Kazoo vs. Namely

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Kazoo
Score 8.9 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
The Kazoo Employee Experience Platform aims to bring together everything needed to create a high-performing, connected culture regardless of where employees work or what device they use. The vendor states that by combining Goals & OKRs, Recognition, Feedback, Conversations, and Incentives within a single platform, employees become more engaged, managers become better leaders, and productivity and business performance soars. The vendor positions the Kazoo Employee Experience Platform as the…N/A
Namely
Score 7.3 out of 10
N/A
Namely offers a cloud-based HR platform for integrated core and specialized HR services, including time and employee performance management and onboarding processes.
$9
per month
Pricing
KazooNamely
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Namely Now
$9
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
KazooNamely
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredRequired
Additional DetailsNamely Now offers small-businesses an HCM including payroll and HR at a budget conscious price. For growing companies we have Namely Plus which includes payroll and HR, talent, time, and other tools to engage and enrich their employees. For companies looking to free up more time internally for strategy, Namely offers Namely Plus People, including managed Payroll and Benefits. And for the business who wants to expand while minimizing risk and liability, our white-glove comprehensive PEO solution is Namely Complete.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
KazooNamely
Considered Both Products
Kazoo

No answer on this topic

Namely
Chose Namely
Namely was so far and above the other payroll/HR vendors. The ability to customize Namely so extensively was what really sold us on Namely. And now, the special features Namely has, such as the ability to 'view as' other employees and work in Namely as them has made that a …
Chose Namely
We wanted a cutting edge product that our employees would love. We saw that in Namely. They are fully in the cloud so it can be accessed anywhere. They also have a beautiful interface that makes life so much easier. They also have a feature that an admin users can "view as" …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
KazooNamely
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
6.3
143 Ratings
22% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings6.6132 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings7.1138 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.030 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.0132 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings4.8134 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings5.8129 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings6.282 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
7.2
127 Ratings
11% below category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings8.8111 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings6.953 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings7.257 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings6.8109 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.3113 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings5.5100 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.157 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
7.7
124 Ratings
5% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings7.3121 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings7.5116 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings8.295 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
7.5
141 Ratings
8% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings7.9129 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.2140 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.0127 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings7.3116 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings7.3134 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
5.7
53 Ratings
30% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings5.753 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
6.9
121 Ratings
10% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.3117 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.6112 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings5.774 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
6.5
116 Ratings
21% below category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.4110 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings5.685 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
5.1
96 Ratings
46% below category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings6.086 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings4.894 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings4.372 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings5.289 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
5.4
107 Ratings
38% below category average
Performance plans00 Ratings5.296 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings3.868 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings6.595 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings6.298 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings5.485 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
5.6
21 Ratings
34% below category average
Candidate search00 Ratings5.621 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Kazoo
-
Ratings
Namely
7.7
6 Ratings
1% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.75 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings7.35 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.35 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings7.85 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings8.16 Ratings
Best Alternatives
KazooNamely
Small Businesses
Submittable
Submittable
Score 8.9 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Bridge Learning Platform
Bridge Learning Platform
Score 9.9 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Bridge Learning Platform
Bridge Learning Platform
Score 9.9 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
KazooNamely
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(8 ratings)
7.4
(145 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.9
(9 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.1
(71 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(27 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
5.0
(85 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
KazooNamely
Likelihood to Recommend
Kazoo
Great at recognition/engagement and performance management all in one place. Easy for admins to manage and for team members to navigate. If you would like to have a robust platform for goal setting, feedback, and performance reviews, Kazoo could be a great fit.
Read full review
Namely
Namely is aesthetically very pleasing and navigates like other social media platforms which can be appealing to potentially a remote workforce who interacts more online than in person. Unfortunately, it did not serve our population well as we are primarily manufacturing where people are not as interested in utilizing the HRIS for interactions when they would rather connect in person.
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Pros
Kazoo
  • It provides visibility across the company for good deeds/recognition.
  • It provides good opportunities to donate points to different causes.
  • It provides rewards that are desirable and give you something you feel you want to work toward.
Read full review
Namely
  • Namely has helped with our COVID sick leave response. It has made a major difference both with the weekly payroll and the 941 tax filing
  • Keeping track of our multiple PTO plans. Thank goodness for Namely, I have shredded my old PTO spreadsheets.
  • Employees like the convenience of the cell phone app. As a payroll administrator, I like the Geo Tracking tool where I can see where some are when the clock is in or out.
  • The flexibility inside of the payroll system both as you are finalizing an employee profile and when you are processing payroll is a major advantage.
  • The reports I get out of Namely in Excel format work well for me.
Read full review
Cons
Kazoo
  • The ability to create custom reports as admins would be a nice feature.
  • A feature that allows managers of the employees to be loaded into YEI and then they can receive a breakdown of the recognition of their direct reports periodically would be a nice feature.
  • Ways for the employee to create their own reports to see their own receiving and giving metrics.
Read full review
Namely
  • Limits to custom reporting
  • No direct feed for Ohio Workers Comp (now a manual process on our end)
  • No option to place an employee on Leave of Absence and exclude them from payroll while they are "inactive"
  • No option to suppress certain deductions for certain pay types (i.e. allow 401K for commissions but block remaining deductions - also now a manual process to uncheck the suppress box for 401K for each commission check)
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Likelihood to Renew
Kazoo
Its a very good service that boost interaction and company moral between employees
Read full review
Namely
Administrators and employees love Namely. It is very easy to use and streamlined. Employees stay engaged with news feed updates and enjoy all the self service options. The time cards are very easy to access and clocking in and out for non-exempt employees is a breeze. Namely is part of our family.
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Usability
Kazoo
The service is extremely easy to use and provides a lot of value to its customers
Read full review
Namely
It is very simple to use for myself, the HR team, and our employees. I find the payroll process very user-friendly. Reporting is simple to navigate and produce the required information requested. I know our employees enjoy the self-service feature and use it on a regular basis, which saves me time.
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Support Rating
Kazoo
I gave this rating because I haven't had to reach out to support
Read full review
Namely
Unfortunately, in more recent years we've had a lot of difficulty with Namely as they've undergone a lot of internal changes. It took 4 returned emails saying the person no longer worked at Namely to find someone to help me (I finally called payroll) and it took a while to get connected with a direct source of help. Namely now has set up their "pod" feature of communication which works well for the most part, but is different. I felt spoiled when we first started with Namely, but now it feels very much like working with most large companies' help centers. There is a system to go through and you do have the option to click "urgent". In general the help is efficient, but it still takes a few days and it's hard to speak with someone directly. It is all done via online communications and is difficult to actually speak to someone on the phone. This works well for most cases, but I do feel frustrated more often than I'd like to with this type of communication. (2019/2020)
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Implementation Rating
Kazoo
No answers on this topic
Namely
Implementation was a bit complicated and our company had to carry most of the weight. It often felt like our implementation manager was giving us extra work that she did not want to do herself. It also took much longer than expected - I believe almost 2 months. I believe our company carried a bit too much of the weight.
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Alternatives Considered
Kazoo
This product seems to outperform the competition in the reviews that we're aware of. Not surprisingly, we've been extremely pleased with this product. It's funny to think that a simple piece of software could add so much by way of positivity to our workplace, but it most definitely has. We love this program.
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Namely
Namely has a robust suite of offerings, and fallows for a la carte selection of add-ons (rather than a single bundled option). This has allowed our company to save money by not purchasing options / functionalities that we dont need, but may drive up the cost for other companies who need more a la carte selections. In all, the size of the company, the size & capabilities of the internal HR team, and considerations like managed payroll and benefits should be key drivers in selection.
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Return on Investment
Kazoo
  • Direct kudos feel good! Makes me wanna do more good.
  • Publicity appreciation. My boss sees it. I can point him and others to it when review time comes around.
  • Reminds me to thank others just because it's there.
Read full review
Namely
  • When we were over 100, it provided a huge benefit to us due to the accuracy of payroll, benefits integration and management, and org chart and performance tracking. Having all of that in one place was a huge improvement from the former disjointed user experience.
  • When we dropped below 100 due to covid, our insurance rates went up 93% to offer comparable plans, and we had to move over to a PEO for benefits which meant we also had to move payroll. It was hugely disruptive, and now our employees have a bad experience when trying to manage their HR lives in multiple places. It is confusing and, again, disjointed.
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ScreenShots

Kazoo Screenshots

Screenshot of The Kazoo Activity Feed  reveals recognition, bonuses, and successful project outcomes — connecting everyone to the positive pulse of your company.Screenshot of Kazoo enables social recognition across all levels so employees, managers, and executives alike can recognize employees with a personal message and rewards points. Within the platform activity feed, anyone can amplify the recognition with ‘high-fives’ and comments, creating awareness and connection across your organization.Screenshot of Automated celebration recognitions ensure your employees feel extra appreciated on their special days. Whether work anniversaries or birthdays, employees can quickly see the number of occasions to celebrate that day, and can easily send anniversary or birthday recognitions from the home page.Screenshot of he foundation of a high-performing culture is visibility and alignment to your company’s top priorities. Kazoo’s Goals & OKRs functionality makes setting Goals and OKRs easy for everyone. Employees can see the current status of their individual, department, and company goals - how goals are progressing, what’s on track, and what may need some more attention.Screenshot of Kazoo empowers every employee to make feedback a part of their every day. Whether it’s up, down, across, or all-around, Kazoo standard templates like ‘Start, Stop, Continue’ or ‘Strengths and Opportunities’ ensure feedback is always meaningful and actionable, while friendly nudges keep it top of mind.Screenshot of The Kazoo Employee Experience platform makes it easy for managers and employees to meet regularly to discuss progress, accomplishments, feedback, and career objectives and growth opportunities.

Namely Screenshots

Screenshot of Namely News Feed: The home base to make announcements, express appreciation, and to celebrate important milestones.Screenshot of HR Analytics: data to drive confidence in an active people strategy and to encourage pride in provable resultsScreenshot of Talent & Performance Management: connects, engages, and develops the workforce in a platform designed so that employees actually want to use itScreenshot of Benefits Administration: modern, integrated benefits technology makes it easy for employees to enroll and easier to manageScreenshot of Payroll Administration: integrated with HR data and coupled with full payroll tax servicesScreenshot of Namely Mobile App: request time off and access paystubs and benefits information from anywhere