How we score and rank providers
Every HRPricing ranking follows a score out of 100 built from facts a provider publishes and complaints documented in public reviews. Scores were last checked on October 17, 2026, using research gathered on October 16, 2026.
Each point comes with a one-sentence note that says which fact earned it, so if you disagree with a score you know exactly what to check. Commissions are never an input.
On this page
- What a score measures
- Where the data comes from
- Rules that apply to every category
- How we score complaints
- Payroll software: criteria and weights
- PEO services: criteria and weights
- Employer of record (EOR): criteria and weights
- Scheduling and time clock apps: criteria and weights
- Background check services: criteria and weights
- HR software: criteria and weights
- Ties, commissions and rechecks
What a score measures
- Scale
- 100 pointsper provider
- Categories
- 6each with its own weights
- Last checked
- Oct 17, 2026rechecked quarterly
- Weight of commissions
- 0 pointsnever an input
- We do not test products hands-on. We do not open accounts, run payroll or hire through these providers. We compare what you can check yourself: published prices, plan details, contract and cancellation terms, tax filing guarantees, support hours, the IRS list of certified PEOs, and complaint patterns in public reviews.
- Prices are list prices. We use the regular monthly price from the provider's own pricing page. Promotions are mentioned in the notes but do not change the score, because they expire.
- Third-party estimates are not scored. When a provider is quote only, we may show a dated estimate from a review site, clearly labeled. It never earns points.
Where the data comes from
- Provider pricing pages, plan pages, help centers, terms of service and order form terms, read on October 16, 2026.
- The IRS active list of Certified Professional Employer Organizations (CPEOs), report dated August 7, 2026. Our certified PEO list shows it.
- Trustpilot ratings and review counts seen on October 16, 2026, and recurring complaints read on Trustpilot, Capterra, ConsumerAffairs, TrustRadius, QuickBooks Community and Hacker News. We link the source for every complaint we describe.
Rules that apply to every category
- Missing data scores low. If a provider does not publish something, it gets no points for it, and the note says "not published" (or "not published on the pages we checked" when we could not confirm it is absent everywhere).
- Quote-only pricing scores low. You cannot compare a price you cannot see. Quote-only providers earn a few points at most, and only when they explain how their fee is built.
- When a provider's own pages disagree, we use the less favorable figure. For example, if one page says $599 and another says $699, we score $699 and say why.
- We show our math. Cost figures are written out, such as "$37 + 10 x $5 = $87 a month."
A low score is not a verdict on quality. A low score often means the provider publishes little. Large suites sold through sales teams (Paycor, Paylocity, Paycom, isolved, and most PEOs) score low mainly for that reason. A provider can raise its score by publishing its prices and terms.
How we score complaints
Every category includes "documented complaint patterns." It works the same way everywhere: out of 10 points, then scaled to the category's weight.
- Public review signal, up to 4 points. Based on the provider's Trustpilot score: 4.5 or higher earns 4, 4.0 to 4.4 earns 3, 3.5 to 3.9 earns 2, 2.5 to 3.4 earns 1, and below 2.5 earns 0. A page with fewer than 20 reviews, no page, or a page we could not read earns 1. A rating that Trustpilot withheld for a guideline breach earns 0. Some Trustpilot pages cover a whole company (ADP, Paychex, Intuit), and the note says so.
- Complaint themes, up to 6 points. We start at 6 and subtract 1 for each topic with documented recurring complaints, or 2 when complaints on that topic are very common. The topics are: tax or payroll errors; late, held or blocked pay; fees, billing and price increases; cancellation, exit and record access; support access and response; benefits administration; setup and implementation; and outages or contract changes.
- Little or no complaint research. When we have not researched a provider's complaints, or too little was visible to see a pattern, the theme part is set to 2. That keeps a provider we know less about from outscoring one with a documented record. With fewer than 20 reviews, the theme part cannot go above 2.
Reviews skew negative, and big providers collect more of them. We read the most recent reviews, not every review, so this criterion measures what buyers keep reporting, not how often things go wrong.
Payroll software: criteria and weights
6 criteria. The largest is price transparency and cost for 10 employees at 25 points. These weights drive the payroll software rankings.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency and cost for 10 employees | 25 | Transparency (up to 10): every payroll plan priced as base plus per-person fee with no contradiction on the page = 10; core plan priced but a plan named without a price or a contradiction on the page = 8; only a partial 'starts at' figure = 3; quote only = 0. Cost (up to 15): list price of the cheapest plan that includes tax filing, for 10 employees (base + 10 x per-person fee), promos ignored, higher figure used when the page conflicts: $90 or less = 15, $91 to $100 = 14, $101 to $110 = 13, $111 to $130 = 11, $131 to $150 = 9, $151 to $175 = 7, over $175 = 5, not published = 0. Third-party estimates are not scored. |
| Tax filing coverage and guarantee | 20 | Coverage (up to 10): vendor states it files federal and state taxes in all 50 states = 6 (files but coverage not stated = 3); local tax filing stated as included = 2; vendor registers new state tax accounts for you = 2. Guarantee (up to 10): published terms reimburse penalties and interest on all plans = 10; penalties on all plans, interest not named = 7; the same with a notable condition (notice deadline, pay first, liability cap) = 6; penalties and interest on the top plan only = 5; guarantee named but terms not published = 4; none published = 0. |
| Features | 20 | Five features at 4 points each: contractor pay, multi-state payroll, time tracking, benefits access, integrations. 4 = documented as included on the entry plan; 2 = documented as a higher-plan feature, a priced add-on, or offered with the plan not stated; 0 = not published on the pages we checked. |
| Contract and exit terms | 15 | Cancellation (up to 5): self-serve with no notice and billing only for time used = 5; self-serve with full-period billing or exit fees = 4; written notice required = 2; not published = 0. Records after leaving (up to 5): admin download plus lifetime worker access = 5; read-only admin access with no stated end plus worker access = 4; access for a set period = 3; access ends within a month or 'for a period of time' = 2; secondary source only = 1; not published = 0. Setup and contract (up to 5): month-to-month and the vendor says there is no setup or implementation fee = 5; month-to-month, setup fee not mentioned = 4; annual agreement, auto-renewal, clawback or an implementation fee = 2; not published = 0. |
| Support access | 10 | Channels (up to 5): phone, chat and email all documented = 5; two of the three (or phone by callback only) = 4; one = 2; self-help pages or a named contact only = 1; not published = 0. Hours (up to 5): live support hours on a support or contact page that include weekends, or a 24/7 live channel stated there = 5; published weekday hours, or a 24/7 claim on a marketing page = 3; not published = 0. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 10 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
PEO services: criteria and weights
6 criteria. The largest is price transparency at 25 points. These weights drive the PEO rankings.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | 25 | Published per-employee fee for every PEO plan plus setup fee, minimum and premium information = 25; fee for every plan plus a stated setup fee or minimum = 20; fee for some plans = 15; quote only but the vendor explains how its fee is built (model, what is included or separate) = 5; quote only with cost factors named = 2; nothing = 0. Third-party estimates are not scored. |
| Benefits access | 20 | Medical, dental and vision with named carriers or plan types = 8 (benefits mentioned without detail = 4); 401(k) documented = 4; at least one other benefit (HSA, FSA, EAP and similar) = 4; health benefits documented as included in the base package = 4 (higher tier or add-on = 2). |
| Contract and exit terms | 20 | Term (up to 8): no long-term contract stated = 8; qualified statement such as 'most contracts' = 6; billing period shown but length not stated = 4; not published = 0. Setup fees and deposits (up to 4): stated as none = 4; partial statement = 2; not published = 0. Minimum headcount (up to 4): number or 'no minimum' published = 4; published size bands or small clients served = 2; confirmed but no number = 1; not published = 0. Exit costs and records (up to 4): published = 4; secondary source only = 1; not published = 0. |
| Compliance coverage | 15 | IRS CPEO status (up to 10): an entity on the IRS active CPEO list (report date Aug 7 2026) = 10; likely but unconfirmed match = 5; not found under that name = 0 (it may certify under another entity name). States served (up to 5): published list or 'all 50 states' = 5; multi-state or national service stated without a list = 3; not stated = 0. |
| Support | 10 | Same scale as payroll support: channels up to 5, hours up to 5. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 10 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
Employer of record (EOR): criteria and weights
6 criteria. The largest is price per employee at 25 points. These weights drive the EOR rankings.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price per employee | 25 | Vendor-published monthly EOR price ('from' price or bottom of a range; monthly billing where both are shown; higher figure when the vendor's pages conflict): $299 or less = 25, $300 to $399 = 22, $400 to $499 = 19, $500 to $599 = 16, $600 to $699 = 13, $700 or more = 10. Price shown only on a secondary vendor page that the pricing page contradicts = that band minus 6. Quote only with only a third-party figure = 3; quote only = 0. |
| Hidden costs disclosed | 20 | Four items at 5 points each: deposit, FX, termination or offboarding fees, setup and add-on fees (including country surcharges). 5 = amount stated, or stated plainly that there is none; 3 = vendor says the cost exists or gives a method but no amount, or makes only a general 'all costs included' or 'no hidden fees' statement; 1 = vague mention only; 0 = not published. |
| Entity ownership and country coverage | 20 | Entities (up to 12): owned entities claimed in every EOR country, no partners = 12; owned for most, quantified by the vendor = 9; quantified mix with owned covering at least half = 6; mix with owned under half, or not quantified = 4; partner model stated = 2; no claim = 1. Coverage (up to 8): published EOR country count of 150+ = 8, 100 to 149 = 6, under 100 = 4; counts that conflict across the vendor's pages use the lowest figure minus 2; not published = 0. |
| Contract terms | 15 | Minimum term (up to 6): no minimum published = 6; default term with a month-to-month option, or lock-in only on promos = 3; mandatory 12-month or longer term per worker = 1; not published = 0. Notice (up to 5): 30 days or less published = 5; longer, or with extra processing lead time, or only after a fixed term = 3; not published = 0. Penalty clauses (up to 4): terms read with none found = 4; penalty clauses documented (renewal uplift, high late interest, termination penalty, early exit fees) = 2; terms not read or not published = 0. |
| Support and compliance help | 10 | Support (up to 5): 24/7 live support stated plus two or more channels = 5; 24/7 or 24/5 stated, or two or more channels = 4; one channel or general support claims = 2; not published = 0. Compliance help (up to 5): a named account or success manager plus local HR or legal staff = 5; one of these = 3; neither = 0. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 10 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
Scheduling and time clock apps: criteria and weights
5 criteria. The largest is price for 20 hourly staff at 30 points. These weights drive the scheduling app comparisons.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price for 20 hourly staff | 30 | List price per month for 20 users at one location on the cheapest paid plan whose published limits fit 20 users (next plan up when the vendor's own page conflicts on whether a plan includes time tracking), monthly billing, promos ignored: $35 or less = 30, $36 to $60 = 25, $61 to $100 = 20, $101 to $150 = 15, over $150 = 10, not published = 0. |
| Scheduling and time clock features | 25 | Five features at 5 points each when documented: shift scheduling, time clock, auto-scheduling or demand forecasting, labor law compliance or tip tools, team messaging or shift swaps. 0 = not published on the pages we checked. |
| Payroll integration | 15 | Own payroll with a published price = 15; own payroll with a published price but limited to some plans = 10; own payroll, price not published = 8; payroll through a named partner = 7; integration with outside payroll that excludes some plans = 5; none documented = 0. |
| Contract terms | 15 | Cancellation (up to 5): cancel anytime, self-serve = 5; not published = 0. Refunds and lock-in (up to 5): published refund rule with monthly plans available = 5; monthly available, no refund rule published = 3; annual lock with no refund or downgrade = 1; not published = 0. Billing traps (up to 5): none found after reading full terms = 5; none documented, terms not fully read = 3; documented traps such as minimum spend or full-month billing for new users = 1; not published = 0. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 15 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). The 10-point result is scaled to 15 points and rounded half up. |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
Background check services: criteria and weights
3 criteria. The largest is price transparency at 40 points. These weights drive the background check rankings.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | 40 | Package prices (up to 20): every package priced = 20. Add-on and pass-through fees (up to 15): all itemized = 15; add-ons itemized but court or agency pass-through fees not shown = 12; 'fees may apply' with no list = 3; nothing = 0. Billing terms (up to 5): billing model and minimums published = 5; pay-as-you-go stated, minimums not = 4; partial = 2; none = 0. |
| Turnaround and compliance features | 30 | Turnaround times published (up to 10). FCRA compliance (up to 10): adverse action and consent tools documented = 10; FCRA checks named without tools = 5; not published = 0. Extra screens (up to 10): MVR, drug tests, monitoring and international searches documented = 10; package tiers only = 5; none = 0. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 30 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). The 10-point result is scaled to 30 points and rounded half up. |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
HR software: criteria and weights
4 criteria. The largest is price transparency at 30 points. These weights drive the HR software comparisons.
| Criterion | Points | How points are earned |
|---|---|---|
| Price transparency | 30 | Every plan priced, including payroll or other key add-ons, with no contradiction = 30; minus 5 for a price contradiction on the vendor's own pages; minus 5 for an unpriced key add-on such as payroll; only a 'starts at' figure = 5; quote only = 0. |
| Core HR features | 30 | Five areas at 6 points each: employee records and self-service; onboarding or hiring; time off or time tracking; performance; HR compliance help. 6 = documented as part of the product or a plan; 3 = documented as a separately sold module, an add-on or a higher tier; 0 = not published on the pages we checked. |
| Payroll included or integrated | 20 | Payroll included at a published price = 20; own payroll as a priced add-on = 15; own payroll, price not published = 10; integrates with outside payroll = 5; not documented = 0. |
| Documented complaint patterns | 20 | Scored out of 10 with the complaint rules on this page (review signal up to 4, complaint themes up to 6). The 10-point result is scaled to 20 points and rounded half up. |
| Total | 100 |
Source: HRPricing scoring rules, checked October 17, 2026.
Ties, commissions and rechecks
Ties. When two providers have the same total, the one with more points on the first criterion in that category (price) ranks higher. If they are still tied, the one with more complaint points ranks higher, then alphabetical order.
Commissions are never an input. HRPricing earns a commission from some providers. Whether a provider pays us, how much it pays, or whether it has an affiliate program at all is never part of any score. Providers that pay us nothing are scored with the same rules. See how we make money.
Rechecks. We recheck every score each quarter, and sooner when a provider changes its prices or terms. Each recheck updates the checked date. If a provider publishes something we scored as missing, email [email protected] with the link and we will review it at the next recheck.
Frequently asked questions
Do providers pay to rank higher on HRPricing?
No. Commissions are never an input to any HRPricing score, and no provider can buy a placement. Rankings follow the 100-point score, and ties go to the provider with more price points, then more complaint points, then alphabetical order.
Why does a well-known provider have a low score?
Most often because it publishes little. HRPricing gives no points for prices or terms a provider does not publish, so quote-only suites such as Paycor, Paylocity, Paycom, isolved and most PEOs score low mainly for that reason. A low score is not a verdict on service quality.
Did HRPricing test these products?
No. HRPricing does not open accounts or run payroll with these providers. Scores come from published prices, plan details, contract terms, support hours, the IRS CPEO list (report dated August 7, 2026) and complaint patterns in public reviews.
How often are scores updated?
Every score is rechecked each quarter, and sooner when a provider changes its prices or terms. The current scores were checked on October 17, 2026, from research gathered on October 16, 2026.
Sources (2)
- IRS: Active CPEO list (report date 8/7/2026) (read Oct 16, 2026)
- IRS: CPEO public listings (read Oct 16, 2026)