Rippling Payroll Review 2023 | Best Payroll Software

Rippling Editor’s Score: 94/100

Pricing	95
Features	95
Usability	100
Employee self-service	90
Customer service	90

Why Rippling Is Best for Ease of Use

Rippling payroll onboarding screen

During onboarding, new hires can enter their banking information for direct deposit.
Source: Rippling

While boasting many of the same features you can find in other payroll platforms, Rippling is one of the best online payroll services because of how easy it is to use. The system has a user-friendly interface that requires very little training for new users. You can run payroll in as little as 90 seconds and the software integrates with hundreds of third-party apps to make all your workflows smoother. When you log into the dashboard, all of the key metrics needed to stay on top of business operations are clearly labeled and easy to find.

Another fantastic automated feature is Rippling’s Spend Management system, which integrates employee expense tracking, bill paying, and your company credit cards with payroll. This makes it extremely easy to reimburse employees using the same system that you use for regular paychecks, so you don’t need to manually reconcile expenses with your payroll software. With these features in mind, Rippling is a great platform for businesses prioritizing ease of use.

Tip

Although you can run payroll with just the click of a button, Rippling doesn’t give you the option to automate payroll. Still, you’ll appreciate that many other functions can be automated.

Pros

The Rippling platform is highly customizable for automated workflows.
The software integrates with hundreds of popular third-party apps.
You can also use Rippling as your PEO provider for group benefits and HR services.
Spend Management allows you to sync reimbursable expenses with payroll.

Cons

Pricing isn’t transparent, and you need to contact the company for a custom quote.
The vendor doesn’t offer a free trial.

Usability

Rippling payroll time tracking screen

Rippling makes it easy for employees to track their hours worked.
Source: Rippling

Rippling is one of our top picks because the software is easy to navigate and user-friendly. Both management and employees should be able to learn how to use the platform quickly with minimal training.

The interface is straightforward – you can find everything you need on the homepage dashboard. When you log into the system, you’ll immediately see important information like total hours worked.

We love that you can use Rippling to automate as much or as little of your HR processes as you want. The software makes it simple to onboard new employees, and the self-service app allows team members to log in and view their benefits or update their personal information. You can also easily reimburse employees, because Rippling’s Spend Management system integrates pre-approved expenses with payroll. The Rippling app also allows employees to view their expenses wherever they are.

Numerous third-party integrations let businesses create a custom solution that works best for them. Streamline company operations by connecting and syncing the different-but-related software you use to run your organization.

Rippling Features

Rippling has virtually all the features you’d want in payroll software without making the system overly complicated or challenging to use. Here are some of its best features.

Full-service payroll provider	You can use Rippling to run payroll in just 90 seconds.
Automatic tax withholding	You can set permissions for reimbursable expenses, which are then synced with and paid through payroll.
Expense management	Rippling automatically calculates, files and pays your payroll taxes.
Time and attendance	Use the software to easily track and approve employee time and attendance.
Benefits management	Manage all of your employees’ insurance benefits in one platform.
PEO services	High-growth companies can use Rippling as their professional employer organization (PEO).
Third-party integrations	Rippling integrates with hundreds of popular third-party apps.

Full-Service Payroll Provider

Businesses can use Rippling as their global payroll provider to pay employees and contractors within minutes, whether they live in the United States or abroad. You can execute unlimited pay runs each month and pay team members via direct deposit or paper checks. If you have employees outside of the U.S., you can set up an international wire transfer.

Did You Know?

You can use Rippling to run payroll in as little as 90 seconds. The system will automatically sync all the relevant data (such as salary rate, hours worked and deductions) and allow you to review the report before it’s processed.

Automatic Tax Withholding

Rippling automatically calculates, files and pays your local, state and federal taxes. At the end of the year, the company will automatically generate and distribute 1099s and W-2 forms to your employees and contractors. If the vendor makes a mistake on your payroll taxes, they’ll pay any penalties you incur.

Expense Management

Rippling’s Spend Management syncs employee spending with payroll. This saves you from tedious manual reconciliation of expense accounts, bill pay and more with employees’ regular paychecks. You can also set permissions and view/approve employee spending all in one place, which can help your business improve internal controls. This unique expense management system significantly automates and streamlines your company’s reimbursements, giving Rippling a further edge over competitors when it comes to ease of use.

Time and Attendance

Employees can clock in and out using the Rippling system on a computer, mobile app or kiosk.
Source: Rippling

Rippling supplies some of the best time-tracking software, which employees can use to easily clock in and out via computer, kiosk or the mobile app. You’ll be able to monitor and approve employee hours, and once they’re approved, the time data will sync automatically for payroll processing. The system also uses built-in compliance checks based on the federal, state and local labor laws where your employees work.

Benefits Management

You can use Rippling to manage employee benefits, including health insurance, 401(k) plans, health savings accounts (HSAs) and commuter benefits. As new team members are onboarded, the system’s benefits process triggers automatically. The vendor works with popular insurance carriers like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna and ensures compliance with the Affordable Care Act.

PEO Services

Large companies can opt to use Rippling as their PEO service – that means the company will help manage your HR, payroll, benefits and IT for you. If you reach a point where you no longer need the PEO services, it’s easy to turn those off from your account and transition back to Rippling’s traditional offerings. Learn more in our Rippling PEO review.

Third-Party Integrations

Rippling integrates with hundreds of popular third-party apps, like QuickBooks, Xero, Slack and Zendesk. This allows you to create a solution that’s customized to your organization’s needs, and lets you share data between all of the different business software you use. The system will automatically sync all your integrated apps. And if you can’t find a certain app in Rippling’s App Shop, you can request that they add it.

Rippling Cost

Rippling isn’t as transparent about its pricing as some of the other payroll providers we looked at. On its website, the vendor promotes that its pricing starts at $8 per user per month, but it doesn’t give you any idea of how much the base rate will be. Instead, you have to contact the company for a custom quote. Your total costs depend on how many employees and contractors you have, how many states you need to run payroll in, and how many add-on features you choose.

You could sign up for just full-service payroll or add on the time and attendance and benefits administration tools. You could also sign up for Rippling Unity, its required workforce platform, which combines all the data housed in its HR, IT and finance clouds into one system. Rippling also has an HR information system – an all-in-one software that encompasses all of its features.

Clearly, there are a lot of options, but you won’t have any of the pricing information upfront. If you’d prefer to consider a vendor with transparent pricing and a streamlined product, read our review of OnPay.

Rippling Setup

Rippling payroll employee dashboard

On the employee dashboard, employees can share updates with co-workers and see who recently joined the company.
Source: Rippling

If you’re just getting started with Rippling, the setup process is fairly easy. New customers are assigned a representative who will walk you through the setup process. This ensures that all of your questions are answered and you feel confident using the software and running payroll.

The company also provides a setup wizard and detailed how-to guides to help you get started. If you’re switching from another provider, Rippling’s team can import your data and will even analyze it to ensure no tax payments were missed during the transition. If you run into any problems later in the implementation process, contact customer support via email or in-app chat.

Did You Know?

You can save money by opting for paperless payroll and electronic processing.

Rippling Customer Service

Rippling offers chat and email support as well as an online help center. The company doesn’t usually provide phone support, which could be a deal breaker for some business owners. But online reviews are positive, with many users saying Rippling addresses customer complaints within 48 hours.

A particularly innovative feature on the vendor’s website is its Real-Time Support Status, which shows customers how long it will take, on average, to get assistance. These metrics are continuously updated, a striking commitment to transparency in customer service compared to how the company handles pricing.

It’s worth noting Rippling isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an F rating, but they’ve only received a few customer reviews in the past five years.

Rippling Drawbacks

One of the downsides of Rippling is the company’s lack of pricing transparency. Rippling’s website states that pricing starts at $8 per user per month, but doesn’t provide any additional details about the base fee. This makes it impossible to get a real sense of how much you could end up spending on the service without contacting customer support.

Rippling also doesn’t offer a free trial like some of its competitors. It isn’t the cheapest payroll software on the market, either. The service can get expensive very quickly if you have a large number of employees. If testing the product and clear costs are important to you, check out our review of QuickBooks Payroll to learn about the Rippling rival’s free trial and price points.

Methodology

To evaluate Rippling’s payroll service, we compared the company to dozens of similar products on the market. This helped us see where Rippling excels as a payroll provider and where it could stand to improve. We looked at each vendor’s payroll processing, costs, implementation, usability, customer service and other factors. We also checked customer reviews and researched Better Business Bureau ratings.

When determining the best payroll service for companies concerned about ease of use, we paid close attention to the setup process, the training required, the payroll process and integrations. Rippling stood out for offering a product that’s easy to use with a minimal learning curve, and that’s designed to automate tasks so you can spend more time on other responsibilities.

Rippling FAQs

What is Rippling used for?

Rippling is used for payroll processing, time tracking, benefits management and other services. You can use Rippling to automate nearly all of your HR processes. Find out more in our review of Rippling’s HR software.

Does Rippling integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes, Rippling integrates with QuickBooks as well as hundreds of other popular third-party apps.

What is a PEO?

A PEO, which stands for professional employer organization, is a type of entity that shares many of the responsibilities and liabilities that come with managing employees. Many employers outsource tasks like benefits administration, payroll and workers’ compensation management to a PEO. The exact HR functions outsourced depends on the PEO and the contract they have in place with the business.

Bottom Line

We recommend Rippling for …

Companies looking for intuitive and seamless payroll and HR software.
Business owners that often reimburse employees for expenses incurred while on the job.
Businesses that want payroll software with a lot of third-party integrations.
Companies that need additional features to help them manage a remote, global workforce.

We don’t recommend Rippling for …

Companies looking for the least expensive payroll provider.
Business owners who want to be able to sign up online without needing to receive a custom quote.
Businesses that prefer phone support.

Rippling Payroll