Feed aggregator

I've seen plenty of 4K OLEDs before, but Acer's latest delivers a very impressive blend of features, visual sizzle, and value.

If you’re a small business that has fewer employees than a large corporation then some of the best payroll software out there might seem a little more than you need.

However, SMEs need to be just as lean and efficient, if not more so, than those larger outfits, so having the right payroll and HR package can still be money well spent. Something our best HR software guide underlines only too well.

Breathe HR has been designed with SMEs firmly in mind, with features and functions that will allow you to save time, get administrative tasks done more efficiently and keep your employees feeling valued.

It’s been successful in attracting over 16,000 UK SMEs and has served them well to date with a cloud-based, GDPR-complaint solution with maximum data security.

It’s also a great package for ensuring your data is kept safe and secure. If you’re not convinced then it’s possible to try Breathe as part of a free 14-day trial.

• Our guide to the best payroll software

Breathe HR: Plans and pricing

The Breathe HR pricing structure is based on a per organisation arrangement, rather than the per person route favourite by some software vendors. This in itself makes Breathe HR a practical and easy-to-fathom solution, which doesn’t have the convoluted structuring that some larger and better known rivals tend to have.

As mentioned above, if you’d like to explore its capabilities then Breathe HR is available, complete with all the features, free for 14 days.

The first step is to choose a plan suited to the size of your business: 1-10 people (Micro), 11-20 (Starter), 21-50 (Regular), 51-100 (Pro), 101-150 (Premium) or 151-200 (Plus).

Pricing for these sits at £22, £39, £89, £159, £369 and £525 per month, and remember, that’s for the business, not per person. This actually makes it pretty cost-effective compared with other options, which either charge a per-person rate or a nominal per-person rate on top of a company subscription.

There are also discounts available for annual commitments, where you’ll pay around 10-11 months’ worth for 12 months’ access.

Four separate add-ons are also available for extra monthly charges: Rota, Time & Attendance (£10), Learn (£12), Recruitment tracking (£21) and Expenses management (£12).

(Image credit: Breathe HR)Breathe HR: Features

Although Breathe HR is aimed more at the small business community, that doesn't mean that it’s lacking in any department. In fact, Breathe HR is literally bursting with lots of features and functions, all within the framework of a simple to use system.

All the essentials are there, like employee records, document and policy management, holiday, leave and absence tracking and analytics-backed reporting.

It lets you tackle all of those everyday HR tasks like rotas and shift planning, with support for clocking in and out, timesheets and the ability to manage staff availability. The built-in overlapping shift detection is also a pretty neat feature, helping to iron out any potential mistkaes.

The software can also be integrated with the Breathe API and Xero Payroll, which broadens both its reach and appeal still further.

Drill down inside those core features and you’ll find that Breathe HR can facilitate quick and easy staff and holiday planning, track employees holidays and monitor absenteeism.

Handling personnel is easy using the simple power of Breathe HR (Image credit: Breathe HR)

There’s scheduling for working out rotas, team management tools and a way of forecasting salaries too. You can also manage payroll, track performance and carry out both location and Covid 19 management as and when it’s needed.

Time is always money in the world of the SMEs, so it’s also good to know that Breathe HR can handle time logging, time tracking and there’s a time clock system for covering all bases during work time and shifts.

Office administrators as well as bosses will also love the HR dashboard alongside the HR database that comes as part of Breathe HR while easy document management extends the appeal.

Of course, you also have all the boring stuff like performance management, setting and tracking objectives, one-to-ones and continuous feedback. Of course, workers hate this, but combining all of these into one slick HR platform makes it easier to get the job done, reducing the amount of time workers and managers have to spend on tedious tasks.

Any company that has employees is duty bound to ensure they have security first in mind when it comes to protecting data. You’ll find that Breathe HR meets all the criteria for ensuring personnel records are handled discreetly and behind a secure curtain.

This includes having a two-factor authentication system in place for all users. Breathe HR also has a dedicated page on its website, where it is possible to drill down and check all of its security credentials.

Breathe HR: Ease of use

If you’re running a business then one of the biggest chores for anyone is getting to grips with a new software package. However, Breathe HR has been designed and engineered specifically for SMEs and as a result of that it is very easy to master.

The overall design and layout is quite minimalist, with a solid use of colour in all the right places.

Getting to grips with menus and other features and functions is surprisingly straightforward. At the same time, Breathe HR never looks or feels like it’s too basic.

Small business owners should find it carries out all of their everyday HR management tasks with aplomb. The software should become even better once the integration with Xero Payroll comes to fruition too.

On the whole, users note solid performance, and that could be from the fact that Breathe uses redundancy in its UK data center strategy to ensure real-time backup and limited downtime in the event of any failure.

Not only is the mobile experience easy to use for employees who want to request time off, but managers can also approve it on the go. By removing some of the layers between request and approval, this makes for an overall slicker operation at the company-level.

However, from the administrative side, some note that reporting and document management features edge more towards the basic end, so if you’re a bigger company in need of a more complex system, Breathe HR might not be the one.

Breathe HR has powerful reporting functionality too (Image credit: Breathe HR)Breathe HR: Support

Breathe HR offers an easy way to get in contact via the chat interface built into the application, as well as email support.

Self-service modes include a knowledge base with help articles and guides, but we also love the video webinars published which help users who prefer to learn visually or those who need guiding through some parts of the platform.

The UK-focused company has UK-based hosting and support, which is really helpful for SMEs who need that extra layer of regulation understanding and data protection.

You'll get the usual level of support options from Breathe HR (Image credit: Breathe HR)Breathe HR: Final verdict

Overall, Breathe HR looks to be an excellent and very cost effective option for anyone running a smaller outfit, with up to 250 employees.

The fact that it now has strengthened intgrations with Xero mean you can run your payroll, bookkeeping and HR systems in tandem without any technical limitations.

Breathe HR is well-suited to UK-based SMBs who would benefit from built-in compliance with local regulations, and it proves HR software doesn’t need to be as complicated as it used to be.

A comparable alternative to Breathe HR is Gusto, which lets you handle HR but has payroll functionality as part of the package too.

• Read our guide to the best payroll software

Zoho can trace its origins back to 1996, when it started under the name AdvanceNet as a private corporation which it remains to this day. Some of its software products were introduced under the Zoho name, such as Zoho CRM in 2005, and the popular office collaboration suite, Zoho Docs in 2007.

By 2009, with over a million customers, and with the online office suite going strong, the company’s name was changed to Zoho. Its headquarters remain in Chennai, India, with a dozen additional global office locations, and growth has been strong withover 60,000 businesses supported worldwide.

Zoho People, their cloud-based HR application, first came to market in 2008. Zoho’s dozens of products are integrated under the Zoho One name to meet the entire spectrum of business needs. There are over 10,000 Zoho employees, they invest in R&D via the Zoho Schools of Learning, and they proudly claim that 15% of its engineers have been from that program.

Zoho’s time in the market has also allowed it to build out more than 1,000 interoperable integrations, which is a real success.

Zoho People: Plans and pricing

A significant plus of Zoho People is that the pricing is quite transparent for the five tiers offered for this software. We love that Zoho is still able to offer well-prices packages without having to create custom quotes that can be time-consuming and sometimes expensive.

Another advantage is the 30-day trial, which does not require a credit card. There is also a free tier, good for up to five users, which is barely matched by any other players in this space. At the other end of the spectrum a custom quote process is needed for organizations with over 500 users.

The lowest tier is the Essential HR one, which has a cost of $1.50 monthly for each user, and drops further to $1.25 monthly per user when paid annually. Even on this starter plan, the basics are covered with time off management, employee onboarding, and employee database management.

Heading up a tier takes us to Professional, at a cost of $2.50 per user monthly ($2 per user when paid annually). It includes all of the features of the lower plan, and adds in attendance marking via web, mobile, and facial recognition, overtime calculations, timesheets, and shift scheduling.

(Image credit: Zoho)

Next up is the Premium tier, at a cost of $3.50 per user monthly, with an available annual discount that lowers it to $3 per user with annual payment. The lower plan’s features are included, and the additional features include performance appraisals, a skill set matrix, self-appraisals, and advanced HR analytics.

Moving another notch up takes us to the Enterprise tier at a cost of $5 per user per month ($4.50 per user per month for paying annually). This tier brings forward all the features of the lower tiers, and adds employee query management, course management, appraisals, and a discussion forum.

At the top of this heap of tiers is the People Plus plan, which is available for $4.50/4 (Premium) or $10/9 (Enterprise). This plan takes Zoho People beyond what HR software should do with the added “Features” as additional Zoho software offerings, including Zoho Vault for password management, Zoho Recruit for talent acquisition and Zoho Expense for expense management.

If you’re a Zoho user, then Zoho One offers exceptional value for money. It starts at $45/month/employee ($37 with an annual commitment), and includes the full Zoho suite of 45+ apps.

Zoho People: Features

Zoho People has plenty of features of value to an HR department. As it is a cloud-based SaaS, there are advantages such as storage of data online, and the software being up to date.

It has one of the broadest feature sets in its class because Zoho is much more than an HR platform – it’s an entire work management platform whose functionalities span security and IT, bookkeeping and billing/invoicing… even secure email and document storage.

Paydays are stressful for an HR department, so Zoho People has an Attendance Tracker. This allows management to set the hours for the organization, and to track employee attendance.

Easily track employee attendance and shifts with Zoho People's Attendance Tracker (Image credit: Zoho)

Leveraging the power of data in the cloud, this allows employees- from wherever they may be, including remote ones- to be able to check in from anywhere with the goal of regularizing attendance.

Reports can then be generated for management, to track working hours, and provide information to make better decisions. Time can also be managed, with real time tracking of employee absences. Pay periods can also be flexibly configured.

Biometric integrations like facial recognition are also supported, as are shift scheduling, overtime, timesheets and client time tracking, so it should be able to handle most business types, both in-person and digitally.

Workers might not be so pleased about goal setting, competency tracking, feedback and performance appraisals, but these are all handled from within the Zoho ecosystem. Maybe they’ll prefer the compensation and salary revision tools, instead.

Zoho People: Ease of use

There is a “structured onboarding process,” to streamline incorporating new recruits into your organization. It starts with a new hire portal, and along the way there are checklists, and customizable workflows.

Through this portal, new hires can receive their offer letter, complete forms including tax forms, and review company policy. Forms can also be electronically signed for convenience. Managers can track the process via status-view reports.

Admins will love the reporting and analytics features – while they’re not quite as glanceable as other tools, they offer a lot more depth, which is far more useful on a business level.

Workers can access the tools they need from a neat mobile app, which includes attendance, leave applications and location tracking for field workers, all in a pretty easy-to-navigate UI.

Zoho has scaled far beyond the products it initially launched with – its success comes from the amount of expertise it gathered building out its first generation of products. As such, the software is generally stable and powerful.

If you’re already in the Zoho ecosystem, then adding Zoho People would be a really smart move. It integrates well with the likes of Zoho Payroll, Zoho Projects and Zoho CRM.

(Image credit: Zoho)Zoho People: Support

The support for Zoho People offers a number of options, which are centered around the help center.

Here, you can check knowledge base articles, online documentation and even virtual classroom training to help you get to grips with Zoho’s extensive software options.

There is also a series of webinars, for example the on-demand offering “Strategic re-engineering of HR through and post Covid.”

Free and lower-tiered planed tend to have access to standard support, like ticket-based reports and contact with humans within business hours.

Premium and enterprise-grade customers get quicker support and dedicated handlers.

Support is generally considered to be effective, though users report varying wait times. Phone and chat support has also been criticized for not being consistent in multiple regions, so check your local options if support is important to you.

(Image credit: Zoho)Zoho People: Final verdict

Zoho People offers plenty of features making it worthy of consideration. These include the upfront pricing with no less than five affordable tiers, not even counting the free tier for a business of under five employees with basic functions, the multiple support resources including webinars, and the flexible functionality, such as the new hire portal.

Some shortcomings do remain, such as the lack of direct support options and the fact that some prospective customers will need to get in touch for a quote.

With Zoho People integrating well with Zoho’s other software offerings, we consider it a strong entry into the HR software segment.

Whether you’re already using Zoho’s other software options or you’re a relatively new business that could benefit from its other offerings later on down the line, Zoho People is worthy of your consideration.

If you’re already using other platforms for things like bookkeeping, then consider other payroll and HR options that could offer better integrations with those.

We've also featured the best HR software, best payroll software and best HR outsourcing services

Try out BambooHR today

BambooHR is an all-in-one HR software designed for small to medium-sized businesses, streamlining hiring, onboarding, payroll, and performance management. With automated workflows, employee self-service, and insightful reporting, it simplifies HR tasks.View Deal

BambooHR has built up a solid reputation in the relatively short space of time the company has been going. The HR business was first launched back in 2008 by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders and continues today from its base in Utah.

BambooHR offers a cloud-based HR software solution, rather than outsourcing, that combines a great user interface with lots of practical tools for managing your workforce.

The company set out to build a simplified platform that works for HR teams and employees alike, and we think it’s nailed that brief.

The BambooHR package does a little bit of everything, which includes helping to onboard new employees, analyze people data and manage benefits all while helping to get the job done in a fresh and fun kind of way.

That’s not to detract from the potential of this package though as BambooHR has more than enough capability to help business of all shapes and sizes manage their HR workflow.

The only area we feel it fails to deliver on its promise of simplicity is in its pricing, because you’ll need to set aside a fair chunk of time to walk through the platform with a sales agent instead of being able to compare plan prices.

BambooHR: Plans and pricing

The amount of money you pay to enjoy using BambooHR basically depends on the number of employees you have working in your company.

You’ll therefore need to get in touch with the sales team to get a precise tailored quote to match your requirements as there is no obvious pricing that we could find.

This seems to be the way that many other rival companies are going, and it’s a shame to see this becoming the standard because it’s hard to compare them on surface-level without going deep down the customer acquisition route, which is timely.

At the time of writing, Core, Pro and Elite plans exist, and there are also some add-ons: Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time Tracking and Employer of Record (which is actually provided by Remote, another player in this space).

However, in the meantime it’s possible to try a live demo of the software, which expands to a seven-day trial if you think you want to spend time getting used to the features and functionality. The trial is a full working version and comes complete with sample data, so you don't need to spend time populating the package to see exactly how it works. This is a quick and easy way to see the potential of BambooHR.

The top menu lets you quickly access core functions within BambooHR (Image credit: BambooHR)BambooHR: Features

Bamboo offers a wide set of HRIS and HR features, including all the core essentials like employee records, document storage, custom reports and dashbords.

Once you’ve created an account and logged in to BambooHR all of the main features are clearly set out in the central dashboard area.

There are options that let you control the vital aspects of your workforce data, with the top menu offering instant access to My Info, People, Hiring, Reports and Files, all of which are pretty self-explanatory.

The main work area contains widgets with all of the main feature content, plus there’s direct access to crucial records such as vacation and time off for sickness.

In fact, BambooHR has a whole area for paid time off requests with a dedicated time-off calendar and accrual details.

BambooHR continues to have improvements made to its set of features, with an open API option allowing you to combine the package with other HR software services where needed.

There is also a BambooHR app marketplace too, that lets users explore other BambooHR-friendly software solutions that help compliment its capabilities. More than 150 partner integrations exist, according to the website.

Furthermore, the HR platform extends right to a worker’s first interaction with a company, with job posting, candidate tracking and offer letters all handled through the system, so you won’t need to setup them up later.

The trial of BambooHR includes sample data to help you gauge its appeal (Image credit: BambooHR)BambooHR: Ease of use

During our trial time using BambooHR we found that the SaaS solution performed impeccably, particularly considering it was quite well packed with plenty of sample data.

Logging in and getting started was fault free, and even the sign up was a doddle. Once into the main work area we found BambooHR to be everything it promised, with great functionality and no issues with managing records and adding, or deleting data either.

Overall, BambooHR really hits the spot with its solid performance.

There’s a really relaxed learning curve involved with picking up BambooHR, with a user interface based around its central dashboard that makes progress both quick and easy.

It's easy to tweak and fine-tune all of the settings within the software (Image credit: BambooHR)

Despite its laid-back layout and menu options, BambooHR actually bristles with plenty of power tools, all designed to let you tackle human resources tools without the stress normally associated with this aspect of business admin.

BambooHR is very customizable too, with a settings area that lets you tweak all of the content tools.

Access levels, employee fields, approvals, apps, benefits, company directory, email alerts, employee satisfaction, hiring and holidays can all be tailored to suit your needs. It's even possible to drop in your own logo and set a colour scheme as needed.

Where the platform is widely recognized as being pretty intuitive, some note it can be harder to uncover some hidden features.

The mobile app is also less feature-rich, but this is a fair expectation from any similar software.

BambooHR: Support

Once you’re logged into the BambooHR system there’s always help at hand thanks to support options over on the top of the program interface. In this region there’s a searchable knowledge base, which can point you towards topics that solve many queries.

Resources and learning materials include webinars, guides, tutorials and other self-service help.

It’s also possible to chat with the support team from here. In the same area is the option to submit a support request.

General support includes chat, email and telephone during business hours, and customer feedback is mostly positive on this front. Responsive and helpful agents walk them through solutions instead of just directing them to articles, so top marks there.

Once you're signed in there are help options accessible from within the dashboard (Image credit: BambooHR)BambooHR: Final verdict

BambooHR is a great option for small to medium-sized business that have to tackle human resources chores and more besides. The way it’s been designed and laid out means that those humdrum everyday tasks associated with HR duties are made rather more palatable than normal.

It’s got oodles of cool tools nestling in amongst the vibrant user interface, with everything from benefits administration through to performance reviews covered and a whole lot more besides.

That appealing user experience is backed up with strong core features, good integrations and a helpful resource base.

The fact that you can test drive the package before committing makes it perfect for business owners who want to make doubly sure it’s going to be right for them before signing up.

You’ll need to contact the BambooHR sales team in order to get pricing, although this is based around the number of workers your business employs. BambooHR is certainly one of the easiest solutions of its type out there, with plenty of capacity to accommodate your business as it grows too.

• We've also highlighted the best accounting software

With the best HR software, managing employees, payrolls, holiday leave, and most other things associated with the human resources sector can be simplified. Advanced software is a must for many companies, as it can save countless hours of manual data entry and planning.

BrightHR is a new company, launched in 2015, which launched with the aim to better serve SMBs, it already counts 100,000 businesses among its customers.

In our BrightHR review, we take a close look at this advanced HR software solution. It comes in various formats for businesses of all sizes, and it’s quite affordable as well.

• Want to try BrightHR? Check out the website here

However, there’s no US version. It’s currently only available to customers in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.

BrightHR: Plans and pricing

BrightHR used to offer a couple of different tiers, but these days it’s gone down the same route that many other HR and payroll providers have gone down, and we’re not a fan.

You’ll need to get in contact with sales to get a quote, and we’d much rather be able to tell you exactly how much each plan costs to help with comparison.

The company promises to save customers money while providing them with the best value for their investment, with tailored subscriptions based on the number of employees and HR systems required, which suggests further customization could be available beyond basic tiers, hence the requirement for a quote.

Sales teams can also offer potential customers a demo to show them around the suite and point out valuable tools.

The staff management tools are excellent (Image credit: BrightHR)BrightHR: Features

The BrightHR platform is packed full of advanced HR management features. We’ve touched on a few of the most popular below.

BrightHR offers an excellent selection of staff management tools, including a neat holiday planner. This enables employees to request holidays with the click of a button.

Workers manage this from their end so all admins have to do is approve or decline requests. By keeping all of this within the HR platform, it means managers shouldn’t be bugged by email requests.

On top of this, managers can also record absences and sick leave in just a few seconds.

The platform also allows documentation, like medical certificates, contracts and policies, to be uploaded into the system for safekeeping.

You, of course, get all of the business-oriented HR tools, too, like goal setting (including SMART goals), review and appraisal tools, one-to-one performance meeting templates and follow-ups.

The BrightHR dashboard is tidy and easy to navigate (Image credit: BrightHR)

Although it’s primarily a human capital management (HCM) system, it does have some tools to help ease the burden on finance teams too.

The BrightHR system also tracks various metrics to help you with payroll calculations, reducing the time you need to spend on admin processes. This includes overtime tracking, a complete record of paid and unpaid absences, and information about bonuses or other extra payments that you owe employees.

If you need assistance with your staff rosters, BrightHR’s rota planner will be extremely useful. Modifications can be made with the click of a button, and the system will automatically notify employees of any changes to their usual schedule or work location.

Another noteworthy feature is BrightHR’s unlimited cloud storage. This is designed to help businesses go paperless and features a range of tools to help you store, manage, and share digital files. In addition, files can be accessed from anywhere through the neat mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices.

BrightHR also comes with a Certificate of Assurance from Cyber Essentials, to help protect the service from cyber attacks.

BrightHR: Ease of use

To sign up for a new BrightHR account, you need to simply select the package you want, navigate to the checkout page, and input the required information.

The BrightHR software itself is tidy and easy to navigate, presenting a range of HR management tools in one central hub.

We think its user interface is pretty slick compared with most other legacy HR platforms, so if you’re familiar with working in more digital-first ecosystems like Canva and Monday, you should enjoy the graphics and ease of navigation.

Dashboards and other consolidated views of things like leave, sickness and planned shifts present key information in glanceable formats, and users typically report minimal training requirements to get started.

On the end user side, workers can use the mobile apps which support leave requests, clocking in and out, and scheduling monitoring. In a digital-native economy where PCs are often replaced by smartphones, it’s good to see BrightHR recognising this and building what seems to be a pretty powerful app.

BrightHR offers a selection of self-help resources (Image credit: BrightHR)BrightHR: Support

When it comes to customer service and support, BrightHR excels. There’s a great range of self-help resources available via the company’s Support Hub, including FAQs, video tutorials, and detailed user guides.

On top of this, you can sign up to weekly webinars, which cover various aspects of getting started with the platform. There’s a handy blog that’s regularly updated, and you can reach out to the customer service team via phone or online contact form if you need extra assistance.

Qualified experts are on hand by phone for employment law advice, and there’s a good document template library to help companies get set up with policies and so on pretty quickly.

Health and safety support, compliance guidance and common HR questions are also covered.

Phone support, online chats and emails make support pretty accessible, but support is generally easier to reach in the UK & Ireland. BrightHR also operates across Australia and New Zealand, plus Canada, but there’s no tailored package for the US.

(Image credit: BrightHR)BrightHR: Final verdict

All things considered, BrightHR is a great option for those who need an advanced yet competitively priced HR management program. It boasts excellent prices, a great range of advanced tools, and a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate management interface.

While the lack of a US version does narrow its market a little, the markets it does serve are treated to an approachable interface and strong functionality.

The bottom line: if you don’t need a US-specific HR management program, BrightHR could be a perfect choice.

Consider BrightHR if you need HR, compliance, health and safety and employee wellbeing bundled into a neat package, or if you value an intuitive system with good desktop and mobile access.

BrightHR offers excellent service across the board, but there are certainly a few other platforms worth considering.

One of our favorites is Gusto, which covers virtually every aspect of HR management. It includes advanced tools for onboarding, insurance, wages, time-tracking, and more. Ultimately, it’s a great option for businesses looking for advanced all-in-one software.

Another popular choice is BambooHR, a platform that focuses on HR process automation. It also boasts leading security practices, making it a good choice for businesses dealing with sensitive information.

• We've also highlighted the best accounting software

Paycor, a human capital management (HCM) platform that is cloud based, offers payroll, HR, and other services for small and mid-sized businesses.

Paycor was founded in 1990, is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has a worldwide customer base, with notable customers including Wendy’s, Pure Dental Brands, and the Detroit Zoo.

It counts more than three decades’ experience in HCM under its belt, and also boasts that it supports 30,000 businesses in the US alone, spanning 2.3 million users. Another area of the site says the business count stands at more than 50,000.

It sees itself competing with the likes of ADP, Paycom, Paylocity, Zenefits, Gusto and UKG, as well as industry giants Rippling who create one of the most extensive and easy-to-use ecosystems on the market.

• Our guide to the best payroll software

Paycor: Plans and pricing

Although Paycor does provide some visibility into the membership tiers available, pricing details are not explicitly mentioned. This is a red flag from any company, and is unfortunately becoming increasingly normal in this sector.

Core is the most popular tier, but there’s also a more expensive Complete + ASO plan. These are marketed as solutions for companies with fewer than 50 employees.

Although precise costs aren’t mentioned, the company does push limited-time offers on occasion. At the time of writing, a 50% off for six months deal was running, which is more than you get elsewhere, but there doesn’t seem to be a free trial.

Bigger businesses with 50-1,000+ are directed to get in touch with sales instead, but there is mention of an HCM Core tier and one month free trial.

(Image credit: Paycor)Paycor: Features

Paycor is primarily an HR and HCM platform, but it does offer some payroll and other services at the same time.

These include full payroll services with tax filing, but these are mostly a byproduct of Paycor’s incredible workplace management solution.

For example, while the HR functionalities extend to performance reviews, goal tracking, feedback, surveys, career development and further planning, it also serves as a one-stop shop for everything you need to make sure your workers are where they say they are.

This includes mobile punching, geofencing and facial recognition where appropriate to provide HR teams with real-time visibility, helping with things like staffing analytics and predictions, overtime and labor costs.

By using the platform’s surveys, conducting pulse checks, and gathering valuable feedback to identify areas for improvement, Paycor reckons it can help organizations boost engagement while providing actionable insights to drive initiatives that boost employee morale, motivation, and productivity.

(Image credit: Paycor)

Paycor also helps with the recruitment stage as well as the existing workforce, with applicant tracking, recruiting, onboarding and document signing on offer, which means they’ll enter the system from day one, avoiding the need to add workers once they’re successful at interview stage.

There are customizable templates and automations to streamline onboarding even further.

Businesses can access a vast library of templates, guides, and best practices curated to help them navigate complex employment laws and regulations.

Teams can also create custom reports and dashboards to analyze trends and insights, and export data to various formats for further reporting.

Paycor’s software is so rich in functionality that the company promotes consultations across its site for organizations who may be looking to join.

Paycor: Ease of use

On the whole, the interface makes sense and so it should be fairly easy to navigate around the site, but some users have reported minor bugs and glitches that suggest Paycor may have the HR expertise, but many not the tech expertise.

The desktop and web version can feel a bit cumbersome, particularly for reporting or less common workflows.

On the flip side, mobile usability is often praised for giving employees access to schedules, requesting time off and more, which is a surprise because normally mobile experiences lag behind the full desktop version.

(Image credit: Paycor)Paycor: Support

Paycor offers an HR support center equipped with a wealth of resources to help businesses navigate HR complexities confidently, so you’ll get just as much business advice as you will product support.

The searchable database gets divided into sections – a public employee area and a password-protected administrator section. On the employee side, there are the expected topics, such as setup and use of the mobile app, and we appreciate that some of this info is presented via short and easy to understand videos.

Apart from the knowledge center and old-school ticket-based support, you can also use phone and live chat channels to get in touch with a human agent in real time.

Note you’ll only be able to get in touch during office hours, which is pretty standard, but user feedback doesn’t paint a glowing picture. Many note issues with reponse delays, a lack of follow-through on open tickets and inconsistent answers.

Some also noted concerns about hidden fees or unexpected cost increases.

(Image credit: Paycor)Paycor: Final verdict

We think Paycor is best for medium-sized companies who don’t need overly complex demands, but it’s just a shame that pricing is hidden and prospective customers will have to set aside time to talk to the sales department to see if the product is even within budget for them.

By using Paycor's HCM solution, SMBs can streamline their operations, reduce administrative burdens and focus on more important and productive work.

Still, there are some areas for improvement, such as easier and quicker access to support and the interface, which might be acceptable, but trails behind rivals.

• Read our guide to the best payroll software

Looking for a way to watch San Francisco take on New Orleans? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Looking for a way to watch Seattle take on Pittsburgh? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Looking for a way to watch Chicago take on Detroit? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Want to watch this NFC East showdown between New York and Dallas? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on Fox.

Looking for a way to watch Cleveland play Baltimore? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on CBS.

Looking for a way to watch Jacksonville play Cincinnati? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on CBS.

Looking for a way to watch Los Angeles play Tennessee? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on CBS.

Looking for a way to watch Buffalo play the New York Jets? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on CBS.

Looking for a way to watch New England play the Miami Dolphins? Here's everything you need to stream Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game on CBS.

Samsung S85F review: two minute review

The Samsung S85F, the company’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025, could easily get overshadowed by its step-up siblings and more premium OLED competition. However, the S85F offers a good range of features and great performance at a more affordable price, with the 65-inch model I tested available for $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99 several months after its release.

One thing to note in this review: I tested the 65-inch Samsung S85F, which in the UK, where I am based, uses a W-OLED panel. In the US, the 55- and 65-inch models instead use a QD-OLED panel.

The S85F boasts a feature list that rivals the best TVs, particularly in terms of smart TV and gaming capabilities. That list also includes AI-based picture enhancement tools such as 4K AI Upscaling and Real Depth Enhancer, as well as an improved Tizen 9.0 smart TV platform.

Picture quality on the S85F comes close to rivaling the best OLED TVs. Colors are vibrant, and it delivers strong contrast with deep blacks and refined shadow detail. Textures are realistic with both 4K and HD sources, giving people and objects a 3D-like quality. Motion does require some setup, but once this is done, the picture is smooth and responsive. Brightness is lower than that of flagship OLEDs such as the Samsung S95F and LG G5, and even mid-range OLEDs like the LG C5, but that’s the one area where it falls short.

The S85F’s two 2-channel, 20W speaker array delivers decent bass and clear speech, and it accurately maps sound effects to the action on screen, but is otherwise just average. Some may find the S85F’s sound fine for day-to-day viewing, but I’d recommend adding one of the best soundbars.

The S85F carries a gaming feature set to match the best gaming TVs, and it has the performance to match. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, ALLM, and HDR10+ gaming. Samsung’s Gaming Hub has access to tons of cloud gaming apps, and an ultra-low 9.4ms input lag time ensures responsive performance, regardless of the game.

Tizen 9.0, the latest version of Samsung’s smart TV platform, is arguably the best one to date. Navigation is smooth, there are AI-based tools for content recommendation, and there are plenty of settings to adjust the picture. Those settings can be a pain to find at times, but that doesn’t make Tizen 9.0 any less of a success.

The S85F is great value for money. It has a comprehensive list of features, strong performance for gaming and movies, and is affordably priced for an OLED TV. While step-up models such as the Samsung S90F and LG C5 can be had for a bit more money, the S85F is still a great value overall.

Samsung S85F review: Prices & release date

(Image credit: Future)

• Release date: May 2025
• 55-inch: $1,399.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499
• 65-inch: $1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299
• 77-inch: $2,799.99 / £2,799.99 / AU$4,999
• 83-inch: $4,499.99 / £3,799.99 / AU$6,999

The Samsung S85F is the entry-level OLED model in Samsung’s 2025 TV lineup, sitting below the mid-range Samsung S90F and flagship Samsung S95F. It is available in sizes ranging from 55 to 83 inches. The 65-inch model I tested launched at $1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299.

All models have dropped in price since launch. At the time of writing, the 65-inch model is selling for as low as $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99, putting it in the same region as its closest rival, the LG B5 (65-inch priced at $1,399.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$2,695). I expect those prices to continue dropping throughout 2025.

Samsung S85F review: Specs

Screen type:

OLED

Refresh rate:

Up to 120Hz

HDR support:

HDR10+, HDR10, HLG

Audio support:

Dolby Atmos

Smart TV:

Tizen

HDMI ports:

4 x HDMI 2.1

Built-in tuner (US):

ATSC 1.0

Samsung S85F review: Benchmark resultsSamsung S85F review: Features

The Samsung Gaming Hub (pictured) is one of the Samsung S85F's strongest features (Image credit: Future)

• NQ4 AI Gen 2 Processor and W-OLED panel
• 4K 120Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
• Vision AI tools

US models of the S85F use QD-OLED panels exclusively in the 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes. In every other region, the S85F uses standard W-OLED panels across all sizes. Since I’m in the UK, I tested a 65-inch model with a W-OLED panel.

The S85F features Samsung’s NQ4 AI Gen 2 processor, which has picture enhancements such as 4K AI Upscaling and Real Depth Enhancer. Like all Samsung TVs, there is support for HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats, but not Dolby Vision.

A two-channel, 20W speaker array on the S85F supports Dolby Atmos, and there are sound-based AI tools such as Adaptive Sound and Active Voice Amplifier Pro. The S85F also supports Q-Symphony, which enables its speakers to be used in conjunction with compatible Samsung soundbars when connected.

Gaming is well supported on the S85F. The TV’s four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, ALLM, HDR10+ gaming, and both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. The S85F also features the Samsung Gaming Hub, a portal for cloud-based gaming services.

The S85F features Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform, now on version 9.0. This provides AI tools for picture and sound enhancement, plus other features such as click to search and AI content recommendations. Tizen provides access to pretty much all major streaming apps, such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and, in the UK, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and other major UK-based streaming apps.

• Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Picture quality

Colors and textures look great on the Samsung S85F, as shown here with Wicked (Image credit: Universal Pictures / Future)

• Rich colors
• Strong contrast and shadow detail
• Middling brightness compared to other OLEDs

Measuring the S85F’s peak HDR brightness on a 10% white window pattern, it hit 777 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 818 nits in Standard mode. While that result is lower than mid-range OLED TVs such as the Samsung S90F, it was higher than the LG B5 (668 nits in Movie mode and 637 nits in Standard mode), which uses a similar panel.

The S85F’s fullscreen HDR brightness was just average, topping at 147 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 150 nits in Standard mode. This is again in the same region as the B5 (170 nits in Standard and 131 nits in Filmmaker), but much lower than what you’ll get with recent flagship OLEDs, which average around 300-plus nits on this test.

The S85F does an impressive job upscaling HD-quality movies and TV shows. A stream of Fight Club on Disney+ benefited from upscaled textures and showed good contrast. The same can’t be said for standard-definition content from apps like Samsung TV Plus and YouTube, however.

Color was among the S85F’s strong points. Viewed in the Movie picture mode, a scene from the 4K Blu-ray of Wicked, in which Elphaba stands under a pink tree, revealed vibrant pink flowers and a vivid green hue to Elphaba’s skin. Filmmaker Mode looked more natural, but picture highlights had more punch in Movie mode. A 4K stream of Elemental also demonstrated the S85F’s superb color, particularly in a scene where Ember repairs a broken vase.

Measuring the S85F’s HDR color gamut, it covered 98.1% of the DCI-P3 and 71.5% of the BT.2020 color spaces. While the former is a great result, the latter is lacking compared to other recent OLEDs, which have ranged from 74-81% in our tests.

The S85F delivers rich black levels and great contrast (Image credit: Future)

The S85F exhibited excellent contrast and shadow detail. Watching The Batman, specifically the opening crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house, there was a powerful balance between the light areas of torches and lamps and the dark floors and walls. Paintings were still visible on the walls in the darkest points of the scene, and so was Batman’s eye as he turned away from the camera. Shadows here were deep and rich throughout, with no signs of black crush.

Due to the S85F’s limited brightness and glossy screen, darker movies like The Batman were harder to watch in brighter viewing conditions, and were best saved for dim or pitch black viewing.

Black and white scenes from Oppenheimer also demonstrated the S85F’s excellent screen uniformity, displaying a good range of black, white and gray tones evenly across the screen.

Motion handling required some setup on the S85F. For sports, I found Standard mode with judder reduction set to 3-5 and blur redirection set to 2 to be the best settings, resulting in a smooth, but not overly smooth, picture. There was still some ghosting of the ball during a soccer game on Prime Video with these settings, but it was minimal. As for movies, a scene in No Time to Die where a camera pans across a hillside required the same motion settings to reduce judder.

Detail was one of the S85F’s other picture quality strengths. Almost everything I watched looked crisp and refined, taking on a realistic look without being too sharp. This gave people and objects a 3D-like quality, something helped along by the TV’s Real Depth Enhancer feature.

• Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Sound quality

The S85F features Samsung's Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite system for a more spatially accurate sound presentation (Image credit: Future)

• Two-channel, 20W speaker array
• Good accuracy and solid bass
• Narrow soundstage

The S85F has a two-channel, 20W speaker system with Dolby Atmos support. There are two audio presets, Standard and Amplify, along with AI sound tools such as Adaptive Sound and Voice Amplifier Pro, both of which analyze the viewing environment and content on screen to adapt the sound.

Despite having a limited two-channel sound system, the S85F demonstrated solid bass. In the Batmobile/Penguin car chase from The Batman, it delivered the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine and the crunch of collisions with good impact and weight. The Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite system also did a great job of connecting sound with the action on screen, accurately mapping swerving tires, bullet sprays and blaring car horns. Speech was generally clear throughout my testing.

The S85F’s soundstage felt very narrow, however, with sound effects never really extending beyond the screen. While the S85F’s sound will be fine for day-to-day viewing, it deserves a soundbar to match its picture quality.

• Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Design

The S85F's support feet can be installed in two positions: wide or narrow (Image credit: Future)

• Sleek design with trim frame
• Wide and narrow support feet options
• SolarCell remote

Like many Samsung TVs, the S85F has an appealing design, with its extra-slim build and bezel-less screen giving it a sleek, modern look. Its rear panel even has a navy/gray color that helps differentiate it from other TVs on the market.

There are wide and narrow installation options for the TV’s support feet. Wide is perfect for accommodating a soundbar, and the narrow position is for those who have a particularly small TV stand.

The S85F comes with Samsung’s SolarCell remote, which features both a USB-C port and a solar cell on the rear as charging options. A new addition is the AI button, which provides access to Vision AI settings, such as click to search when pressed. If you’re in the UK, you’ll get Samsung’s older remote with a numeric keypad as well.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Smart TV & menus

Tizen 9.0, the latest version of Samsung's smart TV platform, is the best one to date (Image credit: Future)

• Tizen 9.0 platform
• Responsive performance and clean layout
• Some settings are buried in menus

Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform has gone through several big changes over the last few years, and the new Tizen 9.0 is the best version to date. A quick menu provides easy access to settings such as picture mode, brightness, and sound output. There are also four useful hubs: Home, for streaming apps and content recommendations; Game, for gaming apps and settings; Daily+, for lifestyle apps such as office and health; and Ambient, which gives access to artwork, photos and videos that can be displayed in a low power mode.

Tizen 9.0 offers AI content recommendations based on your watch history, and its Samsung TV Plus app houses hundreds of free channels. For UK users, Samsung TV Plus serves as an alternative to Freeview. There is the option to create custom profiles for different users as well.

Tizen 9.0 may be a marked improvement over previous versions, but it’s still not perfect. While there are plenty of settings to adjust the picture, these can be tough to navigate. For instance, I was frustrated to find that settings I regularly use, such as Motion, were buried deep in sub-menus.

Tizen doesn’t quite beat LG’s webOS as the best smart TV platform, but it comes in a very close second.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Gaming

The S85F has a stacked list of gaming features and delivers great performance. (Image credit: Future)

• Four HDMI 2.1 ports
• 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
• 9.4ms input lag time

The S85F carries a near-full stock of gaming features across its four HDMI 2.1 ports. These include support for 4K 120Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync (the latter a first for Samsung TVs), HDR10+ gaming and ALLM.

Samsung’s Gaming Hub offers cloud-based gaming services such as Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, and Luna, along with gaming-related content. It also allows for quick access to connected gaming devices such as consoles.

With an ultra-low 9.4ms measured input lag, gaming performance on the S85F is smooth and responsive. In even the most chaotic battle sequences in Battlefield V, I found it was snappy and responded to my inputs quickly with no signs of stutter or screen tearing.

• Gaming score: 5 / 5

Samsung S85F review: Value

The S85F comes with Samsung's SolarCell remote (Image credit: Future)

• Competitively priced for an entry-level OLED
• Strong features and performance for price
• Better value in US due to QD-OLED panel

I’ve seen the 65-inch S85F I tested selling for $1,499.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$1,999.99. While this is good value for an OLED TV of this size in the UK and Australia, it’s even better value in the US, since that size uses a QD-OLED panel that can potentially provide even better performance.

The S85F is competitively priced with its main rival, the LG B5, which costs $1,399.99 / £1,899.99 / AU$2,695 for the 65-inch model. I expect these two will compete on price for the remainder of the year, particularly during Black Friday.

The step-up Samsung S90F (which also uses a QD-OLED panel in the 65-inch size in both the US and the UK) is available for $1,699.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$4,295, meaning it’s a good value. And at $1,699.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$4,295, the LG C5, LG’s mid-range OLED, is priced the same as the S90F. For a bit more money, both these models offer better performance, with higher picture brightness.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Samsung S85F?

(Image credit: Future)Samsung S85F

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A strong array of features for both gaming and smart TV

5/5

Picture quality

Excellent color and contrast plus realistic textures, but lacks brightness of more premium OLEDs

4.5/5

Sound quality

Solid bass performance and accurate mapping, but a narrow soundstage

3.5/5

Design

Slim, sleek design with two-position stand gives TV a more premium look than its price would suggest

4.5/5

Smart TV and menus

Best iteration of Tizen to date, with useful menus and settings and smooth performance, but some settings are buried in menus

4.5/5

Gaming

4K 120Hz and full VRR support plus ultra-responsive performance and Samsung Gaming Hub

5/5

Value

A great value TV that has all the features and performance most people will want

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a great OLED picture for less
The S85F delivers bold colors, crisp textures and strong contrast for a cheaper price than most other 2025 OLED TVs.

You want a great TV for gaming
The S85F has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, and it delivers ultra-smooth performance.

You want value for money
An impressive picture, a full list of gaming features and plenty of smart tools and features make the S85F great value for money.

Don't buy it if…

You want to watch in a bright room
The S85F doesn't have the high brightness of premium OLEDs, and its screen is reflective in brighter viewing conditions.

You want Dolby Vision support
Samsung TVs don't support Dolby Vision for movies or gaming, and the S85F is no exception. It does support HDR10+, however.

You want the best built-in sound
While fine for day-to-day viewing, the S85F's built-in sound can't compare with a soundbar, with even affordable models beating it.

Also consider

Samsung S85F

LG B5

LG C5

Samsung S90F

Price (65-inch)

$1,999.99 / £2,099.99 / AU$3,299

$1,999.99 / £2,499 / AU$3,299

$2,699 / £2,699 / AU$4,299

$2,499 / £2,699 / AU$4,299

Screen type

OLED (QD-OLED on 55- and 65-inch models in the US)

OLED

OLED

QD-OLED (65-inch only)

Refresh rate

120Hz

120Hz

144Hz

144Hz

HDR support

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG

Dolby Vision/HDR10/HLG

HDR10+/HDR10/HLG

Smart TV

Tizen

webOS 25

webOS25

Tizen

HDMI ports

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

LG B5
The Samsung S85F's closest rival, the LG B5 offers similar brightness, features, performance, and even price. The B5 does support Dolby Vision HDR, but not the HDR10+ format.

Read our full LG B5 review

LG C5
The LG C5 is brighter than the S85F, so it's better suited to watching in well-lit rooms. It also has better processing speed and built-in sound. It is, however, a step-up in price, and the S85F carries many of the same gaming features and performance.

Read our full LG C5 review

Samsung 65-inch S90F
The step-up model over the S85F, the Samsung S90F uses a QD-OLED panel in its 65-inch model, and that gives higher brightness, along with better contrast and color detail. It also supports a 144Hz refresh rate for gaming.

Read our full 65-inch Samsung S90F review

How I tested the Samsung S85F

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested in our testing room in varying lighting conditions
• Tested using HDR and SDR sources
• Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

Before conducting my testing, I spent some time casually viewing the S85F to establish its best picture modes, settling on a mix of Filmmaker Mode and Movie mode, with Standard for sports.

I conducted subjective testing by watching reference SDR (DVD, Blu-ray) and HDR (4K Blu-ray and streaming) sources to test the S85F's picture quality, focusing on color, contrast, textures, upscaling, shadow detail and motion handling.

For 4K Blu-rays and other discs, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player, and I also used an Xbox Series X to analyze gaming performance.

I next conducted objective testing, taking measurements using specialized equipment: a Klein K-10 A colorimeter, with a Jeti Spectraval 1501 used to profile it and a Murideo 8K Six G Metal test pattern generator, with Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record the results.

I measured the S85F's HDR and SDR brightness on 1-100% white window patterns, focusing on 10% (peak) and 100% (fullscreen) brightness.

Next, I measured the S85F's color and grayscale accuracy, looking for a Delta-E (the margin for error between the test pattern and what's displayed on screen) average below 3. I also measured the S85F's DCI-P3 and BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage.

Finally, I measured the S85F's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag tester.

• First reviewed: September 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

The Samsung S85F doesn't offer the same brightness as more premium OLED TVs, but its feature set and performance are great for the price.

Here's how to watch Eagles vs Chiefs live streams online, with Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley poised to humble Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.