Papershift
Papershift is a Karlsruhe-based German SaaS provider of cloud-based HR software — shift planning, time tracking, absence management, payroll preparation, and digital personnel files — sold on a modular per-employee subscription to SMB and mid-market customers in gastronomy, retail, healthcare, and production across DACH.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersKarlsruhe, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Papershift does
Papershift GmbH is a Karlsruhe-based German SaaS provider of cloud-based HR software for shift-based and hourly-workforce industries, founded in 2015 and operating with 51-100 employees. The platform unifies digital shift planning (Dienstplanung), time tracking (Zeiterfassung), absence/vacation management, payroll preparation with DATEV export, onboarding/offboarding workflows, and GDPR-compliant digital personnel files into a single modular cloud product, complemented by iOS and Android mobile apps for employee self-service. Its productized AI capability is KI-Chat within Papershift Pulse, a text-based internal HR knowledge assistant that answers recurring employee questions using retrieval over company HR content.
The company serves a vertical-anchored customer mix spanning gastronomy, retail, healthcare, production/manufacturing, and service/logistics, with named references including BURGER KING (50+ franchise locations, 1,000+ employees), CEWE, Sparda-Bank Berlin, EDEKA Dirnberger, mymuesli, BrotZeit, Funkhaus Ortenau, and Das Fest. The business model is a modular per-employee monthly subscription sold both via product-led self-serve (14-day free trial with no payment information required) and sales-assisted direct sales for mid-market and enterprise deals. Distribution combines heavy SEO and HR-lexikon content marketing, social channels, trade shows, a partner/affiliate program, and app-store presence. Papershift has received a 2021 growth investment from eCAPITAL Entrepreneurial Partners, maintains GDPR (DSGVO) compliance, and holds BSFZ R&D certification and OMR Top Rated 2026 recognition. The company claims 200,000+ users across Europe, with primary commercial concentration in the DACH region.
Papershift firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Papershift
- Legal name
- Papershift GmbH
- Website
- https://papershift.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Papershift is a Karlsruhe-based German SaaS provider of cloud-based HR software — shift planning, time tracking, absence management, payroll preparation, and digital personnel files — sold on a modular per-employee subscription to SMB and mid-market customers in gastronomy, retail, healthcare, and production across DACH.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Papershift industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Management Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Email, Calendar & Scheduling (BPAMAMAC)
Keywords
Where Papershift is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karlsruhe
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Papershift business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription (SaaS): Papershift charges a per-employee per-month fee for access to its cloud HR platform. Pricing is modular, with base functions and optional add-ons. A 14-day free trial is offered without requiring payment information.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Per seat | Monthly | Per-employee monthly subscription (modular) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Papershift product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Papershift is a cloud-based HR software platform that provides digital shift planning (Dienstplanung), flexible time tracking (Zeiterfassung), absence management, automated payroll preparation with DATEV export, GDPR-compliant digital employee files (Digitale Personalakte), onboarding/offboarding workflows, and an AI-powered internal HR knowledge chat. The platform is sold as a modular per-employee subscription to SMBs and mid-market enterprises in shift-based industries including gastronomy, retail, healthcare, and production.
Product overview
Papershift is a cloud-based HR software platform for SMBs and enterprises, featuring a modular architecture with three core modules: Papershift Plan (scheduling), Papershift Track (time tracking), and Papershift Pulse (HR management with AI). The platform integrates scheduling, time tracking, absence management, payroll preparation, onboarding, and digital personnel files into one unified system. Add-on modules like Insights (analytics/reporting) extend functionality, while the AI-powered KI-Chat feature provides knowledge retrieval capabilities within the HR assistant.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Papershift Plan (Dienstplanung)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200,000 users across Europe trust Papershift for scheduling and time tracking
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Papershift
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Papershift technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
Papershift partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- DATEVcoreDATEV integration allows payroll data (hours, shift premiums, overtime) to be automatically exported from Papershift to the DATEV payroll system, streamlining end-of-month payroll processing.
- Apple (iOS App Store)corePapershift's mobile time tracking app is distributed through the Apple App Store, enabling employees to record time and manage schedules on iOS devices.
- Google (Google Play Store)corePapershift's Android app is distributed via Google Play Store, providing Android users with mobile time tracking and schedule management capabilities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Papershift competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sage HR: Sage's SMB HR module covering time tracking, leave, and people management. Comparable in SMB target customer and HR scope; broader portfolio position through Sage's accounting ecosystem.
- Workday: Global enterprise HR and workforce management platform. Overlaps with Papershift in scheduling and time tracking but targets large enterprises with a much broader HR/finance suite.
- BambooHR: Established SMB-focused HR suite with employee records, time tracking, and PTO. Broader and more mature than Papershift but overlapping on time-tracking and core HR for similar customer segments.
Direct peers
- Personio: Munich-based HR SaaS for SMBs and mid-market covering recruiting, onboarding, time tracking, and payroll. Directly competes in DACH HR tech and is even listed as an integration partner of Papershift, underscoring overlap in target customer and feature set.
- Deputy: Global shift scheduling, time tracking, and workforce management SaaS serving SMB and enterprise. Comparable feature set including auto-scheduling, mobile time clock, and payroll integrations.
- When I Work: US-headquartered employee scheduling and time-tracking SaaS for shift-based SMBs. Comparable product functionality (drag-and-drop scheduling, time clock, mobile app) and SMB-led GTM.
- Planday: Workforce management platform owned by Xero, offering shift scheduling, time tracking, and employee engagement for shift-based industries. Comparable in vertical focus (hospitality, retail, healthcare) and SaaS delivery model.
- Shiftbase: Netherlands-based shift planning and workforce management SaaS for hospitality, retail, and healthcare. Closely comparable in product scope (scheduling, time tracking, absence) and SMB/mid-market focus.
- Calamari: Polish time tracking, attendance, and leave management SaaS operating across Europe. Comparable in core scope (time tracking, absence management) and SMB/mid-market positioning.
- Kenjo: Berlin-based all-in-one HR platform covering time tracking, shift planning, absence, and people management. Direct DACH competitor with similar SMB-to-mid-market target and modular feature approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Papershift social profiles
Digital presencePapershift compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Papershift financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Papershift leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Papershift funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Papershift M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Papershift
What does Papershift do?
Papershift is a cloud-based HR software platform that provides digital shift planning (Dienstplanung), flexible time tracking (Zeiterfassung), absence management, automated payroll preparation with DATEV export, GDPR-compliant digital employee files (Digitale Personalakte), onboarding/offboarding workflows, and an AI-powered internal HR knowledge chat. The platform is sold as a modular per-employee subscription to SMBs and mid-market enterprises in shift-based industries including gastronomy, retail, healthcare, and production.
Is Papershift a public or private company?
Papershift is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Papershift founded?
Papershift was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Papershift based?
Papershift is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Papershift make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription (SaaS).
Who are Papershift's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sage HR, Workday and BambooHR. Direct peers are Personio, Deputy, When I Work, Planday, Shiftbase, Calamari and Kenjo.
Does Papershift have an API?
Yes. Papershift exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at developers.papershift.com.
What industry is Papershift in?
Papershift's product category is Workforce Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAMAC, Email, Calendar & Scheduling. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 7372.