Employment Hero vs IRIS Cascade HR

Questions to ask when comparing Employment Hero vs Cascade HR

Does Cascade HR integrate HR and payroll in one system?

No. Cascade HR’s payroll is a separately purchased module, not included in the base platform. That means implementation, licensing, and support are scoped and costed independently — and the two systems need to be configured to work together. For many customers, that adds project complexity upfront and ongoing dependencies between modules that sit on different contracts.

Employment Hero unifies everything. HR records, contracts, leave balances, timesheets, and payroll all live in the same platform. When an employee clocks in, the data flows automatically to their timesheet and into payroll—no CSV exports, no re-keying, no reconciliation headaches at month-end.

Is Cascade HR’s reporting easy to use?

No. Cascade HR customers share that reporting is complicated and because building custom reports requires specialist knowledge, most teams become dependent on a number of people who know the system well. When those people leave, that institutional knowledge goes with them. 

Employment Hero offers wizard-based custom reporting that anyone can use without SQL knowledge or specialised training. Build the reports you need in minutes, not hours. Filter by department, location, contract type, or any employee attribute—and save your favourites for one-click access next time.

Does Cascade HR offer digital onboarding for employees?

No, not as standard. Digital onboarding in Cascade is available through IRIS Networx — their recruitment module — which is a separately purchased product with its own implementation costs and licensing. It’s not included in the core Cascade HR platform.

That means businesses wanting digital onboarding likely need to scope, buy, and implement a second system alongside their core HR subscription. For teams hiring at volume, that’s additional project overhead before day one is even possible — and an additional dependency to manage ongoing.

Employment Hero provides fully digital onboarding from offer letter to first-day completion. New hires receive their contract via email, complete right-to-work checks online, upload required documents (or capture them via mobile), and e-sign everything before day one. All documents are stored centrally and automatically linked to their employee record—zero scanning, zero filing cabinets.

How does Cascade HR pricing work?

Cascade HR uses a license-based pricing model with minimum thresholds. Based on IRIS pricing documentation, businesses are required to purchase licenses in bands (starting at 150 employees), regardless of active employee count.

Employment Hero uses transparent per-employee pricing. Pay only for active employees in each pay run. No forced minimums, no paying for unused licenses. Plus, if you’re a payroll bureau, our flat-rate unlimited model (£1,000 for unlimited clients and employees) makes your economics predictable and profitable.

Disclaimer: Information is accurate as of the publication date. Product features and pricing are subject to change by the respective providers. While we review this data periodically, users should verify current details directly with the competitor.