Employment Hero vs Saasu

Employment Hero vs Saasu: Side-by-Side Feature & Pricing Comparison

Thinking of switching from Employment Hero to Saasu (or vice versa)? This comparison covers features, costs, and migration considerations to help mid-market Australian businesses make an informed decision.

Features compared

50+

Clients advised

98%

Client retention

12+

Years experience

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Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature analysis for Employment Hero and Saasu.

Invoicing

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides invoicing functionality, popular with Retail & E-commerce businesses

Saasu

Saasu provides invoicing functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

Employment Hero and Saasu take different philosophical approaches to invoicing; the better fit is usually the one that matches how your team already thinks about the problem.

Expense tracking

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides expense tracking functionality, popular with Retail & E-commerce businesses

Saasu

Saasu provides expense tracking functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

Both platforms cover the expense tracking basics. The edges - automations, reporting depth, mobile parity - are where their opinions show.

Bank reconciliation

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides bank reconciliation functionality, popular with Retail & E-commerce businesses

Saasu

Saasu provides bank reconciliation functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

Both platforms cover the bank reconciliation basics. The edges - automations, reporting depth, mobile parity - are where their opinions show.

Payroll

Employment Hero

Combines HR, payroll, and employee benefits in a single Australian-built platform, reducing the need for separate systems

Saasu

Payroll module covers Australian award rates, superannuation, and Single Touch Payroll reporting without needing a third-party payroll tool

Both platforms are strong here. Employment Hero emphasises this as a core strength, and Saasu also invests heavily in payroll. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Tax reporting and BAS

Employment Hero

Limitation: Customer support response times can vary, with some users reporting delays during peak payroll periods

Saasu

Payroll module covers Australian award rates, superannuation, and Single Touch Payroll reporting without needing a third-party payroll tool

Saasu highlights tax reporting and bas as a core strength. Employment Hero offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Multi-currency support

Employment Hero

Limitation: Customer support response times can vary, with some users reporting delays during peak payroll periods

Saasu

Multi-currency support handles international transactions with automatic exchange rate lookups for businesses trading overseas

Saasu highlights multi-currency support as a core strength. Employment Hero offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Inventory management

Employment Hero

Compliance management tracks certifications, licences, and mandatory training with automatic expiry reminders

Saasu

Inventory management module included in the core product suits product-based small businesses without requiring a separate add-on

Both platforms are strong here. Employment Hero emphasises this as a core strength, and Saasu also invests heavily in inventory management. Review each platform's approach to see which aligns with your team's workflow.

Project accounting

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides project accounting functionality, popular with Retail & E-commerce businesses

Saasu

Australian-built cloud accounting software designed specifically for the local market with BAS, GST, and STP compliance built in

Saasu highlights project accounting as a core strength. Employment Hero offers the capability but does not position it as a primary differentiator.

Budgeting and forecasting

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides budgeting and forecasting functionality, popular with Retail & E-commerce businesses

Saasu

Saasu provides budgeting and forecasting functionality, popular with Professional Services businesses

Both platforms cover the budgeting and forecasting basics. The edges - automations, reporting depth, mobile parity - are where their opinions show.

API and integrations

Employment Hero

Employment Hero connects with 41+ tools natively, offering one of the broadest integration ecosystems in its category

Saasu

Saasu supports 33+ native integrations, covering the most common tools in a mid-market tech stack

Both platforms have similar integration breadth (41 and 33 native connectors respectively). Either will connect to the major tools in a mid-market stack.

Ease of setup

Employment Hero

Employment Hero provides onboarding resources. Setup complexity depends on your configuration requirements

Saasu

Limitation: Feature development pace is slower than larger competitors, with fewer new capabilities released each year

If ease of setup is a daily-use area for your team, the onboarding curve and keyboard ergonomics matter more than feature counts - trial both with a real operator, not an evaluator.

Value for money

Employment Hero

HR Standard from approximately $8/employee/month, HR Premium from approximately $12/employee/month, Payroll from approximately $6/employee/month (AUD). HR and Payroll billed separately. Onboarding and benefits modules included at Premium level.

Saasu

Small from approximately $20/month, Medium from approximately $40/month, Large from approximately $60/month (AUD). All plans include invoicing, expenses, and bank feeds. Payroll and inventory available on higher tiers.

Pricing models differ significantly. Compare the total cost of ownership including add-ons and per-user fees, not just the headline price.

Pricing Comparison

General pricing information for each platform.

Employment Hero

Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.

Saasu

These figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing. Actual costs depend on your usage, team size, and any negotiated rates.

Pros & Cons

An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.

Employment Hero

Pros

Combines HR, payroll, and employee benefits in a single Australian-built platform, reducing the need for separate systems
Employee self-service portal handles onboarding paperwork, leave requests, and personal detail updates without HR intervention
Built-in employee benefits marketplace (Swag) offers discounts on everyday purchases, which can help with retention and employee satisfaction
Compliance management tracks certifications, licences, and mandatory training with automatic expiry reminders
Performance review tools with goal setting, 1-on-1 templates, and 360-degree feedback are included on higher plans without needing a separate tool

Cons

Payroll module pricing is separate from the HR platform, so the all-in cost can be higher than expected when both are needed
The platform has grown rapidly through acquisition and feature addition, which sometimes shows in inconsistent UX between modules
Customisation of workflows and approval chains is less flexible than dedicated HRIS platforms like BambooHR or Rippling
Customer support response times can vary, with some users reporting delays during peak payroll periods

Saasu

Pros

Australian-built cloud accounting software designed specifically for the local market with BAS, GST, and STP compliance built in
Inventory management module included in the core product suits product-based small businesses without requiring a separate add-on
Multi-currency support handles international transactions with automatic exchange rate lookups for businesses trading overseas
Payroll module covers Australian award rates, superannuation, and Single Touch Payroll reporting without needing a third-party payroll tool
Competitive pricing undercuts Xero and MYOB for small businesses that need a straightforward accounting solution with payroll included

Cons

Significantly smaller user base and integration ecosystem than Xero and MYOB, limiting the range of third-party apps that connect natively
User interface feels dated compared to Xero and MYOB, which have invested heavily in modern, intuitive design
Accountant and bookkeeper familiarity is low compared to Xero, making it harder to find professional support for the platform
Feature development pace is slower than larger competitors, with fewer new capabilities released each year

Best For

Which tool suits which use case.

Choose Employment Hero if you need

✓ Retail & E-commerce businesses
✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
✓ Complex data models (employees, payroll, leave and more)
✓ Hospitality & Tourism organisations
✓ Tax compliance

Choose Saasu if you need

✓ Financial reporting
✓ Professional Services businesses
✓ Retail & E-commerce organisations
✓ Moderate data needs (invoices, contacts)
✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations

Expert Verdict

Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.

Clever Ops Recommendation

Choose Employment Hero if Australian SMBs that want HR, payroll, and employee engagement tools in a single locally built platform, particularly businesses managing onboarding, compliance, and leave at scale. Choose Saasu if Australian small businesses that want a locally-built accounting solution with payroll and inventory at a lower cost than Xero or MYOB, particularly sole traders and micro-businesses. Avoid Employment Hero if businesses that only need payroll without HR features (KeyPay is more cost-effective), or companies needing highly customised HR workflows beyond standard Australian employment practices. Avoid Saasu if businesses that need extensive third-party integrations, or those whose accountant or bookkeeper works primarily in Xero or MYOB and expects client files on those platforms. If you are still weighing the trade-offs, Clever Ops offers a free assessment where our Harvard-educated consultants map your requirements to the right platform.

Migration Notes

What to know about switching between Employment Hero and Saasu.

Migrating Between Employment Hero and Saasu

Even though Employment Hero and Saasu structure data differently, Clever Ops has experience bridging the gap. We map payroll between both systems, handle custom field translations, and run test migrations before going live. Expect 4-8 weeks for the full migration, with 3 months of ongoing support.

Employment Hero vs Saasu FAQ

Yes. Both platforms share 1 common data object types (including payroll), which simplifies field mapping. Clever Ops runs a structured migration process: discovery, data mapping, test migration, verification, and cutover. Most migrations complete within 4-8 weeks, with 3 months of post-migration support included.

Yes. Employment Hero provides a REST API and Saasu provides a REST API, so we can build reliable integrations between them. Common sync patterns include payroll. Our integrations include error handling, retry logic, and monitoring. Clients typically save 8+ hours/week once the integration is live.

Switching costs include data migration, team retraining, workflow rebuilding, and potential downtime. Employment Hero pricing: HR Standard from approximately $8/employee/month, HR Premium from approximately $12/employee/month, Payroll from approximately $6/employee/month (AUD). Saasu pricing: Small from approximately $20/month, Medium from approximately $40/month, Large from approximately $60/month (AUD). Beyond licensing costs, budget for implementation (Clever Ops typically completes migrations in 4-8 weeks) and training. We run parallel systems during transitions and provide 3 months of post-migration support to minimise disruption.

ROI depends on three factors: how well the platform is configured, how thoroughly your team adopts it, and how tightly it integrates with your other tools. Employment Hero delivers value through Combines HR, payroll, and employee benefits in a single Australian-built platform, reducing the need for separate systems. Saasu delivers value through Australian-built cloud accounting software designed specifically for the local market with BAS, GST, and STP compliance built in. A poorly set-up tool delivers less value than a well-implemented one, regardless of platform. Clever Ops focuses on maximising your return through proper implementation and ongoing optimisation.

Yes, both platforms are used by Australian businesses. Employment Hero is popular with Retail & E-commerce and Hospitality & Tourism in Australia. Saasu is widely used by Professional Services and Retail & E-commerce. Key Australian considerations include AUD pricing, local support hours, GST handling, and data residency. Employment Hero offers Australian-specific pricing. Clever Ops, based in Gippsland, Victoria, factors these nuances into every recommendation.

Both Employment Hero and Saasu provide standard security measures including encryption, access controls, and compliance certifications. Employment Hero uses a REST API and Saasu uses REST, both supporting secure data transfer. For Australian businesses handling sensitive data under the Privacy Act, data residency and local support are worth verifying with each vendor. Clever Ops, based in Gippsland, Victoria, can review each platform's security posture against your compliance requirements during a free assessment.

Yes. Employment Hero provides a REST API and Saasu provides a REST API, so automations can be built via Zapier, Make, or custom integrations. Common automated workflows include syncing payroll between both platforms. Clever Ops builds these automations for mid-market Australian businesses, saving teams 8+ hours/week on average.

Both platforms have their own setup considerations. Employment Hero manages 8 data object types and Saasu manages 7, so configuration complexity scales with your data requirements. Clever Ops provides implementation support for both, typically completing setup within 2 weeks.