Comparison

BrightHR vs Payworks Self Service

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BrightHR

This app simplifies HR tasks by allowing instant communication of attendance, sickness, and holidays. It provides secure access to important documents and notifications for changes, streamlining HR processes for both employees and managers.

Highlights
  • Instant attendance communication
  • Update sickness and holidays
  • Secure 24/7 access
  • HR info and time off in pocket
  • Shift and rota access
  • Document upload and access
  • Performance tracking
Features
Read full description

Our innovative and user friendly mobile solution lets colleagues communicate their attendance in an instant. Update sickness, holidays and personal time with a tap of your finger. It will notify your line manager, deliver instant feedback, and even give you access to important documents. Let us take the hassle out of your HR. App features: + Secure, anytime, anywhere access available 24/7 + Your HR info, planned time off and remaining allowance in your pocket + Get notified the moment something changes that matters to you + Shifts and rotas for you and your colleagues on the go + Scan and upload a fit note straight from your bed + Your employees' designated emergency contact details with you at all times + Features to reduce paperwork and simplify holiday requests + Features to track individual performance + And lots, lots more!

About

Payworks Self Service

Access your pay information and manage your work schedule from anywhere. View pay statements, submit time off requests, clock in/out, and update personal details. Secure login with biometrics is available.

Highlights
  • View pay statements and history
  • Submit time off requests
  • Clock in/out of shifts
  • View work calendar and team schedules
  • Request and take shift coverage
  • Update personal employee information
  • Biometric login
Read full description

Important: Your employer must be a Payworks client and you must have an email login in order for you to use the app. You can now self-enrol for email login directly from the app. Whether you’re logging in from work or home, on the bus or the beach, Payworks Self Service gives you quick and convenient access to your pay information and lets you manage your time – on and off the clock – when (and where!) you need it. Through the Payworks Self Service app, you have convenient access to: - View your pay statements and pay history. - Submit time off requests and check your time off balances. - Clock in and out of shifts and breaks using Web time or Timesheets. - View your work Calendar, including your shifts, pending time off requests, and your team’s schedule to help plan and coordinate. - Request shift coverage, view and take action on available shifts. - Receive push notifications for available shifts, with more notifications to come! - Update your personal employee information, like your address or emergency contacts directly from the app. - Admin users can now view and action pending Time-Off Requests directly in the app. Best of all, you can authenticate and log in using biometrics (like your fingerprint or facial recognition) for fast and secure access. We’re continually adding features to the Payworks Self Service App. Log in or check back here to see what’s new! Seeking support? Please contact your company’s Payroll Administrator or HR department for assistance. Due to privacy protection, Payworks Client Service Representatives and social media account moderators are unable to support individual employee Self Service inquiries. Feature availability is subject to your employer’s Payworks subscription and may vary accordingly.

Screenshots

BrightHR4 screens
Payworks Self Service4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BrightHR at 54% against Payworks Self Service's 16%. BrightHR also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). Payworks Self Service's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrightHR ships an update weekly, Payworks Self Service every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BrightHR versus Payworks Self Service: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrightHRPayworks Self Service
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (166 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.6% of reviews — better16.4% of reviews
Number of ratings166 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size146 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrightHRPayworks Inc.

Customer experience

BrightHR

All ratings166 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral0.6%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral8.0%
Negative38.4%

Payworks Self Service

Written reviews55 reviews
Positive16.4%
Neutral5.5%
Negative78.2%

Bugs and requests

BrightHR

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to enter emergency contact info
  • Booked leave disappearing after app outage
  • Unable to update/delete leave requests
  • Clocking in/out feature not working consistently

Requested features

5 requests
  • Calendar integration for shifts and leave
  • Dedicated leave types (sick, personal, etc.)
  • Improved rota/schedule view
  • Communication features between staff
  • Dark mode option

Payworks Self Service

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BrightHR

No in-app purchases

None

Payworks Self Service

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BrightHR free?
BrightHR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Payworks Self Service free?
Payworks Self Service is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BrightHR or Payworks Self Service have ads?
BrightHR shows ads; Payworks Self Service does not.
Which is updated more often, BrightHR or Payworks Self Service?
BrightHR ships an update weekly, and Payworks Self Service every 5 weeks. Most recently, BrightHR was updated on October 29, 2026 and Payworks Self Service on October 30, 2026.

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