HR WORKS vs Personio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HR WORKS grades higher than Personio: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HR WORKS grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick HR WORKS if
- Fits if you're a German firm whose tax adviser uses DATEV or ADDISON
- Works for companies of 20 or more that want expenses and time in one system
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have fewer than 20 staff, since 20 users are billed
- Not for you if you want a full payroll run in the system
- Watch out: the site and /en address are mainly in German
- Watch out: no price is published, only a request form
Pick Personio if
- Fits if you're a European company that wants HR, payroll and hiring together
- Works for teams that already use a separate shift planner
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to sales
- Not for you if you want to plan shifts inside your HR tool, as that needs a partner app
- Tight if managers mostly work from their phones, as setup and most workflows need the web
- Watch out: the pages we read don't list the countries where its payroll works
- Watch out: the listing shows no performance reviews or onboarding, so ask before you buy
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAHR WORKSFair | 1.8GPAPersonioWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, and a 20-user minimum is billed on the month-end count. | CWe couldn't read a price: Personio's pages turned our reader away, so plans and prices aren't on record and we can't say what a ten-person company pays. With no figure to compare, it's a C. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free trial can be requested through a form, but its length isn't stated and there's no free plan. | FNo free plan or trial on record. Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm. |
| Features | CTime tracking, expenses, personnel records, recruiting and development. Payroll is preparatory, handed to DATEV or ADDISON. | CRecords and documents, time off, working hours, an approvals inbox, recruiting and payroll, with an API and webhooks. The basics are there, but the listing shows no reviews or onboarding, and shifts need a partner app. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A request and rollout come first, and the interface is mainly German. | CNo App Store rating on record. The app covers absences, hours, approvals and documents, and everything else, setup included, happens on the web. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with DATEV and ADDISON links. No phone or desktop app is listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. |
| Best for | HR and expenses for German firms | European firms wanting HR and payroll together |
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: HR WORKS and Personio. How we grade
Where they differ
- HR WORKS also covers expense tracking and payroll.
In commonWebPublic APITime trackingApplicant trackingEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| HR WORKS | Personio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | A free trial can be requested through a Kostenlos testen form; its length is not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | HRworks GmbH | Personio SE & Co. KG |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
HR WORKS
- No prices are published: the pricing page asks you to request an offer.
- Billing is per user per month, with at least 20 users charged and the count taken on the last day of each month, according to its FAQ.
- Payroll is preparatory, not a full payroll run: the tax adviser completes it through DATEV or ADDISON.
- The site is mainly in German; the /en address redirects to a German page, and a customer quote on the pricing page mentions a German and English interface.
Personio
- Prices could not be confirmed: personio.com and its help center answered with a bot check, so plans, prices and any trial are not recorded.
- It presents itself as built for Europe; the pages read do not list the countries where its payroll works.
- The mobile app covers absences, time, approvals and documents; other workflows and set-up need the web app.
- Shift planning comes through partner apps that sync with Personio, where shifts are created and changed.
Key features
HR WORKS
- Time tracking
- Employees record working time, project time and absences, with a team overview showing who is in the office or working from home.
- Travel and expense claims
- Automates travel expense reports and other expense types, including flat-rate allowance calculations.
- Personnel administration
- Digital personnel file with task reminders, employee self-service for master data, a job portal, applicant management and onboarding.
- Payroll preparation
- You do the preparatory payroll work and your tax adviser processes the rest through interfaces to DATEV and ADDISON.
- Personnel development
- A module for tracking skills and keeping employees, listed alongside the other functions.
- AI assistance
- AI-assisted entry in time tracking and expense claims, such as requesting leave by typing a sentence.
Personio
- Employee records and documents
- One place for employee data and HR documents, which staff can open, download or share from the mobile app.
- Absences and time off
- Employees request time off and see their balance, and can check upcoming absences and team availability where the company allows it.
- Working-time tracking
- Staff record and review their hours on the web or phone, and approved times from partner apps can be sent back into Personio.
- Inbox for approvals
- Managers see open requests and tasks in one inbox and approve or decline them, including from the mobile app.
- Recruiting
- Applicants can be passed into Personio's recruiting module through its Recruiting API, alongside core HR and payroll.
- API, webhooks and marketplace
- Custom integrations read employees, attendance, absences and documents through the API, and webhooks push changes in real time.
Plans
HR WORKS
Pricing could not be confirmed. See hrworks.de.
Personio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See personio.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, HR WORKS or Personio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HR WORKS has no price we could confirm, and Personio has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, HR WORKS or Personio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither HR WORKS nor Personio has a free plan. HR WORKS has a free trial.
Which platforms do HR WORKS and Personio run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Personio 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.