Softwr

HR · head to head

Cezanne HR vs Humaans

Cezanne HR logo

Cezanne HR

HR

Mid-market HR system for UK and multi-country European employers, with per-country configuration and EU or UK data hosting

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Humaans logo

Humaans

HR

API-first HRIS for fast-growing companies that treat employee data as a system of record other tools read from

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cezanne HR there is no payroll calculation, so every country needs its own payroll provider and an export that someone maintains when statutory formats change.; Humaans there is no payroll engine anywhere in the product, so every country you employ in still needs its own payroll vendor and a synchronisation that someone owns when it breaks.
  • They diverge on capability: Cezanne HR covers Per-country configuration, Humaans covers Employee records.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cezanne HR and Humaans actually diverge.

Attributes where Cezanne HR and Humaans differ
AttributeCezanne HRHumaans
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cezanne HR

  • Per-country configuration
  • Data residency choice
  • Absence management
  • Performance management
  • Career and succession
  • Timesheets

Only in Humaans

  • Employee records
  • Workflows
  • Time off
  • Open API and webhooks
  • App directory
  • Self service

Both cover

  • Onboarding
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cezanne HR

  • A UK company with subsidiaries in France, Germany and Spain that needs different absence rules under one systemnot Humaans
  • An organisation whose data protection assessment rules out US-hosted HR systemsnot Humaans
  • A mid-market employer that has outgrown a small business HR tool but will not fund an enterprise HCM programmenot Humaans
  • A professional services firm that needs timesheets against projects alongside HR recordsnot Humaans

Humaans

  • A 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automaticallynot Cezanne HR
  • An operations team that will build against an API rather than wait for a vendor integrationnot Cezanne HR
  • A company replacing spreadsheets and Google Drive folders in weeks rather than running a six month HRIS projectnot Cezanne HR
  • A multi-country employer that already has payroll handled per country and needs one consolidated employee recordnot Cezanne HR

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cezanne HR

  • There is no payroll calculation, so every country needs its own payroll provider and an export that someone maintains when statutory formats change.
  • Modules are licensed separately, so the quoted per employee price for core HR rises considerably once performance, recruitment and onboarding are added.
  • The interface is functional rather than modern, and organisations that expect employees to adopt it enthusiastically without prompting are usually disappointed.
  • The report builder is capable but has a genuine learning curve, and most customers end up with one or two people who can write reports rather than self-service across the business.
  • The mobile app covers common employee tasks but not administrative work, so HR staff are tied to a desktop for anything beyond approvals.

Humaans

  • There is no payroll engine anywhere in the product, so every country you employ in still needs its own payroll vendor and a synchronisation that someone owns when it breaks.
  • Applicant tracking, learning and benefits administration are absent, meaning a company wanting a single supplier will buy three or four contracts to match what a suite sells as one.
  • Acquisition by Employment Hero in 2024 puts an independent, integration-first product inside a vendor that sells a bundled employment platform, and buyers should ask directly how long the standalone product will be sold on its own terms.
  • Per employee per month pricing with tiered features means the cost rises with headcount growth at exactly the point a scale-up is least willing to renegotiate, and useful features such as workflows sit above the entry tier.
  • Country-specific compliance depth is limited, so statutory leave rules, local document requirements and reporting obligations often need configuring by hand rather than arriving as a maintained country pack.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cezanne HR

On request
  • Cezanne HR$undefined/year
    • Priced per employee per month on annual terms with volume banding
    • Core people management included
    • Performance, recruitment, onboarding and timesheets licensed as modules

Humaans

On request
  • Humaans$undefined/year
    • Priced per employee per month with tiered feature sets
    • Employee records, time off and documents
    • Workflows and reporting on higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Cezanne HR if

  • You need per-country configuration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want data residency choice.
Cezanne HR review

Choose Humaans if

  • You need employee records.
  • You also want workflows.
Humaans review

Questions people ask

Is Cezanne HR or Humaans better?
Neither clearly leads. Cezanne HR starts at On request and Humaans at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cezanne HR or Humaans?
Cezanne HR starts at On request and Humaans at On request.
Does Cezanne HR or Humaans run on more platforms?
Cezanne HR runs on Web, iOS, Android. Humaans runs on Web.
What is Cezanne HR best used for?
Cezanne HR is most often used for a uk company with subsidiaries in france, germany and spain that needs different absence rules under one system, an organisation whose data protection assessment rules out us-hosted hr systems, a mid-market employer that has outgrown a small business hr tool but will not fund an enterprise hcm programme, a professional services firm that needs timesheets against projects alongside hr records. Of those, a uk company with subsidiaries in france, germany and spain that needs different absence rules under one system and an organisation whose data protection assessment rules out us-hosted hr systems are not what Humaans is typically brought in for.
What can Cezanne HR do that Humaans cannot?
Cezanne HR covers Per-country configuration, Data residency choice, Absence management, Performance management. Humaans covers Employee records, Workflows, Time off, Open API and webhooks. Both handle Onboarding, Reporting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cezanne HR: Does Cezanne HR run payroll?

No. It holds the HR record and exports to payroll providers in each country. Payroll remains a separate contract.

Humaans: Does Humaans run payroll?

No. It holds the employee record and pushes data to payroll providers. You buy payroll separately in each country.

Cezanne HR: Where is our data stored?

You choose between UK and EU hosting, which is the reason many public sector, education and works-council-sensitive buyers shortlist it.

Humaans: Who owns it now?

Employment Hero acquired Humaans in 2024. It continues to be sold, but the parent company also sells a bundled employment platform.

Cezanne HR: Can it handle different rules per country?

Yes. Absence, calendars, working patterns and documents are configured per country within a single instance rather than needing separate systems.

Humaans: Is the API genuinely complete?

Yes. It is the design centre of the product rather than an afterthought, with documented REST endpoints and webhooks across the core objects.

Cezanne HR: What size organisation is it for?

Roughly 100 to 3,000 employees. Below that it is more system than needed; above it, enterprise HCM products become competitive.

Humaans: How long does implementation take?

Typically weeks. There is no configuration consultancy requirement, which is a large part of why teams choose it over a mid-market suite.

Share

Related pages

More on Cezanne HR

More on Humaans

Keep looking

Other head to heads