Calamari vs Kenjo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Calamari grades higher than Kenjo: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Calamari grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Calamari
Modular HR system for time off, attendance, core HR and reviews
Kenjo
HR and workforce management software for small and mid-sized firms
Which one is for you
Pick Calamari if
- Fits if you only need one or two HR modules and want to pay for just those
- Works for small teams comfortable with a $20 monthly minimum
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one bundled price, as each module is priced separately
- Tight if you add up modules: all five come to $11.50 a person a month
- Watch out: there is a $20 a month minimum in the pricing calculator
- Watch out: SAML login is a paid add-on, and the page doesn't state its unit
- Not for you if you need payroll, as there is none
Pick Kenjo if
- Fits if you run a European team and want time tracking with an HR file
- Works for firms with shift or office clock-in needs on the Growth plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want overtime, custom schedules or GPS check-in, as they aren't on Starter
- Skip it if you need APIs or integrations, as they are limited to Connect with no price
- Pricey if you add recruiting, as the ATS is an add-on with no price shown
- Watch out: prices are in euros, with no dollar price shown
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACalamariFair | 2.0GPAKenjoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BTime Off and Core HR are $2 per employee a month billed yearly, inside the cheapest quarter. All five modules add up to $11.50, above the category middle. | C€5.40 per employee a month billed annually, about $5.90, and €9.00 on Growth. Between the cheapest quarter and the category middle, with Connect on request. |
| Free plan and trial | C14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. | C14-day free trial; the page does not say whether a card is needed. No free plan. |
| Features | CTime off, attendance, core HR, reviews and scheduling. SAML is a paid add-on, and the AI review help is marked coming soon. No payroll. | CTime tracking, schedules, documents, e-signature, workflows, onboarding and reviews. Overtime and custom schedules need Growth, and the ATS is an add-on without a price. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Policies, approval flows and schedules need setting up per module. | CNo store rating on record. Time rules, workflows and onboarding need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with 7 integrations on record. No desktop app. | CWeb only on record, with 1 integration shown. APIs and integrations are limited to Connect. |
| Best for | picking only the HR modules you need | time tracking and HR for European small firms |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Calamari and Kenjo. How we grade
Price against what you get
Calamari starts at $2 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Kenjo starts at about $6.03 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Calamari scores higher and starts $4.03 a month lower. Of the other HR software on the chart, none scores higher than Calamari for less, and 18 score higher than Kenjo for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Calamari also covers goals, shift scheduling and time off.
- Kenjo also covers reports, payroll, time clock and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| Calamari | Kenjo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $2 per employee / month per module, billed yearly | €5.40 per employee / month, billed annually (€6.00 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Calamari | Kenjo |
| Price read from | calamari.io | kenjo.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Calamari
- Each module is priced separately per employee; combining all five costs the sum of their rates.
- The pricing calculator applies a minimum total of $20 per month for the selected modules.
- SAML integration is a paid add-on, shown at $1 billed yearly or $2 billed monthly; the page does not state the unit.
- The page labels its AI support for performance reviews as coming soon.
Kenjo
- Prices are in euros; no dollar prices are shown.
- The Connect plan has no published price, and APIs and integrations are limited to it.
- Overtime, custom schedules and GPS check-in are not on the Starter plan.
- Recruiting and ATS is a feature add-on, and the pricing page does not give its price.
Key features
Calamari
- Time off management
- Policies with unlimited absence types, multi-country rules, automatic carry-over and entitlement calculated from accrual rules.
- Time and attendance
- Seven tracking methods, listed in the page data as mobile, web, Slack, QR, NFC, GPS and kiosk.
- Core HR
- A central employee database with documents, permission settings, approval flows and notifications for important dates.
- Performance reviews
- 90 to 360 degree review cycles with questionnaires, goals, reviewer assignment and manager summaries.
- Scheduling
- Schedules for shift-based or mixed workforces that sync with the leave and time-tracking modules.
Kenjo
- Attendance and time tracking
- A digital punch clock, manual entries on web or mobile, timesheets with approvals, and PDF exports with a digital signature.
- Overtime and work schedules
- On Growth and above: custom work schedules, overtime tracking, break reminders, GPS check-in and time categories.
- Documents and e-signature
- Document management on every plan, with e-signature added from Growth.
- Workflows and onboarding
- Standard workflows for all plans, with advanced workflows and onboarding and offboarding flows on Growth.
- Performance reviews
- 360-degree performance reviews and meeting templates are listed on the entry plan.
- Reports
- Standard reporting on every plan and BI reports from Growth.
Plans
Calamari
Time Off$2
per employee / month, billed yearly ($2.50 billed monthly)
Online time-off requests, absence calendar, unlimited absence types, automatic carry-over and balance calculations.
Core HR$2
per employee / month, billed yearly ($2.50 billed monthly)
Central HR database, documents, permissions, approval processes, custom fields and employee requests.
Time & Attendance$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Timesheets and time tracking with seven tracking methods.
Performance Review$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Review cycles (self, peer, top-down and external), questionnaires, goals and manager summaries.
Scheduling$2.50
per employee / month, billed yearly ($3 billed monthly)
Weekly or monthly schedules planned per employee or role, with drafts, published versions and sync to leave and time tracking.
Kenjo
Starter€5.40
per employee / month, billed annually (€6.00 billed monthly)
Time tracking with a digital punch clock, timesheets, standard workflows, document management, reporting and 360 reviews.
Growth€9.00
per employee / month, billed annually (€10.00 billed monthly)
Starter plus kiosk app, e-signature, advanced workflows, onboarding, multi-office, BI reports, custom permissions, overtime and phone support.
ConnectCustom
Price on request. Growth plus training tracker, bulk operations, APIs, labor-law alerts and hands-on implementation.
Ways to pay less
Calamari
- Annual discount
About 20% off with yearly billing
The pricing calculator shows each module cheaper per employee when billed yearly than when billed monthly (for example $2 against $2.50 for Time Off).
Kenjo
- Annual discount
10% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows monthly and annual billing, with annual billing marked 10% off: Starter is €6.00 monthly or €5.40 annually.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Calamari or Kenjo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Calamari is cheaper to start with: $2 a month for each person, against about $6.03 a month for each person for Kenjo. Calamari starts at $2 per employee / month per module, billed yearly, and Kenjo starts at €5.40 per employee / month, billed annually (€6.00 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Calamari or Kenjo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Calamari nor Kenjo has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Calamari and Kenjo run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Calamari lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.