CoDash vs Personio
Personio is a large, well-funded HR platform from Munich with a London office and UK terms. Here is what its own site says about price, contract and what is included, set beside a product that publishes all three.
Personio is a German HR platform for companies of 10 to 10,000 employees. It does not publish prices: you book a demo for a quote, pay a one-time setup fee that depends on company size, and add recruiting, performance and surveys as separate apps. CoDash publishes its price and includes those in one plan. Personio's annual contracts run for at least 12 months and need 90 days' notice before renewal. Its strengths are scale, workflow automation and ISO 27001 certification; its own payroll is available only in Germany.
Where is Personio strong?
- Scale. Personio says it serves 16,000 small and mid-sized businesses and describes itself as "suitable for companies with 10-10,000 employees". CoDash is built for 20 to 1,000.
- Automation and structure. Workflow automation, analytics, and on the higher plan position management, workforce planning and unlimited legal entities.
- Time tracking in the base plan, with clock-in from desktop, mobile or terminals.
- Security. Personio states that it is ISO 27001 certified with an annual independent audit, and that data is stored in Frankfurt.
- A capped renewal increase. Its UK and Ireland terms limit a fee increase at renewal to "up to five percent (5%)". That is more than many vendors commit to in writing.
- UK terms. The UK and Ireland agreement is governed by the laws of England.
Where is CoDash different?
- The price is public. Personio's pricing page carries no figure: "To get a custom quote, book a demo with one of our product experts". CoDash is £99 a month including 20 people, then £2.50 per person.
- No setup fee. Personio's pricing FAQ says "there will be a one-time fee dependent on your company size". CoDash charges none.
- Performance, surveys and hiring are in the plan. On Personio's pricing page, Recruiting, Performance and Development, Surveys and Compensation Management are listed as add-on apps. In CoDash they are part of Core, apart from compensation management, which CoDash does not have.
- A monthly contract with no minimum. Personio's yearly subscription has "a minimum run-time of 12 months", renewing yearly unless notice is given "not later than 90 days' prior to the renewal date", and its terms provide for a minimum user commitment set in the order form.
- API and single sign-on. Both vendors keep these for the higher plan. Personio's Core includes Google sign-in; Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and API access are on Core Pro.
- Built for UK rules. CoDash's leave types, compliance registers and guidance are written around UK employment law. We could not find a statement on Personio's site about UK statutory leave handling.
How do the prices and terms compare?
| CoDash | Personio | |
|---|---|---|
| Published price | Core £99 a month including 20 people, then £2.50; Pro £199, then £4 | None; quote after a demo |
| Plans | Core, Pro | Core, Core Pro, plus add-on apps |
| Setup fee | None | One-time fee, by company size; amount not published |
| Billing | Monthly, or annual charged as ten months | Monthly or yearly; 10% off for annual upfront payment |
| Minimum term | None on monthly | 12 months on the yearly subscription |
| Notice to stop renewal | Before the end of the billing period | 90 days (annual); 15 days (monthly) |
| Increase at renewal | List prices are published | Up to 5% |
| Free trial | Open live demo, no sign-up | 14 days |
Because Personio's price is by quote, the only fair comparison is your own quote against the CoDash price for your headcount. Ask for it with the apps you need included, the setup fee, the minimum user number and the renewal terms, in writing.
How do the features compare?
| CoDash | Personio | |
|---|---|---|
| Records, absence, onboarding workflows | Every plan | Core |
| Time tracking and clock-in | Every plan | Core |
| Rota and shift planning | Every plan | Not found |
| Documents and e-signature | Every plan | Core with limits; unlimited on Core Pro |
| Performance reviews and goals | Every plan | Add-on app |
| Surveys | Every plan | Add-on app |
| Recruitment | Every plan | Add-on app |
| Expenses | Every plan | Not found |
| Learning | Every plan | Not found |
| Compensation management | No | Add-on app |
| Whistleblowing channel | Anonymous suggestions | Add-on app |
| Payroll for UK staff | No | No own UK payroll; export and integrations |
| Mobile | Installable web app (PWA) | Mobile app |
| Data location | EU (France) | EU (Frankfurt) |
Who should pick which?
Choose Personio if you are several hundred people or more, operate across several legal entities or countries, want workforce planning and compensation tools, and are comfortable with an annual contract bought through a sales process.
Choose CoDash if you are a UK employer of 20 to 1,000 people who wants to see the price first, start without a setup fee, leave with a month's notice or less, and have performance, surveys, hiring and rotas in the plan from day one. The guide to what HR software costs in the UK shows how to compare a quote with a published price.
Frequently asked questions
Is CoDash a good Personio alternative for UK companies?
Yes for UK employers of 20 to 1,000 people who want a published price, no setup fee and a monthly contract, with performance, surveys, hiring and rotas included. Personio suits larger or multi-entity organisations that want workforce planning and compensation tools.
How much does Personio cost?
Personio does not publish prices. Its pricing page asks you to book a demo for a custom quote, charges per active user, and states a one-time setup fee that depends on company size. Annual upfront payment earns a 10% discount. Checked 5 October 2026.
How long is a Personio contract?
Personio's yearly subscription has a minimum run-time of 12 months and renews yearly unless either party gives notice at least 90 days before the renewal date. A monthly subscription renews monthly with 15 days' notice.
Does Personio do UK payroll?
Not its own. Personio's site says Personio Payroll is currently only available in Germany. For the UK it offers preliminary payroll exports and integrations with payroll providers.
Sources
Every figure about the other product was read from its own website on 5 October 2026.
- Personio: pricing - plans, add-on apps, licence model, setup fee and billing
- Personio: UK and Ireland general terms and conditions - renewal, notice, the 5% cap and governing law
- Personio: payroll - availability in Germany only
- Personio: security - ISO 27001
- Personio: about - customer numbers and the London office
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: Personio 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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