Zoom established itself as one of the best video conferencing options on the market, to the extent that a Google Search lands you several articles about it becoming so popular that it’s now used as a verb, thanks partly to its huge success during the pandemic

To date, Zoom now hosts over 300 million daily meeting participants and has added a ton of features to cement its place among the best video conferencing and best VoIP services for most businesses. 

New features like direct messaging, HD audio and video, built-in collaboration tools, an AI companion, and more have taken the app to the next level, as we'll discover in more detail later on.

• Sign up to Zoom

In this Zoom review, we go over several aspects of the software, including its plans and pricing, main features, customer support, and security, to help you determine whether it’s right for you.

We'll also take a look at its competitors in the VoIP space, like RingCentral, 8x8, GoTo Connect, and Aircall. TechRadar Pro recommends that businesses every size check out all of the options to make the most informed choice. 

• How we test, review and rate on TechRadar

Zoom: Plans and pricing

Zoom offers four plans, and the pricing per plan is for a single license. To host meetings simultaneously, you’ll need more than one license, so bear that in mind. 

The free plan (or Basic plan) offers up to 100 participants, but has a 40-minute time limit on group meetings. One-to-one meetings, however, are unlimited. 

Compared with other paid video conferencing suites, being able to communicate with so many people at once for no cost is great, but there are plenty of free alternatives like FaceTime for personal users and Google Meet for personal and business users, which are a little less limiting.

The Pro plan costs $149.90 (or £119) per year, and gives you the ability to host 100 participants, stream on social media, 5GB of cloud storage for recordings (up from 1GB previously), and real-time transcription. There’s also support for three whiteboards, which is great for collaboration, however they must be under 25MB.

The Business plan removes the limits on whiteboards and offers greater control for companies with regards to branding and single sign-on (SSO), which is usually the reserve of more expensive plans. Business costs $199 (or £159) per user per year, but at least 10 users are required for this type of membership.

On the high end, Business Plus doubles the recording storage to 10GB and adds Zoom Phone integration with unlimited regional calling for $250 (or £185) per user per year, something only a select few businesses might need. 

Some businesses will prefer to pay for their subscriptions on a monthly basis, which is available on all plans, however the 17% saving for annual commitments is sadly lost. The above plans come under the Zoom One family. 

Zoom also offers subscriptions for its Phone, Events & Webinars, Rooms, Contact Center, and new Whiteboard.

• How to use Zoom

Zoom: Features

Zoom is a powerhouse of features, supporting HD video and audio calling, social media streaming, screen sharing, integration with essential apps, and much more. Let’s look at some of the most important. 

All of Zoom’s plans enable you to record meetings locally, and there’s cloud recording on all the paid plans, with the Enterprise plan offering unlimited cloud storage (though you’ll need to get in touch with the sales department for a quote). Because all other plans come with a fairly limited space for storing video recordings, we think you’ll be better off in most cases paying for cloud storage elsewhere and exporting your files to that provider.

Audio transcription is available on the higher plans. This feature transcribes the audio of cloud-recorded meeting files and saves it, so you can focus on the meeting rather than worry about note-taking. You can also display the transcript in a video, like captions.

Live audio transcription, which creates a real-time transcript of the audio while the meeting is ongoing, has also been rolled out across all plans including the free tier, however language support is pretty limited. When it launched, it only supported English, however in due course plenty of other languages will likely be added.

Zoom was one of the first companies to bring virtual backgrounds to the spotlight, and although it cannot be credited to be the first, it deserves credit for the scope available. Users can pick pictures and videos of their own, or from Zoom’s small library, as well as use a less intrusive background blur.

Zoom suppresses distracting background noises to give you a focused experience. You can adjust the noise cancellation depending on your environment. On the low setting, it’ll suppress faint background noises. On the high setting, it’ll clear louder sounds, like keyboard typing or a dog barking. Much like RingCentral’s AI background noise cancellation feature, and indeed sound-cancelling headphones like AirPods Pro, the technology is still fairly new and does not claim to fully cancel out sounds. With background and sound blurring, Zoom does do a respectable job at highlighting its subject.

With the advanced plans, you can use the admin portal to track meetings and participants, receive usage insights, and manage all your company’s users on one account for simplified billing. 

Zoom: User interface

Zoom has a neat, uniform interface on both the mobile and desktop app. The home screen has four large icons to fulfill all your meeting needs: New Meeting, Join, Schedule, and Share Screen. You can use Zoom on the browser, but it lacks some features like meeting recording. Downloading the desktop client takes a few minutes and doesn’t have any restrictions. 

With a strong internet connection, audio and video relaying were smooth. Zoom’s latest version is well optimized and used around 15–20% CPU on a 2.20 GHz 4-Core Intel Core i7 device. This is a tremendous upgrade, considering the application used around 50% CPU in 2020 on devices with similar specs. On a Mac with an M1 chip, CPU usage still seemed to be at around 50% on our latest tests, which is disappointing considering the improvements that have been seen elsewhere.

Zoom: Support

Support is limited with Zoom’s free plan: you only have access to the Help Center, which has easy-to-follow video tutorials and guides. There is also a simple chatbot that connects you to the relevant resources. 

Pro plan users enjoy better support, with live chat and ticketing, while those on the Business and Enterprise plans can also avail of phone support.

A support ticket’s response time depends on its priority grade. Urgent tickets receive a response in one hour and high priority tickets receive a response in four hours. The normal and low priority tickets get a response within 24 hours. All the advanced plans have 24/7 support across phone, chat, and web, even on public holidays.

Zoom: Security

Zoom’s security has improved considerably since 2020. Meetings are secured with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256, which is practically unbreakable by brute computing force. With AES-256, a one-time encryption key is created and managed on Zoom’s servers for every session. But this means the keys can be compromised if Zoom comes under a cybersecurity attack. 

To provide enhanced protection, Zoom has launched end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for both free and paid accounts, and users can opt to enable or disable this feature. With E2EE turned on, the encrypted keys are created on the participants’ machines, so only they have access to them. This data can’t be accessed by anyone else, including Zoom. However, activating E2EE disables features like streaming and cloud recording. 

Zoom: The competition

There are many video conferencing applications with incredible features, but the best software for you will meet your needs perfectly. 

Google Meet, for instance, doesn’t have advanced features like Zoom, but it’s better optimized for smaller teams. As part of Google Workspace, it integrates excellently with other Google applications, like Calendar and Docs. Then there’s Teams from rival company Microsoft, which offers a desktop and mobile app with similar video and chat functionalities, with the benefit of further integration with the company’s other products like OneDrive.

When it comes to security, Webex’s default settings enhance data privacy, so customers aren’t responsible for securing their accounts. Similarly, Lifesize’s meetings are end-to-end encrypted by default. With Zoom, you have to adjust your security settings yourself to avail of additional protection. If security is paramount for you, then Webex and Lifesize won’t disappoint. 

Zoom: Final verdict

Zoom is packed with great features and has a clean, user-friendly interface. It has optimized its performance to improve quality and reduce system load, and now offers end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for its meetings. Although Zoom’s default settings don’t bolster account security and privacy, it makes up for this with its advanced features and ease of use. 

Zoom is perfect for businesses with rigorous video conferencing needs. But if you only require simple features, then a quick setup web app, like Google Meet, will be more convenient. With a 60-minute limit on meetings and features like screen share, whiteboard, and virtual background, Meet’s free plan is perfect for basic use.

• Sign up to Zoom

Patriot is an online solution for handling both accounting and payroll tasks. It’s ideally suited to small business owners thanks in particular to its highly praised support, which can help provide ongoing help and also assist your business in configuring the system to work in the first place.

The company itself has been around for over three decades, so it clearly has plenty of experience on both the accounting and payroll fronts.

Patriot now counts 65,000+ customers on its books, having facilitated over $19 billion in payroll processing. It also boasts of an average time for customers to run payroll of less than three minutes – a testament to its ease of use.

• Want to try Patriot? Check out the website here

The real bonus with Patriot, however, is that it seems to have retained its original roots feel, with a keenness on providing a great level of customer service and support.

Adding to that ongoing appeal is Patriot’s easy-to-use design and a user interface that aims to provide business owners with an affordable accounting solution that’s reasonably stress-free too.

Patriot Accounting and Payroll: Plans and pricing

Patriot continues to offer consistent pricing across its product portfolio, which allows business owners to choose from the package that suits their needs the best.

Currently, there are two routes you can take – accounting or payroll software. Each has two different tiers.

Accounting Basic ($20/month) offers unlimited customers, invoices, vendors and payments, as well as income and expense tracking and more.

Accounting Premium ($30/month) adds support for estimates, recurring invoices, invoice reminders and receipt management, so it’s a much more rounded option for not a lot more.

The payroll service also offers affordable plans, starting with Basic Payroll ($17/month plus $4/worker), with unlimited payrolls, a free employee portal and other features.

Full Service Payroll ($37/month plus $5/worker) adds federal, state and local tax filing and some more filing tools.

If you want to add Time & Attendance tracking to either of these, it’s $6 per month plus $2 per employee on top of your bill. HR Software costs $6/month plus $6 per worker.

Although it could be perceived as a pain to have multiple add-ons, we’d much rather have the option of picking and choosing the exact parameters we need rather than paying through the roof for unrequired features.

Better still, Patriot regularly runs deals and has 30-day free trials. At the time of writing, there’s a 50% off for three months promotion.

Patriot Accounting and Payroll: Features

Despite its value appeal Patriot still comes armed with plenty of features, with some of the key options outlined below.

In terms of payroll processing, Patriot can handle both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, with support for unlimited payroll runs per month. It’ll also help with federal, state and local tax filings.

When it comes to time and attendance, Patriot’s got you covered with an optional add-on for tracking hours, overtime etc and so on. HR teams can also add on compliance, employee files and permissions so that they can integrate a bit better with the finance department.

On the employee side, there’s a portal for accessing pay checks and updating personal information.

Integrations are pretty thin on the ground, but you can sync with QuickBooks for exporting payroll entries. This is probably because Patriot prefers you to use its own tools across the board rather than piecing together different software.

The whole system is mobile-friendly too, which makes it convenient for people on the go.

Users report that Patriot runs like a dream, which is hardly surprising given that the company has been plying its wares for so long. Given that the service handles a lot of data, particularly when it comes to employee details, Patriot also goes to great pains to remind us that security is its number one priority.

Data is encrypted, audited annually and the company also adheres to all federal privacy, anti-fraud and security laws.

Users tend to rate Patriot highly for its tax calculating tools, but note that while automatic updates to tax tables help reduce the chance of an error, multistate work could add further cost and complexity.

Patriot Accounting and Payroll: Ease of use

Setting up any accounting or payroll product for the first time can be daunting, so Patriot gains praise for its ability to get you started and keep things ticking over further down the line.

The company has done a great job in making improvements to the usability of the software, especially now that it has implemented a beefy setup wizard that can help new users get up and running faster.

If you’ve got employees to think about and want to be sure that information input into the system is correct and where it should be then this wizard is a real bonus.

Of course, setting things up is always going to be the hardest part of the process due to the need for adding employee data for the first time. However, Patriot has really come up trumps with the latest incarnation of its package.

Once you’re in, the dashboard feels easy to navigate as are the employee and contractor portals, which encourage some degree of self-service to take some of the pressure off HR teams.

There’s also a mobile app for employees to handle certain features, but naturally, it’s nowhere near as feature-packed as the desktop version, so admins are best off accessing Patriot in a more conventional manner.

Because the platform focuses on the essentials rather than a whole plethora of finance and HR-related tools, it’s pretty easy to get your head around. That, of course, comes as the cost of some lost functionality, but you’ll only really notice this if your business has pretty demanding needs.

Patriot Accounting and Payroll: Support

The level of support that comes with the Patriot experience is what seems to drive many of its customers to keep using the online accounting and payroll service.

Knowing that you’ve got people who can talk you through the various processes, features and functions is a valuable asset and Patriot consistently secures positive results on this front.

It’s pretty easy to get in contact with the US-based team by phone, email or live chat, which is generally more than can be said about most of its rivals.

Many companies operate a ticket-based system, where users must file tickets and then wait for support, which is frustrating to say the least.

Free setup help is provided via the onboarding process, and there’s also plenty of documentation and tutorials on the knowledge base side of things.

It’s worth mentioning that, since Patriot is US-centered, customers operating outside of the US may struggle with support.

Patriot Accounting and Payroll: Final verdict

Patriot is an excellent software option for business users searching for a duo of solutions on the accounting and payroll front.

The company has had a long time to perfect its formula, and while it continues to make improvements including within the user interface, the core tools inside this package come very recommended.

We found the pricing to be very competitive, especially for small businesses, and for those customers it does most of the basics very well.

In addition, having team members on hand to smooth the transition into using it makes Patriot very appealing.

Overall then, this is an accounting and payroll package that should be investigated, especially if you're looking for the extra benefit of that hands-on, real-time support.

If you need multistate support, things get pricier, and international customers are poorly catered-for, so in these cases, it could be worth considering a different HR platform.

• We've also highlighted the best accounting software

SoFi is a San Francisco-based company that first came to prominence for refinancing student loans. Founded a decade ago, the personal finance firm now boasts a user base of more than one million users.

The company’s investment platform, SoFi Invest, allows members to invest in a range of products, including stocks and equity-traded funds (ETFs). The platform, which is currently available only to US residents, is popular among traders especially because of its $0 fee for stock trading.

In September 2019, SoFi also added the ability to trade cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Litecoin. The platform uses Coinbase to handle all crypto transactions on behalf of its users.

Fees

SoFi extends some of the same benefits to its crypto trades that it does to users of its traditional investment products. For instance, it requires no account minimums. However, the minimum order size for purchasing crypto is $10, while on the other end of the spectrum, SoFi users can purchase a maximum of $50,000 worth of crypto per day. 

SoFi charges a markup of 1.25% on every crypto transaction. That means when you purchase crypto, SoFi will automatically add the markup to the market price it receives from the exchange. It's also important to note that SoFi will only allow you to submit market order trades. 

When it comes to sales, the platform does have a few minimum restrictions. For instance, the minimum Bitcoin sale amount is 0.001 BTC. For Bitcoin Cash it is 0.01 BCH, for Ethereum 0.01 ETH, for Ethereum Classic 0.1 ETC and for Litecoin 0.1 LTC.

The platform also has an ongoing promotion whereby it will give you $10 in Bitcoin when you buy at least $10 worth of any cryptocurrency within seven days of registering with the platform.

Interface and ease of use

To get started with SoFi, you’ll first have to register with the service, which involves creating an account and sharing various details to establish that you are a legal US resident. This involves sharing details such as your physical address, contact details, Social Security Number and such. 

Remember that while you can explore the platform without completing the application form, you’ll need to divulge these details before you can buy, sell or trade cryptocurrencies. 

Once you’ve created the account you’ll first have to link your bank account. Once that’s done you can transfer funds to your account, but SoFi requires them to remain in the account for one business day before you can purchase crypto.

SoFi’s dashboard is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate. While it only allows you to trade the five cryptocurrencies mentioned earlier in the article, you can track the price movements of several popular altcoins too.

The platform also enables you to buy crypto by specifying the amount in USD instead of the crypto units. Also since SoFi places market orders, the crypto is bought and sold in real-time.

Note, however, that SoFi is a pure investment platform, which means you cannot transfer the crypto you’ve bought to an external wallet, nor can you use it for payments.

Security

SoFi claims that it secures all crypto holdings from fraud and theft. However, it doesn’t share more details about these mechanisms or if they come with certain limits.

It should be noted that SoFi relies on an external exchange to complete its crypto transactions. This happens to be Coinbase, which takes pride in its security and insurance cover. Furthermore, SoFi claims that it doesn’t share its user’s personal information with its crypto trading partners and custodians.

When it comes to SoFi Invest, the investment platform, the company claims it uses a number of tools to secure the holdings of its members, such as two-factor authentication and SSL encryption.

Support

The platform has a vast set of documentation to cater to its multitude of financial products. The SoFi Learn section will help users acquaint themselves with the various services offered by the platform. 

The information under the SoFi Learn section is designed to equip users with everything they need to know about a particular financial product. For instance, under Investing you’ll find educational material that covers everything from the basics of investing to helping you manage your money during a recession. 

You can use the search function to dig up articles related to any topics or financial instruments that interest you. A search for crypto brings up over 60 articles that cover various topics to help enhance your knowledge of cryptocurrencies.

For platform-specific help, you should head to support.sofi.com, which helps users get to grips with the various products and specific features of the platform. Again, a search for crypto will bring up about two dozen results that will familiarize you with everything you need to know about trading crypto on SoFi.

Besides the documentation, SoFi also offers online chat and phone support. It lists different phone numbers for its various products, along with their respective hours of operations.

Alternatives

Unlike typical cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, SoFi is an investment-only platform. This means that any cryptocurrency you buy on the platform cannot be used as payment or transferred to someone else’s wallet. 

Furthermore, as we’ve said before, unlike other crypto exchanges like Coinbase, you’ll not be able to move any crypto in your SoFi Invest account to an external wallet. Being a closed system also means that you won't be able to move your existing crypto into the platform for trading. 

SoFi claims that having a closed system helps it better secure your crypto assets, though you should be aware of the limitations that come with it. 

Also, the only fiat currency SoFi can handle is the US dollar, seeing as it is only available to US residents. To help establish that you are a legal citizen of the country, SoFi will ask you to furnish various details. This is to be expected from all good crypto exchanges and trading platforms and in turn gets you federal protection and safeguards for your funds. 

Final verdict

SoFi isn’t a full-fledged crypto exchange, in fact, it relies on Coinbase for conducting crypto transactions on its behalf. It’s markup is higher than some of its peers, but the overall transaction is at par or probably cheaper than some alternatives since SoFi doesn’t charge any fees for many functions.

It’s because of this very reason that SoFi makes for an attractive option for trading crypto. As long as you know that you’ll not be able to move your crypto inside or outside your SoFi Invest account, the platform offers a cheap, and easy to use option for conventional traders looking to dabble in crypto.

SoFi is a San Francisco-based company that first came to prominence for refinancing student loans. Founded a decade ago, the personal finance firm now boasts a user base of more than one million users.

The company’s investment platform, SoFi Invest, allows members to invest in a range of products, including stocks and equity-traded funds (ETFs). The platform, which is currently available only to US residents, is popular among traders especially because of its $0 fee for stock trading.

In September 2019, SoFi also added the ability to trade cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, and Litecoin. The platform uses Coinbase to handle all crypto transactions on behalf of its users.

Fees

SoFi extends some of the same benefits to its crypto trades that it does to users of its traditional investment products. For instance, it requires no account minimums. However, the minimum order size for purchasing crypto is $10, while on the other end of the spectrum, SoFi users can purchase a maximum of $50,000 worth of crypto per day. 

SoFi charges a markup of 1.25% on every crypto transaction. That means when you purchase crypto, SoFi will automatically add the markup to the market price it receives from the exchange. It's also important to note that SoFi will only allow you to submit market order trades. 

When it comes to sales, the platform does have a few minimum restrictions. For instance, the minimum Bitcoin sale amount is 0.001 BTC. For Bitcoin Cash it is 0.01 BCH, for Ethereum 0.01 ETH, for Ethereum Classic 0.1 ETC and for Litecoin 0.1 LTC.

The platform also has an ongoing promotion whereby it will give you $10 in Bitcoin when you buy at least $10 worth of any cryptocurrency within seven days of registering with the platform.

Interface and ease of use

To get started with SoFi, you’ll first have to register with the service, which involves creating an account and sharing various details to establish that you are a legal US resident. This involves sharing details such as your physical address, contact details, Social Security Number and such. 

Remember that while you can explore the platform without completing the application form, you’ll need to divulge these details before you can buy, sell or trade cryptocurrencies. 

Once you’ve created the account you’ll first have to link your bank account. Once that’s done you can transfer funds to your account, but SoFi requires them to remain in the account for one business day before you can purchase crypto.

SoFi’s dashboard is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate. While it only allows you to trade the five cryptocurrencies mentioned earlier in the article, you can track the price movements of several popular altcoins too.

The platform also enables you to buy crypto by specifying the amount in USD instead of the crypto units. Also since SoFi places market orders, the crypto is bought and sold in real-time.

Note, however, that SoFi is a pure investment platform, which means you cannot transfer the crypto you’ve bought to an external wallet, nor can you use it for payments.

Security

SoFi claims that it secures all crypto holdings from fraud and theft. However, it doesn’t share more details about these mechanisms or if they come with certain limits.

It should be noted that SoFi relies on an external exchange to complete its crypto transactions. This happens to be Coinbase, which takes pride in its security and insurance cover. Furthermore, SoFi claims that it doesn’t share its user’s personal information with its crypto trading partners and custodians.

When it comes to SoFi Invest, the investment platform, the company claims it uses a number of tools to secure the holdings of its members, such as two-factor authentication and SSL encryption.

Support

The platform has a vast set of documentation to cater to its multitude of financial products. The SoFi Learn section will help users acquaint themselves with the various services offered by the platform. 

The information under the SoFi Learn section is designed to equip users with everything they need to know about a particular financial product. For instance, under Investing you’ll find educational material that covers everything from the basics of investing to helping you manage your money during a recession. 

You can use the search function to dig up articles related to any topics or financial instruments that interest you. A search for crypto brings up over 60 articles that cover various topics to help enhance your knowledge of cryptocurrencies.

For platform-specific help, you should head to support.sofi.com, which helps users get to grips with the various products and specific features of the platform. Again, a search for crypto will bring up about two dozen results that will familiarize you with everything you need to know about trading crypto on SoFi.

Besides the documentation, SoFi also offers online chat and phone support. It lists different phone numbers for its various products, along with their respective hours of operations.

Alternatives

Unlike typical cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, SoFi is an investment-only platform. This means that any cryptocurrency you buy on the platform cannot be used as payment or transferred to someone else’s wallet. 

Furthermore, as we’ve said before, unlike other crypto exchanges like Coinbase, you’ll not be able to move any crypto in your SoFi Invest account to an external wallet. Being a closed system also means that you won't be able to move your existing crypto into the platform for trading. 

SoFi claims that having a closed system helps it better secure your crypto assets, though you should be aware of the limitations that come with it. 

Also, the only fiat currency SoFi can handle is the US dollar, seeing as it is only available to US residents. To help establish that you are a legal citizen of the country, SoFi will ask you to furnish various details. This is to be expected from all good crypto exchanges and trading platforms and in turn gets you federal protection and safeguards for your funds. 

Final verdict

SoFi isn’t a full-fledged crypto exchange, in fact, it relies on Coinbase for conducting crypto transactions on its behalf. It’s markup is higher than some of its peers, but the overall transaction is at par or probably cheaper than some alternatives since SoFi doesn’t charge any fees for many functions.

It’s because of this very reason that SoFi makes for an attractive option for trading crypto. As long as you know that you’ll not be able to move your crypto inside or outside your SoFi Invest account, the platform offers a cheap, and easy to use option for conventional traders looking to dabble in crypto.

BambooHR has built up a solid reputation in the relatively short space of time the company has been going. The HR business was first launched back in 2008 by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders and continues today from its base in Utah.

BambooHR offers a cloud-based HR software solution, rather than outsourcing, that combines a great user interface with lots of practical tools for managing your workforce.

The company set out to build a simplified platform that works for HR teams and employees alike, and we think it’s nailed that brief.

The BambooHR package does a little bit of everything, which includes helping to onboard new employees, analyze people data and manage benefits all while helping to get the job done in a fresh and fun kind of way.

That’s not to detract from the potential of this package though as BambooHR has more than enough capability to help business of all shapes and sizes manage their HR workflow.

The only area we feel it fails to deliver on its promise of simplicity is in its pricing, because you’ll need to set aside a fair chunk of time to walk through the platform with a sales agent instead of being able to compare plan prices.

BambooHR: Plans and pricing

The amount of money you pay to enjoy using BambooHR basically depends on the number of employees you have working in your company.

You’ll therefore need to get in touch with the sales team to get a precise tailored quote to match your requirements as there is no obvious pricing that we could find.

This seems to be the way that many other rival companies are going, and it’s a shame to see this becoming the standard because it’s hard to compare them on surface-level without going deep down the customer acquisition route, which is timely.

At the time of writing, Core, Pro and Elite plans exist, and there are also some add-ons: Payroll, Benefits Administration, Time Tracking and Employer of Record (which is actually provided by Remote, another player in this space).

However, in the meantime it’s possible to try a live demo of the software, which expands to a seven-day trial if you think you want to spend time getting used to the features and functionality. The trial is a full working version and comes complete with sample data, so you don't need to spend time populating the package to see exactly how it works. This is a quick and easy way to see the potential of BambooHR.

BambooHR: Features

Bamboo offers a wide set of HRIS and HR features, including all the core essentials like employee records, document storage, custom reports and dashbords.

Once you’ve created an account and logged in to BambooHR all of the main features are clearly set out in the central dashboard area.

There are options that let you control the vital aspects of your workforce data, with the top menu offering instant access to My Info, People, Hiring, Reports and Files, all of which are pretty self-explanatory.

The main work area contains widgets with all of the main feature content, plus there’s direct access to crucial records such as vacation and time off for sickness.

In fact, BambooHR has a whole area for paid time off requests with a dedicated time-off calendar and accrual details.

BambooHR continues to have improvements made to its set of features, with an open API option allowing you to combine the package with other HR software services where needed.

There is also a BambooHR app marketplace too, that lets users explore other BambooHR-friendly software solutions that help compliment its capabilities. More than 150 partner integrations exist, according to the website.

Furthermore, the HR platform extends right to a worker’s first interaction with a company, with job posting, candidate tracking and offer letters all handled through the system, so you won’t need to setup them up later.

BambooHR: Ease of use

During our trial time using BambooHR we found that the SaaS solution performed impeccably, particularly considering it was quite well packed with plenty of sample data.

Logging in and getting started was fault free, and even the sign up was a doddle. Once into the main work area we found BambooHR to be everything it promised, with great functionality and no issues with managing records and adding, or deleting data either.

Overall, BambooHR really hits the spot with its solid performance.

There’s a really relaxed learning curve involved with picking up BambooHR, with a user interface based around its central dashboard that makes progress both quick and easy.

Despite its laid-back layout and menu options, BambooHR actually bristles with plenty of power tools, all designed to let you tackle human resources tools without the stress normally associated with this aspect of business admin.

BambooHR is very customizable too, with a settings area that lets you tweak all of the content tools.

Access levels, employee fields, approvals, apps, benefits, company directory, email alerts, employee satisfaction, hiring and holidays can all be tailored to suit your needs. It's even possible to drop in your own logo and set a colour scheme as needed.

Where the platform is widely recognized as being pretty intuitive, some note it can be harder to uncover some hidden features.

The mobile app is also less feature-rich, but this is a fair expectation from any similar software.

BambooHR: Support

Once you’re logged into the BambooHR system there’s always help at hand thanks to support options over on the top of the program interface. In this region there’s a searchable knowledge base, which can point you towards topics that solve many queries.

Resources and learning materials include webinars, guides, tutorials and other self-service help.

It’s also possible to chat with the support team from here. In the same area is the option to submit a support request.

General support includes chat, email and telephone during business hours, and customer feedback is mostly positive on this front. Responsive and helpful agents walk them through solutions instead of just directing them to articles, so top marks there.

BambooHR: Final verdict

BambooHR is a great option for small to medium-sized business that have to tackle human resources chores and more besides. The way it’s been designed and laid out means that those humdrum everyday tasks associated with HR duties are made rather more palatable than normal.

It’s got oodles of cool tools nestling in amongst the vibrant user interface, with everything from benefits administration through to performance reviews covered and a whole lot more besides.

That appealing user experience is backed up with strong core features, good integrations and a helpful resource base.

The fact that you can test drive the package before committing makes it perfect for business owners who want to make doubly sure it’s going to be right for them before signing up.

You’ll need to contact the BambooHR sales team in order to get pricing, although this is based around the number of workers your business employs. BambooHR is certainly one of the easiest solutions of its type out there, with plenty of capacity to accommodate your business as it grows too.

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TaxAct, like all of the other tax filing software packages, has been updated over the years and is now better than ever. The online tax solution packs in several enhancements for this year with improved tools for speeding up the time it takes to complete tax returns. There are several options for individuals and professional business users too.

Another bonus with this package is that TaxAct aims to remain competitively priced for anyone filing a federal return, which is always going to be welcome news. There has also been the implementation of a live Tax Advice feature, which is offered as an optional add-on for all packages.

Being an online software solution it follows a similar path to others in the field including TaxSlayer, Jackson Hewitt Online, Credit Karma Tax and FreeTaxUSA, with a step-by-step series of screens that walk you through the hurdles for filing your taxes. 

• Want to try TaxAct? Check out the website here

TaxAct has done a sterling job of late too, with plenty of refinements that make the whole process as painless as is realistically possible. If you’re a novice user you’ll still be able to make solid progress in not much time, which is clearly a boon for those of us who procrastinate when it comes to tax return time. 

TaxAct: Pricing

As is the case with any tax filing software package, price is everything. Little wonder then that TaxAct has moved to make its pricing look more appealing in light of the competition, although package prices have actually increased. On top of that, the Premier and Self-Employed options don’t include live agent support from CPAs or other tax experts, although this will be tempered by the rollout of TaxAct’s Xpert Help service in due course. 

The TaxAct website gets you off to a great start in that it lets you select various scenarios such as if you have children, have retirement income and investments too. There are the more obvious considerations too, with the free W-2 jobholders edition (State included) proving ideal if you’ve got fairly basic requirements. The free version also covers filers with dependents and if you have college expenses or retirement income to declare. 

Next up, the Deluxe package costs $29.99 (+ state additional) delivers everything in the free edition plus more besides. It’s ideally suited to homeowners plus those with deductions, credits and adjustments to file. The Premier model comes in at $39.99 (+ state additional), which includes everything in Deluxe with added features for investments, rental property and prioritized support. Top of the tree is the Self-Employed package, which for $69.99 (+ state additional) adds on Deduction Maximizer and year-round tax resources. All options offer the ability to add a live Tax Advice feature.

TaxAct: Features

Changes have been implemented on the TaxAct feature front for 2021, with improved integration, better workflow and the capacity for importing data directly into the application. This is particularly useful in the case of 1099 forms, but the same goes for W-2’s and 1099-NEC’s too. As before, TaxAct still allows you to enter business income, rental/royalty income and, basically any other income that is relevant to completing your return in a timely and accurate fashion. 

However, while the basic edition is free and offers support for 1040 and retirement income with state returns being gratis, you’ll need to pay for the more powerful feature set editions. Getting the paid for version of TaxAct will arm you with more options, but it can be a little tricky to squeeze the best out of the system, particularly if your tax situation is less than pedestrian.

TaxAct: Ease of use

One of the criticisms of earlier incarnations of TaxAct was that the filing software was a little too hard to get your head around. However, the TaxAct developers have taken this on board and the latest edition has had some improvements made in terms of usability. Navigation is snappier, with less faff involved than with previous editions and users can pick through stages much more swiftly than the clunkier way things worked before. 

Boosting the user-friendly appeal is the way it is now easy to import forms, such as W-2, 1099 and 1099-NEC’s. Indeed, you can also add in tax returns from earlier years, which makes much lighter work of the overall filing process. Granted, TaxAct still can't be described as a doddle to navigate, and there are still some clunky aspects to the experience. Nevertheless, TaxAct is on the up in terms of ease of use.

While some of the questioning might prove a little more trying for the less confident, there is also a decent level of help along the way that allows you to master the nuances of TaxAct. Given that the design setup is basically screen after screen, TaxAct has done quite a nice job of making the process workmanlike but, dare we say it, quite good on the eyes too. 

Mention should also be made of the app version, which can work hand-in-hand with the desktop edition so you can switch between the two as and when time allows it. 

TaxAct: Support

Along with numerous other improvements, TaxAct has been spruced up in the support department too. Users should lookout for handy videos that offer pointers into getting the best from key areas of the tax filing software. In fact, TaxAct’s knowledge base area has definitely improved and its pro-level tips come in mighty handy as you work your way through the various stages.

Due to some of the clunkier areas of TaxAct we think that it’s entirely likely you’ll need to call upon the help that’s available within this package. That’s not to sell TaxAct short of course as it’s a potent performer but you might need assistance to get to the final return stage. 

Enter then the TaxAct Answer Center, which is a very comprehensive area of the site that has multiple topics that will answer many of your questions and queries. The other benefit with TaxAct is that it has a constant Help and Tools area over on the right side of the page while you work. 

Quick and easy access is therefore just a click away. Email support is available across the different editions, while phone support is also on hand towards the filing deadline, details of which can be found on the TaxAct website.

TaxAct: Final Verdict

TaxAct has had a much needed dust down and the designers have clearly been hard at work making improvements where needed for 2021. While we’re yet to see first hand what the Xpert Help option brings to the table, or indeed how much it’ll cost, the rest of the modifications to TaxAct have beefed up its appeal. 

While there’s clearly a ways to go in terms of the tax filing package as a whole, the overall feeling generated from the newest edition of TaxAct is a positive one. That said, it’s up against the low budget FreeTaxUSA and H&R Block at the other end of the spectrum, plus a host of other tax filing software inbetween.

Nevertheless, the interface and usability have both been tweaked to work better for a variety of different subscribers using it in 2021, so the benefits are clear to see. Plus, TaxAct has also been given a once over to bring it bang up to date in light of coronavirus and the resulting changes to legislation. Tax reforms can be difficult to keep up with, so it’s reassuring to know that the TaxAct team have that base covered.

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Google is best known for its search engine and suite of digital tools covering emails, document editing, presentations, spreadsheets, and many more. Popular among both individual and business users, Google provides alternatives to dominant platforms in various software niches. For example, Google Sheets is an alternative to Microsoft Excel, and Google Docs is an alternative to Microsoft Word.

For a long time, Google has bundled its digital tools into various tiers for enterprises. This bundle was initially known as Google Apps, then rebranded to G Suite in 2016 and Google Workspace in 2020. Over the years, Google has added many more features to its software suite, and its user base has increased significantly.

What does Google Workspace offer that the competition doesn’t? Is it worthwhile for my business, and what benefits do I get from it? These are essential questions business owners and managers ask when considering adopting Google Workspace. You’ve arrived at the right place if you have these questions.

Having extensively reviewed each tool within Google Workspace, I’ve put together this broad review covering its pros, cons, and unique features. Read on to learn what Google Workspace offers and whether it’s the best choice for your business.

Google Workspace: Plans and pricing

Google Workspace has distinct pricing plans: Starter, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise Plus, with each having its benefits. The higher the plan, the more functionalities and storage space your enterprise can access.

The Starter plan costs $7 per user per month. Under this plan, each account has access to 30 GB of cloud storage, double the 15 GB limit for free Google accounts. The Starter plan lets your company's employees create email addresses tied to your company's domain name. Other benefits include the ability to use Google's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) assistant and hold video meetings with up to 100 participants.

The Standard plan costs $14 per user per month. Under this pricing tier, each user has access to 2 TB of cloud storage, which is dramatically higher than that of the Starter plan. All features of the Starter plan are included, plus more benefits like access to NotebookLM, Google's AI-based research tool; video meetings with up to 150 participants; and the ability for employees to append digital signatures to documents.

The Plus plan costs $22 per user per month. Cloud storage for each user increases to 5 TB on this plan, and other benefits include video meetings with up to 500 participants, a digital vault to retain data for a long period, and advanced endpoint management and security features.

The Enterprise Plus plan isn’t like the others. It doesn’t have a standard price. Instead, you’ll need to contact Google’s sales team to negotiate a custom deal. This plan has the most advanced security features, endpoint security and the ability to choose the geographical storage location for your company’s data. Storage can be 5 TB or more, depending on the deal negotiated with Google’s sales team.

The Enterprise Plus plan is best suited for large companies with hundreds or thousands of employees that need Google Workspace tools. Pricing varies, but large companies may negotiate discounts compared to the unit price of the Plus plan.

Google Workspace: Features

Think of Google Workspace as a one-stop shop that provides the tools a company needs to communicate, collaborate, and manage documents seamlessly. A Google Workspace subscription unlocks access to many valuable tools, including Google Meet for videoconferencing, Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Google Docs for document editing, Google Slides for presentations, Google Chat for real-time chat, Gmail for emails, etc.

If you’ve used Gmail individually, the corporate version offered via Google Workspace is easy to understand. It has the same interface and similar features, but the corporate version lets you create emails attached to your company’s domain name instead of the generic “@gmail.com.”

Another benefit is that the Gmail interface doesn’t include ads when subscribed to Google Workspace, unlike the free version, where ads are displayed at the top of your inbox. Notably, the Starter, Standard, and Plus plans are capped at 300 users, making this figure the maximum number of Gmail accounts a company can create.

Google Meet is a popular video conferencing tool used by both individuals and companies. With Google Workspace, your company unlocks access to advanced Google Meet tools, including the ability to host up to 500 participants on the Plus plan.

You may be confused that the Plus plan is capped at 300 users but allows up to 500 participants in a videoconference. The answer is that participants aren’t always employees with Google Workspace accounts. You can invite people outside your organization to meetings, and there’ll still be ample space to host them alongside employees. Besides that, the Enterprise Plus plan works for well over 300 users but requires direct negotiations with Google’s sales team.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are powerful alternatives to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the leading tools for creating and managing text documents, spreadsheets, and visual presentations, respectively. While Word, Excel, and PowerPoint remain capable tools, Google’s alternatives outshine them in collaborative features.

With a Google Workspace subscription, employees can collaboratively create and edit text files on Google Docs. Each person working on the same document is represented by a unique icon and cursor indicating their position on the document. Every collaborator can suggest changes, leave comments, or edit text directly, depending on the permission given by the document owner, and every change gets reflected in real-time.

In my case, I liked the idea of integrating Google Chat with Docs, which let me send instant messages to collaborators on the same page where we edited documents. The same applies to Google Sheets and Slides, where I could chat with collaborators on the same page.

On Google Sheets, employees can simultaneously edit the same spreadsheet, with each collaborator represented by their unique icon and cursor. Any changes, comments, or suggestions will be delivered in real-time. Google Slides is similar, but for collaboratively editing visual presentations.

The document owner, who can be any employee, decides who can access their document and what they can do with it. Three distinct permissions can be given to a collaborator: Viewer, Commenter, and Editor.

A Viewer has read-only access, i.e., they can read the document but can’t comment, suggest a change, or edit anything directly.

A Commenter can leave comments on specific parts of the document, for example, a highlighted paragraph on Google Docs or a highlighted cell on Google Sheets. They can suggest changes at particular parts, but the document owner decides whether to accept or reject the suggestions.

An Editor has complete access to a document just like the owner. They can edit the document extensively and undo or redo changes.

When editing documents on Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, the Version Control feature allows you to revert to previous versions of a document if needed. As employees edit a document, their changes are saved at different time instants. Then, the document owner can view previous versions and revert to any version if needed.

I liked the Version Control feature for two reasons. Firstly, it fosters accountability because the document owner can view different versions of a document and know who made specific changes, incentivizing collaborators to always stick to the agreed-upon rules. Secondly, it assures all collaborators that mistakes can be undone, so there’s no need to panic when they make errors.

Gemini is Google’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, released in 2023 in response to the rise of ChatGPT and other rival AI chatbots. Google Workspace users have complete access to Gemini, either via the standalone app or via direct integration with Docs, Slides, Sheets, and other Google tools.

I found Gemini very useful when working with documents on various Google tools. For example, I used it to generate text when writing on Google Docs and also to translate and edit text. The output wasn’t perfect – it often sounds too bland and robotic – but a few edits were enough to make it sound more human.

On Google Sheets, I used Gemini to analyze data, specifically to visualize the data I entered into my spreadsheet. You can do much more, for example, by asking it to calculate specific values based on the figures in your spreadsheet.

On Google Slides, I used Gemini to generate text and ideas for my presentations. The use cases are endless, making Gemini a valuable companion for any company’s employees.

Other useful tools you can access under Workspace include Google Calendar, a tool for employees to set and manage schedules, and Google Keep, a note-taking app with collaborative features. There’s also Google Forms, which your company can use to survey customers, collect data from leads, or conduct internal surveys.

Google Workspace offers such a broad set of features that it would be too much information to provide in this review. It provides a valuable software suite to run your business operations, but it’s not without its drawbacks. In my opinion, Google Workspace is best suited for companies with a few hundred employees, but it becomes more difficult to manage above this figure. The costs can also be high for small businesses, although Google Workspace’s pricing is generally competitive.

Google Workspace: Interface and in use

I’ve reviewed all Google Workspace tools, and a smooth, intuitive interface is a commonality among them. In my opinion, Google has zeroed in on simplicity and intuitiveness as a way to stand out amid intense competition, considering it was a latecomer to various software niches. From Google Docs to Sheets, Slides, Meet, and other tools, their interfaces are much more seamless to navigate compared to rival apps.

Google Workspace enables smooth communication and collaboration among your employees. From collaborating on text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations to holding videoconferences on Google Meet or group chats on Google Chat, Google Workspace excels in its user-friendliness and makes these functions work smoothly.

Google Workspace: Support

As paid subscribers, Google Workspace users have access to abundant support resources, both self-help and direct support from Google’s team. Each Google tool has a dedicated section on the company’s official Help Center. Every section covers all features related to the specific tool, making it the ideal first stop when troubleshooting issues.

For example, on the Google Meet Help Center section, you can find user guides, tutorials, and answers to common issues users face on Google Meet. The same applies to all other tools offered under Google Workspace.

If self-help resources on the Help Center aren’t sufficient to resolve issues, Google Workspace users can contact Google’s support team via email, live chat, and telephone. Throughout my experience with Google Workspace, the support team has been very responsive and knowledgeable. A good thing is that the intuitive interface of Google tools reduces the number of times you’ll need direct help in the first place.

Google Workspace: The competition

I’ve repeatedly mentioned Microsoft tools in this review, giving a hint that Microsoft is Google Workspace’s primary competitor. The Microsoft 365 bundle mirrors Google Workspace by offering businesses access to a broad suite of Microsoft’s software tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, and more.

I’ve tested Microsoft’s software tools extensively, just like I’ve done with Google’s, and Microsoft’s tools generally have broader functionalities. For example, you’ll find more formatting options in Word and Excel than in Google Docs and Spreadsheets. PowerPoint has a broader collection of templates and insertable visual elements than Google Slides. Microsoft Teams is more capable of hosting large video conferences than Google Meet.

However, Google’s tools outshine Microsoft’s in ease of use and collaborative features. I found Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides much simpler to navigate than their Microsoft counterparts. Collaborating with colleagues was also much smoother when working with Google tools. Although Microsoft’s tools also support collaboration, Google’s tools felt more designed for collaborative use.

Google Workspace: Final verdict

Google Workspace is an all-in-one software suite that fosters collaboration and productivity. It unlocks access to broad software tools and lets employees share files, communicate, and collaborate on the same documents.

I think Google Workspace is best suited for mid-sized companies, given its features and price. It’s not the best for small businesses, given its pricing, nor large companies because of the 300-account limit on the regular plans, but the pricing and features are ideal for a mid-sized company with a sizable IT budget.

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