Honest comparison

Sparko vs Shapes

Shapes is an AI-forward HRIS with published per-seat plans (Core $8, Plus $12, billed annually), AI agents included, and add-ons for surveys, performance and compensation. Sparko People is an AI-powered HRIS sold in three plans (Core $5, Growth $10, Business $16 per active employee). AI is available across Sparko. Your plan determines features and usage. Both publish prices. The structural difference is a lean HRIS layer with add-ons versus plans you grow into.

Competitor details from public sources, accessed 25 October 2026.

Which is right for you?

Choose Sparko if…

You want native recruiting/ATS with a careers page and offer e-signing. Shapes connects to ATS tools such as Greenhouse and Lever.
You want payroll runs in the HRIS: CSV bank export on Core and Growth, multi-entity runs with GIRO, ACH, SEPA and UAE WPS bank files on Business. Statutory items are calculated for supported countries, and filing stays with you or your accountant. Shapes connects to payroll providers such as ADP and Payfit.
You want to know the minimum before you sign: Sparko's minimums are published ($25/$100/$160 a month, billed annually). Shapes states that a minimum subscription applies but does not publish the amount.
You want a monthly billing option ($6/$12/$19). Shapes shows annual billing only.
You want depth to grow into: salary bands, merit cycles, retention scoring and a governance audit on Business.

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Choose Shapes if…

You want a short price list: two per-seat plans, with the modules you need added per seat.
Your stack already covers recruiting and payroll elsewhere, so a lean HRIS layer with AI agents included covers what's left.
Your team is small and Shapes Core at $8 a seat covers what you need from an HRIS layer.
Guided implementation matters to you. Shapes includes it on Plus.

Side by side

Pricing model

SparkoPlans: $5 / $10 / $16 per active employee/mo (annual; $6/$12/$19 monthly)

ShapesCore $8, Plus $12 per seat/mo, billed annually; surveys, performance and compensation add-ons per seat (published, October 2026)

Minimum spend

SparkoPublished: $25 / $100 / $160 a month billed annually ($30 / $120 / $190 monthly)

ShapesMinimum subscription applies; amount not published

Billing

SparkoAnnual or monthly

ShapesAnnual (no monthly option shown)

AI usage terms

SparkoPublished allowances: Core 10 AI + 3 assistant actions/employee/mo, Growth unmetered AI + 5 assistant actions, Business unmetered. Plan sets features and usage.

ShapesAI agents included in Core; usage terms not published

Recruiting / ATS

SparkoNative: pipeline, careers page builder, offer e-signing, on every plan

ShapesVia integrations (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and others)

Payroll

SparkoNative runs: CSV bank export on Core/Growth; multi-entity, multi-currency with GIRO, ACH, SEPA and UAE WPS bank files on Business

ShapesVia integrations (ADP, Payfit, Sage, Deel and others)

Compensation depth

SparkoBands, merit cycles, equity, pay equity on Business

ShapesCompensation add-on, priced per seat (see Shapes for scope)

Setup

SparkoSelf-serve guided setup. Migration help from a source system with an API: a self-serve import and setup call on Core, 5 days on Growth, full migration on Business

ShapesGuided implementation on Plus

Compliance

SparkoGDPR-aligned; AES-256; MFA/SSO/RBAC. No SOC 2/ISO yet

ShapesSOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001, per its security page

Best for

SparkoTeams that want the whole HR stack native and plans to grow into

ShapesTeams that want a lean, AI-assisted HRIS layer with per-seat add-ons

Where Shapes is stronger

No spin: if these matter most to you, Shapes is the better choice, and we'll say so.

A short, published price list: two per-seat plans, with AI agents included in Core.
Guided implementation on the Plus plan.
An AI-forward product direction from an experienced founding team.
SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 today, per its security page. Sparko holds no certification yet.

Where Sparko fits

Shapes and Sparko agree on the most important thing: prices belong on the website. Shapes sells two per-seat plans with add-ons for surveys, performance and compensation, with recruiting and payroll handled by other tools.

Sparko sells three plans. Core at $5 per active employee covers the basics: native ATS with a careers page and offer e-signing, payroll runs with CSV bank export, and AI with a published allowance. Growth at $10 adds Hire with Sparko AI and unmetered AI drafting. Business at $16 adds salary bands, merit cycles, retention scoring and a governance audit. If a lean HRIS layer with add-ons fits how you buy, Shapes is a fair pick. If you'd rather grow into published plans with the allowances in writing, choose Sparko.

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Frequently asked

Should I choose Shapes or Sparko?

If you want a lean HRIS layer with AI agents included, and you already handle recruiting and payroll elsewhere, Shapes is a reasonable fit. If you want the recruiting pipeline, careers page, offer e-signing and payroll runs native in the HRIS, with published plans ($5/$10/$16 per active employee) and a published AI allowance, choose Sparko.

Is Shapes cheaper than Sparko?

At list price, Shapes Core ($8 a seat) sits between Sparko Core ($5) and Growth ($10), and Shapes Plus is $12, with surveys, performance and compensation as per-seat add-ons. The real comparison depends on your needs: a team that needs an ATS or payroll would add other tools to Shapes, while Sparko includes them. Shapes states that a minimum subscription applies without publishing the amount; Sparko's minimums are $25/$100/$160 a month billed annually, on the pricing page.

Do both include AI agents?

Yes, and that's to Shapes' credit. The difference is disclosure: Sparko publishes how much AI each plan includes (Core: 10 AI actions and 3 assistant actions per employee per month; Growth: unmetered AI actions plus 5 assistant actions; Business: unmetered), while Shapes doesn't publish usage terms.

Does Shapes include recruiting or payroll?

As of October 2026, Shapes connects to recruiting and payroll tools (such as Greenhouse, Lever, ADP and Payfit) rather than offering native modules. Sparko includes a native Recruiting & ATS module (pipeline, careers page builder, offer e-signing) on every plan, and payroll runs: CSV bank export on Core and Growth, multi-entity, multi-currency runs with GIRO, ACH, SEPA and UAE WPS bank files on Business. Statutory items are calculated for supported countries, and filing stays with you or your accountant.

What about minimums and billing?

Sparko publishes dollar minimums: $25/$100/$160 a month billed annually, or $30/$120/$190 billed monthly at $6/$12/$19 per active employee. Shapes shows annual billing and states that a minimum subscription applies, without publishing the amount. If a published number matters for your budget approval, that's a real difference.

Sources

Sparko details reflect the current product. Shapes details are drawn from the public pages below, accessed 25 October 2026; pricing and features may have changed since.

Shapes and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. This comparison is provided for informational purposes and implies no affiliation or endorsement.