Personio vs Workmotion (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Personio grades higher than Workmotion: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Personio 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.
Workmotion
Employer of record, direct hiring and contractor management
From $31/mo
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 Workmotion if
- Fits if you hire full-time staff abroad and want one provider to employ them
- Works for companies that pay contractors in many countries
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you hire one or two people, as $549 a person a month is a starting rate
- Skip it if you want to try first, because there is no free plan or trial
- Not for you if you want a self-serve sign-up, as every plan routes to sales
- Watch out: its AI candidate matching takes 10% of gross annual starting salary unless the hire goes through its employer-of-record or direct hiring
- Watch out: hiring in Switzerland is on a separate site
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPersonioWeak | 1.6GPAWorkmotionWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$549 a person a month for employer of record, $429 for direct hiring and $31 a contractor, all above the category's $86 dearest-tenth line. It is a different service, but it costs more than its listed rival RemoFirst at $199. |
| 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 record in the listing, and a money-back guarantee would not count as one. |
| 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. | CEmployer of record, direct hiring, contractor management and payroll in 160+ countries. Switzerland is handled on a separate site. |
| 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. Hiring abroad means contracts and onboarding in each country. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with BambooHR, HiBob, Personio and Workday listed. |
| Best for | European firms wanting HR and payroll together | hiring abroad through an employer of record |
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 Workmotion. How we grade
Where they differ
- Personio also covers time tracking and applicant tracking.
- Workmotion also covers expense tracking and payroll.
In commonWebEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| Personio | Workmotion | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $31 per contractor / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Personio SE & Co. KG | WorkMotion |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | workmotion.com |
| 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.
Workmotion
- Every plan routes to Talk To Sales; the listed figures are starting prices per person.
- Synmatch AI is free only when the hire goes through Workmotion's EOR or Direct Hiring; otherwise it takes a 10% commission on gross annual starting salary.
- Hiring in Switzerland is handled on a separate site, WorkMotion Switzerland.
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.
Workmotion
- Employer of record
- Hires people in 160+ countries through Workmotion's subsidiary network, with contract negotiation, payroll and benefits handled for the employer.
- Direct hiring
- Helps a company register as an employer in another country, with legal and HR guidance and custom benefits, for a longer-term presence.
- Contractor management
- Manages international contractors and freelancers, their invoices and projects, and pays them in 160+ countries.
- Payroll and expenses
- Payroll management and expense management are part of the platform, which also covers onboarding and offboarding.
- AI-sourced candidates
- Synmatch AI supplies pre-screened candidates through AI interviews and identity checks, free when hired through Workmotion's EOR or Direct Hiring.
Plans
Personio
Pricing could not be confirmed. See personio.com.
Workmotion
Contractor management$31
per contractor / month, and up
Contractor invoices, projects and payments in 160+ countries, with misclassification checks.
Direct Hiring$429
per talent / month, and up
Register as an employer in another country for a longer-term presence; sold through sales.
Employer of Record$549
per talent / month, and up
Hire in 160+ countries without opening entities; the euro price is €499. Sold through sales.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Personio or Workmotion?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Personio has no price we could confirm, and Workmotion starts at $31 per contractor / month.
Which has a free plan, Personio or Workmotion?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Personio nor Workmotion has a free plan.
Which platforms do Personio and Workmotion 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.