Cord8 is rostering and inventory software for independent retail and hospitality businesses in Australia. This page compares it with Employment Hero, using its public website, and says where Employment Hero is stronger. Sign-up is not open yet. Join the waitlist.
Prices and features change. Check the vendor's page before you decide.
Cord8 on the left, Employment Hero on the right. A feature we did not find on the pages we checked is marked as not listed, not as a no.
| Feature | Cord8 | Employment Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Rostering | ||
| Weekly roster | YesWeekly roster | Yes Rostering and Time and Attendance is sold as an add-on.1 |
| Shift swaps | YesShift swaps | Yes Shift bidding and swapping are listed.2 |
| Open shifts | YesOpen shifts | Yes Employees can swap or claim open shifts.2 |
| Leave and availability | YesTime off requestsAlso: Availability | Yes Leave requests and balances are listed, and the roster shows employee availability.2 |
| Time clock and timesheets | ||
| Time clock | YesTime clock and timesheets | Yes Clock in and out by kiosk or mobile device.2 |
| Location, QR or photo check at clock-in | YesLocation-checked clock in On a paid Employees planAlso: QR code clock in, Photo at clock in | Yes Geofencing and photo capture on clock events.3 |
| Shared-device clock-in | YesStaff PIN on a shared device | Yes Clock in and out by kiosk or mobile device.2 |
| Timesheet approval, lock and CSV export | YesLock and export timesheets | Partial Submitted timesheets can be reviewed and approved. Locking and CSV export were not found on the pages checked.2 |
| Labour cost on the roster | PartialLabour cost estimates On a paid Employees plan | Yes Labour costs are forecast against rostered hours, using award interpretations.2 |
| Stock and ordering | ||
| Stock counts with barcode scanning | YesStock countsAlso: Barcode scanning | Not listed on the pages we checked (checked 8 Nov 2026) |
| Purchase orders and deliveries | YesSuppliers and ordersAlso: Purchase order approval, Partial deliveries | Not listed on the pages we checked (checked 8 Nov 2026) |
| Invoice scanning | YesScan an invoice On the Inventory plan | Not listed on the pages we checked (checked 8 Nov 2026) |
| Expiry tracking and write-offs | YesExpiry datesAlso: Write-offs with reasons | Not listed on the pages we checked (checked 8 Nov 2026) Expiry dates for licences and qualifications are listed; stock batch expiry was not found on the pages checked.2413 |
| Pay, awards and connections | ||
| Pays wages from timesheets | NoCord8 does not pay wages. It records hours and exports timesheets as a CSV file. | Yes Managed Payroll is listed as a separate paid option.2 |
| Award interpretation | NoCord8 does not interpret awards. Labour costs are estimates from the rates you enter. Check them against the award or your adviser. | Yes Award interpretation and award-based costing are listed.2 |
| Accounting software links | NoCord8 does not link to accounting software. Take the CSV into the system you already use. | Yes Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB AccountRight Payroll are listed. They are labelled for Payroll and HR; a link to the rostering add-on is not stated.4 |
| Sales-system links | NoCord8 does not connect to sales systems or import sales data. | Yes Square and Lightspeed Restaurant (O-Series) are listed. They are labelled for Payroll and HR; a link to the rostering add-on is not stated.4 |
| Installable phone app | NoCord8 works in a web browser on a phone or a computer. It is not available as an installable phone app yet. | Yes The Employment Hero Work mobile app.2 |
| Pricing | ||
| Charged per user or per workspace | One allowance of 15 users covers your whole workspace, whichever products you buy. Extra users can be added. | Charged per employee per month, with a monthly minimum.2 |
| Free plan | YesFree covers up to 10 users and 1 location. | Not listed on the pages we checked (checked 8 Nov 2026) The pricing page lists paid plans and add-ons. A free rostering plan is not listed.2 |
Leave requests and balances are listed, and the roster shows employee availability.2
Submitted timesheets can be reviewed and approved. Locking and CSV export were not found on the pages checked.2
Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB AccountRight Payroll are listed. They are labelled for Payroll and HR; a link to the rostering add-on is not stated.4
Square and Lightspeed Restaurant (O-Series) are listed. They are labelled for Payroll and HR; a link to the rostering add-on is not stated.4
Charged per employee per month, with a monthly minimum.2
The pricing page lists paid plans and add-ons. A free rostering plan is not listed.2
These are things Employment Hero lists on its own website that Cord8 does not do today.
HR, pay processing and rostering are sold by one vendor.2
Award-based costing is listed on the roster.2
Shift bidding and swapping are listed.2
Geofencing and photo capture are listed for clock events.3
Links to Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB AccountRight Payroll, Square and Lightspeed Restaurant are listed for its payroll and HR products.4
Cord8 charges one price for the workspace. Free covers up to 10 users and 1 location. Employees is A$59 a month ex GST with 15 users included. Inventory is A$50 a month ex GST with 1 location included.
Rostering and Time and Attendance add-on: $5 per employee per month, minimum $50 a month, price shown without currency on their site2
Prices and features change. Check the vendor's page before you decide.
Employment Hero's pricing page lists Rostering and Time and Attendance as an add-on. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
Employment Hero lists a managed pay service as a separate paid option. Cord8 does not pay wages. It records hours and exports timesheets as a CSV file. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
Stock counts, purchase orders, invoice scanning and expiry tracking are not listed on the Employment Hero pages we checked. Checked 8 Nov 2026. Count the shelves and apply the differences when you finish. Keep suppliers, raise purchase orders and receive deliveries against them.
Employment Hero lists links to Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB, Square and Lightspeed Restaurant for its HR and pay processing products. Cord8 does not link to accounting software. Take the CSV into the system you already use. Cord8 does not connect to sales systems or import sales data. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
Employment Hero lists shift bidding and swapping. A team member asks to swap a shift, a colleague takes it and a manager approves. Leave a shift unassigned and team members can claim it. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
Every cell, price and strength above comes from a page on Employment Hero's own website or help centre, checked 8 Nov 2026. Where a row says "Not listed on the pages we checked", we read the pages numbered beside it and did not find the feature. That is not a statement that Employment Hero lacks it; check with Employment Hero before you decide.
Employment Hero is a trademark of its owner. This page is based on its public website and is not endorsed by Employment Hero. Report an error