CrewvsPayPeople,side by side.
An honest comparison for Pakistani SMBs deciding between a modern AI-native platform and an established traditional payroll system. Here is what is actually different, with no fluff.
Quick verdict
Crew is the better fit if you value AI workflows, mobile-first self-service, and PKR-published pricing. PayPeople is the better fit if you have an existing deployment that works and your team is uninterested in changing workflows.
At a glance
The shortlist of differences.
Crew
SMBs that want AI, modern UX, and to onboard in days.
- Pricing
- PKR 350/employee/mo, published
- AI co-pilot
- Native, all modules
- Mobile app
- iOS + Android native
- Self-service
- Mobile-first
- Setup time
- 5 business days
- Year founded
- 2024
PayPeople
Teams with an established PayPeople deployment running smoothly with no current pain points.
- Pricing
- Contact sales
- AI co-pilot
- Not a core feature
- Mobile app
- Available
- Self-service
- Web-first
- Setup time
- 2-6 weeks typical
- Year founded
- Established player
Capability by capability
The detailed comparison.
| Capability | Crewthe one we make | PayPeople | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
AI prompt interface (EN, Urdu, Roman Urdu) Type what you need, no menu navigation. | Native across all modules | Not core | Crew |
Published PKR per-employee pricing Price on the website, same for everyone. | PKR 350/employee/mo | Contact sales | Crew |
Free starter tier Get going without a sales call. | Solopreneur free forever | Trial only | Crew |
PKR-based payroll & payslips Local salary structures, bank files. | Yes | Yes | Tie |
EOBI, PESSI, SESSI deductions Statutory rules built in. | Yes, automatic | Yes | Tie |
Performance management & 360 reviews Full review cycles with peer feedback. | Yes | Limited | Crew |
Live HR analytics dashboards Headcount, payroll cost, attrition in real time. | Yes | Partial | Crew |
Geofenced mobile attendance GPS-restricted clock-in. | Native | Limited | Crew |
Free benefits brokerage Health & retirement plans bundled. | Yes, no broker fee | No | Crew |
Mobile self-service depth Leave, payslips, attendance from phone. | Mobile-first design | Web-first | Crew |
Implementation timeline Signed to first live payroll. | 5 business days | 2-6 weeks | Crew |
Years in market Track record longevity. | Founded 2024 | Established player | PayPeople |
Where Crew wins
AI, mobile UX, and breadth of modules.
PayPeople is solid at core payroll. Crew is a full HR + payroll + benefits platform with AI on top.
- Crew AI runs across every module, not just a reporting layer. Type 'onboard Asma as Senior Engineer, salary 200k, starts Monday' and Crew prepares the action.
- Mobile-first self-service: employees request leave, view payslips, and clock in from their phone by default, not as an afterthought.
- Performance management and HR analytics are built in, not separate paid add-ons.
- Free benefits brokerage included. Crew is paid by the insurer, so you get health and retirement plans with no broker markup.
- Published pricing: PKR 350 per employee per month, the same price for everyone, no negotiation theater.
Where PayPeople wins
An established player with a long deployment history.
PayPeople has been in the Pakistani market longer. If you have an existing setup that works, the switching cost may not be worth it just for AI features.
- Longer track record in the Pakistani market with established customer base.
- If you have a multi-year PayPeople deployment running smoothly, status quo is cheap.
- Some established companies have deeper integration with specific Pakistani banks via PayPeople than newer platforms.
- Procurement and vendor risk teams sometimes prefer established vendors for compliance reasons.
Pricing
What you actually pay.
Crew
PKR 350 / employee / month
Small Business plan, published, billed monthly. Includes payroll, HR, time, leave, performance, AI, and benefits brokerage. No setup fee.
PayPeople
Contact sales
PayPeople does not publish per-seat pricing. Customers we have spoken to report quotes in a similar range, but the comparison depends on modules included, payment cycle, and contract length.
Crew's price includes performance management, HR analytics, and benefits brokerage at no extra cost. Always get a like-for-like quote when comparing.
Switching is easy
Switching from PayPeople to Crew
Standard PayPeople CSV exports work as inputs. Most SMBs are live on Crew within a week of starting the move.
Talk to a migration specialistExport your data from PayPeople
Employees, salary structures, leave balances, and payroll history as CSV. We provide the import templates that map directly.
Crew runs a shadow payroll
We re-run your last payroll cycle in Crew and reconcile net pay, deductions, and bank files line-by-line against your PayPeople output. Finance signs off.
Cut over and go live
Your next cycle runs natively in Crew. We co-pilot the first live run so your team learns by doing.
Bottom line
Which one should you pick?
Pick Crew if
- You want AI workflows across all HR modules, not just payroll
- Your team is mobile-first and lives on WhatsApp
- You want performance management and benefits without separate vendors
- You value published pricing over sales-led quotes
- You can be live in a week, not a month
Pick PayPeople if
- You have a working PayPeople deployment with no current pain
- You prefer the most established Pakistani vendor in the market
- Your procurement requires a vendor with X years of operating history
Compare FAQs
Crew vs PayPeople questions, answered.
Is PayPeople a bad product?+
Will my payroll output match exactly?+
Can I keep my biometric attendance system?+
How long does the switch take?+
What about historical data?+
Is there a contract lock-in?+
Other comparisons
Compare Crew vs other options.
See it run on your data.
Send us your last payroll run. We will show you what the same cycle looks like in Crew, with reconciliation against PayPeople, within 48 hours.