Lucca vs Sesame HR (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Lucca if

• Fits if you are a French firm that wants HR, payslips and expenses in modules
• Works for firms that want to start with one module and add more

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price, as none is published
• Skip it if you are outside France, as it is built around the French market
• Watch out: the AI features are an add-on, not part of the base modules
• Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed

Pick Sesame HR if

• Fits if you have to keep a record of everyone's working hours
• Works for teams on rotating shifts

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you have fewer than 15 staff, as you pay for 15 anyway or get sent to sales
• Pricey if you need the API or single sign-on, which start on Scale at $7 a head
• Pricey if you want more than the AI assistant's Start level, as Plus is $110 and Pro $225 a company a month on top
• Watch out: no integrations are on record, and there's no desktop app
• Watch out: prices exclude taxes, and Core includes one e-signature per employee a month

Lucca

• No prices are published; the site directs visitors to book a demo.
• The site is built around the French market, including payslip distribution and payroll preparation.
• The AI features are an add-on to the software, not part of the base modules.

Sesame HR

• Billing is per active employee with a 15-employee minimum; smaller companies are asked to contact sales.
• It has country sites for the US, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Spain, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal.
• The API and single sign-on come only with Scale or a custom plan; prices exclude taxes.
• The AI assistant, Sesame Intelligence, is included at its Start level; Plus ($110) and Pro ($225) cost extra per company a month, and Sesame Studio is $239 a month.

Lucca

Core HR file

Centralizes employee data and its history, and automates HR processes from contract signing to an employee's departure.

Absences and timesheets

Separate modules manage leave and sick days, and track time and overtime, with an Office module for hybrid workplaces.

Performance and recruitment

Modules for individual reviews and goals, engagement measurement, training and an applicant tracking system.

Payslips and payroll preparation

Distributes payslips online and has a Payroll Assistant for preparing payroll without re-entering data.

Expenses and payment methods

Expense control for employees, plus business accounts and payment cards built into spend management.

Lucca AI add-on

An optional add-on including Ask Lucca, a chatbot all employees can use; the company says each AI feature can be switched off.

Sesame HR

Time tracking and clock-ins

Employees clock in and out from the web or app, with overtime management and remote-work tracking, kept for legal compliance.

Time off and shifts

Holiday and leave requests with approvals, and shift planning for teams on rotas, included from the cheapest plan.

Core HR

Every plan has a 3 GB document manager, org chart and directory, onboarding and offboarding, contract management, team chat and desk booking.

Digital signature

Core includes one signature per employee a month for contracts and documents.

Recruitment, surveys and performance

Higher plans add a recruiting pipeline, internal communication, employee surveys and performance reviews.

Payroll data and Sesame AI

Gathers absences, advances and incentives for payroll and sends payslips to the app; Enterprise tiers add AI, automations and advanced permissions.

Lucca

Pricing could not be confirmed. See lucca-software.com.

Sesame HR

• Essential$3.75

  per employee / month, billed annually ($4.25 billed monthly)

  Core plus time tracking, time off and holidays, and shifts. Minimum 15 employees ($56.25 a month).

• Connect$4.25

  per employee / month, billed annually ($5.00 billed monthly)

  Essential plus tasks, recruitment and internal communication. Minimum $63.75 a month.

• Growth$5.25

  per employee / month, billed annually ($5.75 billed monthly)

  Enterprise tiers of Core, time tracking and time off, plus culture and performance modules. Minimum $78.75 a month.

• Scale$7.00

  per employee / month, billed annually ($8.00 billed monthly)

  Growth with Enterprise internal communication and performance, single sign-on and the API. Minimum $105 a month.

• Custom planCustom

  Pick the modules and add-ons you need with an adviser, and pay only for those.

Lucca

No public discounts listed.

Sesame HR

• Annual discount

  Lower per-employee price with annual billing

  The page labels annual billing as saving 20%; the gap varies by plan, from $3.75 against $4.25 on Essential to $7.00 against $8.00 on Scale.