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What is your HR tech actually costing you?

Calculate the true total cost of your current HR technology stack — licences, people time, implementation, and maintenance — then compare it against a new product. Free, no login required.

Start calculating

Free · No login · Multi-currency

Current stack cost

Licences, IT, people time, maintenance

New product comparison

Side-by-side TCO vs. replacement cost

Payback period

Time to ROI based on your actual inputs

1
Current setup
2
New product
3
Comparison

Getting started

How to use this calculator

This tool gives you a clear, evidence-based cost comparison between your current HR tech setup and any new product you are evaluating — without needing a spreadsheet. Enter your actual costs across three simple steps and get an instant side-by-side breakdown of software spend, people time, and total annual investment.

1
Enter your current setup
Add each system you currently run — HRIS, payroll, ATS, etc. — with annual license, maintenance, IT and implementation costs. Then list every group who touches the systems with headcount and days per year.
2
Enter the new product
Repeat the same structure for the product you are evaluating. If the new system is more efficient, lower the days-per-person figures — that is where people-cost savings really show up. Use 'Copy from Step 1' to pre-fill.
3
Review & download
Step 3 delivers your full cost comparison instantly — annual saving or extra cost, payback period, category-by-category breakdown, 3-year projection and sensitivity modelling. Download as a PDF.

Need help building your business case?

Our advisors can walk you through the numbers and help you present the ROI to leadership.

Systems & software costs
1 system
HRIS$0
$
$
$
$
$
Annual cost for this system$0
People & time investment
Days × People × Day Rate = Annual Cost
Role / Person typeNo. of peopleDays/person/yrAnnual salaryDay rate (auto)Annual cost
Internal staff — salary-based
HR & Admin staff
Process owners, administrators
$
—$0
Employees (self-service)
Input own data, view payslips, apply leave
$
—$0
Line managers
Make recommendations & decisions
$
—$0
Senior leaders
Review, calibrate & approve decisions
$
—$0
External / consultants — day rate based
Consultants & freelancers
Enter day rate directly
Day rate →
$
$0
Total annual people cost$0

* Day rate auto-calculated: Annual Salary ÷ Working Days. Adjust working days in the config bar above.

Annual total: $0

Current setup

$0

estimated annual total cost

Systems & software$0
HR & Admin$0
Employees (self-service)$0
Line managers$0
Senior leaders$0
Consultants$0
Tip: Include all people who touch the system — even employees spending 5 min/day on a 500-person workforce adds up significantly.

Why this matters

Why do you need an ROI calculation?

HR technology decisions are significant financial commitments — yet they are often made on gut feeling, vendor promises or peer recommendations rather than hard numbers. An ROI calculation changes that.

📋
Secure budget approval
Finance leaders approve investments backed by evidence. An ROI calculation gives you a concrete business case — total cost of ownership, annual saving and payback period.
👥
Convince leadership
Senior leaders think in financial terms. Showing them exactly how much the current system costs — and what the alternative costs — is a powerful argument.
🔍
Uncover hidden costs
Most organisations underestimate the true cost of their HR systems by ignoring the time employees, managers and leaders spend interacting with them.
⚖️
Minimise risk
A structured cost comparison reveals whether a new product is genuinely worthwhile before you commit. Sensitivity analysis lets you model risk properly.
🎯
Set the right priorities
When multiple HR tech projects compete for budget, ROI calculations give you an objective way to rank them. Remove politics from prioritisation.
📊
Make data-driven decisions
Decisions made with clear financial data are more defensible and more likely to be right. The 3-year projection gives you a long-term view.
🔄
Cost is one dimension — value is the full picture

A higher annual cost for a new system does not automatically make it the wrong choice. The more important question is what that investment unlocks — whether it eliminates manual reconciliation, reduces compliance exposure, gives managers real-time workforce visibility, or enables self-service at scale. These outcomes do not always translate directly into a line-item saving, but they compound into faster decisions, fewer errors, and a better employee experience over time.

A sound HR technology assessment weighs cost impact alongside process efficiency, capability uplift, and the strategic headroom the system creates for the business to grow. Whether the total cost moves up or down, the real question is: does this investment make the organisation meaningfully better at managing its people? The number in this calculator is the starting point for that conversation, not the conclusion.

Related

Found a cheaper option? Build the case for it.

Fit Engine turns your organisational context into weighted HRMS requirements — useful if the numbers here make a system change worth pursuing.

Explore Fit Engine

FAQ

Common questions.

Is the HR Tech ROI Calculator free?

Yes. It's free, requires no login, and is not gated behind a form.

What costs does it include?

Licence costs, IT and people time spent administering the system, implementation costs, and ongoing maintenance — for both your current stack and a prospective replacement.

Can I compare against a specific vendor?

You enter the cost figures for your current stack and for the replacement product you're considering — the calculator doesn't pull vendor pricing automatically, so you can use it for any product you're evaluating.

Does it support currencies other than USD?

Yes, the calculator is multi-currency.

How is the payback period calculated?

It's based on the difference between your current annual cost and the new product's ongoing cost, set against the new product's implementation cost — giving you an estimated time to break even.