Who Are These Tools Really For?
Factorial was designed with growing startups and mid-sized businesses in mind. It covers a wide surface area:- HRIS (Human Resources Information System)
- Time tracking
- Performance reviews
- Recruitment
- Benefits
- Document management
Feature-by-Feature: What Actually Matters to Microbusinesses
| Feature | Factorial | MiniHRO |
|---|---|---|
| Leave tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Timesheets | ✅ | ✅ |
| Payroll summaries | ⚠️ (manual export only, no native DSN) | ✅ (DSN-ready) |
| Preloaded local leave types | ❌ | ✅ |
| French/Dutch contract templates | ❌ | ✅ |
| DSN export (France) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Interface in French | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price transparency | ❌ (must request quote) | ✅ (starts at €0) |
| Local tax config (URSSAF/ONSS) | ❌ | ✅ |
Setup: Fast or Frustrating?
Factorial’s onboarding is detailed and thorough—which is great if you have an HR team.But if you’re an agency founder, a coffee shop owner, or a freelance developer managing a small team, you don’t have days to spend configuring workflows, setting permissions, or translating templates.With MiniHRO, you:- Create an account.
- Add your business details.
- Pick your country.
- Invite your team.
- Start tracking leave and preparing payroll in under 30 minutes.
Real-World Scenario: Meet Emilie in Lyon
Emilie runs a 10-person marketing studio in Lyon. She hired part-timers, freelancers, and full-time staff. She needs to:
- Track RTT and Congés Payés
- Generate compliant payslips
- Export DSN every month
She tried Factorial but had to:
- Manually configure each leave type
- Search for templates online in French
- Use a third-party tool for DSN exports
After switching to MiniHRO, she was able to:
- Use pre-set French leave categories
- Auto-generate pay summaries
- Export a DSN-compliant XML with a click
That’s the difference between a generalist platform and a purpose-built local solution.
Local Compliance Isn’t Optional
Let’s say it clearly: if your HR tool doesn’t handle DSN, it’s not fit for French or Belgian businesses. The DSN (Déclaration Sociale Nominative) is a monthly requirement in France that includes salary, tax, and social security data.
Factorial doesn’t generate those files. MiniHRO does.
This isn’t a “nice to have” feature. It’s your legal obligation.
How Much Does It Really Cost?
Factorial:
- No clear pricing on the website
- Requires sales call for a quote
- Modules priced separately
- Can get expensive quickly
MiniHRO:
- Free for up to 3 employees
- €25/month for up to 20 employees
- No hidden fees, no surprises
If you’re managing a small business budget, MiniHRO’s transparent pricing is a breath of fresh air.
Designed for Founders, Not HR Managers
Let’s face it: most 8-person businesses don’t have an HR team.
They have you.
You’re the founder. Or the office manager. Or the accountant. You don’t have time to become an HR software expert.
MiniHRO is designed with that in mind:
- Built-in help text and pre-filled templates
- No jargon or complex HR logic
- Visual dashboards to see what needs attention
- Warnings when your DSN export is missing key data
Factorial assumes you’re already trained in HR. MiniHRO assumes you’re not—and makes it work anyway.
Use Case: Small Franchise Chain
Imagine you run a local restaurant chain with three locations in Belgium—each with 5 to 10 employees.
You need:
- Contract templates in Dutch for Flanders and French for Brussels
- A leave tracking system your staff can actually use
MiniHRO delivers all three. Factorial? You’ll spend hours configuring leave categories and still be stuck using a third-party payroll system.
The Overhead Tax of Big Platforms
Factorial is a strong platform. But like most big tools, it comes with what we call the overhead tax:
- Time to configure
- Time to train your team
- Cost creep with every new module or feature
MiniHRO avoids this. It offers only the essentials:
- Timesheets
- Leave
- Payroll prep
- Local compliance
All under one simple roof. And it works.
Final Verdict: Which HR Tool Should You Choose?
If you’re a 50-person startup with an HR department and plans to scale internationally, go for Factorial.
But if you:
- Run a small team in France or Belgium
- Don’t have time to set up complex systems
- Want to stay legally compliant without the stress
- Need contract templates and payslips in your local language
Then MiniHRO is the better choice.
It’s not trying to be everything—it’s built to solve the very real problems of small European businesses.
Try MiniHRO today.
- ✅ Free for teams of 3 or fewer
- ✅ Only €25/month up to 20 employees
- ✅ DSN-compliant
- ✅ Simple, fast setup
No demos. No quotes. Just clean, compliant HR that fits your scale.
