Softwr

HR · head to head

Cezanne HR vs Personio

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
Personio logo

Personio

HR

All-in-one HR software for SMEs

From
$5/employee-per-month
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.; Personio payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment
  • They diverge on capability: Cezanne HR covers Per-country configuration, Personio covers HR Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Cezanne HR and Personio differ
AttributeCezanne HRPersonio
Starting priceOn request$5/employee-per-month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: 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
  • Reporting

Only in Personio

  • HR Management
  • Recruiting
  • Payroll
  • Time Tracking
  • Performance Management
  • Offboarding
  • Slack
  • Microsoft 365

Both cover

  • Onboarding

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 Personio
  • An organisation whose data protection assessment rules out US-hosted HR systemsnot Personio
  • A mid-market employer that has outgrown a small business HR tool but will not fund an enterprise HCM programmenot Personio
  • A professional services firm that needs timesheets against projects alongside HR recordsnot Personio

Personio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Personio review.

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.

Personio

  • Payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment
  • Recruiting module lacks advanced reporting and LinkedIn integration functionality
  • Limited reporting customization requires manual exports and workarounds
  • Mobile app has reduced capabilities compared to desktop experience

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

Personio

$5/employee-per-month

No published plan breakdown. See the Personio review.

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 Personio if

  • You need hr management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want recruiting.
Personio review

Questions people ask

Is Cezanne HR or Personio better?
Neither clearly leads. Cezanne HR starts at On request and Personio at $5/employee-per-month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cezanne HR or Personio?
Cezanne HR starts at On request and Personio at $5/employee-per-month.
Does Cezanne HR or Personio run on more platforms?
Cezanne HR runs on Web, iOS, Android. Personio runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
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 Personio is typically brought in for.
What can Cezanne HR do that Personio cannot?
Cezanne HR covers Per-country configuration, Data residency choice, Absence management, Performance management. Personio covers HR Management, Recruiting, Payroll, Time Tracking. Both handle Onboarding.

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.

Personio: Does Personio offer payroll processing in my country?

Personio provides native payroll support in Germany, UK, and Ireland, with limited support in other European markets through integrations. Coverage varies by country.

Source
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.

Personio: What is Personio's pricing model?

Personio uses a per-employee-per-month (PEPM) model starting at $5-15/employee/month depending on the plan and features. There is no public pricing page, and exact pricing requires a sales consultation.

Source
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.

Personio: Can Personio integrate with other tools?

Yes. Personio provides a public API and maintains a marketplace of pre-built integrations. The Core Pro plan is required for API access and custom integrations.

Source
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Cezanne HR

More on Personio

Keep looking

Other head to heads