If you’re looking for a way to streamline your company’s human resources (HR) functions, you may want to consider using HR software or partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO). Both options involve intuitive cloud-based platforms with full-service HR functions and employee self-service features. These HR solutions often have tools to aid employee onboarding, benefits administration, payroll processing, workforce management and compliance. Rippling and Justworks are both user-friendly, but to help you determine which one is better for your business, we broke down their differences (and similarities) in pricing, HR features, payroll, usability and customer support.
Both Rippling and Justworks are top-rated PEOs and HR solutions. Their features vary greatly, making them ideal HR options for different types of businesses. Here’s an overview of their features and pricing.
Rippling | Justworks | |
Starting monthly price | $8 per user per month | $59 per employee per month |
HR features |
|
|
Payroll processing | Domestic and global payroll services | Domestic payroll services |
Usability | Very intuitive and user-friendly | Very intuitive and user-friendly |
Customer support | Email and web chat, plus optional HR help-desk add-on with phone support | Phone, email, live chat and an account manager; 24/7 support |
Rippling is a cloud-based HR and IT solution that helps small and midsize businesses automate their HR processes and streamline their workforce management. Because it is a highly customizable platform, it’s ideal for companies that need a tailored solution. It’s also very scalable with PEO and non-PEO arrangements, so it’s great for growing businesses. We love that as you hire more employees and expand into new markets, Rippling can be easily configured to meet your changing needs.
It’s crucial to note that Rippling is not a plug-and-play system. Some time and effort are required to set up your workflows and automation. However, once you have everything in place, Rippling can be a powerful tool for managing your organization’s HR and IT functions. Our comprehensive review of Rippling dives deeper into its features.
Rippling can automate many HR functions, including the recruitment process. Source: Rippling
Justworks is an ideal PEO partner for startups and growing companies that are looking for a user-friendly HR platform. This service simplifies the complexities of workforce management by providing a streamlined system for handling payroll, benefits administration, compliance and various other HR tasks. We appreciate that, unlike many competitors, Justworks shares pricing upfront, so it’s a great option for employers that need an affordable HR solution with transparent cost information. Read our detailed review of Justworks to learn more.
Here’s how Rippling and Justworks compare when it comes to pricing and features.
Rippling Pricing
Rippling Unity, Rippling’s base workforce platform, starts at $8 per user per month. However, the vendor offers several add-on services and features, which can drive up the cost significantly.
Here are some key points about Rippling Unity pricing:
Justworks Pricing
Justworks is one of the most transparent PEOs we reviewed, as it lists its pricing openly online. Here’s a look at the two PEO plans the company offers:
Even Justworks’ Basic plan includes valuable HR reports. Source: Justworks
Here are some key points about Justworks’ pricing:
Winner: Justworks
Justworks is the winner because the company offers two plans with essential HR features and affordable rates. We like that Justworks is upfront about its pricing, giving small business owners a quick look at how much their desired services will cost. Justworks users can switch between the Basic and Plus packages, making it a flexible solution for startups and growing businesses.
Although Rippling’s starting price per month is lower than Justworks’, employers will likely need to add to the base platform. A custom solution often comes with higher pricing, and you won’t know the total cost until you reach out to a Rippling representative for a custom quote.
Rippling HR Features
Justworks HR Features
Winner: Rippling
Justworks has the essential HR features most small businesses will need. However, Rippling’s extensive HR functionality impressed us. The platform boasts virtually any HR feature you could need, but it doesn’t stop there. It has the ability to automate many of these functions, saving employers countless hours on their HR responsibilities.
Rippling’s app and device management services also stood out to us. Although these aren’t traditional HR functions, they tie in closely to the employee experience, making them very valuable add-ons. We also like that Rippling users can transition between PEO and non-PEO models without losing their HR data.
Rippling has comprehensive HR and IT cloud features, including device management. Source: Rippling
Rippling Payroll Processing
Justworks Payroll Processing
Winner: Rippling
With Rippling’s sheer power of automation, it has the edge in this category. Rippling allows users to create custom payroll rules to meet the specific needs of their business, while Justworks only offers predefined payroll rules. We also like that Rippling can facilitate domestic and global payroll, as opposed to only U.S.-based payroll.
Rippling can automatically calculate payroll earnings for you. Source: Rippling
If you employ workers across the globe, you will need a secure way to pay them while considering currency differences and other factors. International payroll solutions you may want to consider include Deel and Papaya Global. Check out our Deel review and review of Papaya Global to learn more.
Rippling Usability
Justworks Usability
The Justworks system can be easily navigated on desktop and mobile devices. Source: Justworks
Winner: Tie
When we tested Rippling and Justworks, we were pleased with how user-friendly both options were. This led us to call a tie on usability. However, the way in which they are user-friendly differs slightly. The Justworks program is intuitive and easy to navigate right from the start. There isn’t a whole lot of customizing to do, so it’s ideal for those who need a low learning curve. It has user-friendly mobile apps as well.
The Rippling platform, on the other hand, is highly customizable. This can make the software a little more challenging to set up, since you can create a variety of automations and workflows. However, once configured, it can perform many of your HR processes for you, automatically pulling workforce data into whatever workflow needs it, based on your settings. This makes your HR processes more efficient in the long run.
Rippling Customer Support
Justworks Customer Support
Winner: Justworks
While both vendors offer adequate support, we found Justworks slightly better. We like that it provides a handful of communication channels for 24/7 support. It’s also an IRS- and ESAC-certified PEO, which is reassuring when it comes to compliance and customer service quality.
Justworks account managers are a valuable resource for businesses. They can help your company with all aspects of using the service, including onboarding, day-to-day support and strategic advice.
Rippling and Justworks are excellent HR software and PEO providers. Which is the better service for your organization will depend on your business’s circumstances.
Choose Rippling if …
Choose Justworks if …
Justworks offers a variety of benefits, including workers’ compensation, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plans, health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). It also offers health and wellness perks, fitness memberships, COBRA administration, health advocacy services and One Medical (where available). The benefits your company will have access to depend on which plan you select.
Rippling can offer a variety of small and large group benefits. Employee benefits include health insurance, life insurance, retirement savings plans, FSA and HSA plans, commuter benefits, Affordable Care Act and COBRA administration, employee assistance programs and wellness programs.
Rippling can integrate with more than 500 third-party applications, including popular platforms like Jira, Greenhouse, Google Workspace and Zendesk.
Justworks offers monthly pricing. Employers can cancel anytime with a 30-day written notice.