# Ascender Payroll and HCM Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Ascender Payroll and HCM Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Recruiting products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/77172/PeopleStreme-Performance-Management --- # Ascender Payroll and HCM Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Ascender Payroll and HCM ## What is Ascender Payroll and HCM? Increase quality of hire, reduce time to effectiveness and increase retention with Ascender's cloud-based eRecruitment platform. Want to source the best talent in a quick and efficient way? Ascender's eRecruitment is an intuitively designed Applicant Tracking System that streamlines the recruitment process and consolidates all the associated administrative tasks, while providing a really simple and engaging experience for applicants, building up your employer brand. ## What is Ascender Payroll and HCM used for? [Recruiting](https://www.capterra.com/recruiting-software/)[Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/payroll-software/)[Performance Management System](https://www.capterra.com/performance-appraisal-software/) Overall rating Based on 42 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 88% Neutral 5% Negative 7% Starting price $50 Per Year Free trial available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Ascender Payroll and HCM?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.dayforce.com/&name=Ascender Payroll and HCM) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Ascender Payroll and HCM 4.1 (42) VS. [4.3 (3,033)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133745/Paycor-Perform/reviews/) Starting Price $50 Per Year Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.1 (42) Ease Of Use 4.3 (248) Value For Money 4.2 (41) Value For Money 4.2 (164) Customer Service 4.5 (41) Customer Service 4.2 (177) ## Ascender Payroll and HCM alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (4,603)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/reviews/) Starting price $8.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.5 (1,729)](https://www.capterra.com/p/66908/Workday-HCM/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 90% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.6 (3,108)](https://www.capterra.com/p/110968/BambooHR/reviews/) Starting price $10.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 95% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (1,820)](https://www.capterra.com/p/86714/WebPay/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Employee Database 2.0 (4) 25.00% of 4 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Employee Profiles 2.3 (3) 33.33% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Centralized storage for employee data, records, and performance metrics Payroll Management 3.7 (3) 100.00% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Reporting/Analytics 2.3 (3) 33.33% of 3 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Course Management 1.0 (2) 0.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Create, organize, and assign courses to users Course Tracking 1.0 (2) 0.00% of 2 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track which progress and course materials have been completed by each user Ascender Payroll and HCM 106 features Tools for collecting comprehensive feedback on an employee from peers, subordinates, and manager Software specialized for schools (K-12 & Post-Secondary) Detailed plan including steps, milestones, assignments, and timeline needed to complete a project, strategy or goal Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases Find and manage potential candidates and their applications and resumes through the recruiting life cycle Creation, administration, and evaluation of assessments or tests Track the attendance of specific individuals or groups Researching and validating a person's criminal, educational, job or financial records Compare key metrics for the business against prominent players in the industry Record employee's benefit plans and selections throughout career progression Supports learning paths that combine in-person classes with online/virtual courses Capability to use a search engine via operators like AND, NOT, and OR Build, track, and maintain relationships with candidates Record candidates' information such as role, professional qualifications, experiences, skills or attributes Record interactions, notes, and developments with candidates Process of enhancing skills & experiences for continuous professional growth & advancement Web page to host job postings, show role descriptions or receive applications from potential candidates Print paychecks issued to confirm payment of wages or salary Provides a channel for team members to share media files, communicate, and work together Manages compensation such as salary, bonus, and benefits processes, aligning with policies Performs calculations and analyzes how salary and equity should be awarded to employees across locations, performance levels Catalog, manage, and develop employee skill sets Track and report regulatory data to either internal management or external stakeholders Create, organize, and assign courses to users Track which progress and course materials have been completed by each user Add customized logos and colors to align with company branding Pre-designed layouts that can be customized to match preferences and requirements Assembly of graphs and charts for visualizing and tracking statistics/metrics Digitally deposit correct payroll amounts into individual employee's bank accounts Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Digital forms that are shared and accessed online Digitally sign online documents Manage, store and organize emails within the system or via third-party apps Pre-made examples and templates for emails Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Create and share a new employee handbook with helpful information Track employee schedules, availability, and performance across projects and tasks Process of familiarizing new employees with the company, their position, and responsibilities Online portal where employees can access and track their own information Centralized storage for employee data, records, and performance metrics Acknowledge and reward employees for reaching specific goals and/or for exemplary performance Collecting, analyzing, and utilizing feedback from users or customers to improve a product or service Allows employees to set and manage work or career related goals Establish measurable goals and objectives and track their progress over a specific period of time Track student's scores and grades on course materials Document completed by employee to assist with career and personal development to reach short term and long term goals Designed to be used by internal recruiters or HR hiring managers Create and track interviews with a reminder system Plan, organize and set up the date, time and location of a candidate's individualized interview Create, share, and manage the distribution of job descriptions/duties Post, track, and manage open jobs on multiple channels (e.g. job board, company's career site) Request a new hire, explain the need, and determine available budget Students can access materials and communicate with instructors via their online student profile Facilitate training materials that help employees grow and progress in their positions Designing course materials to be completed in a sequential order for personalized learning purposes Manage and track employee attendance Access software remotely via mobile devices Access for students to complete learning materials on mobile platforms Pay employees in multiple countries using correct currencies and correct tax deduction amounts Pay employees in multiple states with correct tax deduction amounts in each Identify, track, and respond to negative feedback Closing out contracts by reviewing contract/project completion, finalizing payments, and ensuring terms and compliance as been achieved Process of familiarizing new clients, stakeholders or employees with the company, a new location, or a service Provides real-time feedback and assessments on employee performance, skills, and accomplishments Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Delegate payroll processing to third party vendors View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more Peer/teammate feedback and review on individual's performance Evaluation process that provides feedback on an employee's job performance Organize and manage the accomplishments and development of employees or performance of applications or systems A set of indicators that tracks the performance of networks, applications, systems, teams, etc. Create, fill out, and send performance reviews to individual employees Short, frequent surveys designed to quickly gauge the ongoing attitudes or feelings of a specific group Pre-written repository of questions that can be reused within a course or for assessment or interviews Designed to be used by external or 3rd party recruiting or staffing firms Tools to find, assess, and hire suitable candidates for a job within an organization Process used by hiring managers to get more information about a candidate by contacting previous employers View and track pertinent metrics to find patterns and gain insights from data Automates the extraction and analysis of key information from resumes or CVs Search through the software for stored resumes Upload and store resumes Follow the progression of a task associated with performance reviews Plan availability and assign specific time slots for tasks and resources An individual's evaluation of his or her own strengths, weaknesses, and skills Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information Observe employees over a period of time to gain an understanding of their abilities to perform certain tasks Process of communicating with an online community and measuring the effectiveness of activity Integrate with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Planning, tracking and developing internal talent for future key position filling Gauge satisfaction and receive information for improvement and success Real-time, interactive learning experiences where participants engage in learning activities simultaneously Integrate with Talent Managment software to better track learners progress and training sessions Create, manage and track all task activities and progression Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors Create tools to measure student retention of learning material and lessons Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes Track and manage employee's work hours to improve payroll accuracy Track and manage employee time-off, vacation, and sick leave requests Measure and track time including hours worked and paid time off (PTO) Track employee/learner's progression through training programs Review data from past periods to reveal recurring tendencies and predict future performance Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time Automatically subtract garnishments from wages Assess skills, outcomes and results using preset metrics and averages Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks A set of processes to optimize the productivity of its employees Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 3.9 (42) 3.9 Based on 42 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.2 (41) Free Trial Basic $50.00 Per Year Value for money 4.2 (41) 4.2 Based on 41 reviews ## Integrations [ Indeed for Employers](https://www.capterra.com/p/161381/Indeed/)[ SAP SuccessFactors HCM](https://www.capterra.com/p/144575/SuccessFactors-Perform-and-Reward/)[ Tanda](https://www.capterra.com/p/143817/Tanda/)[ Humanforce](https://www.capterra.com/p/122077/Humanforce/)[ Broadbean](https://www.capterra.com/p/119714/BroadBeanPosting/) Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.5 (41) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.5 (41) 4.5 Based on 41 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.1 Based on 42 reviews Filter by rating 5(15) 4(22) 3(2) 2(1) 1(2) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent Emre C. Software Developer Computer Software ### "You should try" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 September 4, 2022 Pros You can choose if you want to improve your skills, it does not take much time to learn thanks to its simple interface, it is easy to use. Cons I didn't have a bad experience because customer service is always able to solve problems. Switched from [CollegeOne Suite](https://www.capterra.com/p/207309/CollegeOne-Suite/) Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. AB Adam B. Director of Corporate Services Education Management ### "Extremely disappointing product, promised the world and delivered very little." 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 August 11, 2022 Extremely poor. Leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Pros We can use the payroll function, but only because we have invested heavily in the rollout. There is little point rolling our the rest of the suite of products we purchased as just after we signed the contract, they were bought out by Ceridian who did not intend to continue their product offering further than 18 months. Cons Having to continually correct the mistakes made in payroll outsourcing through Ascender. The fact that as soon as we signed up for the product, the company was sold which meant that the products we were investing in would not be supported and developed after our initial contract term. Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM it was the next progression from the software we were already using. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Riva C. Administrador Marketing and Advertising ### "Analyze - Ascending Payroll and HCM" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 26, 2022 I'm in the experimentation phase. But I'm enjoying it too much. Pros Easy to use, integrates other tools and intuitive Cons I'm in the experimentation phase. But I'm enjoying it too much. Alternatives considered [Apple Pay](https://www.capterra.com/p/212840/Apple-Pay/) [PayPal Point of Sale](https://www.capterra.com/p/171165/PayPal-Here-app/) Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM Because it is easier to integrate and less bureaucratic Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. ES Elias S. Accounting Transportation/Trucking/Railroad ### "RCJ Transport Logistics" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 March 31, 2022 After having worked manually and also with other slow response programs, this one has been extraordinary, efficient, fast and saves me more time for other commercial activities Pros Friendly, versatile and easy to connect with other software Cons really so far I have not gotten anything that tells me that I do not like this or that, rather it has been very useful Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM Simply because it is practical, versatile and friendly in all lines Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DR Danielle R. HRBP Construction ### "System lacks basic Functionality & Oversold Product" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 December 17, 2020 Overall, my recommendation is to avoid this product, it is not worth the increased administrative burden that the modules come with. The product is expensive for the lack of functionality and the presentation of the modules. Pros Performance Management Module is only Module I would recommend purchasing. Cons Customer Service: -Disconnect from the sales team and product delivery team -Sales team over sale PeopleSteme Modules that doesn't save time but increases administrative tasks -Product team provides workarounds to compensate for the lack of the system functionality once you have purchased the modules - PeopleStreme can't commit to timeframes for the companies 'road map' on new features System: -There is minimal automation provided by the purchased modules -System is extremely slow -Inability to bulk upload all historical data (e.g. Job Ads, Position Descriptions, Resumes) -Purchased modules don’t communicate to one another, requiring a increased workload for the HR team -There is no Employee Landing page that displays basic employee data (hire date, department, job title), which is collected from the Onboarding process. Sales team now tells us that this is only available to them because of their access permissions and not part of the package sold -Onboarding Module does not allow for cross-boarding to be captured in PeopleStreme Alternatives considered [ELMO Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/161821/ELMO-Software/) Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM PeopleStreme has a good Performance Management system. The company sales a false product of the Ascender Payroll as an all-in-one HR system, but the modules (eRecruitment, OnBoarding, Performance Management, Talent Management module) do not communicate to one another and require the user to enter the information more than once. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. BB Barry B. Managing Director Civil Engineering ### "Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere" 1.0 Overall Rating 1.0 1.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 December 17, 2020 We were sold a puppy when we purchased this software. The salesman promised the world and the reality of what has been delivered is quite underwhelming compared to the previous software we used. We have escalated on three occassions and each time have been given a different senior executive to talk to, each promising to fix the issues, but nothing being done. They seem to worry more about their restructure, than they do solving client issues. Do yourself a favour and look elsewhere. Pros Nothing that is worth writing about. Cons It's slow, not interconnected, limited in capability Alternatives considered [ELMO Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/161821/ELMO-Software/) Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM big mistake I know Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SC Steve C. Senior Advisor Higher Education ### "HES Review" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 October 6, 2020 Excellent working relationship wirh many people inside of Ascender at all levels. Pros Very suited to a university environment and has been for many decades. HES has had a relationship with Ascender and it's predecesor companies since 1997. We continue to strengthen the relationship through collaborative software development and broader services to the universities we serve. Cons It is (understandably) difficut to configure since it is a complex payroll. Reasons for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM HES on behalf of the member universities has not needed to go to the market since the relationship began in 1997. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SS Sheralyn S. Senior Consultant Higher Education ### "Ascender Payroll - sound and proven payroll for complex configuration and requirements" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 September 16, 2020 Pros Our current Account Executive is great, always ready to help and is easily at hand whenever we have any queries or issues. She is very professional and provides a level of assurance over working with Ascender. We have used Ascender Pay for around 30 years since it was first released and find it suits our complex enterprise agreement requirements. There is an abundance of new functionality being released for review and implementation. Ascender is a big part of my life and I am very attached since my connection goes back some 23 years. I almost feel part of their family working with some of the long-term staff for such a time – they are just wonderful people. Cons With all the new functionality being released it is hard to keep up. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. MN Michelle N. Recruitment Manager Non-Profit Organization Management ### "Peoplestreme Review" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 15, 2019 Staff are friendly. If I have had an issue or question it has been resolved quickly. Pros Ability for the software to grow and able to easily add and change templates and processes Cons Not always smooth and step by step. Alot of going in and out of stages Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. PJ Petar J. HR Project Officer Hospital & Health Care ### "Great software and support" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 6/10 June 26, 2019 Pros Easy to use and navigate, behind the scenes support. Cons Somewhat rigid, occasional errors that seem to appear at the most inconvenient times. Having said that, the support team are always prompt to action and assist. 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