Papershift vs Planerio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Papershift grades higher than Planerio: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Papershift grades higher on the free plan. Planerio grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Papershift
German shift planning, time tracking and absence software
Which one is for you
Pick Papershift if
- Fits if you run a small team in Germany and want shifts, absences and time tracking together
- Works for a business that can read the German pricing page and pay in euros
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are very small, as every booking adds a EUR 39 monthly base fee
- Skip it if you want shift planning on the cheapest plan, as Core is time tracking and absences only
- Watch out: prices are in euros and exclude VAT, and the page is in German
- Watch out: higher support levels than Basic are sold separately
Pick Planerio if
- Fits if you run a German team and need time recording that follows German and EU law
- Works for care and shift businesses that use DATEV or Personio
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't read German, since the site and product are in German
- Not for you if you want a price, as none is published
- Watch out: it claims over 100 interfaces, and which come with each contract isn't shown
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPapershiftFair | 2.0GPAPlanerioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEUR 3.60 a person a month on yearly billing, excluding VAT, plus a EUR 39 base fee. Shift planning starts at Premium, EUR 5.40. For five people that is well above the category middle. | CNo price on the site: it points to demos and a webinar. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day test account with all features after booking. The page does not say whether a card is needed. There is no free plan. | FNothing free is listed: no free plan and no trial on the pages we read. |
| Features | CShift planning, automatic assignment, time tracking, absences and payroll prep. The cheapest plan, Core, has no shift planning, so the listing shows a gap. | BAutomatic rota planning, absence management, an app, time recording, payroll prep and digital personnel files. No gap in the listing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Accounts, rules and staff have to be set up first. | CNo store rating on record. It is a demo-led product in German, with time rules to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with five integrations listed. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with DATEV, SAP, Personio, Sage and Doctolib on the listing. No desktop app. |
| Best for | German shift and absence planning | German care and shift teams |
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: Papershift and Planerio. How we grade
Where they differ
- Planerio also covers reports.
At a glance
| Papershift | Planerio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | €3.60 per employee / month, billed yearly (€4 monthly), plus €39 base | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free test account after booking, all features | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Papershift | Planerio GmbH |
| Price read from | papershift.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Papershift
- Prices are in euros, exclude VAT, and the page is in German; the shown totals assume 16 employees.
- Shift planning starts at Premium; Core is time tracking and absences only.
- Every booking carries a €39 monthly base fee that includes Basic support; higher support levels are sold separately.
- For teams of up to 15 there is a separate Papershift Light, and larger companies get an individual Enterprise quote.
Planerio
- No prices are published; the site points to demos and a webinar instead.
- The site and product are in German, and the time recording rules follow German and EU law.
- Planerio says it has over 100 interfaces; which ones are included in each contract is not shown.
Key features
Papershift
- Shift planning
- Schedules are built visually and shared online, with multi-location planning, work-time models and break rules in the Premium and Professional packages.
- Automatic shift assignment
- Premium assigns shifts automatically by rules; Professional lists fully automatic filling of the schedule.
- Time tracking
- Staff clock in via smartphone, tablet or browser, with automatic break rules set per employee.
- Absence management
- Absence requests and employee-specific target hours are in every package; Professional adds blackout periods and employee-specific holidays.
- Payroll preparation
- Professional calculates hours and surcharges (night, Sunday, holiday) and exports to DATEV and LODAS for the tax advisor.
- HR records
- Employee profiles with master data, uploaded contracts and documents, tags and qualifications, and EU-hosted storage described as GDPR-compliant.
Planerio
- Automatic rota planning
- An algorithm builds a duty roster from the rules and wishes entered, which the vendor says saves up to 90% of planning time.
- Absence management
- Handles short-notice absences and freed-up shifts, including across locations.
- Employee app
- Staff see the current roster and time sheets on iOS and Android; the vendor describes the app as free.
- Time recording
- Working time is recorded in line with the German Working Time Act and the EU court ruling on time recording, and visible to staff.
- Payroll preparation and analytics
- Payroll data is prepared for the month-end close, with reports and visualizations of staffing data.
- Digital personnel file
- HR documents are stored in each employee profile and can be shared with the team.
Plans
Papershift
Core€3.60
per employee / month, billed yearly (€4 monthly), plus €39 base
Digital time tracking, absence management, employee profiles and documents, no shift planning. The page shows €57.60 a month for 16 employees.
Premium€5.40
per employee / month, billed yearly (€6 monthly), plus €39 base
Adds digital shift planning, rule-based automatic shift assignment, work-time models and multi-location planning. €86.40 a month for 16 employees.
Professional€8.10
per employee / month, billed yearly (€9 monthly), plus €39 base
Adds full automation, absence blackout periods, surcharges, DATEV and LODAS export and reports. €129.60 a month for 16 employees.
Planerio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See planerio.de.
Ways to pay less
Papershift
- Annual discount
10% off with yearly payment
The pricing page says paying yearly saves 10% against monthly payment, on a one-year subscription.
Planerio
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Papershift or Planerio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Papershift starts at €3.60 per employee / month, billed yearly (€4 monthly), plus €39 base, and Planerio has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Papershift or Planerio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Papershift nor Planerio has a free plan. Papershift has a free trial.
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.