HONEST COMPARISON

Workzoom vs OrangeHRM: an honest look

We break down pricing, Caribbean compliance, implementation, and support when comparing Workzoom and OrangeHRM. 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 OrangeHRM.

OrangeHRM is positioned as: Open-source HRIS with a free Starter tier and paid Advanced modules. No native payroll. Active in the Caribbean with clients like JPS, JN Group, and Sandals.. Sweet spot: Organizations wanting free or low-cost HR-only software who handle payroll separately. Workzoom is the stronger fit for: Need native payroll, not just HR; Require NIB, NIS, or PAYE statutory compliance; Want all-in-one HR, payroll, scheduling, and talent in one platform; Prefer transparent pricing with no hidden module costs; Need month-to-month flexibility. OrangeHRM may be the stronger fit for: Under 50 employees and only need basic HR (no payroll); Want a free Starter tier with no cost commitment; Already have a separate payroll provider and want to keep it; Have in-house IT to manage open-source customization; Comfortable sourcing your own training (OrangeHRM training is a common pain point). Workzoom pricing: $4/employee/month/suite, $0 setup fees, month-to-month contracts, support included. OrangeHRM pricing: Quote-based (Advanced tier), free Starter available. This comparison was last reviewed March 2026.

Proof points: Cable Bahamas (850 employees, telecom) reduced payroll processing time by 70%, from 5 days to 1.5 days. Island Luck (850 employees, 60+ gaming locations) processes 8 payrolls per week using Workzoom. Workzoom automates statutory compliance across all Caribbean markets including NIB (Bahamas), NIS/NHT/Education Tax/PAYE/HEART (Jamaica), and NIS/Health Surcharge/PAYE/Green Fund Levy (Trinidad). This comparison covers 17 feature categories.

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…

Need native payroll, not just HR
Require NIB, NIS, or PAYE statutory compliance
Want all-in-one HR, payroll, scheduling, and talent in one platform
Prefer transparent pricing with no hidden module costs
Need month-to-month flexibility

Choose OrangeHRM if…

Under 50 employees and only need basic HR (no payroll)
Want a free Starter tier with no cost commitment
Already have a separate payroll provider and want to keep it
Have in-house IT to manage open-source customization
Comfortable sourcing your own training (OrangeHRM training is a common pain point)

setup or implementation fees

/employee/month

per suite with native payroll included

add-ons

needed for payroll (OrangeHRM: separate)

Feature Comparison

How Workzoom and OrangeHRM stack up

Feature	Workzoom	OrangeHRM	Notes
Payroll
Native payroll processing			OrangeHRM has no built-in payroll
Bahamas NIB compliance			OrangeHRM has no Caribbean statutory compliance
Jamaica NIS/PAYE compliance	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
Trinidad NIS/PAYE compliance	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
Canadian payroll
US payroll
Bahamas payroll
Jamaica payroll	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
Trinidad payroll	Partial		HR, Workforce, Talent available. Payroll not yet live.
Core HR
Employee profiles
Employee self-service			OrangeHRM Advanced only
Document management
Scheduling
Shift scheduling		Partial	OrangeHRM has limited scheduling
Talent
Performance management			OrangeHRM Advanced only
Pricing
Transparent pricing			OrangeHRM Advanced requires a quote
Month-to-month contract			OrangeHRM typically requires annual contracts
All-in-one pricing (no module add-ons)			OrangeHRM charges per module

Pricing

What you actually pay

Transparent pricing, no surprises

Workzoom

$4/employee/month/suite

Per employee, per suite

Setup fees: $0
Contract: Month-to-month
Training: Included
Support: Included

OrangeHRM

Quote-based (Advanced tier), free Starter available

Per employee, modular (pick modules)

Setup fees: Contact for pricing
Contract: Annual contracts typical
Training: Contact for pricing
Support: Tiered plans

Why teams switch

Common frustrations with OrangeHRM

Free version lacks payroll

OrangeHRM's free Starter tier has no payroll capability at all. Organizations must find and integrate a separate payroll provider.

Paid pricing hard to pin down

Getting a price quote from OrangeHRM requires extensive back-and-forth. Users report needing multiple emails and calls to get clear pricing information.

Outdated interface, weak mobile

OrangeHRM's interface feels dated compared to modern platforms, and its mobile experience is limited, frustrating employees who need on-the-go access.

Migration

Switching from OrangeHRM?

Data export from OrangeHRM

Export your employee records, org structure, and leave balances from OrangeHRM. We handle the import into Workzoom.

Configure Caribbean compliance

We set up your statutory deductions, tax tables, and reporting for NIB, NIS, PAYE, and other local requirements.

Go live

Your team validates the data, runs parallel payroll if needed, and goes live. Typical timeline is 30-60 days.

What users say

Real reviews from real teams.

Nothing spoke to each other. A lot of manual work and a lot of spreadsheets. There wasn't a lot of trust in how things were done because we had no real ways to track our data.

Crystal Murray HR Generalist, Silvera for Seniors

Video Testimonial

I came from a company that had an HR system so I very much knew what we were missing. We had a payroll system but that was it.

Crystal Murray HR Generalist, Silvera for Seniors

Video Testimonial

We've gotten tremendous value streamlining and automating processes that were formerly manual for us such as our quarterly performance reviews.

Bill S. Small Business

Caribbean Compliance

Statutory compliance, automated

Bahamas

NIB contributions automated
C10 reporting
Gratuity calculations
Multi-island payroll

Jamaica

NIS
NHT
Education Tax
PAYE
HEART/NTA

Trinidad & Tobago

NIS
Health Surcharge
PAYE
Green Fund Levy

Antigua & Barbuda

Social Security Board
Medical Benefits Scheme
Education Levy

Common Questions

Questions teams ask when comparing Workzoom and OrangeHRM.

Is OrangeHRM free?

OrangeHRM offers a free Starter tier, but it is limited to basic HR features with no payroll, no advanced reporting, and restricted functionality. The Advanced tier is paid and quote-based, and it still does not include native payroll processing.

Does OrangeHRM handle Caribbean payroll?

No. OrangeHRM does not have native payroll. It offers integrations with third-party payroll providers, but there is no built-in support for NIB, NIS, PAYE, or other Caribbean statutory requirements.

Can Workzoom replace OrangeHRM?

Yes. Workzoom covers everything OrangeHRM does for HR and adds native payroll (Bahamas, Jamaica, and Trinidad), scheduling, and talent management. Organizations switching from OrangeHRM typically consolidate their HR and payroll into one platform.

How does pricing compare between Workzoom and OrangeHRM?

Workzoom is $4 per employee per month per suite with $0 setup fees and month-to-month contracts. OrangeHRM Advanced is quote-based with modular pricing where costs increase as you add modules. The free Starter tier lacks payroll entirely, so you would still need a separate payroll provider.

Ready to make the switch?

Need payroll with your HRIS?

OrangeHRM has no native payroll. Workzoom includes it, plus Caribbean compliance.

No contracts
Implementation included
Month-to-month billing

Workzoom vs OrangeHRM (2026) | Payroll Included.