We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Paid plans start at $3.75/mo.
Sesame HR starts at $3.75 per employee per month with annual billing, but the 15-employee minimum makes the smallest listed annual bill $56.25 per month. Monthly billing starts at $4.25 per employee. The four fixed plans range from Essential to Scale; Growth costs $5.25 annually, while Scale is $7. The plan grid excludes some paid extras, and Custom plan pricing is not published. Compare the modules and add-ons you need before treating the headline rate as your total.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $3.75 | $4.25 | Teams needing time and compliance tools |
| Connect | $4.25 | $5 | Teams adding recruitment and communication |
| Growth | $5.25 | $5.75 | Teams managing the full employee lifecycle |
| Scale | $7 | $8 | Organizations needing more control and security |
| Custom plan | — | Quote | Teams choosing specific modules and add-ons |
Add-ons and overages
- Sesame Intelligence Start: included
- Sesame Intelligence Plus: $110/month per company
- Sesame Intelligence Pro: $225/month per company
- Sesame Studio: $239/month per company
- API and MCP: from $0.50/employee/month
- SSO: from $0.50/employee/month
- Extra storage: from $4/month
- Training and Expense control: paid add-ons; prices not published
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
15-person minimum
Every listed plan requires 15 employees; annual minimums run from $56.25 on Essential to $105 on Scale.
Annual discount mismatch
The page says annual billing saves 20%, but listed monthly and annual rates imply discounts of about 9%–15% across fixed plans.
Paid add-ons
Sesame Intelligence Plus costs $110/month per company, Pro costs $225, and Sesame Studio costs $239. Start is included.
Unpublished extras
API and MCP and SSO start at $0.50 per employee monthly. Training, Expense control, and Custom plan prices are not published.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teams needing time and compliance | Essential | Starts at $3.75 per employee monthly with annual billing; includes time tracking, time off, holidays, and shifts, but not Tasks. |
| Teams adding recruitment and communication | Connect | Adds Tasks, Shifts, Recruitment, and Internal communication; annual billing is $4.25 per employee monthly. |
| Teams managing the full lifecycle | Growth | Includes Culture and Performance, plus Core, time tracking, and time off at Enterprise level; annual billing is $5.25 per employee monthly. |
04Is Sesame HR worth the money?
Sesame HR is worth considering for teams of 15 or more that want time, leave, recruitment, communication, or performance tools on one platform. Essential’s $56.25 annual minimum is approachable for that floor, but the entry rate does not include every module: Tasks are excluded from Essential, and add-ons can lift the bill. The plan grid gives per-employee rates, but Custom plan pricing and some add-on prices are undisclosed. Compare the modules you need, not just the starting price.
Sesame HR pricing FAQ
What is the average cost of HR per employee?
The published pricing information does not establish a category-wide HR cost average. Sesame HR’s listed starting rate is $3.75 per employee per month with annual billing, subject to a 15-employee minimum. Its listed monthly starting rate is $4.25 per employee.
How much does Sesame AI cost?
Sesame Intelligence Start is included. Sesame Intelligence Plus costs $110 per month per company, and Pro costs $225 per month per company. Those are company-level prices, not per-employee rates. Sesame Studio is a separate add-on at $239 per month per company.
What is Zoho HR's pricing?
Zoho HR pricing is not included in the pricing information we reviewed, so we can’t give a sourced Zoho figure or a fair direct comparison here. Sesame HR’s published fixed plans start at $3.75 per employee monthly with annual billing, with a 15-employee minimum.
What is the starting price for BambooHR payroll?
BambooHR payroll pricing is not included in the pricing information we reviewed, so its starting price is not available here. Sesame HR’s own listed starting rate is $3.75 per employee monthly with annual billing, but that is not a BambooHR price.