PayrollHero vs Talenox (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Talenox grades higher than PayrollHero: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Talenox grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PayrollHero
Time clock, scheduling and HR records, with payroll in two countries
Talenox
Multi-country HR, payroll, leave and claims for small teams
Which one is for you
Pick PayrollHero if
- Fits if you need staff to clock in from a phone and manage shifts
- Works for firms in the Philippines or Singapore that want payroll too
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need payroll elsewhere: it is offered only in the Philippines and Singapore
- Watch out: the pricing page says month to month, but the FAQ states a one-year contract billed ahead
- Pricey if you add payroll and leave: $3.50 plus $3 plus $2, so $8.50 a person
- Watch out: payment is by PayPal or HSBC Singapore wire, per the FAQ
Pick Talenox if
- Fits if you run a team in Singapore, Malaysia or Hong Kong and want payroll cheap
- Works for businesses of 5 to 50 who want payroll, leave and claims together
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are outside its localised countries: it is a manual, basic system there
- Tight if you pay monthly: $10 for 5 people and $2 each, double the annual price
- Skip it if you have over 50 staff: you are sent to a custom-priced Pro plan
- Watch out: Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong each have separate local-currency plans
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPayrollHeroFair | 2.6GPATalenoxGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$3.50 an employee a month, or $6.50 with payroll, so about $32 a month for five people, between the category's $20 and $49 marks. | A$5 a month for 5 employees, then $1 each, billed annually, so about $1 a head. Monthly billing doubles it. |
| Free plan and trial | C30 days free, and the card terms are not stated. No free plan. | C30-day trial of the Suite plan. No free plan, and the card terms are not stated. |
| Features | CSelfie clock-in, scheduling, attendance and an HR directory. Payroll is a paid add-on for two countries only. | CPayroll, leave, claims and employee profiles. The site says it is localised for selected countries and basic elsewhere. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up worksites, schedules and thresholds, so it is a C. | CNo store rating on record. You enter pay items and employees and connect Xero or QuickBooks, so it is a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. No integrations are listed, and the iPhone and iPad apps need a paid account. | BWeb only, but with Xero, QuickBooks Online and Google Calendar listed. |
| Best for | time clocking, with payroll in two countries | cheap payroll for small teams in Asia |
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: PayrollHero and Talenox. How we grade
Price against what you get
PayrollHero starts at $3.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Talenox starts at $0.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Talenox starts $3.42 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than PayrollHero for less, and none scores higher than Talenox 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
- PayrollHero also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
- Talenox also covers reports and expense tracking.
At a glance
| PayrollHero | Talenox | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $3.50 per employee / month | $5 per month for 5 employees, then $1 each, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30 days free, then month to month, per the pricing page | 30-day free trial of the Suite plan |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Red Cape HR Software Corp. | Talenox |
| Price read from | payrollhero.com | talenox.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PayrollHero
- Payroll is offered only in the Philippines and Singapore; elsewhere it is time and attendance only.
- The pricing page says month to month, but the FAQ states a one-year initial contract billed a year ahead.
- Prices are shown in dollars without naming a currency or country; the FAQ takes payment by PayPal or HSBC Singapore wire.
- The home page says the iPhone and iPad apps work only with paid PayrollHero accounts.
Talenox
- Prices are listed in US dollars; Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong each have separate local-currency plans.
- The site says it is localized for selected countries only and works as a manual, basic HR system elsewhere.
- Teams above 50 employees are pointed to the custom-priced Pro plan.
- Annual billing is half the monthly price on the pricing page.
Key features
PayrollHero
- Selfie clock-in
- Employees clock in and out with a photo, and facial recognition and geolocation are used to confirm the right person is at the right worksite.
- Scheduling and attendance
- Build schedules, set thresholds, resolve attendance exceptions and export attendance data.
- Payroll add-on
- For companies in the Philippines or Singapore, PayrollHero can act as the payroll provider; employees see paystubs on a personal dashboard.
- HR information system
- Employee records, an organizational chart and a place to request and store documents such as contracts and government ID.
- Leave management
- A separate add-on for leave requests and tracking.
- Analytics
- Business intelligence and attendance reports, which companies outside the payroll markets can use with another payroll provider.
Talenox
- Payroll processing
- Single or multiple pay runs a month, with pay items adjustable to each country's requirements and payslips that employees can view online.
- Payroll reports and exports
- Management payroll, variance and pay-item reports, plus bank file exports and payroll entries pushed to Xero or QuickBooks Online.
- Leave management
- Pre-loaded statutory leave types, custom leave types, different policies per employee group and a calendar view.
- Expense claims
- Employees submit receipts for approval, and approved claims sync into payroll.
- Employee profiles
- Employee and company records with job history, salary details, custom fields and cost centers, across multiple entities.
Plans
PayrollHero
Full edition$3.50
per employee / month
HRIS, timekeeping, attendance and scheduling. Payroll and Leave Management are priced as add-ons.
Payroll add-on$3.00
per employee / month
Adds payroll to the Full edition; the vendor says it provides payroll in the Philippines and Singapore only.
Leave Management add-on$2.00
per employee / month
Adds leave management to the Full edition.
Talenox
Payroll$5
per month for 5 employees, then $1 each, annual
Payroll with country-specific pay items, custom payslips and reports, and Xero or QuickBooks Online entries. Monthly billing: $10 base, $2 per extra employee.
Leave$5
per month for 5 employees, then $1 each, annual
Leave requests and approvals with custom types, per-group policies and several approvers. Monthly billing: $10 base, $2 per extra employee.
Suite$15
per month for 5 employees, then $3 each, annual
Payroll, Leave and Claims together, with unpaid leave and claims syncing into payroll. Monthly billing: $30 base, $6 per extra employee.
ProCustom
For teams of 50 to 1,000 or more people that want more customizable, enterprise-grade HR and payroll; sold through a demo.
Ways to pay less
PayrollHero
No public discounts listed.
Talenox
- Annual discount
50% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows annual billing at half the monthly price, for example Payroll at US$1 per employee per month against US$2 billed monthly.
- Startups
Startup pricing for 1 to 5 employees
The pricing page says affordable options exist for new businesses with 1 to 5 employees, subject to eligibility, and asks you to contact sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PayrollHero or Talenox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PayrollHero starts at $3.50 per employee / month, and Talenox starts at $5 per month for 5 employees, then $1 each, billed annually. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, PayrollHero or Talenox?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither PayrollHero nor Talenox has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do PayrollHero and Talenox run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only PayrollHero lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.