Rippling stands out as the ultimate workforce command center: it delivers unmatched integration at just $8 per user monthly (base platform), powerful automation that eliminates repetitive tasks across departments, and unique device management that seamlessly connects HR and IT functions. After evaluating dozens of workforce platforms, I confidently recommend it as the best all-in-one solution for tech-forward mid-sized companies in 2025!
At Employ Borderless, we’ve been reviewing global employment solutions and HR platforms for years. This Rippling review is based on our hands-on testing of the platform, direct feedback from our clients who use it daily, and extensive research of user experiences shared online. We combine all these perspectives to give you the most accurate assessment possible.
You can try Rippling today with direct access to their platform and expert guidance for your specific workforce management needs.
Editor’s verdict
Pros
- Unmatched system integration: Rippling connects HR, IT, and finance systems into a cohesive platform, eliminating data silos that plague companies using separate tools for each function.
- Advanced automation capabilities: Rippling reduces manual workload by automating employee lifecycle processes from hiring to offboarding across all connected systems and countries.
- Comprehensive device management: Unlike most EOR providers, Rippling handles laptop provisioning, software installation, and security protocols for remote teams worldwide.
- Extensive app ecosystem: Rippling integrates with over 500 business applications, significantly more than most competitors offer.
- Customizable workflows: The platform allows companies to build tailored approval chains and processes that match their specific organizational structure.
Cons
- Complex pricing structure: Rippling’s modular approach makes it difficult to predict total costs without a detailed consultation, as each component adds to the base fee.
- Steep learning curve: The platform’s extensive capabilities require significant time investment during implementation, particularly for HR teams used to simpler systems.
- Inconsistent customer support: Response times vary widely based on issue complexity and support tier, with some users reporting multi-day waits for resolution.
What is Rippling?
Rippling is an all-in-one workforce management platform that connects HR, IT, and finance functions through a unified employee database. Founded in 2016 by Parker Conrad (former Zenefits CEO) and Prasanna Sankar, the company has raised over $700 million in funding and now supports businesses operating in more than 50 countries.
The platform specializes in automating workflows across traditionally separate business systems, making it particularly valuable for companies struggling with disconnected tools. When I tested Rippling, I found the employee onboarding process remarkably efficient – adding someone to payroll automatically triggered their laptop order, email setup, and software provisioning without manual intervention.
Rippling primarily serves mid-sized tech companies and growing businesses with distributed teams who need sophisticated systems but lack enterprise-level IT departments.
Company Information
Rippling video review
Prefer watching a video? Our sister brand, EOR Overview, made a quick 4-minute review video.
What are the key features of Rippling?
Rippling platform offers several key features designed to streamline international employment. Here’s a detailed look at what the service provides:
- Global employment solutions: Rippling’s EOR service lets companies hire in 50+ countries without legal entities, handling all contracts, tax registrations, and compliance while keeping international employees in the same system as domestic teams.
- Unified employee management: Built around a central database that serves as a single source of truth, automatically updating all connected systems when information changes anywhere, significantly reducing administrative errors.
- Automated IT management: Handles device procurement, configuration, and security for distributed teams. Automatically orders equipment based on role templates, pre-installs software, and enforces security policies before devices reach employees.
- Customizable payroll processing: Manages domestic and international employees, contractors, and part-time workers through one interface, calculating appropriate taxes and deductions based on location, with reports that segment costs by department or project.
- Role-based access control: Implements sophisticated permission settings beyond basic admin/user distinctions, allowing custom access profiles based on department, seniority, or location, with centralized permission management across all integrated applications. RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.
What are the benefits of using Rippling?
The benefits of using Rippling are:
- Reduced administrative overhead: By connecting previously siloed systems, Rippling eliminates redundant data entry and manual processes. Companies using the platform report 60-80% time savings on routine administrative tasks like onboarding, payroll processing, and benefits enrollment.
- Accelerated employee onboarding: New hires become productive significantly faster when using Rippling. The platform’s ability to simultaneously provision accounts, order equipment, and set up payroll means employees can hit the ground running on day one, regardless of their location.
- Enhanced compliance management: Rippling automatically applies appropriate regulations based on worker location, dramatically reducing compliance risks in multi-jurisdiction operations. The system tracks changing requirements in each region and applies updates without manual intervention.
- Improved security posture: The platform’s integrated approach to IT management strengthens security by ensuring consistent policy enforcement across all employees and devices. Rippling automatically implements appropriate access controls, enforces password policies, and manages device encryption.
Rippling pricing
Rippling offers a variety of pricing plans tailored to meet the needs of different businesses, whether small or large. The cost structures and benefits it provides can make it a cost-effective solution for managing business operations efficiently. However, I think the platform could benefit from being more upfront about the costs organizations can incur with its services.
Rippling’s pricing is designed to be flexible, allowing businesses to choose plans that best fit their needs. All users start by paying for its Unity platform, which is offered at $8 per employee per month. Then, there’s customizable pricing based on the number of employees you sign up for, additional features you require, and the apps you want to connect to the platform.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Employer of Record (EOR) Pricing | $500 per employee/month |
| Contractor Management Pricing | $25 per employee/month |
| Payroll Pricing | $8 per employee/month |
| Annual Discount | Not available |
When comparing Rippling’s pricing to competitors:
| Provider | Monthly Cost (10 Employees) | Annual Cost | Difference vs. Rippling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rippling | $5,000 | $60,000 | – |
| RemoFirst | $1,990 | $23,880 | -$36,120 |
| Multiplier | $4,000 | $48,000 | -$12,000 |
| Remote | $5,990 | $71,880 | +$11,880 |
| Deel | $5,990 | $71,880 | +$11,880 |
Pricing accurate as of May 2025
User experience & interface
Rippling’s user interface balances comprehensive functionality with intuitive navigation through a thoughtfully designed dashboard system. When I tested the platform, I found it significantly more modern and responsive than legacy HR systems despite its extensive feature set.
The employee-facing portal provides a streamlined experience for updating personal information, accessing pay stubs, requesting time off, and managing benefits. Workers can handle most administrative tasks through either the web interface or mobile app, which maintains full functionality rather than offering limited features.
Administrator interfaces are necessarily more complex due to the platform’s extensive capabilities, but Rippling mitigates this by organizing functions into logical groupings with contextual help documentation. The learning curve remains steeper than single-purpose platforms, but the investment pays dividends through increased efficiency once teams master the system.
One standout feature is Rippling’s report builder, which allows for highly customized data views without requiring SQL knowledge. HR teams can create sophisticated analyses combining information across modules – something typically requiring data exports and manual manipulation in more basic systems.
Customer & technical support
Rippling offers several support channels with response times varying by plan level:
- Standard Support: Email and chat support with 24-48 hour response times
- Premium Support: Priority email/chat and phone support with 4-24 hour response
- Enterprise Support: Dedicated account manager with 1-4 hour response guarantees
When testing the platform, I found the documentation extensive and well-organized, with clear step-by-step guides for most common tasks. The knowledge base includes both text and video tutorials, making self-service resolution possible for many issues.
Technical support quality varies somewhat by issue complexity. Simple questions typically receive prompt, accurate responses, while more complex configuration problems sometimes require escalation to specialists, extending resolution times.
Implementation support deserves special mention, as Rippling provides dedicated migration specialists during the initial setup period. These specialists help configure automation rules, import existing data, and train key administrators – significantly smoothing the transition from previous systems.
| Support Channel | Available? |
|---|---|
| ✓ | |
| Phone | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✓ |
| Overall Availability | Business Hours |
User reviews and platform ratings
Understanding how users rate and review Rippling can provide valuable insights into real-world experiences with the platform. Review platforms offer a window into customer satisfaction levels, platform reliability, and potential areas for improvement. While ratings and review counts can fluctuate over time, they offer a helpful snapshot of user sentiment. Here’s a current overview of Rippling’s ratings across major review platforms:
| Review Platform | Rating | Number of Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.8 | 7951 |
| Trustpilot | 4.6 | 1236 |
| Capterra | 4.9 | 3864 |
Reviews last updated May 2025
Common positive themes from user reviews include:
- Significant time savings through automation
- Intuitive user interface despite feature complexity
- Excellent onboarding experience for new employees
- Responsive customer support for implementation
Recurring complaints center around:
- Pricing complexity and unexpected fees
- Occasional system performance issues during peak periods
- Longer than expected implementation timelines
- Inconsistent support quality for complex issues
Reddit discussions about Rippling frequently mention the platform’s technical sophistication as both a strength and challenge. Users appreciate the powerful capabilities but note the system requires dedicated administration to fully leverage its potential.
Security & compliance
Rippling maintains robust security practices appropriate for a platform handling sensitive employee and financial data:
- SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II certifications
- GDPR and CCPA compliance for data privacy
- AES-256 encryption for data at rest
- TLS 1.2+ encryption for data in transit
- Regular penetration testing by third-party security firms
- Role-based access controls with granular permission settings
- Multi-factor authentication enforcement
- Single sign-on integration with major identity providers
The platform includes built-in compliance features for various regulations, automatically applying appropriate rules based on employee location. This includes state-specific paid leave requirements, international data protection regulations, and industry-specific compliance needs.
Rippling’s approach to security extends beyond the platform itself through its device management capabilities, allowing companies to enforce encryption, password policies, and remote wipe capabilities on employee laptops and mobile devices.
Rippling competitor comparison
Choosing the right HR and payroll platform is critical for your business. Let’s look at how Rippling compares to some of its competitors: Deel, Remote, Remofirst, Multiplier, and Oyster HR.
| Feature | Rippling | Deel | Remote | RemoFirst | Multiplier | Atlas HXM | Oyster HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Tech-forward companies with 50-1000 employees needing integrated HR and IT management | Fast-Growing Companies Needing Global Hiring at Scale | Companies Prioritizing Risk-Free International Hiring | Cost-Conscious and Tight Budgets | Companies Looking for Same-Day Global Hiring & Payments | Enterprises Seeking Advanced HR Analytics & Talent Management | Scaling Companies Focused on Remote Team Success |
| EOR Pricing | $500 per employee/month | $599 per employee/month | $599 per employee/month | $199 per employee/month | $400 per employee/month | Custom | $599 per employee/month |
| Contractor Pricing | $25 per employee/month | $49 per employee/month | $29 per employee/month | $25 per employee/month | $40 per employee/month | Custom | $29 per employee/month |
| Country Coverage | 185+ | 150+ Countries | 180+ Countries | 185+ | 150+ Countries | 160+ Countries | 180+ |
| Support Channels | Email, Phone, Live Chat | Email, Phone, Live Chat | Email, Live Chat | Email, Live Chat | Email, Phone, Live Chat | Email, Phone, Live Chat | |
| Support Availability | Business Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | Business Hours | 24/7 | Business Hours |
| G2 Rating | 4.8/5 (7951 reviews) | 4.8/5 (7241 reviews) | 4.6/5 (2068 reviews) | 4.5/5 (147 reviews) | 4.7/5 (1286 reviews) | 4.5/5 (35 reviews) | 4.4/5 (714 reviews) |
| Capterra Rating | 4.9/5 (3864 reviews) | 4.8/5 (2819 reviews) | 4.5/5 (46 reviews) | 5/5 (2 reviews) | 4.6/5 (42 reviews) | 5/5 (5 reviews) | 4.5/5 (68 reviews) |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.6/5 (1236 reviews) | 4.8/5 (6767 reviews) | 4.7/5 (1639 reviews) | 4/5 (10 reviews) | 4.9/5 (1674 reviews) | No Reviews | 4.6/5 (199 reviews) |
| Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website | Visit Website |
Rippling offers comprehensive HR and payroll services. Deel excels in global reach and fast onboarding. Remote offers competitive pricing for contractors, making it a good option for small businesses. Remofirst provides various HR features, and Multiplier has strong global payroll capabilities.
Each platform has strengths for businesses looking for specific attributes like security, cost-effectiveness, or extensive benefits.
You can read more in our article: Best Employer of Record Services
Recommendations for Rippling Usage
Rippling offers a comprehensive platform integrating HR, IT, and finance management, with a strong focus on automation and efficiency. Its suitability depends on a company’s size, technological needs, and desire for integrated systems. Let’s explore who benefits most from Rippling and when other solutions might be more fitting.
Who should use Rippling?
- Tech-Forward Companies: Businesses with significant software needs benefit most from Rippling’s integrated approach to HR and IT. The platform’s ability to automatically provision and deprovision applications creates particular value for companies using dozens of different software tools.
- Growing Mid-Market Businesses (50-1000 employees): Rippling offers the right balance of sophistication and usability for companies that have outgrown basic HR tools but don’t need enterprise-level complexity. The platform scales effectively through this range without requiring dedicated system administrators.
- Organizations with Hybrid Workforces: Companies employing a mix of domestic employees, international workers, and contractors gain particular value from Rippling’s ability to manage all worker types through a unified system with appropriate compliance handling for each.
- Businesses Prioritizing Automation: If manual processes are consuming significant HR, IT, and finance resources, Rippling’s extensive automation capabilities can deliver substantial ROI despite the higher platform cost compared to simpler alternatives.
When to consider Rippling alternatives?
You might want to explore alternatives to Rippling if you need specialized global employment features or industry-specific solutions or are a smaller business with simpler needs. Consider alternatives to Rippling in these scenarios:
- Deel: If your primary focus is managing international contractors and freelancers, especially in the tech and creative sectors.
- Remote: For businesses requiring extensive global coverage and support for hiring employees in various countries.
- RemoFirst: For startups or small businesses looking for a more cost-effective solution for essential global employment features.
- Papaya Global: If your organization requires more advanced global workforce analytics and payroll capabilities across multiple countries.
These alternatives might better serve businesses with needs that diverge from Rippling’s core strengths, particularly those requiring specialized global employment solutions or simpler, more focused HR and payroll tools. However, they may lack the comprehensive integration of HR, IT, and finance that Rippling offers. Below, we’ve compared Rippling to other providers to show how it measures up to the competition.
- Deel vs Rippling
- Remote vs Ripping
- Rippling vs Multiplier
- Rippling vs Remofirst
- Rippling vs Oyster HR
Frequently asked questions
How long does Rippling implementation typically take?
Implementation timelines range from 2-8 weeks depending on company size and feature adoption. Core HR and payroll functions can be live within 2-3 weeks, while full IT integration and custom workflows may extend the timeline.
Can Rippling handle multiple legal entities and subsidiaries?
Yes, the platform supports complex organizational structures with multiple entities, each with distinct policies and compliance requirements. The system can consolidate reporting across entities while maintaining appropriate separation.
How does Rippling handle state-specific employment requirements?
The platform automatically applies appropriate state-level regulations for items like paid leave, tax withholding, and mandatory notices based on employee work location. These rules update automatically as regulations change.
Does Rippling work well for hourly employees?
Yes, the platform includes robust time tracking features with geofencing, overtime calculation, and break enforcement based on applicable regulations. The system can handle complex schedules and differential pay rates.
What happens if a country isn’t supported by Rippling’s EOR service?
For unsupported countries, Rippling can still manage contractors through its global contractor management system. Alternatively, the platform can integrate with third-party EOR providers for specific regions while maintaining unified reporting.
Can employees self-service most of their HR needs in Rippling?
Yes, the employee portal provides comprehensive self-service capabilities for updating personal information, enrolling in benefits, requesting time off, viewing pay details, and managing learning and development requirements.
How frequently does Rippling release new features?
The platform typically releases minor updates weekly and major feature additions quarterly. Customers can access a product roadmap and provide input on development priorities through the customer portal.
