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Payroll · head to head

Openwage vs SalaryFits

Openwage logo

Openwage

Payroll

UK earned wage access charging a transparent 1 percent transfer fee, free for employers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SalaryFits logo

SalaryFits

Payroll

Brazilian employee benefits and earned wage access app, owned by Serasa Experian since 2024

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SalaryFits has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Openwage it is UK-only, tied to UK payroll cycles and regulation, so it is not usable for international workforces.; SalaryFits it only operates in Brazil, tied to Brazilian payroll and labour law, so it is not an option for any multinational benefits programme outside that market.
  • They diverge on capability: Openwage covers On-demand pay, SalaryFits covers Discount club.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Openwage and SalaryFits actually diverge.

Attributes where Openwage and SalaryFits differ
AttributeOpenwageSalaryFits
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer-transfer fee, paid by the employeeFree for employers, fees apply to advances and loans
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

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 Openwage

  • On-demand pay
  • Transparent per-transfer fee
  • Payroll and T&A integration
  • No credit impact
  • Automatic payday reconciliation
  • Employer-free deployment

Only in SalaryFits

  • Discount club
  • Earned wage access
  • Payroll-deduction loans
  • Financial marketplace
  • Zero employer cost
  • Serasa credit integration

What people use each for

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

Openwage

  • A UK employer with shift or hourly staff wanting an on-demand pay benefit at no cost to the businessnot SalaryFits
  • An employee wanting to know the exact cost of an advance before requesting one, rather than an opaque feenot SalaryFits
  • A company already running standard UK payroll and time and attendance systems wanting straightforward integrationnot SalaryFits
  • An HR team comparing earned wage access providers on published unit economics rather than sales quotesnot SalaryFits

SalaryFits

  • A Brazilian employer wanting a zero-cost benefit to add discount and advance access for staffnot Openwage
  • An HR team wanting earned wage access without building payroll advance infrastructure in housenot Openwage
  • A company wanting to offer payroll-deduction credit access underwritten with bureau-grade datanot Openwage
  • An employer consolidating several point benefits into one branded app for staffnot Openwage

Where each one falls short

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

Openwage

  • It is UK-only, tied to UK payroll cycles and regulation, so it is not usable for international workforces.
  • Even a published, low fee still means employees effectively pay to access their own earned money, and frequent use compounds that cost over a year.
  • The 50% cap on gross (not net) earned pay can overstate what an employee can actually draw once tax and deductions are accounted for, creating confusion at the point of request.
  • As with all earned wage access, dependency on the product is a symptom of insufficient pay cadence or amount that the advance itself does not fix, and can mask a deeper compensation problem an employer should address directly.
  • Accuracy is entirely dependent on the employer's payroll and time and attendance data being current, so errors upstream produce incorrect available-balance figures for employees.

SalaryFits

  • It only operates in Brazil, tied to Brazilian payroll and labour law, so it is not an option for any multinational benefits programme outside that market.
  • Ownership by Serasa Experian, a credit bureau, puts consumer credit data and workplace financial wellness in the hands of the same company, which some employees and employers may view as a conflict of interest.
  • Salary advances and payroll loans carry real fees and interest even though the base app is free to the employer, so the actual cost to employees is not zero despite the marketing framing.
  • As with any earned wage access product, heavy reliance on advances can mask underlying pay adequacy problems rather than solve them, and repeated use signals financial distress that a purely additive benefit narrative does not capture.
  • Independent, English-language documentation and support are thin, since the product and its support model are built around Brazilian Portuguese speaking employers and employees.

Pricing, plan by plan

Openwage

On request
  • Openwage$undefined/month
    • Free for employers to offer
    • 1% fee per transfer, minimum £1, paid by the employee
    • No interest and no credit check

SalaryFits

Free
  • SalaryFitsFree
    • No employer subscription cost
    • Discount club free to employees
    • Salary advance and consigned loan fees apply per transaction

Which should you pick?

Choose Openwage if

  • You need on-demand pay.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want transparent per-transfer fee.
Openwage review

Choose SalaryFits if

  • You need discount club.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want earned wage access.
SalaryFits review

Questions people ask

Is Openwage or SalaryFits better?
Neither clearly leads. Openwage starts at On request and SalaryFits at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Openwage or SalaryFits?
SalaryFits has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Openwage and Free for SalaryFits.
Does Openwage or SalaryFits run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use SalaryFits for free?
Yes. SalaryFits has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Openwage starts at On request.
What is Openwage best used for?
Openwage is most often used for a uk employer with shift or hourly staff wanting an on-demand pay benefit at no cost to the business, an employee wanting to know the exact cost of an advance before requesting one, rather than an opaque fee, a company already running standard uk payroll and time and attendance systems wanting straightforward integration, an hr team comparing earned wage access providers on published unit economics rather than sales quotes. Of those, a uk employer with shift or hourly staff wanting an on-demand pay benefit at no cost to the business and an employee wanting to know the exact cost of an advance before requesting one, rather than an opaque fee are not what SalaryFits is typically brought in for.
What can Openwage do that SalaryFits cannot?
Openwage covers On-demand pay, Transparent per-transfer fee, Payroll and T&A integration, No credit impact. SalaryFits covers Discount club, Earned wage access, Payroll-deduction loans, Financial marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Openwage: Who pays the fee?

The employee, at 1% of the amount transferred with a minimum of £1; the employer benefit itself is free.

SalaryFits: Is SalaryFits still an independent company?

No. It was acquired by Serasa Experian, with the deal approved by Brazil's CADE antitrust authority in 2024, and now operates as part of that group.

Openwage: Is it a loan?

No, Openwage states it is not a loan or credit product; there is no interest and no credit score impact.

SalaryFits: Does it cost the employer anything?

The base discount club and app access are free to employers; advances and payroll loans carry fees and interest paid by employees.

Openwage: How much can an employee access?

Up to 50% of gross wages already earned in the current pay period.

SalaryFits: Does it operate outside Brazil?

No, it is built specifically for the Brazilian market.

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