Honest comparison · European HRIS with ATS module
Factorial alternatives for small teams: Penroll vs Factorial
Factorial is the fastest-growing HRIS in Southern Europe and a strong Personio alternative — payroll, contracts, time-off, done well. The recruiting module is basic by comparison. Penroll is purpose-built for the hiring side and is a natural complement to Factorial for companies that want AI-driven candidate ranking.
Start with one real role · No credit card · Human review stays in control
What Factorial is
Spanish HRIS + payroll with strong traction in Spain, Italy, UK, and France. Full employee lifecycle, modern UX.
What Penroll is
AI hiring copilot. Pairs with Factorial for the candidate-ranking and offer-letter work their ATS module doesn't cover.
Pricing at a glance
Factorial
~€5–7/employee/month (sales-quoted)
Per-employee pricing across the company. Recruiting is included but basic — no AI ranking.
Penroll
€17/mo flat (Starter)
Flat per-company. AI ranking, screening, offer letters included. Monthly billing, no annual lock-in.
Feature-by-feature
We checked the public pricing pages and product docs. If you spot something out of date, email us and we'll fix the row.
| Feature | Factorial | Penroll |
|---|---|---|
AI candidate ranking | ||
AI screening questions | ||
AI offer-letter generation | ||
Full HRIS (payroll, contracts, PTO) | ||
Spain / Italy local payroll compliance | ||
EU data residency | ||
Per-employee pricing | ||
Self-serve sign-up | Partial | |
Free tier |
How we assess Factorial alternatives
This is a decision guide for small teams, not an independent market ranking. We compare the public product information, pricing approach, and hiring workflow, then show where each tool is a better fit. Plans and features change, so confirm the current terms before buying.
When to choose which
Both tools work. The right one depends on your hiring volume, where your team is, and how much you want AI doing the triage.
Pick Factorial if…
- You need an all-in-one HRIS: payroll, contracts, time-off, expenses.
- You're based in Spain, Italy, or France and want local payroll compliance.
- A basic ATS to store CVs and track stages is enough for your hiring volume.
Pick Penroll if…
- You already use Factorial and want AI to triage candidates for you.
- Hiring is a bottleneck — you want ranking and screening, not just storage.
- You want a flat-fee hiring tool that doesn't cost more as you grow headcount.
Penroll is not for you if…
We'd rather be upfront than waste your trial. If any of these describe you, look elsewhere — we'd recommend Factorial or one of the enterprise tools instead.
- You're hiring 50+ roles a month and need a dedicated recruiter workflow.
- You need a full HRIS (payroll, time-off, performance reviews) — Penroll is hiring-only.
- You require an on-premise install or a private cloud deployment.
See it on your real roles in 5 minutes.
Open the working sample, then upload your own job description and CVs. Inspect the evidence behind the ranking before deciding whether to create an account.
Other Factorial alternatives to consider
If Penroll is not the right fit, compare the hiring tools below against the same small-team workflow before choosing.
Comparing more than one ATS?
Read our editorial guide to applicant tracking systems for small businesses, including what to check for pricing, job volume, collaboration, and data export.
Read the small-business ATS guide →Comparison feature notes were last reviewed May 2026. Vendors change pricing without notice — use the official source above for the latest terms. Penroll has no relationship with any of the listed vendors. If a row is wrong, email us and we'll fix it.