Sage HR software review

With a history steeped in accounting and financial software and a reputation for accuracy and reliability, it’s no wonder that Sage is a big contender in the HR software space.

Its Sage HR solution promises a no-nonsense set of capabilities that could save you time, cut down on admin, and accelerate recruitment, and is designed for businesses with up to 250 employees.

Sage HR makes it refreshingly easy to get started thanks to a straightforward interface – and your accounts department will be pleased, too, because Sage HR uses a modular pricing structure that makes it easier to see where you stand.

With features designed around SMBs and straightforward pricing, is Sage HR your next human resources solution?

See other options in our guide to the best HR software.

Sage HR: Plans and pricing

Lots of HR solution providers are not transparent about their pricing, so it’s refreshing that Sage provides plenty of financial detail upfront about its HR products alongside a free 30-day trial.

Sage HR starts at $6 per user per month, and for that investment you get access to the Core HR and Leave Management modules.

The Performance, Shift Scheduling, and Timesheets options each cost $3 extra per user per month, and the Expenses module costs $1.50. The Recruitment module, which is not priced on a per-employee basis, costs $200 per month, and you can pay $100 per month for an HR Advice Essentials package.

That refreshing transparency is paired with a straightforward pricing calculator that combines all of those modules with your headcount. Be aware that pricing can rise significantly if you start adding modules - and that, as always, pricing will vary by region.

Sage HR: Features

Sage’s Core HR module provides a centralized employee database, onboarding, a workflow builder to automate key tasks, and an electronic signature tool. It also provides an organization chart, the option to store custom employee data, and a self-service employee portal for accessing company details.

Leave Management is included alongside Core HR and includes a shared calendar for scheduling and planning, a self-service employee portal for leave administration, and custom approval flows for your HR staff.

Reporting is solid for an SMB tool, and managers can approve time off from the Sage HR system, the mobile app, their email inbox, or even in Slack. You can also create custom time-off policies.

The Sage HR mobile app is one of the most helpful you’ll find anywhere, with options for managers to handle vacation requests, expenses, schedules, and calendars from their smartphones. Employees can use the app with single sign-on to book vacation, browse directories, and share feedback - and they can submit expense claims by simply taking photos of receipts.

Sage HR’s onboarding system is designed to be customizable and seamless thanks to a powerful workflow builder, and managers can access extensive reporting to track the progress of new hires.

When they’re integrated into the business, Sage’s Performance module enables goal and OKR setting, tracking, and management alongside 360-degree feedback, surveys, 1-1 meetings, and fast recognition options.

Elsewhere, the Sage HR Recruitment module includes end-to-end pipeline management, unique talent landing pages, interview scheduling, and custom scorecards.

Unsurprisingly, Sage HR integrates well with products across the Sage ecosystem, which makes this a more effective choice if your organization already uses the company’s products. In terms of third-party integrations, Sage works with Slack, Google, Zapier, Microsoft tools and products like Find My Shift, and it’s got API support.

There’s one thing missing in Sage HR: payroll. It’s not included natively, so you’ll need to sign up for one of Sage’s payroll solutions and integrate it with your HR system.

Sage HR: Ease of use

Some HR solutions opt for ultra-modern, friendly designs with lots of color. Unsurprisingly, Sage HR takes a more mature approach, pairing an unfussy, effective layout with smart, mature visuals.

The dashboard gives you an immediate overview of tasks that require your attention alongside key information about your employees, from upcoming time away to 1-1 meetings and goals. The dashboard is fully configurable, so it can be tweaked to match your organizational requirements.

The calendar makes it easy to see employee activity and can be filtered by team and location, and the timesheet and scheduling modules are similarly intuitive and easy to understand. The company directory has impressive filtering and a straightforward organization chart, and the reporting module provides data that’s easy to understand thanks to uncomplicated visuals.

Some apps do go further when it comes to reporting and analytics. While that can increase complication, it could also prove more powerful and insightful, especially in larger organizations.

At the top of the window is a list of handy quick actions, there’s a search bar at the top left of the app, and the user interface is consistent throughout – something that isn’t always the case on many rival HR solutions. Sage also pairs this system with a mobile app that’s just as easy to use for both managers and employees.

The sensible, consistent interface means that Sage HR has a gentle learning curve, which should make integration into your business easier. Online user sentiment suggests that Sage is easy to use for everyday HR tasks.

Two of the only minor complaints we’ve seen online are that the interface looks a little dated and that some workflows are basic compared to deeper products.

Sage HR: Support

Sage HR’s support starts with a help center that’s packed with guides and FAQs. The size and popularity of the wider Sage ecosystem mean there’s a huge amount of information available for troubleshooting common issues. You’ll also find a community forum and a wealth of training materials.

As with most HR solution businesses, Sage now provides an AI chatbot that connects to human agents if you need immediate advice. Users can file support tickets and manage them from within the help center, too.

Sage HR: Competition

Sage HR’s ease of use and fast implementation are both welcome in the SMB market, but this product faces strong competition from a host of accomplished rivals.

If you’re not keen on payroll being handled by another product, even if it’s from the Sage family, then RUN Powered by ADP and Gusto are both strong choices that include native payroll functionality.

Sage HR’s interface is clean and effective, but HiBob has more modern visuals paired with deeper employee engagement and experience features, and BambooHR is a good choice if you need a clean interface and in-depth onboarding functionality.

For recruitment, we’d recommend Workable with its extensive, dedicated features, and Rippling is an excellent choice if you want to experiment more with automation.

Sage HR: Final verdict

Sage HR competes well in the SMB space: it’s easy to deploy and use, it’s packed with helpful features, and its mobile app and leave management functionality are both best-in-class.

The modular pricing structure lets you easily evaluate costs and gives your organization the flexibility to scale its HR solution as business needs evolve.

The lack of native payroll and a slight lack of reporting and analytics depth are negatives, but neither is a dealbreaker. If your organization needs an HR solution that prioritizes simplicity, functionality, and transparency, start with Sage.