Sesame HR
Modular HR software for time management, talent, culture and people analytics in one platform.
By Sesame · HQ Valencia, Spain · 4.7/5 Value-Position score (estimate)
Positioning guardrails
Best for
- SMB and mid-market companies that need time tracking, shift planning and absence management in one tool
- HR teams that want modular plans and to pay only for the modules they use
- Companies with 15+ employees that prefer a self-serve 14-day free trial over a services-led rollout
- Organisations that want employee self-service on web and mobile
Ideal size: 15–500 employees people · Growing company with a dedicated HR function, comfortable with self-serve SaaS
Not for
- Enterprises requiring FedRAMP, HIPAA or a published trust centre
- Companies with fewer than 15 active employees without a custom arrangement
- Buyers looking for a full payroll engine rather than payroll checking and hand-off
Value metrics scorecard
Time-to-Value
14-day free trial; live in days
~14 days to first production value
Total Cost of Ownership
$3,750/yr
Starts at $675 · Per active employee, per month; annual billing saves 20% versus monthly. Modules are upgradable and you pay only for what you use.
Implementation Friction
2/5
Engineering + admin effort required
Value-Position score
out of 5 · model estimate
Full cost breakdown
Mandatory implementation fee
None
Seat tiers
15-employee minimum; priced per active employee
Add-on costs
- Sesame AI: $49/month, or $42.50/month on annual billing
- API add-on (included in Scale plan)
- SSO (included in Scale plan)
Company & support
Who is behind Sesame HR, and how your team gets help once it is live.
Company
- Founded
- Not recorded
- Headquarters
- Valencia, Spain
How you get support
We haven’t recorded support channels for Sesame HR yet. Nothing here means unverified — not absent.
Market position
Where Sesame HR sits against its closest alternatives. Pick any two of cost, speed, friction and buyer score, and up to 9 companies to compare.
Quadrant view
Typical annual cost × Time-to-value
The lines cross at the median of the solutions shown, so about half sit on each side of each line. A dashed ring marks an outlier pinned to the edge; hover for its value.
Companies on the chart 6 / 10
- Sesame HR
- Lively
- Pabbly Connect
- Breathe
- Siit
- Shortcut
Add or change companies
Up to 10 companies including Sesame HR. Listed closest first.
Stack fit signal
Compatibility with standard B2B ecosystems.
No supported MCP path today, so it cannot be driven from an AI client.
AI & MCP readiness
What Sesame HR ships in AI, and what it asks of your ecosystem.
AI features shipped
Sesame AI drafts internal announcements, job offers and interview questions, writes evaluation questionnaires, advises on 9-box results and answers questions about company HR data. It is sold as a paid add-on on top of the subscription.
Your data & models
- Trains on your data
- Not recorded — ask the vendor
- Runs on
- Not recorded
- AI pricing
- Paid add-on
In your ecosystem
- AI connection
- Not supported
- Model key
- Not recorded
- AI usage audit
- Not recorded
Compliance attestations
* IAPP AIGP certifies individuals, not products. It means named staff hold the credential — not that the platform does.
Bottom line
Sesame HR is a modular HR platform for SMB and mid-market teams, covering time tracking, shifts, holidays and absences, onboarding, internal communication, recruitment, performance and people analytics. The vendor reports more than 20,000 customers and a 4.7 rating. Pricing is per active employee per month with a 15-employee minimum, annual billing saving 20%, and a 14-day free trial. AI features are sold separately as the Sesame AI add-on.
Frequently asked questions
How is Sesame HR priced?
Sesame prices per active employee, per month, across four ready-made plans plus a custom option: Essential from $3.75, Connect $4.25, Growth $6.25 and Scale $7.00 per employee per month on annual billing, with a 20% saving versus monthly. Prices exclude taxes and the minimum is 15 employees.
Is there a minimum number of employees?
Yes. Pricing is calculated per active employee and the minimum is 15 employees. Sesame says companies with fewer than 15 employees should contact them to find a suitable option.
What does Sesame AI cost, and is it included in my plan?
Sesame AI is a paid add-on: $49 per month, or $42.50 per month on annual billing, charged separately from and in addition to the subscription. The pricing FAQ also states that Enterprise module tiers include advanced features such as automations and artificial intelligence.
How long does implementation take?
Sesame is self-serve: the vendor says an account can be created in under a minute and offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card and no commitment. Plans are modular, so modules can be added or upgraded from Business to Enterprise at any time.
How does Sesame HR integrate with other systems?
Integration is through the vendor's API add-on, which is included in the Scale plan, alongside SSO. The pages reviewed do not name specific third-party connectors, so any other integration should be confirmed with the vendor.
What security and compliance does Sesame claim?
Sesame's pricing page states that the company is ISO 27001 certified and the Scale plan is positioned around data control, security and scalability with SSO and API included. The sources reviewed do not include a dedicated trust or compliance page, so buyers should request current certifications directly.