Sage is clearly steering new customers to HCM and People. HRMS still works and still gets tax updates, but I would want a straight answer about the next five years in writing before signing a new term.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
35 found this helpful
Vincent Marchetti
General Manager, Trailhead Bicycles
Canada·Accounting·1 to 10 employees
5.0
Feb 25, 2026
Used less than 6 months
Compliance depth you do not get elsewhere
Eleven years, no missed payroll. It is not exciting and I do not want my payroll system to be exciting.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
You maintain the servers and the upgrades
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
34 found this helpful
Andre Whitfield
Owner, Falcon Ridge Landscaping
Canada·Education·51 to 200 employees
3.0
Mar 27, 2025
LinkedIn confirmedUsed less than 6 months
On premise is the point, and the cost
Sage is clearly steering new customers to HCM and People. HRMS still works and still gets tax updates, but I would want a straight answer about the next five years in writing before signing a new term.
Pros
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
You maintain the servers and the upgrades
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
34 found this helpful
Nathaniel Eriksson
Studio Director, Kestrel Analytics
United States·Marketing·1 to 10 employees
5.0
Jul 9, 2026
Verified userUsed 2 or more years
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
The compliance side is the reason. EEO, OSHA logs, FMLA tracking, all standard. Every cloud product we evaluated treated at least one of those as an add on with a separate price.
Pros
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
33 found this helpful
Isaac Crane
Owner, Aurora Print House
United States·Healthcare·11 to 50 employees
2.0
Mar 2, 2026
LinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
Implementation ran double the estimate
Quoted four months, took nine, and the number roughly doubled. Some of that was our data, most of it was scope that emerged once the partner actually looked at how we run payroll. Ask for a fixed price and watch what gets excluded from it.
Pros
US payroll processed entirely in house
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
33 found this helpful
Mabel Goldberg
Sales Director, Northgate Logistics
United States·Accounting·51 to 200 employees
3.0
Jan 29, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 6 to 12 months
Works, but the roadmap worries me
Sage is clearly steering new customers to HCM and People. HRMS still works and still gets tax updates, but I would want a straight answer about the next five years in writing before signing a new term.
Pros
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
33 found this helpful
Kyle Boateng
Finance Manager, Maplewood Childcare
United States·Nonprofit·11 to 50 employees
4.0
Jun 22, 2026
LinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
ACA reporting stopped being a January crisis
Multi state withholding is handled correctly, including the reciprocity agreements, which is the thing that quietly breaks in lesser systems.
Pros
ACA 1094 and 1095 reporting built in
Cons
Interface is dated and staff avoid the portal
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
32 found this helpful
Rashid Ashford
Founder, Willow & Ash Salons
United States·Manufacturing·1 to 10 employees
3.0
Mar 7, 2026
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
Works, but the roadmap worries me
Our implementation partner was excellent and the project went well. I have spoken to two peers whose partners were not, and their experience of the identical software was miserable. You are buying a reseller as much as a product and almost nobody tells you that up front.
Pros
EEO, OSHA and FMLA tracking standard
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
Response from the vendorMar 18, 2026
We appreciate the feedback on self service. Sage HRMS continues to receive tax and compliance updates, and we would welcome a conversation about how Sage HCM might fit your requirements.
32 found this helpful
Elena Menon
Founder, Bluewater Consulting
United States·Software·1 to 10 employees
4.0
Mar 20, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 1 to 2 years
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
The compliance side is the reason. EEO, OSHA logs, FMLA tracking, all standard. Every cloud product we evaluated treated at least one of those as an add on with a separate price.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
32 found this helpful
Xander Ibarra
Bookkeeper, Silverbirch Accounting
United States·Transport and logistics·1 to 10 employees
1.0
Dec 24, 2025
Used 2 or more years
Implementation ran double the estimate
The employee self service portal is the part staff actually touch and it is the worst part of the product. It looks like 2009, it is slow, and our people avoid it and email HR instead. That defeats the entire purpose of having it.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
31 found this helpful
Wren Rasheed
Owner, Northgate Logistics
United States·Manufacturing·1 to 10 employees
5.0
Dec 23, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
ACA reporting stopped being a January crisis
We have people in nine states and we are not comfortable handing payroll data to a third party. HRMS runs it in house, the tax tables stay current through maintenance, and the 941 reconciles every quarter. That combination is genuinely hard to find.
Pros
US payroll processed entirely in house
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
31 found this helpful
Naomi Ojeda
Studio Director, Granite Peak Roofing
Canada·Manufacturing·1 to 10 employees
1.0
Nov 7, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
Implementation ran double the estimate
The employee self service portal is the part staff actually touch and it is the worst part of the product. It looks like 2009, it is slow, and our people avoid it and email HR instead. That defeats the entire purpose of having it.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
31 found this helpful
Zara Ellsworth
Chief of Staff, Beacon Legal Partners
Canada·Software·500+ employees
4.0
Oct 5, 2025
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
ACA reporting used to consume January. The 1094 and 1095 forms come out of the system now and we file without drama. That alone justified staying through the last renewal.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
You maintain the servers and the upgrades
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
31 found this helpful
Gwen Ortiz
Practice Manager, Kestrel Analytics
Canada·Professional services·1 to 10 employees
5.0
Mar 7, 2025
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
It has run our payroll for eleven years
We have people in nine states and we are not comfortable handing payroll data to a third party. HRMS runs it in house, the tax tables stay current through maintenance, and the 941 reconciles every quarter. That combination is genuinely hard to find.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
31 found this helpful
Ezra Finnegan
Managing Partner, Bluewater Consulting
United States·Nonprofit·11 to 50 employees
4.0
Jun 17, 2025
LinkedIn confirmedUsed 6 to 12 months
Compliance depth you do not get elsewhere
Eleven years, no missed payroll. It is not exciting and I do not want my payroll system to be exciting.
Pros
US payroll processed entirely in house
Cons
Experience depends heavily on your partner
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
30 found this helpful
Tanya Forsythe
Director of Finance, Copper Mountain Brewing
Canada·Software·11 to 50 employees
4.0
May 31, 2025
Verified userUsed less than 6 months
Multi state withholding without a service bureau
ACA reporting used to consume January. The 1094 and 1095 forms come out of the system now and we file without drama. That alone justified staying through the last renewal.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
30 found this helpful
Halima Velazquez
Project Manager, Beacon Legal Partners
United States·Real estate·500+ employees
2.0
Apr 9, 2025
Verified userUsed 6 to 12 months
Every report needs Crystal
The employee self service portal is the part staff actually touch and it is the worst part of the product. It looks like 2009, it is slow, and our people avoid it and email HR instead. That defeats the entire purpose of having it.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
30 found this helpful
Gordon Castillo
Office Manager, Bluewater Consulting
United States·Marketing·51 to 200 employees
5.0
Aug 19, 2024
Verified userUsed 2 or more years
ACA reporting stopped being a January crisis
Multi state withholding is handled correctly, including the reciprocity agreements, which is the thing that quietly breaks in lesser systems.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
28 found this helpful
Warren Donovan
Operations Manager, Clearview Windows
United States·Nonprofit·11 to 50 employees
5.0
Feb 18, 2025
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
Compliance depth you do not get elsewhere
ACA reporting used to consume January. The 1094 and 1095 forms come out of the system now and we file without drama. That alone justified staying through the last renewal.
Pros
EEO, OSHA and FMLA tracking standard
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
27 found this helpful
Kirsten Okonkwo
Studio Director, Redbrick Property Group
United States·Nonprofit·1 to 10 employees
4.0
Nov 4, 2024
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
Compliance depth you do not get elsewhere
We have people in nine states and we are not comfortable handing payroll data to a third party. HRMS runs it in house, the tax tables stay current through maintenance, and the 941 reconciles every quarter. That combination is genuinely hard to find.
United States
Canada