Managing everything from payroll to benefits and compliance can quickly become overwhelming without proper HR software. Therefore, choosing the right software can help businesses automate time-consuming tasks and streamline work processes across departments.

Rippling and Zenefits are two prominent platforms, each offering unique features. Rippling specializes in the management of local and global payrolls, making it ideal for teams working internationally. Zenefits, on the other hand, offers local payroll capabilities while offering features for document management, automated onboarding, and talent management.  

This Rippling vs Zenefits comparison explores the key features of both platforms, along with their pros and cons. Continue reading to discover which software is the best match for your business!  

Rippling Vs Zenefits – Compared

Feature 

Rippling 

Zenefits 

HR Services 

Integrates HR, payroll, and IT functions, providing automation for onboarding, offboarding, transitions, and promotions 

Automated onboarding, customizable PTO tracking, and employee document management 

Payroll 

Offers local and global payroll capabilities 

Provides local payroll capabilities 

Benefits Administration 

Compliance with ACA and COBRA with detailed enrollment process 

Range of benefits plans and compliance with ACA 

Talent Management 

Offers talent management through its AI-powered feature ‘Talent Signal’ 

Diverse range of talent management features, including talent recruitment, retention, and organizational consulting 

Time And Attendance 

Automatically manages overtime and meal breaks based on employee location 

Offers customizable time-tracking rules with intuitive dashboards 

Pricing 

Wide range of plans with customizable pricing

Customizable pricing plans based on business needs 

What Is Rippling?

Rippling is a Human Capital Management (HCM) software that helps businesses streamline their payroll, HR, and IT operations all in one place. Rippling integrates various business functions, enabling companies to manage payroll, benefits, and compliance from a unified platform. It is perfect for companies with international operations, offering support in over 140 countries.  

The software is well-suited for companies of all sizes, from startups and small businesses to large enterprises. Different industries and sectors like construction, healthcare, financial services, nonprofits, marketing, and retail can benefit from this software.  

Standout Features 

  • Surveys: Enables organizations to quickly create and distribute custom employee surveys. Users can also choose from a wide variety of survey templates. Rippling triggers notifications based on responses to ensure timely action on feedback
  • Administrative Service Offering (ASO): Automate your compliance and HR tasks using ASO and manage your workforce efficiently. It automatically sets local, and state tax accounts and updates the employee handbook
  • Learning Management: Enables organizations to create customized training programs tailored to their needs. With this, managers can provide a smooth onboarding experience for employees
  • Headcount Planning: Streamlines hiring by enabling teams to create and share plans, monitor roles and new hires in one place. It automates approvals for predefined criteria and generates detailed reports to track progress

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Easy access to documents and paystubs
  • User-friendly interface offers easy navigation
  • The recruiting feature eliminates all manual tasks

Cons

  • Customer support team could be better
  • The software’s reliance on third party apps increases cost

What Is Zenefits?

Zenefits, now known as TriNet, is an all-in-one HR and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that offers features for outsourcing HR functions. It provides a suite of services designed to simplify a wide range of HR functions such as time and scheduling, payroll, benefits administration, and performance management.  

Startups and well-established businesses in various industries and sectors can use the software, including financial services, education, e-commerce, marketing and advertising, manufacturing, retail, and many more.  

Standout Features 

  • Risk Mitigation: Assists in navigating complex employment regulations and compliance challenges. This includes ensuring employee benefits plans comply with regulations like the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  • Expense Management: Streamlines the tracking and reporting of business expenses. Expense data can be directly exported into TriNet Zenefits payroll or accounting systems. Users can also customize expense categories and policies
  • Training And Learning Management: Offers a dynamic AI-powered learning program to encourage knowledge sharing among employees. Personalized dashboards to deliver tailored programs that meet the specific needs of businesses
  • Document Management: Stores all HR-related documents, including employee HR documentation and certifications. User control ensures that all sensitive information is only accessible to authorized personnel

Pros And Cons

Pros

  • Comprehensive dashboard helps save time
  • Simple benefits plan setup for vision, dental, and healthcare
  • The software’s online portal offers 24-hour employee access to HR information

Cons

  • Customer service could be improved
  • Check-in and check-out feature often glitches

Rippling Vs Zenefits: Features Comparison

HR Services

Rippling provides both PEO and Employer of Record (EOR) solutions, enabling companies to hire talent domestically and internationally with ease. The platform streamlines employee onboarding transitions and promotions, offboarding, and administrative tasks efficiently.

It centralizes all employee data, making it easy to manage from a single location. Businesses can create custom workflows to suit their needs, generate detailed reports, and securely share insights.

Zenefits provides a range of HR features, such as automated onboarding, to streamline the hiring process for new employees. It also offers customizable PTO tracking to align with your company’s time-off policies. Additionally, TriNet Zenefits helps businesses manage employee data through tools like org charts and document management, making it easier to organize and access important information.

Winner: Rippling stands out with its advanced automation and IT management features, providing a comprehensive solution that goes beyond traditional HR services.

Payroll

Rippling's payroll feature excels with its emphasis on automation, accuracy, and a user-friendly design. It offers automatic tax filing and a convenient mobile app, allowing employees to access their pay stubs and W-2 forms and request time off while on the go.

The platform supports payroll processing for both U. S. -based and international employees and contractors. It offers integration with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero, ensuring payroll accuracy.

Zenefits offers powerful online payroll software with key features such as direct deposit, electronic pay stubs, and seamless preparation and delivery of electronic W-2s. It syncs with its time-tracking, expense management, and benefits administration tools, ensuring accurate deductions. The platform automatically calculates and withholds federal, state, and local payroll taxes, ensuring all submissions are completed electronically.

Winner: Rippling emerges as the winner due to its advanced payroll features and its ability to offer global and local payroll capabilities.

Benefits Administration

Rippling’s benefits administration feature automates the benefits enrollment process for new hires, inviting them to enroll in eligible plans right as they are onboard. Rippling’s open enrollment software enables companies to complete open enrollment in days instead of weeks. The platform also automates compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and COBRA regulations.

Zenefits supports a wide range of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and commuter benefits. The platform ensures all benefit plans comply with employee benefit regulations. The ACA provides an enrollment application that streamlines the benefits enrollment process for employees.

Winner: This section ends with a tie as both software offers similar features for benefits administration.

Talent Management

Rippling offers talent management through its AI-powered feature, Talent Signal. This feature assists with improving the onboarding and performance evaluation process for new hires by delivering actionable feedback and insights based on their work. The software also prioritizes data security, safeguarding all information used by Talent Signal through its powerful security measures and compliance certifications.

Zenefits provides a comprehensive suite of talent management features tailored to talent recruitment, retention, and organization consulting. Talent recruitment helps businesses attract and hire top candidates in a competitive job market. Talent retention focuses on keeping employees engaged, satisfied, and motivated within their roles. Talent and organizational consulting unify an organization’s strategy, people, and culture to drive overall success.

Winner: Zenefits takes the lead in this category thanks to its extensive talent management capabilities.

Time And Attendance

Rippling's time and attendance feature streamlines time tracking and ensures compliance with labor laws. The system seamlessly integrates with payroll to automatically transfer approved hours for accurate calculations. Rippling also helps businesses comply with federal, state, and local labor regulations by managing overtime, meal breaks, and other requirements based on employee work locations.

Zenefits offers a time and attendance feature to ensure organizations remain compliant with labor laws by accurately tracking hours worked for each payroll cycle. Businesses can set their own customizable time-tracking rules. The software’s intuitive dashboards manage employees’ working schedules, identify employees who are working overtime, and approve pending timecards.

Winner:

Rippling wins this section as its time management capabilities are more advanced than those of Zenefits.

Final Verdict: Which Software Is Better?

Rippling and Zenefits are both exceptional HR platforms that effectively manage employee recruitment, onboarding, payroll, time tracking, benefits administration, compliance, and risk management.  

Rippling is ideal for businesses that need a more integrated approach to managing HR and IT solutions, particularly those operating internationally. Zenefits is a great option for small to mid-sized companies looking for a straightforward, comprehensive HR platform without the added complexities of IT and finance management.  

The best HR software for your business ultimately depends on your organization's specific needs and requirements. You can also explore other HR software options, such as Rippling vs. Justworks or Rippling vs ADP.