.
Rippling cons
No free trial
Rippling does not offer a free trial of its services, unlike many of its competitors. This absence is a disadvantage for businesses that prefer to test software before committing to it. The company does provide a 30-minute demo upon request to help test the waters. But you’ll still need to sign up for a non-refundable paid plan to explore the software. So, if you end up not liking it, you’ll likely need to absorb the loss.
Unreliable integrations
The platform bucks the trend when it comes to third-party integrations. Instead of packaging pre-determined connections, the software relies on a user-powered app marketplace. So, if you want to connect your favorite accounting software, you’ll need to hope there is a plugin available in the App Shop.
While this crowdsourced approach is novel, many high-profile integrations are absent. For example, there is no plugin for Oracle NetSuite beyond a simple hack to create or deactivate user accounts. Also missing is a link to the Square payment processing platform, among others. So, if you want to connect your favorite apps to Rippling, carefully research if an integration exists first.
Limited language options
Despite being a provider of international payroll services, Rippling has limited language support — English and French are the only available options. ADP, for comparison, supports around two dozen tongues. As a result, some of your global staff may struggle to use the platform.
If Rippling isn’t ideal for you, check out these alternatives
Gusto
Gusto is a popular alternative to Rippling, especially favored by small-business owners for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features. The platform automates complex processes like tax filings, payroll and benefits administration. It stands out for its ability to effectively cater to employers’ and employees’ needs. One of the title’s key advantages is its full-service payroll offering, which includes automated tax calculations, payments and filings at no extra cost.
And if you need more than payroll, don’t sweat it. Much like Rippling, Gusto delivers a range of HR tools. These valuable functions include time tracking, compliance assistance and employee onboarding.
OnPay
OnPay is another strong contender in the payroll and HR software market, known for its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. Like Rippling, it offers a simple, transparent pricing structure without sacrificing essential features. The platform covers all the payroll basics, like unlimited monthly pay runs, tax filings and payments. But what sets OnPay apart is its flexibility in handling different types of employees (like part-time, full-time and contract workers). This broad support is ideal for small businesses dabbling in various types of labor.
Regarding HR capabilities, OnPay provides features such as employee self-onboarding, time tracking and benefits management. While it may not have as extensive a feature set as Rippling, the competitor’s straightforward approach and affordability make it an attractive option for small-business owners who need reliable payroll and essential personnel solutions without complexity.
ADP
ADP is a long-established household name, offering a comprehensive suite of services catering to all sizes of entities. The company’s wide range of solutions includes payroll and tax filing and extends to HR management, time and attendance tracking, talent management and benefits administration, among other fields. This breadth makes it a versatile and all-encompassing solution for all business needs and growth stages.
And much like Rippling, ADP offers global payroll services. So, this competitor is a top choice if you need international support and a more advanced administrative platform.
Review methodology
We carefully analyzed customer feedback and historical website data to determine the estimated pricing and potential pitfalls of the software. We also researched competitors and carefully explored Rippling’s features as they apply to small businesses. Finally, we considered the platform’s scalability, ease of use, automated features, technical documentation and other software elements.
