malibou: reviews, prices and comparison with PayFit
Our opinion on malibou: operation, payroll support, price, advantages, limits and comparison with PayFit for startups and SMEs.
malibou combines an HR platform, Silae payroll technology and a dedicated manager who produces and controls the bulletins. This approach is aimed at companies that want to have a modern HRIS without managing the complexity of payroll alone. We analyzed its operation, its advantages, its limits and its positioning in relation to PayFit.
Methodology of our analysis
As of publication, Iter Advisors has not yet piloted a full deployment of Malibou with one of its clients. Our analysis is based on the study of the solution, the information communicated by the publisher and publicly available customer feedback. The prices displayed were noted on August 14, 2026 on the public price pages of the two publishers, malibou.com/tarif and payfit.com/fr/nos-offres. This sheet does not guarantee automatic updating of these prices. The functional scope and the list of integrations have been confirmed by the publisher. On the other hand, the commercial performance figures it puts forward – including the average savings announced – are reported as such and have not been independently verified by Iter Advisors. This sheet will be updated based on our future field feedback.
The malibou pricing page, consulted on October 2, 2026, displays €28 per employee per month for the offer presented to companies with less than 30 employees, from 5 employees, and €50 set-up per employee. It also presents a tailor-made offer for more than 30 employees. Ask for a quote specifying the scope and taxation. The PayFit figures in the table remain from historical readings from August 14.
The essentials in 30 seconds
What is malibou?
malibou is an HR platform launched at the end of 2023, which combines HR management software (absences, leave, expense reports, time, interviews, onboarding) with payroll production carried out by a dedicated manager on the Silae payroll technology. According to the publisher, the solution is in a strong growth phase. More details on the official malibou website.
Its proposal differs from payroll software mainly used independently, such as PayFit: rather than providing a tool that the company configures and operates itself, Malibou combines the HR interface with a bulletin production and control service.
How does malibou work?
Concretely, the company validates the monthly payroll events (hires, absences, bonuses, exits) in the HR platform. The dedicated payroll manager then takes care of the production of the slips, before checking and validation.
This operation brings Malibou closer to a supported payroll model integrated into an HR tool, rather than self-service payroll software.
The role of the dedicated payroll manager
Each client is assigned a dedicated payroll manager, reachable by chat and by telephone according to the information communicated by the publisher — without an anonymous ticket system. This manager produces and controls the bulletins and supports the company on applicable collective agreements (support included — exact scope to be confirmed). France has several hundred collective agreements: having a contact person to check compliance with the correct text is a differentiating argument compared to pure self-service. We recommend specifying contractually the exact scope of this support, the processing times and the terms in the event of an error before signing.
HR and payroll features
Malibou's HRIS scope covers payroll and declarations, absences and leave, planning and teleworking, expense reports, time management, interviews and objectives, onboarding and offboarding, as well as accounting exports. There is only one plan: all features are included, with no optional modules to activate. On the integration side, malibou connects to Qonto, Pennylane, Swile and Benefiz.
Why choose Malibou?
malibou meets a need less well covered by solutions mainly used independently: having a modern HR interface while delegating payroll production to a dedicated manager. This is a relevant choice for a company which does not have an internal payroll team and which wishes to limit the time spent on setting up and checking monthly bulletins.
Key Benefits
A dedicated payroll expert, not a ticket. A dedicated payroll manager monitors the file from start to finish, produces bulletins each month and manages declarations (DSN, events), in direct exchange by chat and telephone.
Support on collective agreements. With several hundred collective agreements in France, having an expert who checks compliance with the correct text must be framed according to your company's agreements.
An all-in-one HRIS. Payroll, absences, leave, expense reports, time, interviews, onboarding: everything is centralized in a single platform.
A payroll produced on Silae. Production relies on Silae technology, a payroll engine already established on the French market, rather than on another payroll engine.
A readable price. A single plan at €28 excluding tax per employee per month, from 5 employees, giving access to all features — no optional module or level to unlock. Allow in addition €50 per employee for set-up costs, to be included in any calculation over twelve months. According to the publisher, malibou would allow around 30% savings on an equivalent scope compared to comparable solutions – figure communicated by malibou, not independently verified by Iter Advisors.
Migration from PayFit supported. According to the publisher, some of Malibou's customers come from PayFit; Dedicated manager supports history recovery and folder migration.
Malibou vs PayFit comparison
The table below shows the most structuring criteria for a manager who decides between the two approaches — see also our complete comparison PayFit vs Silae vs malibou.
| Criterion | malibou | PayFit |
|---|---|---|
| Model | HRIS with payroll production and dedicated manager | Autonomous payroll software, automated DSN |
| Payroll production | Created by a payroll manager using Silae technology | Created by the company itself in the PayFit interface |
| Support | Dedicated manager, exchanges by chat and telephone | Customer support (chat, telephone), without an assigned dedicated manager |
| Collective agreements | Support and control included (number to be confirmed) | ~40 main NCCs covered |
| Interface | Centralized HR platform | Payroll and HR interface designed for autonomy |
| HRIS scope | Payroll, absences, leave, planning, expense reports, time management, interviews and onboarding | Payroll, absences, employee portal |
| Integrations | Qonto, Pennylane, Swile, Benefiz | Pennylane (native), other accounting tools |
| Price | €28 / employee / month, single plan, from 5 employees (+ €50 / implementation employee) | €109/month for 3 employees, or around €36/employee; the unit price decreases with the number of employees |
| Maturity | Solution launched in 2023, in a strong growth phase | Established solution, startup/SME market standard |
| Target companies | VSEs, startups and SMEs from 5 employees (upper limit to be confirmed) | Startups and SMEs with 5 to 150 employees |
| Main advantage | Delegate payroll production while maintaining a modern HR interface | Complete autonomy, predictable cost, fluid employee portal |
| Main limit | Reduction and installed base still lower than those of historical players | Coverage of your conventions and situations to be tested with the editor |
Prices recorded on August 14, 2026 on the public price pages of the two publishers. The units differ: Malibou invoices the employee, PayFit displays a monthly fee for a given workforce, and its unit price decreases when the workforce increases. The comparison therefore only makes sense for an identical workforce and on a given date — ask each publisher for a quote for your own workforce.
For which companies?
According to information provided by the publisher, malibou is aimed at VSEs, startups and SMEs with 5 employees or more (the upper limit remains to be confirmed). The typical profile is a company without a dedicated internal payroll team, which prefers to delegate the production of bulletins while maintaining a single HR interface for its teams.
For very complex, international organizations, or with very specific payroll cases, prior consultation with the publisher is recommended in order to verify the coverage of collective agreements and applicable special cases.
Implementation Guide
1. History recovery. The dedicated payroll manager retrieves payroll history from the old tool or firm.
2. Migration. The expert migrates the file to malibou; the setting is supported on the editor side.
3. Audit and compliance. Payroll check to verify that everything is up to date, including the applicable collective agreement.
4. Getting started. The company recovers its space and is put in contact with its dedicated manager.
5. First accompanied closing. The first payroll closing is carried out with the dedicated expert.
Limits and points of vigilance
Please check before signing
malibou is a more recent solution than PayFit (launched at the end of 2023): its decline and its installed base are still lower than those of historical players — we recommend asking the publisher directly for their references and their level of traction before committing. Its relevance for very complex or international organizations remains to be confirmed. malibou aims to transfer payroll production rather than total autonomy: an expert internal payroll team committed to full self-service will be better served by a solution like PayFit. Finally, in very specific cases (multi-country, rare statuses), have the coverage validated on a case-by-case basis with the dedicated expert before commitment, and always compare the price to alternatives with identical scope and staff.
Alternatives
PayFit — the self-service standard for 5 to 150 employees with the main CCNs: the company produces its payroll in the tool. The reference to which Malibou compares itself.
Silae — the benchmark payroll engine for complex structures (600+ CCN, multi-agreements, time management). malibou also relies on this same technology to produce payroll.
Lucca — complete HR suite (absences, time, expenses, interviews) to be coupled with a separate payroll module. Check the recovery and interfaces with payroll.
Our opinion
For startups and SMEs who wish to delegate payroll production without giving up a modern HR platform, malibou is one of the alternatives to consider. Its proposal — a centralized HRIS associated with a dedicated payroll manager — meets a real need for companies without an internal payroll team.
The choice of a payroll tool must take into account the cost, the level of autonomy sought, the collective agreement and the financial organization of the company. This is precisely the type of arbitration that a Fractional CFO can fit in with the manager and HR teams.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Malibou cost?
€28 excluding tax per employee per month, from 5 employees, to which are added €50 per employee in set-up costs invoiced the first month. malibou only sells one plan, which gives access to all HRIS functionalities and support from the dedicated payroll manager: there is no optional module or higher level to unlock. Beyond a certain number, the publisher offers a tailor-made price, without a published scale. Prices raised on August 14, 2026.
is malibou right for my business?
malibou is mainly aimed at companies wishing to combine HR software with supported payroll production. For large, international structures or those presenting very specific cases, prior framing is recommended. A Fractional CFO can notably compare the cost, level of service, integrations and operational risks of different solutions.
Is migrating from PayFit complicated?
According to the publisher, the migration is supported by the dedicated payroll manager, who retrieves the history, migrates the file and carries out a compliance audit before the first closing. We recommend specifying the exact time frame and scope of this support before committing.
What is the difference between malibou and PayFit?
With PayFit, the company produces its own payroll in the interface. With malibou, a dedicated payroll manager produces and controls the bulletins on Silae technology, in addition to the HR interface.
does malibou replace an accountant?
No. malibou takes care of payroll production; accounting missions (balance sheets, tax declarations) remain the responsibility of the accountant or a Fractional CFO for overall financial management.
To go further
To go further: comparison PayFit vs Silae vs malibou, PayFit record, Silae file and all of our CFO tool comparisons.
Need help choosing your payroll and HR organization?
The right choice depends on your workforce, your collective agreement, the desired level of autonomy and the organization of your finance function. Iter Advisors Fractional CFOs can help you compare solutions and guide their deployment.
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