Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
Upgrades are a project each time
Version upgrades are a planned project with testing and downtime, every time. For an on premise product in 2026 that is expected and it is still two weekends a year I do not get back.
Pros
ACA 1094 and 1095 reporting built in
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
Response from the vendorApr 13, 2025
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.
7 found this helpful
Patrick Rasmussen
Office Manager, Silverbirch Accounting
Canada·Software·500+ employees
2.0
Jan 24, 2025
Verified userUsed 2 or more years
Self service portal is genuinely bad
Version upgrades are a planned project with testing and downtime, every time. For an on premise product in 2026 that is expected and it is still two weekends a year I do not get back.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Interface is dated and staff avoid the portal
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
7 found this helpful
Kirsten Ashford
General Manager, Hillcrest Family Clinic
Other·Manufacturing·201 to 500 employees
3.0
Dec 10, 2024
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 1 to 2 years
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
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
7 found this helpful
Laura Lockhart
HR Manager, Hillcrest Family Clinic
United States·Nonprofit·51 to 200 employees
1.0
Oct 2, 2024
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
Upgrades are a project each time
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
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Experience depends heavily on your partner
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
7 found this helpful
Rosa Haddad
Controller, Willow & Ash Salons
United States·Accounting·1 to 10 employees
1.0
Mar 17, 2026
Verified userUsed 6 to 12 months
Every report needs Crystal
Anything beyond the canned reports means Crystal Reports and either a consultant or somebody internal who learned it. That is an ongoing cost nobody mentioned during the sales process.
Pros
EEO, OSHA and FMLA tracking standard
Cons
You maintain the servers and the upgrades
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Tomas Boucher
Founder, Vertex Machine Works
United States·Education·51 to 200 employees
3.0
Feb 27, 2026
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 6 to 12 months
Your partner is the product
On premise was a requirement for us for regulatory reasons and this delivers it. It also means we maintain servers, run backups and own the upgrades. That cost is real and it does not appear in the license quote.
Pros
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Zachary Ortiz
General Manager, Aurora Print House
Other·Professional services·51 to 200 employees
4.0
Jan 4, 2026
Verified userUsed 1 to 2 years
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
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Devon Zimmerman
Operations Manager, Meridian Dental Group
United States·Accounting·11 to 50 employees
1.0
Dec 18, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 1 to 2 years
Every report needs Crystal
Anything beyond the canned reports means Crystal Reports and either a consultant or somebody internal who learned it. That is an ongoing cost nobody mentioned during the sales process.
Pros
EEO, OSHA and FMLA tracking standard
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Gordon Ashford
Founder, Granite Peak Roofing
United States·Software·1 to 10 employees
3.0
Jun 13, 2025
Verified userUsed 2 or more 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
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
Response from the vendorJun 17, 2025
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.
6 found this helpful
Meredith Alvarado
Managing Partner, Blackstone Contracting
Canada·Legal·1 to 10 employees
3.0
Jun 13, 2025
LinkedIn confirmedUsed 6 to 12 months
Your partner is the product
The payroll engine is genuinely good. The window it lives in is Windows client software from a previous era, and the self service portal feels bolted on because it was. Staff tolerate it. Nobody likes it.
Pros
ACA 1094 and 1095 reporting built in
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Aaron Mercer
Finance Manager, Lantern Creative
United States·Real estate·1 to 10 employees
4.0
May 20, 2025
LinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
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
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Vikram Jimenez
Office Manager, Hillcrest Family Clinic
United States·Marketing·201 to 500 employees
3.0
May 8, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed less than 6 months
On premise is the point, and the cost
On premise was a requirement for us for regulatory reasons and this delivers it. It also means we maintain servers, run backups and own the upgrades. That cost is real and it does not appear in the license quote.
Pros
Very stable once implemented
Cons
Experience depends heavily on your partner
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Xander Delacroix
Finance Manager, Coastline Outfitters
United States·Transport and logistics·51 to 200 employees
1.0
Jan 5, 2025
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 1 to 2 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
ACA 1094 and 1095 reporting built in
Cons
You maintain the servers and the upgrades
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
6 found this helpful
Everett Valentine
Managing Partner, Aurora Print House
United States·Financial services·51 to 200 employees
2.0
Jun 17, 2026
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed less than 6 months
Every report needs Crystal
Anything beyond the canned reports means Crystal Reports and either a consultant or somebody internal who learned it. That is an ongoing cost nobody mentioned during the sales process.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Interface is dated and staff avoid the portal
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Valerie McAllister
Project Manager, Bluewater Consulting
Canada·Legal·201 to 500 employees
4.0
May 11, 2026
Verified userUsed 6 to 12 months
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
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Custom reporting needs Crystal Reports
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Oscar Alvarado
Controller, Prairie Rose Bakery
Canada·Software·1 to 10 employees
4.0
May 4, 2026
Used 6 to 12 months
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
Multi state withholding is handled correctly, including the reciprocity agreements, which is the thing that quietly breaks in lesser systems.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Experience depends heavily on your partner
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Brendan Rasheed
HR Manager, Tidewater Marine Services
United States·Ecommerce·11 to 50 employees
2.0
Jun 10, 2025
Verified userUsed less than 6 months
Self service portal is genuinely bad
Anything beyond the canned reports means Crystal Reports and either a consultant or somebody internal who learned it. That is an ongoing cost nobody mentioned during the sales process.
Pros
Multi state withholding including reciprocity
Cons
Implementation regularly overruns time and budget
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Rohan Nakamura
Chief of Staff, Northern Star Staffing
United States·Real estate·1 to 10 employees
5.0
Nov 13, 2024
Used 2 or more years
Multi state withholding without a service bureau
Eleven years, no missed payroll. It is not exciting and I do not want my payroll system to be exciting.
Pros
ACA 1094 and 1095 reporting built in
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Beatriz Mercer
VP of Sales, Lantern Creative
United States·Real estate·11 to 50 employees
4.0
Oct 6, 2024
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more 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
Full control of payroll data on premise
Cons
Roadmap direction is toward HCM and People
Ease of use
Value for money
Customer service
Functionality
5 found this helpful
Kyle Flanagan
Director of Finance, Harborline Supply
United States·Financial services·11 to 50 employees
4.0
Sep 14, 2024
Verified userLinkedIn confirmedUsed 2 or more years
Payroll stays in house, which is why we bought it
Eleven years, no missed payroll. It is not exciting and I do not want my payroll system to be exciting.
United States
Canada