HONEST COMPARISON

Workzoom vs Rise People: an honest look

We break down pricing, Canadian compliance, implementation complexity, and support when comparing Workzoom and Rise People (Rise). No vendor spin.

See the Difference View Pricing

100% Canadian-owned

Implementation included

$4/employee/month

Workzoom is an all-in-one people management platform by Nortek Solutions Inc., founded in 2000 and 100% Canadian-owned. Workzoom offers HR, Workforce Management, Payroll, and Talent suites starting at $4 per employee per month per suite with no setup fees, no contracts, and month-to-month billing. Workzoom processes payroll in Canada, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This page compares Workzoom against Rise People (Rise).

Rise People (Rise) is positioned as: People management platform for growing Canadian teams, with group benefits administration. Sweet spot: Canadian businesses with 50-500 employees, particularly those wanting group benefits alongside HR and payroll. Workzoom is the stronger fit for: 50-5,000 employees in Canada or internationally; Need shift scheduling and time and attendance alongside HR and payroll; Operations outside Canada (Caribbean, US); Organizations needing union payroll and workforce management; Want all-in-one pricing with $0 setup fees; Month-to-month flexibility. Rise People may be the stronger fit for: Canadian organizations that prioritize group benefits administration; Teams wanting a modern, clean interface for HR and payroll basics; Companies under 500 employees with straightforward payroll needs; Organizations where benefits enrollment and management is the primary requirement. Workzoom pricing: $4/employee/month, $0 setup fees, month-to-month contracts, support included. Rise People pricing: Quote required (tiered plan pricing). This comparison was last reviewed March 2026.

Proof points: Workzoom serves organizations with 50 to 5,000 employees across 7 countries. Pricing starts at $4 per employee per month per suite with no setup fees. Implementation typically completes in 90 days or less. This comparison covers 22 feature categories. Workzoom is 100% Canadian-owned with 20+ years in the market.

Quick Verdict

Which platform is right for your team?

Both platforms have their strengths. Here is where each one excels so you can find the right fit for your organization.

Choose Workzoom if…

50-5,000 employees in Canada or internationally
Need shift scheduling and time and attendance alongside HR and payroll
Operations outside Canada (Caribbean, US)
Organizations needing union payroll and workforce management
Want all-in-one pricing with $0 setup fees
Month-to-month flexibility

Choose Rise People if…

Canadian organizations that prioritize group benefits administration
Teams wanting a modern, clean interface for HR and payroll basics
Companies under 500 employees with straightforward payroll needs
Organizations where benefits enrollment and management is the primary requirement

setup or implementation fees

/employee/month

per suite, all-in

suites

including scheduling Rise doesn't offer

Feature Comparison

How Workzoom and Rise People stack up

Feature	Workzoom	Rise People	Notes
Core HR
Employee profiles
Document management
Onboarding workflows
Org chart and reporting structure
Payroll
Canadian payroll			Both handle Canadian payroll
Multi-province compliance
T4, ROE, Record of Employment
Bahamas payroll			Workzoom advantage
Jamaica payroll	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
Trinidad payroll	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
US payroll			Workzoom advantage
Union payroll support		Partial	Workzoom stronger for Canadian union agreements
Workforce Management
Shift scheduling			Workzoom advantage
Time and attendance tracking		Partial	Rise has basic time entry
Union-aware scheduling			Workzoom advantage
Talent Management
Performance management		Partial	Rise has basic performance reviews
Learning management			Workzoom advantage
Core HR
Recruiting and ATS			Workzoom advantage
Benefits
Benefits administration			Rise advantage for group benefits enrollment
Group benefits carrier connections	Partial		Rise has stronger benefits marketplace
Reporting
Single database across all modules		Partial	Workzoom advantage: one record per employee
Custom reporting across HR, payroll, scheduling		Partial	Workzoom more depth

Pricing

What you actually pay

Transparent pricing, no surprises

Workzoom

$4/employee/month

Per suite, per employee, per month

Setup fees: $0
Contract: Month-to-month, cancel anytime
Training: Included
Support: Included (phone, email, chat)

Rise People

Quote required (tiered plan pricing)

Tiered plans with per-employee charge

Setup fees: Varies by plan
Contract: Annual contracts typical
Training: Limited
Support: Email and chat

Why teams switch

Common frustrations with Rise People

HR features barely scratch surface

Rise People's HR module covers basics but lacks depth in areas like advanced workflows, custom fields, and multi-department management.

Missing key payroll features

Users report gaps in payroll functionality, particularly around union agreements, complex deduction rules, and multi-rate pay structures.

Small vendor, limited track record

As a smaller vendor, Rise People has fewer large-scale deployments, which can be a concern for organizations with 500+ employees.

Migration

Switching from Rise People?

Discovery and data export

We review your Rise configuration and export employee records, pay history, leave balances, and Canadian tax data. Benefits transition planning happens at this stage.

Configuration and parallel payroll

Workzoom is configured for your Canadian payroll and HR requirements. Both systems run simultaneously for 2-3 pay periods so your team can validate outputs before switching.

Go-Live and decommission

Once your team is confident in Workzoom, you cancel Rise. We help plan the cutover timing and support your payroll team through the transition.

What users say

Real reviews from real teams.

A qualitative ROI was achieved within the first quarter of implementing Workzoom.

Greg Belmore HR Manager, County of Renfrew

We chose Nortek because their platform solved 95% of our people management issues.

Terhemba M. General Manager, Human Resources

When that flag comes up it gives us a proactive approach and allows us to spot and correct errors before we even run payroll.

Shanika Pinder Payroll Manager, Cable Bahamas

Video Testimonial

Common Questions

Questions teams ask when comparing Workzoom and Rise People.

Is Workzoom a good alternative to Rise People for Canadian organizations?

For organizations that need shift scheduling, time tracking, and talent development (performance, learning, career planning, succession) alongside HR with built-in recruiting and payroll, yes. Workzoom goes beyond what Rise offers in workforce management and talent. Rise has a genuine advantage for group benefits administration, which Workzoom supports but Rise handles with more carrier connections.

Does Workzoom handle group benefits like Rise?

Workzoom includes benefits administration. Rise has a stronger group benefits marketplace with more direct Canadian carrier connections. If group benefits enrollment and management is your primary requirement, Rise is worth evaluating on that dimension specifically. For organizations where payroll, scheduling, and talent management are equally important, Workzoom offers more breadth.

How does Workzoom compare to Rise for Canadian payroll?

Both platforms handle Canadian payroll including CPP, EI, provincial tax, T4, and ROE. Workzoom also covers US payroll and Bahamas payroll, with HR, Workforce, and Talent available in Jamaica and Trinidad. Union payroll support is stronger in Workzoom for industries with collective agreements.

Does Rise People include scheduling and time tracking?

Rise has basic time entry but does not offer shift scheduling in the way Workzoom does. For organizations in healthcare, hospitality, retail, or other industries where shift scheduling is central, Workzoom has a significant advantage.

How does Workzoom pricing compare to Rise People?

Rise uses tiered plans with per-employee pricing, and pricing requires a quote. Workzoom is $4 per employee per month per suite with $0 setup fees, published transparently. As organizations add more functionality, Workzoom's all-in-one model is often comparable or lower in total cost.

How long does migrating from Rise to Workzoom take?

Most migrations take 45-60 days. We run parallel payroll for 2-3 pay periods so your team can validate Canadian payroll accuracy before you fully switch over.

Ready to make the switch?

Need scheduling and talent too?

See how Workzoom gives you the full picture in one platform.

No contracts
Implementation included
Month-to-month billing

Workzoom vs Rise People (2026) | Feature Comparison.