CoDash vs Employment Hero
Employment Hero is a large, Australian-founded HR and payroll platform with a UK product. Here is what it does that CoDash does not, and how its plan-and-add-on pricing compares with one plan that includes everything.
Employment Hero has its own HMRC-recognised UK payroll, including a free tier, plus an advisory service and an employee assistance programme as paid add-ons. CoDash does not run payroll or give advice; it puts performance, surveys, expenses, rotas, hiring and compliance into its base plan. Employment Hero's published HR plans are £4 and £7 per employee per month with a 10-user minimum, and several things a UK employer commonly needs, such as rotas, 360 reviews and single sign-on, sit in higher plans or add-ons. Which is cheaper depends on which of those you need.
Where is Employment Hero strong?
- Payroll. Employment Hero runs UK payroll itself and says it is "recognised by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)". Its Free Payroll plan is "£0 Cost for payroll, forever", Core Payroll is £3 per employee per month and a managed service is £12. CoDash does not run payroll.
- Advice and wellbeing, if you want to buy them. An HR and employment law advisory service (£6 per employee per month) and an employee assistance programme (£6 or £8) are available as add-ons. CoDash offers neither.
- Scale and reach. It describes itself as built "for organisations with 10 or 2,000 employees" and says it is used by 25,000 UK small and medium-sized businesses.
- Mobile apps on iOS and Android, and ISO 27001 certification stated on its own site.
If you want HR and payroll from one supplier, Employment Hero is a serious option and CoDash is not a like-for-like replacement.
Where is CoDash different?
- One plan with the product in it. CoDash Core includes expenses, performance reviews, 360 feedback and goals, surveys and anonymous voice, rotas and timesheets, hiring, the asset register and incident reporting. On Employment Hero's comparison table expenses, reviews, surveys, full recruitment, incident reporting and the asset register start at HR Engage; goals, 360 reviews, custom reports, single sign-on and API access start at HR Elite, which is priced on request; rotas and time and attendance are a £2 add-on.
- No seat minimum. Employment Hero states: "Your subscription must include a minimum of 10 Users." Its add-ons carry their own monthly minimums. CoDash's price includes the first 20 people and has no minimum beyond that.
- A UK company with EU hosting. CoDash Ltd is registered in England and Wales, and each customer has its own database hosted in the EU (France). Employment Hero's terms are made with Employment Hero Pty Ltd and its affiliates, and its data processing page says HR data "is located in data centres in Australia and Ireland".
- Monthly, with nothing to downgrade. CoDash monthly plans can be cancelled at any time. Employment Hero's terms say that if you agree a minimum term "you cannot cancel your Subscription before the end of that minimum term", and that "you cannot downgrade your plan during your agreed Subscription Term".
How do the prices compare?
| CoDash | Employment Hero | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry HR plan | Core: £99 a month including 20 people, then £2.50 per person | HR Essentials: £4 per employee per month |
| Plan with reviews, surveys and expenses | Core (the same plan) | HR Engage: £7 per employee per month |
| Plan with 360 reviews, SSO and API | 360 reviews in Core; SSO and API in Pro at £199 a month including 20 people, then £4 | HR Elite: "Custom" |
| Rotas and time and attendance | Included | £2 per employee per month add-on (£20 monthly minimum) |
| Minimum | None | 10 users |
| Payroll | Not offered | Free, £3 or £12 per employee per month |
| Renewal | Monthly, cancel at any time | Renews monthly unless cancelled at least 30 days before the renewal date, after any agreed minimum term |
A worked example, 50 people. CoDash Core is £99 plus 30 people at £2.50, which is £174 a month. Employment Hero's HR Engage at £7 is £350 a month, or £450 with the rotas add-on. HR Essentials at £4 is £200 a month, without expenses, reviews or surveys. These are list prices; Employment Hero may quote differently, and its payroll is something CoDash cannot offer at any price.
How do the features compare?
| CoDash | Employment Hero | |
|---|---|---|
| Leave, onboarding, documents and policies | Every plan | Every plan |
| Expenses | Every plan | Engage and above |
| Performance reviews and 1:1s | Every plan | Engage and above |
| Goals and 360 reviews | Every plan | Elite and above |
| Surveys, including anonymous | Every plan | Engage and above |
| Rotas and time clock | Every plan | Add-on; included in Unlimited |
| Learning | Every plan | Platform on every plan; course content is a paid add-on |
| Single sign-on and API | Pro | Elite and above |
| Payroll | No | Yes |
| HR advisory service | No | Add-on |
| Employee assistance programme | No | Add-on |
Who should pick which?
Choose Employment Hero if you want payroll and HR from one supplier, value its advisory and wellbeing add-ons, or are a larger business that will negotiate an Elite or Unlimited plan.
Choose CoDash if your payroll is already settled and you want the people side - time off, rotas, expenses, performance, surveys, learning, hiring and compliance - in one plan at one published price, with no seat minimum and nothing to add on. The guide to what HR software costs in the UK shows how to compare quotes like for like.
Frequently asked questions
Is CoDash a good Employment Hero alternative in the UK?
For the HR side, yes: CoDash includes expenses, performance reviews, 360 feedback, surveys, rotas, hiring and compliance in its base plan. It is not an alternative for payroll, which Employment Hero provides and CoDash does not.
How much does Employment Hero cost in the UK?
Employment Hero's UK pricing page lists HR Essentials at 4 pounds and HR Engage at 7 pounds per employee per month, with HR Elite and Unlimited priced on request, a 10-user minimum, and payroll at 0, 3 or 12 pounds per employee per month. Checked 5 October 2026.
Does Employment Hero have a minimum number of users?
Yes. Its pricing page states that a subscription must include a minimum of 10 users, and billing is based on the higher of contracted and active users. Add-ons have their own monthly minimums.
Does CoDash do payroll?
No. CoDash covers people records, time off, rotas, expenses, performance, engagement, learning, hiring and compliance. If you need payroll in the same product, Employment Hero offers it.
Sources
Every figure about the other product was read from its own website on 5 October 2026.
- Employment Hero: UK pricing - plan prices, the plan comparison table, add-ons and minimums
- Employment Hero: free payroll - the free payroll tier and HMRC recognition
- Employment Hero: terms and conditions - minimum term, renewal and downgrades
- Employment Hero: data processing - data centre locations
Prices and features move. Everything here was checked on the date shown against each vendor's own published pricing, and we link to it so you can confirm rather than take our word for it. If we have a detail wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
Check it yourself: Employment Hero publishes its own terms - see their pricing page. Checked 5 October 2026. Prices and packaging move, and theirs are theirs to state, so confirm before you decide.
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