Softwr

HR · head to head

Homebase vs Personio

Homebase logo

Homebase

HR

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
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

  • Only Homebase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location; Personio payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Homebase and Personio actually diverge.

Attributes where Homebase and Personio differ
AttributeHomebasePersonio
Starting priceFree$5/employee-per-month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: 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 Homebase

Nothing recorded that Personio does not also cover.

Only in Personio

  • HR Management
  • Recruiting
  • Payroll
  • Time Tracking
  • Performance Management
  • Onboarding
  • Offboarding
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Homebase

  • Managing shift schedules across restaurant locationsnot Personio
  • Automating tip pool calculations and distributionnot Personio
  • Processing payroll directly from time trackingnot Personio
  • Onboarding and verifying hourly employeesnot 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.

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

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

Homebase

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Up to 10 employees per location
    • Basic scheduling
    • Time tracking
  • Essentials$24/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$56/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • AI-powered scheduling
    • PTO controls
  • All-in-One$96/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • Employee onboarding
    • Labor cost management

Personio

$5/employee-per-month

No published plan breakdown. See the Personio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.
Homebase 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 Homebase or Personio better?
Neither clearly leads. Homebase starts at Free 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, Homebase or Personio?
Homebase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Homebase and $5/employee-per-month for Personio.
Does Homebase or Personio run on more platforms?
Homebase runs on Web. Personio runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
Can I use Homebase for free?
Yes. Homebase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Personio starts at $5/employee-per-month.
What is Homebase best used for?
Homebase is most often used for managing shift schedules across restaurant locations, automating tip pool calculations and distribution, processing payroll directly from time tracking, onboarding and verifying hourly employees. Of those, managing shift schedules across restaurant locations and automating tip pool calculations and distribution are not what Personio is typically brought in for.
What can Homebase do that Personio cannot?
Personio covers HR Management, Recruiting, Payroll, Time Tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Homebase: Does Homebase offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, Homebase annual billing offers savings: Essentials saves $72/year, Plus saves $168/year, All-in-One saves $288/year compared to monthly billing.

Source
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
Homebase: Is there a free trial for Homebase?

Homebase offers a free 14-day trial of the All-in-One plan with no credit card required.

Source
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
Homebase: What does Homebase Payroll cost?

Homebase Payroll costs $39 per month base plus $6 per employee per month, with add-ons available for Tip Manager ($25/month) and Background Checks ($30 each).

Source
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
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