Personio vs Factorial: which one fits your team?

How do Personio and Factorial really differ?

On paper they overlap: employee records, time off, onboarding, e-signature, payslip distribution and an AI assistant. The difference is how each one packages the product. Personio presents itself as a platform built for European organisations, sized for companies with 10 to 10,000 employees. Factorial presents itself as a Core that every customer gets, with modules you add for the areas you care about.

Personio: one platform, plans and apps

Personio's pricing page says it starts from €7.60 per month per employee, but the real price comes from a demo and a custom quote. A one-time setup fee that depends on company size applies, and the yearly subscription has a minimum run time of 12 months. Its Core plan includes preliminary payroll, which bundles salary, absence and time data into a file for the payroll accountant. A full Personio Payroll is an add-on, and recruiting and performance come as extra apps. The Pro plan lists unlimited legal entity management, which suits a group with several companies.

That structure favours a company that wants one vendor to grow into, especially in Germany, where preliminary payroll and a link to the accountant's tools save real time. The cost is a quote cycle, a setup fee and a term.

Factorial: a Core and modules

Factorial's pricing pages say it starts at $8 per user a month, in dollars on the US page, €8 on the German page and £5.40 on the UK page. Beyond that it does not print a plan table. It says it has plans for all businesses and budgets, tell it what you need and it tailors one. Every plan includes Factorial Core with an employee directory, onboarding and offboarding, e-signature, payslip distribution and custom notifications. On top of that you pick modules: time management (time off, time tracking, shift management), talent management (performance, recruitment, engagement, training), finance management (expenses, project management, procurement) and IT management (SaaS management, IT inventory, device management, EDR and cybersecurity).

The module idea is attractive if you want to start small and add areas later. The IT management side is unusual for an HR vendor, so it is worth a look if one tool for people and devices appeals to you. It also means your price depends on which modules you take, and the pages do not say what each costs. On payroll the regional pages differ: the UK page lists guided payroll as part of Core, and the German page lists payroll processing as an optional module. Ask which applies to you.

The price question

People searching "Personio vs Factorial" usually want to know which is cheaper. We cannot tell you, and neither page can either. Both starting rates are the lowest figure for the smallest set up in a different currency, and both vendors say the real price is a quote. Personio adds a setup fee and a 12 month minimum on the yearly subscription. Factorial's pages we read do not state a setup fee or a term, and its FAQ headings on cancellation and payment were visible but the answers were not in the text we could read. Ask both the same questions, for the same headcount and modules, on the same day, and compare the first year total.

Which one should you choose?

• Choose Personio if you are a European company with 10 or more people, want preliminary payroll in the base plan and one platform to grow into, and you are fine with a demo, a setup fee and a 12 month term.
• Choose Factorial if you want to pick modules, such as time, hiring, expenses or IT management, from one vendor and you like local prices in your own currency on a tailored quote.
• Look at neither first if you are under about 30 people and a sales cycle feels heavy for leave requests, hours and documents. Our Personio alternatives guide covers more options, and Personio pricing explains its quote in detail.

Questions to put to both vendors

• What is the monthly total for my exact headcount, with every module and app I need?
• Is there a one-time setup or onboarding fee, and what does it include?
• What is the minimum term, and how and when can I cancel?
• Is payroll included, a module, or an add-on, and does it match what my accountant needs?
• Is there a free trial, and does it need a payment card?
• Which integrations do I rely on, and are they included?

Where does HR FLARE fit?

HR FLARE is the smaller option with flat published prices, for teams of roughly 5 to 75 people. It covers employee profiles and documents, clock in and out from the browser, the Mac app or the phone, timesheets with manager approval, leave with balances and carry-over, expenses with receipt scanning, job postings, e-signatures and performance reviews. Its AI assistant answers questions about your own HR data and connects to ChatGPT or Claude.

It is free for up to 5 employees with every feature, then $29 a month for up to 10, $79 for up to 30 and $149 for up to 75. Payroll is records and payslips, not a wage tax calculation, so your accountant still runs payroll. Each person plans their own week and the team sees the combined schedule, so there is no manager built shift rota. It is younger than both vendors above and has fewer integrations. We are the author of this page, so weigh that.