Free HR Software
Which HR software a startup can keep employee records, onboarding and time off in for free today, how many employees the free plan covers, whether payroll is included, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, read from each tool's own page.
Free allowances read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . HR software changes its free plans from time to time: confirm the terms on the tool's page before you move employee records there.
HR software a startup can use for free today includes OrangeHRM (Starter edition, open-source, completely free), Personio (14-day free trial of the HR software), Homebase (Free for 1 location, up to 10 employees), Breathe (14-day free trial of Breathe), and Zoho People (Free edition, forever, up to 3 users). Each of the 9 free plans below links to the tool's page that states it, with its main limit, whether payroll is included, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs.
The first hires bring paperwork: contracts, employee records, time off, onboarding checklists and, soon, payroll. A spreadsheet works for a while; HR software keeps it in one place, and several tools have a free plan for a small team.
The headline rarely tells you how far it goes. A free plan can stop at a few employees or one location, cover records and time off but not payroll, or be a trial of a full suite. Each tool below shows what is free, its main limit, whether payroll is included, whether a card is needed and what the first paid plan costs, quoted from the tool's own page with the date we read it.
Which tools we picked and the order they appear in are our editorial choices; the terms are the tools'. Some of these tools pay us a referral commission when someone signs up through our link: those links are labeled, and they play no part in which tools are listed or where.
HR software with a free plan
Employee records, onboarding and time off on a plan that stays free.
- 1
OrangeHRM
Open-source HR records, leave and time for a small team
OrangeHRM's Starter edition is completely free, and it covers the base requirements. Larger teams are pointed to Advanced, which is priced per employee a month.
Start free at OrangeHRMTerms read on orangehrm.com on OrangeHRM: the free allowance and how to start - 2
Homebase
Shift scheduling and time tracking for one site
Homebase's Basic plan is free for teams up to 10 employees in one location, with no credit card required. Payroll is an add-on, and Essentials starts at $30 per location a month.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: joinhomebase.com)
Start free at HomebaseTerms read on joinhomebase.com on Homebase: the free allowance and how to start - 3
Zoho People
Employee records, time off and documents for up to 3 users
Zoho People's free edition is forever free for up to 3 users, with employee database management, time off and document management. Essential HR is US$3 a user a month, billed annually.
- First paid plan
- Essential HR: US$3 a user, billed yearly (source: zoho.com)
- 4
Deel
Founders of venture-backed startups needing U.S. payroll
Deel's startup bundle gives U.S. payroll for founders free for life, and the first 5 seats free for life for venture-backed startups that have raised at least $500k. Its US PEO employee service starts at $125 per employee a month.
- First paid plan
- PEO employees: from $125 a month (source: deel.com)
HR suites with a free trial
Full HR suites that start with a free trial before a paid plan.
- 1
Personio
A full HR suite with a 14-day free trial
Personio offers 14 days for free on its HR software, and its Core plan includes Preliminary Payroll.
- 2
Breathe
Small teams wanting a 14-day trial with no card
Breathe offers a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is required to start it.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: breathehr.com)
- 3
Workable
Recruiting and HR in one place, 15 days free
Workable's full platform has a 15-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial leaves out the Workable Agent, and its Standard bundle is $299 a month.
- Payment card
- No card needed (source: workable.com)
- First paid plan
- Standard bundle: $299 a month (source: workable.com)
- 4
Sesame HR
Team time, leave and HR, pay only if you stay
Sesame HR's free trial costs nothing if you are not convinced, and it has no strings attached. Its Essential plan is $3.75 per employee a month.
- First paid plan
- Essential: $3.75 per employee a month (source: sesamehr.com)
- 5
BambooHR
A full HR suite, with a seven-day trial to try it
BambooHR's own resources page says to try it free for seven days, before committing to a plan.
Also useful for hiring, HR and legal
Referral links, picked for fit and ordered by fit (70%) and what a signup earns us (30%), at no cost to you. They never change this page's ranking.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The list covers HR software and HR suites a founder can use for free today without applying to a program. The order and the "best for" notes are our editorial reading of each tool's terms. Every term comes from the tool's own pricing or help page on the date shown, never from a third-party list; follow each link for the full conditions. A cap on employees, or payroll and modules sold separately, can matter more than the headline, so the comparison quotes them wherever the tool states them. Some of these tools pay StartupPerks a referral commission, and their links are labeled as referral links; that decides neither whether nor where a tool appears, and no tool pays for a placement on this page.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
What is the best free HR software?
It depends on team size. By the terms each tool states, Homebase is free for 1 location with up to 10 employees, Zoho People's free edition covers up to 3 users, and OrangeHRM's open-source Starter edition is completely free to host yourself.
Is Deel free for startups?
Deel's startup page offers U.S. payroll for founders free for life, and the first 5 seats free for life for venture-backed startups that have raised at least $500k. Its US PEO service starts at $125 per employee a month.
Which free HR software includes payroll?
Few do. Deel includes U.S. payroll for founders in its startup bundle, Homebase sells payroll as an add-on, and Personio's Core plan includes preliminary payroll during its 14-day trial. Gusto and Remote list no free plan or trial on their pricing pages.
Is BambooHR free?
BambooHR has no free plan; it offers a free trial for seven days.
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