PicaPonto vs Factorial vs Sesame9 minutos de leitura

Choosing workforce attendance software for a business operating in Portugal almost always means looking at three names: PicaPonto, Factorial and Sesame. The latter two are Spanish-origin platforms (Barcelona and Valencia respectively) that expanded into Portugal; PicaPonto is Portuguese software developed by Inforlider since 1988. Each is positioned differently, and the information available online is not always rigorous — comparisons published by the vendors themselves tend to favour their own solution, exaggerate competitor limitations, or present inaccurate prices.

This comparison is built from publicly verifiable data as of October 2026, with sources cited and without embellishment. It is written for international businesses in Portugal that need to comply with the Portuguese Labour Code — an area where Factorial and Sesame, by their Spanish origin, handle Portuguese specifics in an adapted but non-native way.

What is the real price of each platform?

Before any functional analysis, price is the filter that eliminates 80% of doubts. Prices verifiable publicly in October 2026:

Real monthly cost for an SME with 25 employees on mid-tier plan:

• PicaPonto Premium: 25 × €1.25 = €31.25/month (~€375/year)
• Factorial Enterprise: 25 × €6.50 = €162.50/month (~€1,950/year)
• Sesame Professional: 25 × €5.50 = €137.50/month (~€1,650/year)

The difference is substantial. Comparisons published by competitors showing PicaPonto at “€2/user” or higher are factually incorrect against the official prices on picaponto.pt/precos.

Is PicaPonto a limited or specialised solution?

Some comparisons published by competing platforms describe PicaPonto as “limited to time registration”. This description confuses focus with limitation. The three platforms occupy distinct niches:

• PicaPonto — specialised in workforce attendance and time management, with open integration to Portuguese payroll and ERP software. It does not seek to replace a full HR platform (recruitment, performance, training).
• Factorial and Sesame — comprehensive HR platforms that include attendance as one of many modules (recruitment, onboarding, performance, payroll, talent management).

The right question is not “which is more complete?” but rather “what do I need for my business?”. A 30-person restaurant SME needs rigour in time registration, automatic night premium calculation and integration with management software — it does not need ATS (recruitment) or a talent development module. Paying 4× more for features never used is a legitimate option but not an informed choice.

Companies with 100+ employees and an active HR department that value a unified platform can benefit from Factorial or Sesame. Companies with focus on Portuguese legal compliance, payroll integration and operational simplicity benefit from PicaPonto.

What features does each platform actually have?

Comparison table verified from each vendor’s official pages. Where a platform marks “doesn’t have” a feature that another offers, this reflects positioning — not deficiency.

Adaptation to Portuguese law: which complies best in practice?

All three platforms claim compliance with Portuguese labour law. The difference lies in implementation depth:

PicaPonto (born in Portugal, 1988)

Architecture designed from the outset for the Portuguese Labour Code. Presets for national sectoral IRCT (Hospitality CCT with AHP, Pharmacy CCT with ANF, Healthcare Establishments CCT with APHP, Construction CCT with AECOPS, Metalworks CCT, Restaurant CCT). Automatic calculation of:

• Night work premium minimum 25% (Article 266) with sectoral windows
• Overtime 25%/37.5%/50%/100% (Article 268)
• Shift premium per specific CCT
• Compensatory rest (Article 229)
• Holiday premium (100%+) with national and municipal calendar
• Mandatory break 1h in 5h continuous (Article 213)

Factorial and Sesame (born in Spain)

Adaptation to the Portuguese market via customisable configurations. Rules can be manually adapted but require careful initial implementation. Differences from the Spanish regime (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) and Spanish-language terminology in fields require Portuguese HR to validate each configuration.

Companies in sectors with specific Portuguese CCT (pharmacy, private healthcare, construction, hospitality, metalworks) benefit from solutions with national presets — this is not just about formal compliance; it is about fast setup and fewer monthly errors in payroll calculations.

When to choose each

Choose PicaPonto if:

• Priority is Portuguese legal rigour + integration with national software (Primavera, PHC, Sage 200)
• Operating in a regulated sector with specific CCT (pharmacy, healthcare, construction, hospitality, industry)
• Need local Portuguese technical support and fast response on Portuguese employment questions
• Prefer a specialised attendance solution + open integration with the rest of the stack
• Tight budget (3-4× lower total cost than alternatives)

Choose Factorial if:

• Company has 100+ employees with an active HR department
• Needs a complete HR platform (recruitment, onboarding, performance, training)
• Operating in several Iberian countries valuing technical consolidation
• Budget supports €5-15/employee/month
• Values modern visual interface and international branding

Choose Sesame if:

• Profile similar to Factorial but prefer Sesame for interface or pricing
• Have prior experience with Valencia-based products

Red flags: how to spot biased comparisons

Vendor-published comparisons tend to present selective information. Warning signs:

1. Inflated competitor prices — always check official sites (picaponto.pt/precos, factorialhr.pt/precos, sesamehr.pt/precos).
2. Features marked as exclusive when they are not — if an item appears with ✓ in one column and ✗ in another, validate on the official page of both.
3. Labels such as “limited” or “basic” without technical substance supporting them.
4. Absence of sources in comparison tables — a good comparison cites the official page where each data point originates.
5. Excessive focus on in-content CTAs rather than honest analysis.

This comparison cites the official pages of all vendors and refers to publicly verifiable data at publication date. If you detect factual error, communicate via comercial@picaponto.pt for correction.

Conclusion

The three players — PicaPonto, Factorial and Sesame — are competent solutions with distinct positioning. There is no absolute winner; there is the right choice for each context. For most SMEs with Portuguese operations focused on legal compliance, payroll integration and low total cost, PicaPonto is the natural choice. For more complex HR operations in larger companies needing a unified platform, Factorial or Sesame may be justified by their additional functional scope.

The final decision should be based on free trial with real company data — not on comparisons published by any of the parties (including this one). Activate 15 days free of PicaPonto — no credit card, no commitment, and validate in a real context.

Prices and features subject to change. Information valid as of publication date (October 2026). Always verify on official pages before deciding.

Related reading

• Article 202 of the Portuguese Labour Code
• ACT Labour Inspections in Portugal
• Law 83/2021 Teleworking Guide
• PicaPonto vs Factorial vs Sesame Comparison