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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Iris HR Software

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AIris HR Software (formerly Octopus HR, acquired by Iris Software Group April 2016) is an HR suite.

    $1.50

    per month per user

    Skype (discontinued)

    Score7.1 out of 10
    N/ASkype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.

    $2.99

    per month

    Pricing
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Editions & Modules
    Standard
    $1.50
    per month per user
    Plus
    $2
    per month per user
    Pro
    $3.50
    per month per user
    United States Subscription
    $2.99
    per month
    North America Subscription
    $6.99
    per month
    India Subscription
    $7.99
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPrices are in British Pounds.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Considered Both Products
    IRIS Software Group
    No answer on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    86%
    Would buy again
    85 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    93%
    Delivers good value for the price
    80 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    85%
    Happy with the feature set
    84 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    84%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    53 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    70 Answers
    Features
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.6
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration10.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.6
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.3
    2 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Approval workflow9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Balance details8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.2
    2 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    View and generate pay and benefit information9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Update personal information9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    View company policy documentation8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee recognition8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    View job history7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.0
    1 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.3
    2 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Report builder9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-built reports7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data6.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.5
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    New hire portal8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.3
    2 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Corporate goal setting9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Individual goal setting9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance tracking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.4
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Performance plans8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review status tracking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review reminders9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Create succession plans/pools8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate ranking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate development8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.8
    2 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Skype (discontinued)
    -
    Ratings
    Job Requisition Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Company Website Posting7.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
    Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    6.2
    138 Ratings
    24% below category average
    High quality audio00 Ratings6.5135 Ratings
    High quality video00 Ratings7.2133 Ratings
    Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings5.5130 Ratings
    Mobile support00 Ratings5.5118 Ratings
    Screen Sharing
    Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    6.2
    119 Ratings
    25% below category average
    Desktop sharing00 Ratings5.5118 Ratings
    Whiteboards00 Ratings6.860 Ratings
    Online Meetings / Events
    Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    6.0
    118 Ratings
    31% below category average
    Calendar integration00 Ratings6.185 Ratings
    Meeting initiation00 Ratings6.3106 Ratings
    Integrates with social media00 Ratings4.465 Ratings
    Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.077 Ratings
    Slideshows00 Ratings6.268 Ratings
    Online Events Collaboration
    Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    5.3
    111 Ratings
    41% below category average
    Live chat00 Ratings5.5110 Ratings
    Audience polling00 Ratings5.364 Ratings
    Q&A00 Ratings5.362 Ratings
    Online Events Security
    Comparison of Online Events Security features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    7.4
    101 Ratings
    9% below category average
    User authentication00 Ratings8.988 Ratings
    Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.183 Ratings
    Confidential attendee list00 Ratings6.260 Ratings
    VoIP system collaboration
    Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Iris HR Software and Skype (discontinued)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    Skype (discontinued)
    6.5
    4 Ratings
    12% below category average
    Video conferencing00 Ratings5.74 Ratings
    Audio conferencing00 Ratings6.54 Ratings
    Video screen sharing00 Ratings6.14 Ratings
    Instant messaging00 Ratings7.94 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    ClickMeeting
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    JioMeet
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    Webex Meetings
    Score8.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    9.3
    (140 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (5 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.0
    (4 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (42 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Iris HR SoftwareSkype (discontinued)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    IRIS Software Group
    Our staff is kept updated with more company policies and we are able to track their holiday and sick days much better. The help and support of their contact support are super good. They reply super fast and are very kind. Also, their sales department isn't pushy like other services they are very knowledgeable and kind.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    Having interacted with a new replacement tool, Microsoft Teams, it is challenging to recommend Skype, as it lacks some essential features, such as being less equipped with the latest updates, and it is not platform-independent, causing issues on PCs and phones, as well as during calls that might hinder work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    IRIS Software Group
    • It's simple. I really appreciate that the layout of Octopus HR isn't something I have to question. I know where to look for something because it's clearly labeled, that's more than I can say for a lot of other HR systems I've seen.
    • Support. If I ever have a question about setting something up, or if something goes wrong, they're always on top of it. For instance, I had no idea how to set up employee photos on our accounts. I tweeted them and they responded right away, I'm based in LA and they're a UK company, I was impressed that they were able to respond right away. They make sure their customers are taken care of.
    • Great self guide. If there's ever an ordinary question I need answered their "Octopus Guide" is very thorough and walks you through everything.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
    • Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
    • Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    IRIS Software Group
    • initial scope/setup support (outside of template)
    • Contacting support can be difficult
    • case sensitive username for end users (email addresses have to match exactly)
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
    • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
    • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    IRIS Software Group
    Employees don't complain about it! If anything they've commented on how nice of a tool it is to have.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
    Read full review
    Usability
    IRIS Software Group
    Iris HR Software is a stable and fairly intuitive product which has had a positive impact on our organisation. We have had some support issues but generally feel we've had a positive experience and our personnel and finance teams have benefitted from this process structure. Whilst contacting the correct Iris HR Software support channel has been our biggest issue once we have established contact our tickets have been raised and resolved promptly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IRIS Software Group
    No answers on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    IRIS Software Group
    No answers on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    IRIS Software Group
    I would say the pricing is good but it could be better. Also, the customer service is amazing they do such a great job and you can tell they know what they are doing. Visually it is very easy to use and looks very professional. It is a quick set up and they do their best to give you what you want and need.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype. Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, affordable rate. Allowing our team to use their existing mobile or desktop devices without additional hardware for business office phone calls is important, and Skype makes that possible
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    IRIS Software Group
    No answers on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    IRIS Software Group
    • Our staff is super happy with the service
    • Huge improvement
    • Looks quite professional
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Discontinued Products
    • Skype made keeping in touch with an advisor in Mexico very easy. The initiative there resulted in 5 new partnerships.
    • Skype has helped me with account management for at least 3 customers in LATAM--usually it's a fast way to answer a question about a support renewal.
    • For about 9 months Skype helped me stay in touch with a colleague in Prague. We would meet once a week to go over sales activities.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots