Does Factorial do payroll?

Factorial offers payroll as a separate paid module; it isn't part of the free plan. With Peepel, payroll automation is included in the single per-employee price.

Is Peepel as broad as Factorial?

Peepel covers the full core HR function - people data, leave, onboarding, documents, surveys, performance and payroll - and executes it autonomously, rather than offering the widest possible catalogue of modules.

Which is better for a Belgian SME?

If Belgian payroll and social-secretariat integration matter, Peepel is built for that market specifically.

How much does Peepel cost?

€9.50 per employee per month, all modules included, no setup fees.

Peepel vs Factorial (2026): Execution Engine vs HRIS

Gert-Jan Vermote · 6 min · 2026-06-17

Factorial is a broad all-in-one HRIS. Peepel is an agentic execution engine that performs HR work end-to-end. Here's how to choose.

Key takeaways

Factorial is a broad, all-in-one HRIS with a module for almost everything.
Peepel is an agentic execution engine that performs the HR work end-to-end, including payroll.
Factorial charges payroll as a separate paid module; Peepel includes payroll automation in the flat €9.50 per employee price.
For Belgian SMEs, Peepel's native integration with Belgian social secretariats is the deciding factor.

Factorial is one of Europe's fastest-growing HR platforms: a broad, all-in-one HRIS out of Barcelona with a module for almost everything. Peepel is narrower in philosophy and deeper in execution - an agentic HR platform that performs HR work end-to-end rather than giving you another set of dashboards to manage.

Both are modern, AI-aware HR tools for SMEs. The real choice is between breadth of modules and autonomy of execution.

If you're shortlisting both, the fastest test is to book a demo and watch Peepel actually complete a workflow you'd normally configure inside Factorial.

The core difference

Factorial gives you a large, configurable dashboard covering time tracking, documents, performance, recruiting and more. It's capable - but the work still flows through you: you configure the module, you action the request, you run the process.

Peepel performs the work. Describe the HR task in natural language and the agentic HR platform runs the workflow end-to-end - onboarding, leave, contracts, performance reviews, payroll - across people data, documents, calendar and payroll. Less dashboard, less clicking, more done. It's the gap between an organising layer and an executing one in the 4 levels of HR software.

ISO 27001 certified. GDPR-compliant. Data hosted in Europe.

Where Factorial is strong

Breadth. A wide module set, from time tracking to recruiting, in one platform.
Simple interface. Reviewers consistently note an easy, approachable UI.
Scale and momentum. A large, well-funded product used across many countries and languages.

If your priority is a single broad HRIS with a module for everything, Factorial is a serious option.

Where Peepel is different

	Peepel	Factorial
Core model	Agentic - executes HR work autonomously	All-in-one dashboard - you operate the modules
Scope philosophy	Deep end-to-end execution of the core HR function	Broad module coverage
Payroll	All modules included; payroll automation built in	Payroll is a separate paid module, not in the free plan
Belgian payroll	Native social-secretariat integration	Less focused on Belgian social secretariats
What you buy	One flat, all-in price - what you see is what you get	Tiered plans with add-ons
Natural-language control	Yes - instruct in plain language	Dashboard-driven

A note on implementation

A recurring theme in Factorial reviews is the gap between what's promised in sales and what's available at implementation. Peepel takes the opposite stance on purpose: all modules are included at one price, with no feature-gating, so the demo is the product. Standard onboarding takes two weeks, with our team migrating your data and connecting your payroll provider.

Integrations

Peepel connects natively with Belgian social secretariats and Dutch payroll partners, and with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack.

Pricing

Peepel is €9.50 per employee per month. All HR automation modules included - including payroll automation. No setup fees. Cancel monthly.

Ready to compare them on your own data? Book a demo and we'll run the workflows that matter to your team.

FAQ

Does Factorial do payroll?: Factorial offers payroll as a separate paid module; it isn't part of the free plan. With Peepel, payroll automation is included in the single per-employee price.
Is Peepel as broad as Factorial?: Peepel covers the full core HR function - people data, leave, onboarding, documents, surveys, performance and payroll - and executes it autonomously, rather than offering the widest possible catalogue of modules.
Which is better for a Belgian SME?: If Belgian payroll and social-secretariat integration matter, Peepel is built for that market specifically.
How much does Peepel cost?: €9.50 per employee per month, all modules included, no setup fees.

More Peepel resources · Book a demo