The Collage Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Collage in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Collage
The Insider’s Guide
Canadian HR and payroll software with a built-in HR advice line
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from Collage’s own pages.
Made by Collage · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Collage’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Collage’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade
Collage is an HR platform sold to Canadian businesses, combining an employee database, time off, timesheets, recruiting and performance reviews. A higher tier adds payroll with CRA remittances, and access to HR advisers comes with both. Prices are per employee per month in Canadian dollars.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Collage, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C.
- 1
Best for Canadian HR and payroll
Prices are in Canadian dollars, with no free plan or trial, only a free demo.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at CA$14 per employee / month.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Employee records and onboarding
Stores employment history and documents with e-signatures, and runs onboarding and offboarding task lists.
- 5
Time off and timesheets
Custom leave policies, approvals and balances, with timesheets and geofenced clock-in that feed payroll.
- 6
Recruiting
An applicant tracking system with a job board, a resume screener and offer letters.
- 7
A 1.8 GPA, above 22 of 101
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Collage you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Collage at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from CA$14 per employee / month
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Collage
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for Canadian HR and payroll
Collage is Canadian HR and payroll software, CA$14 an employee a month for HR Premium and CA$18 with payroll, with an HR advice line built in. Prices are in Canadian dollars, with no free plan or trial, only a free demo.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | CA$14 an employee a month, about US$10, which sits in the dearer quarter of this category, so C. Payroll takes CA$18. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial is listed. It offers a free demo only. |
| Features | C | HR records and Canadian payroll, but the listing says payroll is on the higher tier and the pages are built around CRA remittances and T4s. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with six listed integrations. No mobile or desktop app named. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Collage is for
- Fits if you run a Canadian company and want HR and payroll in one
- Works for small teams that want an HR advice line
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you're outside Canada, as it's built around CRA remittances and T4s
- Pricey if you want payroll, which needs the CA$18 tier
- Watch out: the page doesn't say if the per-employee price is monthly or yearly
- Watch out: no free plan or trial
Good to know
Good for
- Canadian employers that want HR and payroll under one login
- Small teams without an in-house HR specialist
- Companies that want to keep their own payroll or benefits provider and connect it
Worth knowing
- Built for Canada: the pricing page lists CRA remittances and T4s, and prices are in Canadian dollars.
- The page does not state a free plan or a free trial; it offers a free demo.
- Payroll is only on the higher HR and Payroll tier.
- The pricing page does not say whether per-employee prices are for monthly or yearly billing.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$14/mo
To start
Collage is a paid product, starting at CA$14 per employee / month.
HR Premium
CA$14
per employee / month
Onboarding, employee records, training, engagement surveys, HR analytics, time off, AI recruiting, time tracking, clock-in, performance reviews and expert HR advice.
HR and Payroll
CA$18
per employee / month
Everything in HR Premium plus payroll, CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s, and expense management.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom packages and pricing, quoted on request.
Read from collage.co on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Other savings
10% off to switch or buy Canadian
The pricing page mentions a 10% discount for businesses that switch or buy Canadian, and says volume and nonprofit discounts are available.
Stated on collage.co
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Canadian HR and payroll software with a built-in HR advice line. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, expense tracking, payroll, time clock, applicant tracking, employee records, time off.
- Employee records and onboarding
- Stores employment history and documents with e-signatures, and runs onboarding and offboarding task lists.
- Time off and timesheets
- Custom leave policies, approvals and balances, with timesheets and geofenced clock-in that feed payroll.
- Recruiting
- An applicant tracking system with a job board, a resume screener and offer letters.
- Payroll
- On the HR and Payroll tier, payroll runs with CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s.
- HR on Call
- Phone and email access to HR advisers, plus a library of 100+ policy and document templates.
- Performance and surveys
- Review templates, manager and self reviews, engagement surveys and HR analytics.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Slack
- Google Calendar
- Outlook Calendar
- Indeed
- Greenhouse
- JazzHR
Collage is made by Collage.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
22/101
Other HR software it is graded above
Collage's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 33.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 34 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. Collage’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 101
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 101
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 34 of 101
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Collage you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 46 of the 101 other HR software grade higher.
What you could make
- Employee records, time off, applicant tracking, expense tracking and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- It plugs into other products, Slack, Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar among them.
What this rests on. Collage’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
BambooHR, BrightHR, Zoho People, CharlieHR and Factorial
The 5 tools Collage is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
BambooHR
Free trial · from $250/mo
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on.
- Only BambooHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- Collage also covers expense tracking and time clock.
- 2.0GPA
BrightHR
From £16.67/mo
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines.
- Only BrightHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- Collage also covers expense tracking and applicant tracking.
- BrightHR also covers shift scheduling.
- 2.4GPA
Zoho People
Free plan · from $3/mo
Low-cost HR records, attendance, shifts and reviews from Zoho.
- Zoho People has a free plan. Collage does not.
- Only Zoho People lists iOS and Android apps.
- Collage also covers expense tracking, payroll and applicant tracking.
- 2.4GPA
CharlieHR
Free trial · from £21/mo
HR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket.
- Collage also covers reports, expense tracking, payroll and time clock.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
- 2.0GPA
Factorial
From $8/mo
HR, time, shifts, expenses and IT for small firms, quoted by module.
- Only Factorial lists iOS and Android apps.
- Collage also covers reports, payroll and time clock.
- Factorial also covers time tracking and shift scheduling.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Collage free?
No. Collage is a paid product, starting at CA$14 per employee / month.
How much does Collage cost?
Collage lists 3 plans. HR Premium: CA$14 per employee / month.
What platforms does Collage work on?
Collage is available on Web.
Does Collage offer any discounts?
Collage publicly lists the following: 10% off to switch or buy Canadian.
Does Collage have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Collage is listed for Web.
Does Collage have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Collage is listed for Web.
Is Collage open source?
Collage is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Collage integrate with?
Collage's listing names Slack, Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Indeed, Greenhouse and JazzHR.
Who makes Collage?
Collage is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Collage?
The closest alternatives to Collage in our directory are BambooHR, BrightHR, Zoho People, CharlieHR and Factorial.
How does Collage compare with other HR software?
Collage's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 22 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 33.
Could I make my own version of Collage?
To replace Collage you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Collage’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Collage's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Collage. Prices change, so check collage.co before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Collage, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/collage
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Collage: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/collage
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/collage/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after Collage, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- Buk Insider's GuideLatin American HR and payroll suite with a free tier for 20 people2.6 GPA
- Leave Dates Insider's GuideAnnual leave planner and absence tracker for small teams2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Collage’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Collage is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Collage. Prices and plans change: check collage.co before you buy.