Cezanne HR vs Ciphr (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cezanne HR grades higher than Ciphr: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Cezanne HR grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, 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.
Cezanne HR
Modular HR system for mid-sized organisations, quoted by headcount
Paid
Ciphr
UK HR and payroll suite for organisations of 200 to 2,000 staff
From £5/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Cezanne HR if
- Fits if you want records, absence, performance and payroll under one UK-run supplier
- Works for firms that want to add modules over time
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price first, as none is published
- Watch out: a minimum monthly fee applies and the page does not say what it is
- Pricey if your headcount swings, since the bill follows last month's average headcount
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Pick Ciphr if
- Fits if you are a UK organisation of 200 or more that wants HR and payroll together
- Works for HR teams that also want learning and benefits in the same suite
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have a small team, as it is built for 200 or more
- Tight if you can't commit: the £5 figure assumes a three-year minimum term
- Skip it if you are outside the UK, as it is built for UK compliance
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPACezanne HRFair | 1.8GPACiphrWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, so the figure is unknown until you ask. The fee changes monthly with modules and headcount, and there is an unstated minimum. | CFrom £5 per employee a month, about $6.50, but only for 125 employees on a three-year minimum term. No plan prices are published. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. |
| Features | BCore people records, recruitment and onboarding, absence and time, performance and payroll. The listing names no gap in the core HR work. | BCentral HR, UK payroll, recruitment, learning, benefits and analytics. The listing names no gap in the core HR work. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A full HR system with several modules means setup before staff use it. | CNo store rating on record. A suite this size is bought by quote and set up with implementation scoped inside it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, in several languages. No integrations list on record. | CWeb only, with no integrations list or apps on record. |
| Best for | UK mid-sized firms wanting one HR system | UK organisations of 200 or more staff |
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: Cezanne HR and Ciphr. How we grade
Where they differ
- Cezanne HR also covers time tracking and surveys.
- Ciphr also covers reports.
In commonWebPayrollApplicant trackingEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| Cezanne HR | Ciphr | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | £5 per employee / month and up (125 employees, three-year term) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Cezanne HR | Ciphr |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | ciphr.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cezanne HR
- No prices are published; every quote is tailored to modules and headcount.
- The pricing page says the service is subject to a minimum monthly fee but does not give it.
- The fee adjusts monthly to the modules taken and the previous month's average headcount.
- Support is run from the UK; check the pricing page for what the subscription includes.
Ciphr
- No plan prices are published; the vendor quotes by modules, headcount and support level.
- The 'from £5' figure assumes 125 employees on a three-year minimum term.
- It is built for UK compliance and for organisations of 200 or more staff, so small teams are outside its stated range.
- Implementation is scoped inside the quote, so setup is not a separate published price.
Key features
Cezanne HR
- Core people management
- A central employee database with self-service, unlimited HR data and document storage, and an open API with exports.
- Recruitment and onboarding
- A recruitment module for attracting, managing and hiring candidates, plus onboarding for new starters.
- Absence and time tracking
- Absence management and time tracking modules, with expense management listed in the same solution set.
- Performance and development
- Performance management, pulse surveys, compensation planning, a learning management system and career and succession planning.
- Payroll
- A managed payroll service and an in-house payroll option are both listed among the solutions.
- Mobile apps and languages
- Free mobile apps for Android and iOS, and several interface languages including Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Ciphr
- Central HR
- Cloud HR with absence, performance, documents, employee self-service and reporting, plus an AI assistant.
- UK payroll
- Payroll built around HMRC rules, including RTI and auto-enrolment, with UK-based expert support.
- Recruitment
- Hiring from vacancy to offer, connected to Ciphr HR so a new hire flows into onboarding without re-keying.
- Learning management
- An LMS and eLearning courses, off the shelf or bespoke, that update the learner's record on completion.
- Benefits platform
- An employee benefits platform that shows take-home pay impact and connects to payroll.
- HR analytics
- Dashboards and reports across HR, payroll, learning and recruitment data.
Plans
Cezanne HR
Pricing could not be confirmed. See cezannehr.com.
Ciphr
Quote-based suite£5
per employee / month and up, three-year term
Standard HR software for 125 employees on a three-year minimum term. Final price depends on modules, headcount and support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cezanne HR or Ciphr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Cezanne HR has no price we could confirm, and Ciphr starts at £5 per employee / month and up (125 employees, three-year term).
Which has a free plan, Cezanne HR or Ciphr?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Cezanne HR nor Ciphr has a free plan.
Which platforms do Cezanne HR and Ciphr run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Cezanne HR 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.