Personio vs Simployer (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Personio grades higher than Simployer: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Personio 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.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Simployer if
- Fits if you employ people in the Nordics and want local law built in
- Works for HR teams that want an assistant and expert support included
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need a price before talking to anyone, as none is published
- Skip it if you are outside the Nordics: the pages are written around Nordic law
- Watch out: recruitment is an add-on and Learn is sold separately
- Not for you if you want to try it first: no free plan or trial is listed
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPersonioWeak | 1.6GPASimployerWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price is published, so there is nothing to compare with the $5 category middle. A price comes after a 30-minute call. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on record. Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm. | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read; you book a demo. |
| Features | 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. | CCore HR, an assistant, reviews, automation and expert support. Recruitment is an add-on and Learn is sold separately. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. The app covers absences, hours, approvals and documents, and everything else, setup included, happens on the web. | CNo store rating on record. It comes with an onboarding call and settings to configure, so it is a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. | CWeb only, with Microsoft Teams and Slack as the two named connections. |
| Best for | European firms wanting HR and payroll together | HR software built around Nordic law |
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: Personio and Simployer. How we grade
Where they differ
- Personio also covers time tracking and applicant tracking.
- Simployer also covers workflow automation and reports.
In commonWebEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| Personio | Simployer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Personio SE & Co. KG | Simployer |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Simployer
- No prices are published; the page offers a price after a 30-minute call.
- Recruitment is an add-on to Essential, and Learn is sold separately.
- The vendor's pages are aimed at Nordic law and the languages offered are English, Swedish and Norwegian.
Key features
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.
Simployer
- Core HR
- Documents and e-sign, time and absence, on- and offboarding, an employee directory and whistleblowing in both packages.
- Sia assistant
- An AI assistant that answers employees and managers and handles routine HR admin for the user to confirm.
- Reviews and analytics
- Reviews, competences and people analytics in both packages; goals and salary reviews are in Complete.
- Automation Studio
- Repeatable processes set up once and run automatically, built into Core HR.
- Expert support
- The Complete package adds HR and payroll experts, full handbooks, Employee Surveys and Equal Pay.
Plans
Personio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See personio.com.
Simployer
Pricing could not be confirmed. See simployer.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Personio or Simployer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Personio has no price we could confirm, and Simployer has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Personio or Simployer?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Personio nor Simployer has a free plan.
Which platforms do Personio and Simployer run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.