Personio is a cloud-based HR management software that is primarily designed for companies with 10 to 5,000 employees. The basic version (Personio Core) combines functions such as:

Advanced functions such as payroll accounting and recruiting can be booked individually in packages that cost extra money. The company is based in Munich and operates its Cloud in Germany.

recruiting and personnel management with Personio

In order to give a well-founded Personio evaluation, we have analyzed hundreds of Personio reviews from real users. As sources we used platforms like Capterra and Trustpilot , where customers honestly share their Personio experiences. In the following, we summarize how Personio customers assess the costs, advantages and disadvantages of the software.

The most frequently mentioned advantages of Personio lie primarily in the functions of the software itself:

  • Intuitive use: Many users emphasize that Personio has a clear user interface and that most employees find their way around quickly and without extensive training.

  • All-in-one solution: Personio can cover almost all traditional HR tasks in one system and replace various tools. In this respect, integrations with other tools are also mentioned positively.

  • Central database: By bringing together employee data, documents and HR processes in one place, Personio enables HR managers to avoid chaos and increase efficiency. Reporting is also made easier.

  • Employee self-service: It is a relief for HR teams that employees can take the initiative themselves in Personio. For example, they can request leave or retrieve payslips without having to contact the HR department.

According to numerous customer testimonials, Personio has disadvantages that relate not only to the software, but also to the costs and Personio customer service:

  • High costs and a lack of transparency: A great many customers find the pricing opaque and criticize the fact that important functions are often only available in expensive additional packages.

  • Annoying updates and instability: Customers report that functions often disappear or become more complicated after an update, making processes less user-friendly. Allegedly, the website sometimes loads slowly and crashes are the order of the day.

  • Aggressive sales: Many customers are harshly critical of Personio’s sales practices. For example, functions were promised that did not even exist or suddenly cost more money. Some customers were pressured into making a decision and then left out in the cold as soon as the contract was signed.

  • Unsatisfactory support: Most users report long waiting times, poor accessibility and inadequate responses from contact persons, especially in Personio customer service.

  • Not cancelable on a monthly basis: The annual subscription has a minimum term of 12 months and renews automatically. There are also frequent complaints that canceling the subscription is cumbersome and that no confirmation is sent within the deadline.

  • Too little flexibility: Although Personio has a modular structure, the functions can hardly be customized. Many customers would like more flexibility to be able to adapt processes to their own needs.

a customer is upset about the disadvantages of Personio

Since customers most often criticize the high Personio costs in their Personio reviews, we took a closer look at the pricing. It turns out that the Personio costs are made up of three parts: the monthly basic subscription per employee, additional packages for the HR department and the one-off implementation.

The basis for the Personio costs is usually the monthly subscription to Personio Core. However, the company does not publish fixed, transparent prices on its website, but creates individual offers. Unfortunately, due to these secret agreements, interested customers cannot compare prices and defend themselves against rip-offs. The Personio costs per employee and month can therefore only be estimated: Approximately 3 to 5 euros are given as a reference value for the basic functions. For a company with 100 employees, you would therefore have to expect current basic costs of 300 to 500 euros per month.

Among other things, the basic version of Personio does not include payroll accounting and talent management. Instead, Personio offers additional packages for payroll accounting and other functions, which drive up the running costs. The prices for Personio Payroll, Personio Recruiting and other additional packages are unfortunately not publicly available. According to customer information, they are approximately between 13 and 18 euros per user and month. This means that monthly subscriptions for HR teams can quickly add up to several hundred euros per month.

Although setting up an account in cloud systems is child’s play, Personio charges every new customer for it. Here, too, the provider does not reveal its pricing. The only thing that is clear is that there is a one-off fee for the initial Personio implementation, which depends on the size of the company.

High and opaque Personio costs

SeaTable is an AI no-code solution that combines data management, app building and AI automations. The area of application is not limited to personnel management, which means you can use SeaTable company-wide (e.g. in marketing , sales and project management ) to create databases and apps and automate processes. SeaTable also offers advantages over Personio that are important in the assessment:

  • More flexibility: Quickly, easily and intuitively build all the processes, apps and data views you need for your HR management.

  • Lower or no cost: Start for free and scale as needed as your team grows. SeaTable is always more cost-efficient than Personio.

  • Full transparency: SeaTable publishes its prices and terms and conditions on the website for every customer to understand.

  • Better support: If you have any questions about SeaTable, you can quickly find advice in the help section , on YouTube or in our Community . Personal support is available by appointment.

Like Personio, SeaTable is a GDPR-compliant cloud solution with high security standards and stores all data on servers in Germany. This is important because you process highly sensitive personal information in the HR department. In contrast to Personio, SeaTable Server is even available as an on-premises version if you want to install the system on your own servers in order to retain full data sovereignty .

Here is an overview of the differences between Personio and SeaTable:

Personio SeaTable
Type of tool HR software No-code platform
Area of application HR management unlimited
Costs high and opaque low or free
Flexibility low very high
On-premises version
App development
KI functions

Personio is basically a user-friendly cloud software that offers extensive functions for personnel management. In this regard, it is often praised that Personio as an all-in-one solution centralizes employee data, documents and HR processes and relieves the HR department. Customers only criticize the software itself for its lack of flexibility, annoying updates and long loading times. All in all, the Personio rating in numerous Personio reviews is still poor because:

The Personio experience often turns negative as soon as customers experience the sales practices: To this end, many unsatisfied customers report being lured with false promises or being let down after signing a contract. Beware: cost trap! Personio is paid handsomely for the use of its software, although the high prices are not initially apparent. The hidden Personio costs depend heavily on the number of employees and the modules selected.

Are you considering switching? Then take a look at practical HR templates that will help you get started with SeaTable.

Create an overview of all employees.

Use template

Keep an eye on vacancies and applications.

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Record working hours systematically.

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Plan absences in advance.

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What is Personio?

Personio is a cloud-based HR management system from Germany.

What does Personio Core cost?

Personio does not publish fixed prices on its website, but creates individual offers. Due to this lack of transparency, customers are at the mercy of the sales team and the Personio costs per employee and month can only be estimated: Around 3 to 5 euros is a reference value for the basic functions. For a company with 100 employees, you can therefore expect ongoing basic costs of 300 to 500 euros per month.

Why is Personio so expensive?

The basic functions are billed per employee and month, which quickly drives up Personio costs depending on the size of the company. You also pay monthly subscriptions for additional modules that your HR employees need. This means that a medium-sized company that uses Personio for its HR processes has to shell out at least a four-figure sum every year. What’s more, the Personio implementation costs a one-off fee at the beginning.

What are the disadvantages of Personio?

In addition to the poor price-performance ratio, the Personio reviews highlight the need for improvement in dealing with customers: Among the negative Personio experiences, the most frequent upsets stand out as the overburdened Personio customer service and shameless sales practices. Stability problems, deterioration after updates and gagging contracts are also often mentioned.

TAGS: HR Administration