Employment Hero vs Clearbooks

Employment Hero

Employment Hero is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits platform with a strong presence in Australia and New Zealand. It offers a free HR plan alongside paid payroll and benefits modules, making it accessible for businesses at any stage. Employment Hero also operates a job marketplace called Swag for employees.

Clearbooks

Clearbooks is a UK-focused cloud accounting software designed for small businesses and sole traders. It covers invoicing, expenses, payroll, and VAT returns in a simple and affordable package.

Pros

• ✓Free HR plan available with core employee management features
• ✓Strong compliance tools for Australian and NZ employment law
• ✓All-in-one platform covering HR, payroll, and benefits
• ✓Employee benefits marketplace with discounts and perks

Cons

• ✗Payroll module costs extra and is best suited for AU/NZ companies
• ✗Limited support and compliance coverage outside Australia and New Zealand
• ✗Some users report the platform can feel complex to navigate

Pros

• ✓Built specifically for UK accounting and VAT
• ✓Simple and easy to use
• ✓Affordable pricing
• ✓Good invoicing features
• ✓Solid MTD (Making Tax Digital) compliance

Cons

• ✗Limited outside UK market
• ✗Fewer integrations than QuickBooks or Xero
• ✗Less suitable for larger businesses
• ✗Support can be slow

Employment Hero Features

• ✓HR management
• ✓payroll
• ✓benefits
• ✓recruitment
• ✓learning
• ✓employee engagement

Clearbooks Features

• ✓Invoicing
• ✓bank reconciliation
• ✓expense tracking
• ✓VAT returns
• ✓payroll
• ✓financial reporting

Best For

Australian and NZ businesses needing full HR suite

Best For

UK small businesses and sole traders wanting simple affordable accounting with strong VAT and MTD compliance