Head to head
HR Companion vs LabourNet
Both products assessed against the same checklist, with ratings drawn from 273 verified reviews.
- Rating gap
- 0.1
- Reviews behind this
- 273
- Priced on scope
- Quoted
- Features they share
- 2
Side by side
How they compare
Ratings computed from published reviews, and the specifications that change what a product costs to run. The washed column is the higher rated of the two.
| Compared on | HR Companion | Higher rated overall |
|---|---|---|
| What reviewers say | ||
| Overall rating | 3.8 | 3.9, higher |
| Ease of use | 3.5 | 3.7, higher |
| Value for money | 3.8, higher | 3.7 |
| Customer service | 3.6 | 3.7, higher |
| Functionality | 3.8 | 3.9, higher |
| Verified reviews | 97 | 176 |
| What it costs | ||
| Starting price | R38per month, from | Custom pricingquoted on request |
| VAT basis | Excl VAT | Excl VAT |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Published plans | 1 | 1 |
| Vendor and support | ||
| Vendor | HR Companion | LabourNet |
| Founded | 2009 | 2000 |
| Support channels | Telephone, Email, On site training | Dedicated consultant, Telephone, Email, On site attendance, Training workshops |
| Integrations listed | 3 | 4 |
| Local bank feeds | 0 | 0 |
The local yardstick
South African compliance
Amber marks a gap rather than a feature. This is usually where the decision is actually made.
HR Companion
- BCEA leave entitlements
- Employment Equity Act reporting
- Skills Development Act and SETA submissions
- B-BBEE scorecard support
- LRA disciplinary records
- POPIA operator agreement
- Data hosted in South Africa
LabourNet
- BCEA leave entitlements
- LRA disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Employment Equity Act reporting
- Skills Development Act and SETA submissions
- Occupational Health and Safety Act registers
- B-BBEE scorecard support
- POPIA operator agreement
- Data hosted in South Africa
What they cost
Pricing, compared properly
Check the VAT basis on each. Vendors are not consistent, and the difference is 15%.
HR Companion
Listed excluding VAT
- R38/mo
StandardPopular
Per employee
Per employee per month excluding VAT with an annual commitment. Statutory reporting modules are included rather than charged separately.
LabourNet
Listed excluding VAT
- Quoted
Quoted retainer
Retainer based, quoted on headcount and the mix of advisory services. Clarify what the retainer covers and what is billed hourly.
Capability
The full feature matrix
Every feature either product offers, and whether the other one has it.
| Compared on | HR Companion | Higher rated overall |
|---|---|---|
| 18 features across both products | ||
| Annual training report | Included | Not included |
| B-BBEE scorecard inputs | Included | Not included |
| Basic performance reviews | Included | Not included |
| BCEA compliant leave | Included | Not included |
| CCMA case management | Not included | Included |
| Disciplinary and grievance records | Included | Not included |
| Disciplinary and grievance tracking | Not included | Included |
| Document storage | Included | Included |
| Employee records | Included | Included |
| Employee self service | Included | Not included |
| Employment equity plans and EEA returns | Included | Not included |
| Employment equity reporting | Not included | Included |
| Health and safety registers | Not included | Included |
| Leave management | Not included | Included |
| Payroll integration | Not included | Included |
| Training and qualification records | Included | Not included |
| Training and skills records | Not included | Included |
| Workplace skills plan | Included | Not included |
Our verdict
Which one you should buy
We name a winner. Listing differences and leaving the decision to the reader is not a verdict.
We have not written a full verdict for this pairing yet, so here is the position from the data.
LabourNet holds the higher rating at 3.9 against 3.8, from 176 reviews against 97. Reviewers rate it 3.7 for ease of use and 3.7 for value for money, against 3.5 and 3.8.
Read the compliance comparison below before deciding on the rating alone. A product that scores well overall can still be missing the one statutory output your business cannot do without.
We may earn a commission when you subscribe through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never affects a rating or a ranking. How we make money