Humi vs Namely
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Canadian SMBs that want HR, payroll, and hiring managed in one platform, Businesses with Québec operations that need French-language support and provincial compliance
Read the full Humi reviewBest for: Midsized companies that want HR, payroll, and time in one platform, Teams juggling compliance across multiple states
Read the full Namely reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Humi vs Namely: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Humi if
- You run Canadian payroll and want CRA remittances automated.
- You need Québec operations with full French-language compliance.
- You want to hire abroad without entities via Employer of Record.
Choose Namely if
- You're a midsized US company tracking state-by-state compliance.
- You'd value managed services or a dedicated HR Business Partner.
Humi vs Namely: pros and cons
Humi, now Employment Hero, pulls Canadian HR, payroll, and AI hiring into one platform, with Québec support and verifiable security certifications. Just know that core plan prices are quote-only, and user minimums plus contracted-user billing make budgeting tricky. Overall, it's a strong pick for Canadian SMBs that are fine with a sales-led buying process.
Pros
- Canadian compliance is handled natively — the platform automates CRA remittances, T4 generation and submission, and provincial payroll rules, with Managed Payroll handled end-to-end by certified professionals including EHT remittances.
- Québec operations are properly supported through the dedicated Humi by Employment Hero product, which offers full French-language support and compliance with Québec payroll legislation rather than treating the province as an afterthought.
- The AI recruitment agent scores, screens, and interviews applicants 24/7 and hands you a shortlist, with a free signup for the hiring hub that requires no HR or payroll subscription to use.
Cons
- Core plan pricing (HR Standard through Employment Unlimited, Pro tiers, and HeroForce) is quote-only, so you can't budget until you go through a sales demo, and no refund policy is displayed on the pricing page.
- Most plans carry a 10-user minimum and billing is based on the higher of contracted or active users each month, which penalizes fluctuating headcounts and rules out very small teams.
- Integrations vary depending on which Employment Hero product you choose, so you need to verify compatibility with your existing stack (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, accounting tools) before buying, and API access is gated to HR Premium and above.
Namely pulls HR, payroll, and time into one platform, with managed services and compliance support for lean midsized teams. Entry pricing starts at $9 per employee, and setup can go live in three weeks. Still, three of four tiers are quote-only and there's no trial. Overall, it's a solid pick for midsized teams ready for a sales call.
Pros
- HR, payroll, and time tracking live in one integrated system, which customers say speeds up payroll processing, reduces errors, and makes reporting and decision-making faster
- Implementation includes free data migration assistance with real human support, one-to-one live training on your own instance, and can go live in as little as three weeks on the Namely Now plan
- The Comply module tracks state-by-state compliance laws automatically — one reviewer reported it saved 8 hours per week of manual research
Cons
- There is no free trial or sandbox — the only way to evaluate the product before buying is a guided demo, and no money-back guarantee is mentioned
- Pricing for the three higher tiers (Namely Plus, Plus People, and Complete) is custom-quoted only, so you can't budget or compare plans without a sales conversation
- The exact feature split between the four plans isn't published, making it hard to know which capabilities require upgrading
Humi and Namely in detail
Humi
Employment Hero (formerly Humi) is an AI-powered employment platform for Canadian businesses. It combines HR software, automated payroll, recruitment tools, time tracking, and benefits in one system. Acquired in 2025, the brand now serves most of Canada as Employment Hero, while Humi by Employment Hero remains the dedicated option for Québec and existing clients. It's built for small and medium-sized businesses across many industries.
Standout features
- Payroll that runs in minutes, not days
- Hire faster with AI doing the screening
- HR admin that acts, not just records
- Benefits, advisory, and global hiring built in
- A superapp your employees will actually use
Use cases
- Run payroll without the CRA paperwork
- Hire and onboard faster
- Support a Québec team properly
- Hand off the back office
Namely
Namely is an all-in-one HCM platform aimed at midsized companies. The core system covers HR, payroll, and time tracking, with add-on modules for benefits, scheduling, talent, and compliance. If you'd rather hand off the work, Namely also offers managed payroll, benefits, and HR services, including a dedicated HR Business Partner. It's built to grow with your team and changing needs.
Standout features
- One connected system for HR, payroll, and time
- Employee self-service on any device, 24/7
- Enhanced Modules that extend as you grow
- Managed services that take work off your plate
- Reporting that turns data into decisions
Use cases
- HR Department of One
- Payroll Day, Without the Panic
- Welcoming New Hires
- Growing Without Switching Systems
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Humi | Namely |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $7/mo Payroll · per user | $9/mo Namely Now · per user |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Yes | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Per user | Per user |
| Cost for 1 user | $70/mo Payroll plan, billed monthly | $9/moCheaper Namely Now plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $70/mo Payroll plan, billed monthly | $45/moCheaper Namely Now plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $70/moCheaper Payroll plan, billed monthly | $90/mo Namely Now plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $175/moCheaper Payroll plan, billed monthly | $225/mo Namely Now plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 11 | 4 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 13, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 9, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 9, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 5 users (billed monthly), Namely costs $45/mo vs Humi at $70/mo.
- For 1 user (billed monthly), Namely costs $9/mo vs Humi at $70/mo.
- For 10 users (billed monthly), Humi costs $70/mo vs Namely at $90/mo.
- For 25 users (billed monthly), Humi costs $175/mo vs Namely at $225/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Do either offer a free trial?
Humi offers a free AI hiring hub signup. Namely has no trial or sandbox—just a guided tour and demo materials.
Which works better outside Canada?
Namely targets midsized US companies with state-by-state compliance tracking. Humi is Canada-built but hires globally through HeroForce in 180+ countries.