Personio vs PayFit
PayFit starts from the payslip and builds HR around it; Personio starts from the personnel file and hands payroll data on. PayFit is a Paris company that runs payroll itself in France, the UK and Spain. Personio, from Munich, prepares data for providers such as DATEV. Choose by whether payroll or the wider HR lifecycle is the job to be done.
Choose Personio if
you need applicant tracking, personnel files, performance and compensation in one platform, and you already work with a payroll provider or accountant who takes the data.
Read the Personio reviewChoose PayFit if
you want payslips and social declarations produced in the same product, in a country PayFit covers, and your needs are mostly payroll, leave and expenses.
Read the PayFit reviewPersonio and PayFit side by side
| Personio | PayFit | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Personio SE & Co. KG | PayFit |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany | Paris, France |
| Founded | 2015 | 2015 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (France) |
| Where the data sits | European Union (AWS Frankfurt) | EU (France) |
| Pricing | From about €2.88/employee/month | Per-employee subscription, quoted on request |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 19 October 2026) | Not shown: Personio's pricing page could not be read by an automated check on 19 October 2026; see the vendor website. | French page shows 26 euros per month per employee for the first-payroll offer for new companies; small and SME offers are quoted on request (checked 19 October 2026). |
| Free tier or trial | Demo on request | Demo on request |
| Certifications and checks | GDPR | GDPR |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | BambooHR, Workday, ADP | ADP, Sage Payroll, an external payroll bureau |
| Position in our HR Software guide | #2 of 12 | #8 of 12 |
Both are listed in our European HR Software guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Personio and PayFit differ
Across the five points below, Personio has the edge on 1 point, PayFit on 2 points and 2 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Who runs the payslip
PayFit's French site describes automatic payslip calculation and DSN social declarations in the product, and its legal notice says it serves companies in three European countries. Personio's materials describe collecting and validating hours, absences and salary changes and exporting them to a provider, with DATEV named. If you want to remove the external payroll step, PayFit is the one built for it.
Edge: PayFit
Recruiting depth
Personio's own review pages describe an applicant tracking system with multiposting to job boards, a career page builder and structured team feedback on candidates. PayFit's product menu lists payroll, leave, time, expenses, people management, interviews and surveys, but no recruiting module. A company that hires often and wants one tool for it will find more in Personio.
Edge: Personio
Where it works
PayFit lists a French site, a UK site and a Spanish site, so payroll coverage stops at those countries. Personio's materials say it handles working-time and leave rules across European jurisdictions but pass payroll to local providers, so coverage is wider only because payroll is not inside it. Check your country list with both vendors before comparing any further.
No clear winner on this point.
Pricing visibility
PayFit publishes a figure on its French pricing page: 26 euros per month per employee for the offer aimed at companies running their first payroll, while the small-company and SME offers are quoted on request. Personio's pricing page could not be read by an automated check on 19 October 2026, so we state no price for it. A published figure at least gives a starting point.
Edge: PayFit
Entity and hosting
PayFit's French legal notice names Payfit, a société par actions simplifiée registered in Paris (RCS 813 487 899) with its seat at 37 Avenue de Trudaine, and says the site is hosted by Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL in Luxembourg. Personio's contracts name Personio SE & Co. KG under German law. Both are European contracting entities.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Personio nor PayFit fits
If you need payroll plus leave and time in a French or Southern European setting, look at Lucca or Eurécia; for a German-style all-in-one with a different price model, Kenjo is on this site as well.
Personio vs PayFit: questions
Only partly. PayFit covers payroll, leave, time, expenses and people management, but its menu shows no applicant tracking, which Personio has. If recruiting matters, PayFit would be a payroll layer next to another tool.
Personio's own description is payroll preparation: it collects and validates payroll-relevant data and exports it to a provider such as DATEV. A separate provider or accountant produces the payslips.
PayFit's legal notice says it operates in three European countries, and the company runs French, UK and Spanish sites. Outside those, payroll is not offered, which is the main limit against a more general HR platform.
PayFit's French pricing page shows 26 euros per month per employee for the offer for companies running their first payroll; other offers are quoted on request. Always confirm the current figure for your headcount.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- PayFit French pricing page: 26 euros per month per employee first-payroll offer, other offers by profile (checked 19 October 2026)
- PayFit legal notice (France): Payfit SAS, RCS Paris 813 487 899, 37 Avenue de Trudaine, AWS EMEA Luxembourg hosting, three European countries (checked 19 October 2026)
- Personio Marketplace Terms of Service: Personio SE & Co. KG as contracting party, German governing law (checked 19 October 2026)