Our methodology
Ratings you can trust, because we do the work first.
Most software reviews are written after a demo call. Ours are written after at least 60 days of real, hands-on use. Here is exactly how every HRCritic evaluation works — and how we keep it honest.
How every evaluation works
1. We sign up as real customers
No vendor demos, no press accounts, no special treatment. We register, pay and onboard the way any HR team would, so we experience the same sales process, contracts, setup friction and first impressions you would.
2. We run real workflows for at least 60 days
Every platform is used hands-on for a minimum of 60 days. We run complete cycles — full payroll runs, entire hiring pipelines, background checks from request to report — because the problems that matter only surface over weeks of real use.
3. We test support like a customer in trouble
We contact support through every channel with questions both simple and hard, and we measure how long answers take, whether they are correct, and whether anyone follows up. Great software with unreachable support is not great software.
4. We score six weighted criteria
Core functionality (30%), ease of use (20%), reliability & performance (15%), support quality (15%), integrations (10%) and value for money (10%). Each is scored 0–100, weighted, and summed into a total that maps to one of five rating levels.
5. We re-test and keep ratings current
HR software changes fast. Ratings are revisited when a platform ships major changes, and evaluations are repeated periodically so a score reflects the product as it is today — not as it was at launch.
Why this matters to you
Choosing HR software is a high-stakes decision. A bad ATS loses candidates; a bad payroll run loses trust — and possibly triggers penalties. Vendors know this, which is why demos are polished and trial periods are short. Our job is to live with each platform long past the honeymoon phase, so the rating reflects the product you will actually be using in month three, not the one you saw in week one.
That is also why we publish Not yet rated instead of guessing. If a platform has not completed our 60-day hands-on evaluation, we say so plainly. A missing rating is more honest than an invented one.
Independence & disclosure
Ratings on HRCritic are editorial opinions based on the process above. Platform descriptions are short summaries based on each vendor's own public website, linked on every card. We don't publish pricing, testimonials or scores we can't support.
Relationship disclosure: SupportFinity's first-place, Exceptional and Editor's Choice placement in ATS and Sourcing, and SalaryMarket.io's first position in Market Compensation Data, are selected by HRCritic's founder. They are not the result of an independent comparative score.
All other platforms show Not yet rated until they complete the 60-day evaluation. Order within a category, other than featured placements, is not a ranking.