The verdict in three sentences
For an agency placing 250 temporary workers on assignment every week, a staffing SaaS at 400 to 1,700 CAD per month (about 300 to 1,200 EUR) handles assignment contracts, onboarding and standard payroll well. Custom software, at 60,000 to 150,000 CAD (about 40,000 to 100,000 EUR, 2026 order of magnitude), pays off when your timesheets, client agreements and multi-branch billing no longer fit a generic tool. The real question is how many hours you lose every week between signing the assignment and sending the invoice.
What staffing software must cover in 2026
A Toronto agency juggles three flows: assignment agreements and amendments, timesheets approved by client companies, then payroll and invoicing. On top of that come Ontario's Employment Standards Act obligations for temporary help agencies (written assignment information, public holiday pay, termination rules), the e-signature of agreements before work starts, and WSIB coverage and reporting. Agencies with US clients also deal with cross-border paperwork and different overtime rules.
| Feature | Staffing SaaS | Custom | Watch point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment agreement and amendments | Standard templates | Templates per client and per sector | Written assignment info required before work |
| E-signature | Included or add-on (1 to 4 CAD per signature) | Built in, worker and client | Audit trail, timestamping |
| New hire onboarding | Forms and document upload | Triggered automatically on assignment approval | SIN and work permit checks |
| Mobile timesheets | Simple entry | Client approval, geolocation, premiums | Overtime after 44 hours, public holiday pay |
| Payroll and invoicing | Export to payroll | Payroll, invoice and client markup in one flow | Markups negotiated per master agreement |
| Client portal | Basic | Orders, approvals, documents | Real adoption by site supervisors |
SaaS or custom: the numbers that decide
The cost of a SaaS should be measured over five years, including signatures, add-on modules and the time spent working around the tool. Custom software is paid upfront, then in maintenance (15 to 20% of the initial budget per year, 2026 order of magnitude).
| Criterion (2026 order of magnitude) | Staffing SaaS | Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 7,500 CAD setup | 60,000 to 150,000 CAD |
| Recurring cost | 400 to 1,700 CAD per month | 9,000 to 30,000 CAD per year maintenance |
| 5 year cost | 24,000 to 110,000 CAD | 105,000 to 300,000 CAD |
| Time to go live | 2 to 6 weeks | 4 to 6 months |
| Fit with client agreements | Limited | Full |
| Ownership of data and code | Subscription contract | Code and data are yours |
| Integration with existing payroll | Standard connectors | Custom (Ceridian, ADP, Wagepoint) |
Rule of thumb: below 150 weekly workers with clients following similar rules, SaaS almost always wins. Above 250, with negotiated markups, specific premiums and several branches, custom software pays for itself through saved admin time and avoided billing errors.
Mini case study
Mark, director of a staffing agency in Toronto (illustrative persona), manages 250 workers a week with 4 coordinators. Each paper timesheet takes 6 minutes to re-enter and check, or 25 hours a week. Premium calculation errors amount to about 1.2% of invoiced revenue, on 6.5 M CAD a year, or 78,000 CAD.
- Mobile timesheets approved by the client: 25 hours saved per week, about 1,100 hours a year, nearly 45,000 CAD of loaded staff time.
- Halving premium errors: 39,000 CAD a year.
- Estimated annual gain: 84,000 CAD, for a 120,000 CAD project and 20,000 CAD of yearly maintenance.
Payback arrives around month 18. With a SaaS at 1,300 CAD per month, Mark would recover part of the data entry time, but not the automatic calculation of markups negotiated with his 40 master agreement clients.
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FAQ
How much does custom staffing software cost in 2026?
The 2026 order of magnitude is 60,000 to 150,000 CAD (40,000 to 100,000 EUR) depending on the number of branches, payroll integrations and the client portal. A first working release (agreements, onboarding, timesheets) can ship in 3 to 4 months.
Can onboarding be fully automated?
Largely, yes: documents, identity checks and payroll setup can be triggered when an assignment is approved. Manual review usually remains for under 2% of files, mostly expired work permits or mismatched names.
Are e-signed assignment agreements valid in Ontario?
Yes, Ontario's Electronic Commerce Act recognizes electronic signatures when the record is retained and accessible. Costs range from 1 to 4 CAD per signature in a SaaS, less at volume with an integrated provider.
How should public holiday pay be handled?
The software must apply Ontario's public holiday pay formula to assignment employees, based on wages earned in the previous four weeks. Test the calculation on 3 or 4 sample pay runs before signing with any vendor.
How long does it take to switch the whole agency?
Plan 4 to 6 months for a custom project, including 4 to 6 weeks running in parallel with the old system. For a SaaS, 2 to 6 weeks is enough if your agreements follow standard templates.
Let's scope your project. Send us your assignment volume, payroll tools and client rules, and we will price a scope, an indicative budget and a go-live schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
