For many French small businesses, HR is still done with spreadsheets, shared folders, and Google Docs. But as regulations become stricter (DSN, URSSAF, 35-hour workweek, etc.), even teams with fewer than 20 people are being pushed to adopt HR tools. Among the choices, Lucca often comes up as a serious contender.
Founded in France, Lucca offers a suite of powerful HR modules, each designed to automate and streamline administrative tasks. But here’s the catch: Lucca is powerful, but heavy. It was built with mid-sized enterprises in mind.
MiniHRO was built for the other side of the spectrum—lean, agile, microbusinesses who need plug-and-play functionality, legal compliance, and a price point that won’t break the bank.
Let’s break it all down.
What Lucca Offers: Modular Power for Complex Needs
Lucca’s value lies in its modular approach. You can pick and choose what you need:
- Timmi Temps (time tracking)
- Pagga Bulletin (payslip distribution)
- Pagga Rémunération (bonus and compensation tracking)
- Poplee Entretiens (performance reviews)
- Cleemy Notes de frais (expense management)
This flexibility makes Lucca a great option for companies with an HR team, budget for customisation, and multiple stakeholders to manage. But for a 6-person team in Nancy? You’ll spend more time choosing and configuring modules than running your business.
MiniHRO: The Essentials Done Right
MiniHRO isn’t modular. It’s one tool with everything pre-integrated:
- Leave tracking (CP, RTT, sick leave)
- Time tracking
- Payroll preparation (PDF payslips, CSV/XML DSN-ready exports)
- Local compliance for France (e.g. DSN exports, regional contract templates)
Instead of giving you options to build your own system, MiniHRO gives you a working HR environment from day one—designed to match what a 5–20 person company legally needs.
MiniHRO is also focused on day-to-day clarity. The interface is designed with non-HR users in mind. Whether you’re an e-commerce store owner or a freelance agency managing 10 part-timers, the dashboard gives you instant visibility into pending leave requests, timesheet anomalies, and pay period prep. You don’t need an HR background to interpret it. The platform even includes auto-flags for common errors—like employees exceeding 48-hour weeks or missing key onboarding documents.
MiniHRO also helps you stay future-ready. It’s designed to scale up—not by adding unnecessary features, but by helping you automate the workflows that matter. For instance, contract generation follows the latest Code du Travail templates, while upcoming features like real-time alerts for DSN deadlines or tax rate changes will help keep even the busiest managers on track. MiniHRO’s product roadmap is public, transparent, and community-driven—giving microbusinesses a voice in shaping the tools they use.
Feature Comparison: Lucca vs MiniHRO
| Feature | Lucca | MiniHRO |
|---|---|---|
| Modular HR Suite | ✅ | ❌ (all-in-one) |
| DSN Export | ✅ (via payroll module) | ✅ (export-ready XML/CSV) |
| Contract Templates (CDI/CDD) | ❌ (external setup) | ✅ (preloaded, editable) |
| Leave Types (CP, RTT, arrêt) | ✅ | ✅ (auto-configured) |
| Setup Time | Days/weeks | < 1 hour |
| Interface in French | ✅ | ✅ |
| Price Transparency | ❌ | ✅ (€0–25/month) |
Setup: One Click vs One Department
With Lucca, setup often involves:
- Choosing modules
- Scheduling demo calls
- Coordinating implementation
- Connecting external payroll tools (Silae, Sage, etc.)
With MiniHRO, setup looks like this:
- Sign up
- Add company info
- Add employees
- Pick country (France or Belgium)
- Start using it
French Compliance: Built-In vs Outsourced
Lucca is compliant—but assumes you’ll manage compliance through integrations or partners.
- DSN is handled via external payroll tools
- Contracts often generated with help from your legal team
- Payslips usually uploaded manually from Silae or ADP
MiniHRO handles all of it internally:
- Payslip templates structured to French URSSAF norms
- Contract templates that match French Code du Travail
- Timesheets that follow 35-hour rules and track overtime
Real-Life Story: Léa in Toulouse
Léa runs a 12-person branding agency. She trialed Lucca but quickly realised it required an IT person to maintain. Modules needed configuration, employees needed training, and she still had to upload payslips from her accountant.
She switched to MiniHRO.
Setup was complete in 30 minutes
All leave types were preloaded
Contracts were ready to download and send
The DSN file was generated with one click
Now her accountant handles the export, and she spends zero hours each month managing HR tools.
What About Growth?
Lucca is built to scale. It’s great if you’re going from 50 to 150 employees in the next year.
But that’s not most companies.
In France, over 92% of companies have fewer than 20 employees.
These teams don’t want a modular enterprise system.
They want HR tools that match their simplicity.
MiniHRO is not a startup stepping stone. It’s a long-term solution for small companies.
Pricing Transparency: Lucca’s Hidden Costs
Lucca doesn’t show prices on their website. You need to:
Request a quote
Book a demo
Wait for a custom offer
Pricing varies by module and employee count, but it can easily climb into €5–€10/user/month—plus onboarding fees.
MiniHRO?
€0/month for up to 3 employees
€25/month for up to 20 employees
No onboarding fee, no surprise upsells
Designed for Founders, Not HR Professionals
If you have an HR department, Lucca is a solid choice.
If you don’t? You’ll spend time becoming the HR department.
MiniHRO is designed for:
Founders
Office managers
Accountants
People who already wear 10 hats and need a tool that doesn’t require training.
Final Verdict: Lucca or MiniHRO?
Choose Lucca if:
You have 50+ employees
You already use tools like Silae, ADP, or Sage
You want full control of custom workflows and performance reviews
Choose MiniHRO if:
You run a small team (1–20 people)
You want plug-and-play DSN support
You want to generate French contracts and payslips without another tool
You want to be compliant in France and Belgium without external help
Lucca is powerful. MiniHRO is practical.
And for small businesses, practical wins.
✅ French and Belgian labour law support
✅ DSN-compliant
✅ Built-in payslips and contracts
✅ Transparent pricing
No modules. No delays. Just HR that works for small teams
