The Salary.com Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Salary.com in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Salary.com
The Insider’s Guide
Compensation data and pay management software
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from Salary.com’s own pages.
Made by Salary.com · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Salary.com’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Salary.com’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade
Salary.com sells compensation software and market data to employers. The software side includes CompAnalyst for job pricing and pay ranges, CompXL for merit and bonus cycles, a pay equity suite and JobArchitect for job descriptions, alongside salary surveys and labor-market data.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Salary.com, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The home page has a free-trial email form, but no terms for it.
- 1
Best for compensation data and pay management
Salary.com sells compensation data and pay management software, with market data and software as separate product lines.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
Job pricing
CompAnalyst prices jobs, builds pay ranges and models scenarios using the company's market data.
- 4
Merit and rewards cycles
CompXL manages merit raises, bonuses, commissions and equity across an organization.
- 5
Pay equity
The Pay Equity Suite analyzes wage disparity so employers can review pay gaps.
- 6
A 1.8 GPA, above 22 of 101
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace Salary.com you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Salary.com at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Salary.com
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for compensation data and pay management
Salary.com sells compensation data and pay management software, with market data and software as separate product lines. No price is published. The home page has a free-trial email form, but no terms for it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price is published, so there's nothing to set against the $2 to $9 a seat a month this category charges. That leaves it at C. |
| Free plan and trial | D | The home page has a free-trial email form, with no length or card terms shown, so we can't call it more than D. |
| Features | C | Market data, job pricing, salary structures and analytics, but data and software are separate product lines, so you may need more than one. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only on record, with no integrations listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Salary.com is for
- Fits if you price jobs from survey data
- Works for compensation teams that want data and software from one vendor
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a posted price, as none is published
- Watch out: software and data are sold as separate lines, so a quote may include both
- Watch out: the free-trial form on the home page shows no length or terms
- Too light for payroll or HR records, which aren't described
Good to know
Good for
- HR teams that want compensation software and market data from one vendor
- Employers preparing pay equity and pay range reviews
Worth knowing
- No prices are published on the pages read; the site points buyers to a demo and sales team.
- Software and data are sold as separate product lines, so a buyer may need more than one.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Salary.com's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
The home page has a free-trial email form, with no length or card terms shown, so we can't call it more than D.
We could not confirm Salary.com’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. salary.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Compensation data and pay management software. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, AI agents, reports.
Market data, job pricing, salary structures and analytics, but data and software are separate product lines, so you may need more than one.
- Job pricing
- CompAnalyst prices jobs, builds pay ranges and models scenarios using the company's market data.
- Merit and rewards cycles
- CompXL manages merit raises, bonuses, commissions and equity across an organization.
- Pay equity
- The Pay Equity Suite analyzes wage disparity so employers can review pay gaps.
- Job descriptions
- JobArchitect creates, approves and manages job descriptions aligned to market data.
- Market data and surveys
- The site lists labor-market analytics, minimum wage data, executive pay data and participation in compensation surveys.
- AI features
- The site lists a market-data assistant called Max and AI agents across the product portfolio.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Salary.com is made by Salary.com.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/101
Other HR software it is graded above
Salary.com's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 33.
It stands best on value for money (C, above 6 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 67).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. Salary.com’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 101
- DFree plan and trialAbove 67 of 101
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 101
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Salary.com you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 46 of the 101 other HR software grade higher.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
What this rests on. Salary.com’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Payscale, Beqom, Figures, Pequity and Pave
The 5 tools Salary.com is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.6GPA
Payscale
Paid
Pay benchmarking and compensation planning software.
- Salary.com also covers AI agents.
- Payscale also covers workflow automation.
- 1.6GPA
Beqom
Paid
Compensation, pay equity and performance platform.
- Salary.com also covers AI agents.
- Beqom also covers workflow automation.
- 1.6GPA
Figures
Paid
Pay benchmarking and salary review tool for HR teams.
- Salary.com also covers AI agents.
- Figures also covers workflow automation.
- 1.6GPA
Pequity
Paid
Compensation planning, pay bands and offer pricing software.
- Salary.com also covers AI agents.
- Pequity also covers workflow automation.
- 2.4GPA
Pave
Free plan
Compensation benchmarks, pay planning and total rewards software.
- Pave has a free plan. Salary.com does not.
- Pave also covers employee records.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
9
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Salary.com free?
No. Salary.com is a paid product.
What platforms does Salary.com work on?
Salary.com is available on Web.
Does Salary.com have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Salary.com is listed for Web.
Does Salary.com have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Salary.com is listed for Web.
Is Salary.com open source?
Salary.com is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Who makes Salary.com?
Salary.com is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Salary.com?
The closest alternatives to Salary.com in our directory are Payscale, Beqom, Figures, Pequity and Pave.
How does Salary.com compare with other HR software?
Salary.com's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 33.
Could I make my own version of Salary.com?
To replace Salary.com you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Salary.com’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Salary.com's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Salary.com. Prices change, so check salary.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Salary.com, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/salary-com
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Salary.com: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/salary-com
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/salary-com/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after Salary.com, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- Buk Insider's GuideLatin American HR and payroll suite with a free tier for 20 people2.6 GPA
- Leave Dates Insider's GuideAnnual leave planner and absence tracker for small teams2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Salary.com’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Salary.com is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Salary.com. Prices and plans change: check salary.com before you buy.