The Personio Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Personio 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.
Personio
The Insider’s Guide
European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from Personio’s own pages.
Made by Personio SE & Co. KG · checked Oct 18, 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 Personio’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Personio’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 0 of the 9 other HR software we grade
Personio is an HR platform that describes itself as built for Europe, covering core HR, payroll and recruiting with more than 200 integrations. Employees request time off, track working hours, approve requests and open documents in its web app and mobile apps. A public API and webhooks let partner tools, such as shift planners, sync employees, absences and attendance.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Personio, taken from its own pages and our grades.
We couldn't read its prices, plans or trial, so you'll have to ask.
- 1
Best for European firms wanting HR and payroll together
Staff handle time off and hours from the app.
- 2
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 3
Employee records and documents
One place for employee data and HR documents, which staff can open, download or share from the mobile app.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
A 1.8 GPA, above 0 of 9
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
The plain part of Personio you could make: employee records, time off, time tracking and applicant tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Personio at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Personio SE & Co. KG
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for European firms wanting HR and payroll together
Personio is HR software built for Europe, with records, time off, working hours, approvals and recruiting, plus payroll and 200+ integrations. Staff handle time off and hours from the app. We couldn't read its prices, plans or trial, so you'll have to ask.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | We 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. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan or trial on record. Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm. |
| Features | C | Records 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No App Store rating on record. The app covers absences, hours, approvals and documents, and everything else, setup included, happens on the web. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with a public API, webhooks and more than 200 integrations. No desktop app. |
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 Personio is for
- Great if you're a European company that wants HR, payroll and hiring together
- Handy when staff need to log hours and book time off from their phones
- Good for teams that already use a separate shift planner
Who it is not for
- 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
- Tight if managers mostly work from their phones, as setup needs the web
Good to know
Good for
- Companies in Europe wanting core HR, payroll and recruiting together
- HR teams that want records, absences and hours in one system
- Companies connecting a separate shift planner or payroll tool
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Personio's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
Its pages turned our reader away, so a trial may exist that we couldn't confirm.
We could not confirm Personio’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. personio.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, time tracking, applicant tracking, employee records, time off.
Records and documents, time off, working hours, an approvals inbox, recruiting and payroll, with an API and webhooks.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Personio is made by Personio SE & Co. KG.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
0/9
Other HR software it is graded above
Personio's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 9 other HR software we grade.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 0 of 9) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. Personio’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 9
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 9
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 9
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 9
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
The plain part of Personio you could make: employee records, time off, time tracking and applicant tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 2 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 9 of the 9 other HR software grade higher.
What you could make
- Employee records, time off, time tracking and applicant tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- An API that other software can build on.
What this rests on. Personio’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
HiBob, Factorial, Humaans, Breathe and BambooHR
The 5 tools Personio is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
HiBob
Paid
HR platform for mid-sized global firms, with US and UK payroll.
- Personio also covers time tracking.
- HiBob also covers reports and payroll.
- 2.0GPA
Factorial
From $8/mo
HR, time, shifts, expenses and IT for small firms, quoted by module.
- Factorial also covers expense tracking and shift scheduling.
- 2.0GPA
Humaans
Paid
HR system of record for growing companies, with AI agents, by quote.
- Only Personio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Personio also covers time tracking and applicant tracking.
- Humaans also covers workflow automation, AI agents and reports.
- 2.6GPA
Breathe
Free trial · from £24/mo
UK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person.
- Personio also covers time tracking.
- Breathe also covers reports, expense tracking, shift scheduling and time clock.
- 2.4GPA
BambooHR
Free trial · from $250/mo
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on.
- Personio also covers time tracking.
- BambooHR also covers reports and payroll.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
10
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 Personio free?
No. Personio is a paid product.
What platforms does Personio work on?
Personio is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Personio have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Personio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Personio have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Personio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Personio open source?
Personio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Personio have an API?
Yes. Personio offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes Personio?
Personio is made by Personio SE & Co. KG.
What are the alternatives to Personio?
The closest alternatives to Personio in our directory are HiBob, Factorial, Humaans, Breathe and BambooHR.
How does Personio compare with other HR software?
Personio's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 0 of the 9 other HR software we grade.
Could I make my own version of Personio?
The plain part of Personio you could make: employee records, time off, time tracking and applicant tracking.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Personio’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Personio's own pages on 18 October 2026. Its pricing page and help centre turned our reader away, so its prices, plans and any trial are not on record. 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 Personio SE & Co. KG. Prices change, so check personio.com before you buy.
- personio.com/pricing/
- apps.apple.com/us/app/personio/id1470197212
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.personio&gl=US&hl=en
- developer.personio.de/docs/getting-started-with-the-personio-api.md
- developer.personio.de/docs/key-points-for-implementing-shift-planning-integration-with-personio-hris.md
- developer.personio.de/llms.txt
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 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.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Personio, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/personio
- 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, "Personio: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/personio
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/personio/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after Personio, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- BambooHR Insider's GuideHR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on2.4 GPA
- CharlieHR Insider's GuideHR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket2.4 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 Personio’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. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Personio is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Personio SE & Co. KG. Prices and plans change: check personio.com before you buy.