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HR · head to head

Humaans vs SmartHR

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
SmartHR logo

SmartHR

HR

Japanese back-office cloud for labor management, payroll and talent management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; SmartHR no specific pricing published on vendor website
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Humaans and SmartHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Humaans and SmartHR differ
AttributeHumaansSmartHR

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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 Humaans

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

Only in SmartHR

Nothing recorded that Humaans does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Humaans

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

SmartHR

  • Reducing combined processing time by 88% across HR functionsnot Humaans
  • Centralizing employee information through onboarding to offboardingnot Humaans
  • Distributing payroll and salary statements via mobile appnot Humaans
  • Automating document distribution and employee communicationsnot Humaans
  • Integrating with 120+ external systems for extended functionalitynot Humaans

Where each one falls short

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

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.

SmartHR

  • No specific pricing published on vendor website
  • Requires direct quotation for customized pricing
  • Multiple plan options create complexity in pricing structure

Pricing, plan by plan

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

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Humaans if

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

Choose SmartHR if

Nothing in the data separates SmartHR from Humaans on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SmartHR review

Questions people ask

Is Humaans or SmartHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Humaans starts at On request and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Humaans or SmartHR?
Humaans starts at On request and SmartHR at On request.
Does Humaans or SmartHR run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Humaans best used for?
Humaans is most often used for a 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automatically, an operations team that will build against an api rather than wait for a vendor integration, a company replacing spreadsheets and google drive folders in weeks rather than running a six month hris project, a multi-country employer that already has payroll handled per country and needs one consolidated employee record. Of those, a 150 person technology company that wants employee data clean enough to drive access provisioning automatically and an operations team that will build against an api rather than wait for a vendor integration are not what SmartHR is typically brought in for.
What can Humaans do that SmartHR cannot?
Humaans covers Employee records, Workflows, Time off, Open API and webhooks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Humaans: Does Humaans run payroll?

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

SmartHR: How much does SmartHR cost?

SmartHR pricing is customized per organization based on features and user count. The vendor does not publish standard pricing rates. Customers must use the estimation tool or contact the vendor directly to receive a personalized quote. No additional charges are assessed beyond monthly usage fees.

Source
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.

SmartHR: What is SmartHR's free tier?

SmartHR offers a free plan (¥0プラン) for small businesses with up to 30 employees. This tier provides basic employee data management without additional charges, making it suitable for very small organizations or trials.

Source
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.

SmartHR: What are SmartHR's plan options?

SmartHR provides multiple plans including HR Strategy Plan (labor and talent management), Essential Plan (labor management focus), Talent Management Plan (employee growth focus), and a specialized plan for companies with 50 or fewer employees. Optional add-ons including payroll, attendance tracking, and recruitment are available.

Source
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.

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