Iris HR Software vs. Namely

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Iris HR Software
Score 6.2 out of 10
N/A
Iris HR Software (formerly Octopus HR, acquired by Iris Software Group April 2016) is an HR suite.
$1.50
Per User Per Month
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
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
Editions & Modules
Basic
$1.50
Per User Per Month
Namely Now
$9
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
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
Features
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
2% above category average
Namely
6.3
143 Ratings
22% below category average
Employee demographic data8.01 Ratings6.6132 Ratings
Employment history8.01 Ratings7.1138 Ratings
Job profiles and administration8.01 Ratings7.030 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.8.01 Ratings7.0132 Ratings
Organizational charting8.01 Ratings4.7134 Ratings
Organization and location management8.01 Ratings5.7129 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.01 Ratings6.282 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
0% below category average
Namely
7.2
127 Ratings
11% below category average
Benefit plan administration8.01 Ratings6.9109 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.01 Ratings5.3100 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.01 Ratings7.057 Ratings
Pay calculation00 Ratings8.8111 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings6.953 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings7.057 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.3113 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
1% below category average
Namely
7.7
124 Ratings
5% below category average
Approval workflow8.01 Ratings7.2121 Ratings
Balance details8.01 Ratings7.5116 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.01 Ratings8.395 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.3
1 Ratings
2% above category average
Namely
7.5
141 Ratings
8% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information8.01 Ratings7.9129 Ratings
Update personal information8.01 Ratings8.2140 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.01 Ratings7.0127 Ratings
Employee recognition8.01 Ratings7.3116 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings7.3134 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
5% above category average
Namely
6.9
121 Ratings
10% below category average
Report builder8.01 Ratings7.4117 Ratings
Pre-built reports8.01 Ratings7.7112 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data8.01 Ratings5.874 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
0% below category average
Namely
6.5
116 Ratings
21% below category average
New hire portal8.01 Ratings7.4110 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings5.685 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
2% below category average
Namely
5.0
96 Ratings
48% below category average
Corporate goal setting8.01 Ratings6.086 Ratings
Individual goal setting8.01 Ratings4.694 Ratings
Performance tracking8.01 Ratings5.089 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings4.272 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
1% above category average
Namely
5.4
107 Ratings
38% below category average
Performance plans8.01 Ratings5.296 Ratings
Performance improvement plans8.01 Ratings3.668 Ratings
Review status tracking8.01 Ratings6.595 Ratings
Review reminders8.01 Ratings6.398 Ratings
Multiple review frequency8.01 Ratings5.485 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
1% above category average
Namely
5.6
21 Ratings
34% below category average
Create succession plans/pools8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search8.01 Ratings5.621 Ratings
Candidate development8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
8.0
1 Ratings
3% above category average
Namely
7.9
6 Ratings
2% above category average
Job Requisition Management8.01 Ratings7.95 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.01 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts8.01 Ratings8.26 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.55 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings8.25 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings7.75 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings8.05 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Iris HR Software
-
Ratings
Namely
5.7
53 Ratings
30% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings5.753 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
Small Businesses
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Patriot Software
Patriot Software
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
Likelihood to Recommend
7.0
(2 ratings)
7.4
(145 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(1 ratings)
9.1
(9 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
7.1
(71 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(27 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
4.9
(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
Iris HR SoftwareNamely
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.
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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
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.
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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.
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Cons
IRIS Software Group
  • It can take some effort to understand
  • Perhaps the price can go down a bit
  • Menu layout
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
IRIS Software Group
Employees don't complain about it! If anything they've commented on how nice of a tool it is to have.
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
IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
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
IRIS Software Group
No answers on this topic
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
IRIS Software Group
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
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.
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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
IRIS Software Group
  • Employee efficiency. There's never a question of who I request my time off with. The program sets up line managers who take in all the requests.
  • Less wasted time. Contact info and photo are very visible and easily accessed.
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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

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