Softwr

HR · head to head

Personio vs SmartHR

Personio logo

Personio

HR

All-in-one HR software for SMEs

From
$5/employee-per-month
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: Personio payroll processing only available in Germany, UK, and Ireland, limiting multi-country deployment; SmartHR no specific pricing published on vendor website
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Personio and SmartHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Personio and SmartHR differ
AttributePersonioSmartHR
Starting price$5/employee-per-monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web
Founded2015Unknown

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 Personio

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

Only in SmartHR

Nothing recorded that Personio does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Personio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Personio review.

SmartHR

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

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Personio

$5/employee-per-month

No published plan breakdown. See the Personio review.

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Personio if

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

Choose SmartHR if

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

SmartHR review

Questions people ask

Is Personio or SmartHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Personio starts at $5/employee-per-month and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Personio or SmartHR?
Personio starts at $5/employee-per-month and SmartHR at On request.
Does Personio or SmartHR run on more platforms?
Personio runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). SmartHR runs on Web.
What can Personio do that SmartHR cannot?
Personio covers HR Management, Recruiting, Payroll, Time Tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
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
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
Share

Related pages

More on Personio

More on SmartHR

Keep looking

Other head to heads