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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

    SumTotal (legacy)

    Score7.9 out of 10
    Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
    The SumTotal Talent Expansion Suite included SumTotal (LMS), and was supported by Skillsoft since the October 2014 acquisition. Acquired by Cornerstone OnDemand in 2022, it is a legacy product, and Cornerstone recommends upgrading to their modern platform.N/A
    Pricing
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    Editions & Modules
    Standard
    $1.50
    per month per user
    Plus
    $2
    per month per user
    Pro
    $3.50
    per month per user
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPrices are in British Pounds.—
    More Pricing Information
    Features
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.6
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    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 SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.6
    2 Ratings
    7% below category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    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 SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.3
    2 Ratings
    1% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    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 SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.2
    2 Ratings
    1% below category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    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 SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.0
    1 Ratings
    14% below category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.3
    2 Ratings
    4% below category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    -
    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 SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.5
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    8.2
    2 Ratings
    12% above category average
    New hire portal8.02 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools9.01 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.3
    2 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    8.8
    1 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Corporate goal setting9.02 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Individual goal setting9.02 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility7.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Performance tracking8.02 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.4
    2 Ratings
    5% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    8.2
    2 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Performance plans8.01 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans9.02 Ratings7.52 Ratings
    Review status tracking8.02 Ratings7.92 Ratings
    Review reminders9.02 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency8.02 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    8.0
    2 Ratings
    1% above category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    7.0
    1 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Create succession plans/pools8.02 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Candidate ranking8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search8.02 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Candidate development8.02 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    7.8
    2 Ratings
    2% below category average
    SumTotal (legacy)
    7.8
    2 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Job Requisition Management8.02 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Company Website Posting7.02 Ratings7.52 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention8.01 Ratings6.52 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking8.01 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts8.02 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.92 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Learning Management
    Comparison of Learning Management features of Iris HR Software and SumTotal (legacy)
    Feature
    Iris HR Software
    -
    Ratings
    SumTotal (legacy)
    6.5
    1 Ratings
    8% below category average
    Course authoring00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Course catalog or library00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
    Player/Portal00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Progress tracking & certifications00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Assignments00 Ratings6.01 Ratings
    Compliance management00 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Learning administration00 Ratings4.01 Ratings
    Learning reporting & analytics00 Ratings5.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    ClearCo
    Score7.9 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    Cornerstone Galaxy
    Score8.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.5
    (9 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.0
    (5 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    2.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Iris HR SoftwareSumTotal (legacy)
    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
    Very good for learning and development and training of employees. For Applicant tracking, recuirement, onboarding, and enablement, I prefer SAP SuccessFactors or Skillate. I also found that the SumTotal app is not very friendly on android and crashes sometimes and it is not optimized for mobile. Hence I end up never using it.
    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
    • Assign complete learning plans to users so they don't have to spend time searching for courses.
    • Export learner's transcripts so managers can easily see their employee's progress.
    • Embed Social Media feeds that are relevant to their business.
    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
    • Reporting
    • Mass importing of manual checks to be issued in California
    • Ability to fund pay cards immediately
    • Perform gross-up calculations within the payroll system automatically
    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 transitioned from a position who supported the product to a position where I use the product. I continue to be impressed with the robustness of the product and how efficient it is. It is a user friendly software that can be used to navigate and accomplish tasks to meet organizational requirements.
    Incentivized
    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
    I do not find SumTotal to be intuitive. I feel we need to adjust our needs to meet the functionality available in the tool.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IRIS Software Group
    No answers on this topic
    Discontinued Products
    We have our own IT support to assist in SumTotal issues, however, we have had to log in cases directly. Support is mediocre at best.
    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
    When I came to my company, they had been using a "light" LMS called Articulate. It was cheap and bare bones; i.e. not a lot of features, really just a platform to launch eLearning from and not real interface for student to utilize. When I began to overhaul the training department, this was one of the first things I changed. Articulate would only run courses built in their software, and the software was not 508 compliant. In addition, we had no ability to create learning plans, house transcripts, customize the interface, or manage the students. I made the choice to select and LMS that was a true LMS with all of the features that were critical to our clients' needs. Thus far, SumTotal has been able to support all of our needs, except one; mobile learning that is media rich
    Incentivized
    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
    • Clean front-end user interface for easier course catalog management.
    • Reporting has been more difficult than previous LMS.
    • Audience building has more variables making it more difficult to manage.
    • Slower overall client turnaround due to admin side interface.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    SumTotal (legacy) Screenshots

    Screenshot of SumTotal Learning Management: Deliver the learning your organization needs including skilling/upskilling/reskilling, career planning & development. All delivered with our engaging learner experience across all modalities (desktop, tablet & mobile) and in the flow of workScreenshot of SumTotal Onboarding: Foster learning before day one with our robust onboarding solution. Build culture, complete necessary paperwork and begin the path to productivity for all your new and returning employees.Screenshot of SumTotal Performance: Performance management that meets the needs of today’s forward-thinking organizations. Align the goals and performance of your entire workforce with those of the broader organization for better business outcomes.Screenshot of SumTotal Succession: Make succession planning an organizational strength. SumTotal allows you to better understand your workforce now and better plan for your future with our intuitive succession planning tools.Screenshot of SumTotal Recruiting: A modern recruiting solution that delivers a powerful candidate experience, recruiter productivity, job matching and internal mobility.Screenshot of SumTotal Compensation: SumTotal makes compensation planning easier and less time consuming. Build a pay for performance culture that meets your organizations goals and objectives while keeping you competitive in the ever-changing marketplace.