With COVID-19 still in our midst, HR companies are hard-pressed to find solutions that are high in value and low in cost. Free HR platforms are currently present, but many are not really “standalone” programs. The truth is that some of these items lack certain features to truly streamline the workflows that make up the HR process. The good news is there is a wealth of top-notch HR platforms that offer generous free packages. So much so that using one can quickly make a difference.
In this article, we created a list of the 10 best free HR software solutions that companies with smaller budgets will find useful. We hope you’ll find the software that best fits your needs in this in-depth comparison of the features of the leading free HR solutions.
Best Free HR Software Solutions Table of Contents
Things weren’t too rosy for the HR industry at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Not only did HR firms deal with their clients scaling or closing down, but much of the global workforce was forced to migrate their operations to the digital realm. Working remotely appears to be an overarching trend that could last even once the pandemic is over.
As time passed, companies and workers have grown accustomed to their setups and have realized benefits from them. A study reveals that 51% of employees are actually more productive working from home. This bodes well for organizations, given that their now-remote workforce is more efficiently producing outputs. As for the HR industry, it has adjusted well to the current business climate. In fact, in the United States, 96% of HR professionals report being satisfied with how their company has handled the new work setup.
Recruitment firms have leveraged HR platforms that operate well with a digitized workflow, and it has led to favorable results. Of course, challenges still exist; the biggest of which is employee performance. However, the features of modern HR platforms can alleviate that problem and streamline the hiring process.
Source: The Predictive Index 2020
Given the importance of HR software in today’s landscape, having one has become a necessity. Picking an app for its overall functionality is ideal. But we do understand that not all companies can afford the first-rate products on the market. And luckily, there are a lot of high-grade platforms that don’t come with price tags. We’ve compiled the 10 best free HR platforms available.
10 Best Free HR Software
1. Zoho Recruit
Zoho Recruit is a trusty tool for many organizations around the world. It helps HR departments and personnel manage their recruitment processes through core features for applicant tracking, team collaboration, and even CRM.
Its free version includes essential features such as an interview scheduling module, candidate management features, and email management capabilities. This, in itself, is quite functional and helpful. However, if you want a full-fledged HR recruitment platform, then you should give its premium plan a try. Fortunately, the vendor offers a free trial where you can try all Zoho Recruit premium features at no cost.
Zoho Recruit
Try out Zoho Recruit with their free trial
Even better, there are premium features that include modules to post job openings, monitor candidate statuses, parse resumes, and manage a database. What’s more, is that you can also use it to create a careers website page. If you’re interested, you can give it a free try.
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Candidate management
- Client and contact management
- Email management
- Interview scheduling
Detailed Zoho Recruit Review
2. Paycor
Paycor is a fully integrated human capital management solution that provides comprehensive workforce management tools for SMBs. Part of the platform’s HCM technology is an intuitive scheduling solution designed to be configurable for different types of businesses across various industries. It comes with easy-to-use tools that enable managers to automate creating and updating their teams’ schedules even from their mobile devices.
This scheduling software is also equipped with tools to help businesses control labor costs with the help of its budget-capping capabilities. Real-time data are also easily generated, which not only gives you a more comprehensive of the critical details of your workforce.
What is included in the Free Plan?
Paycor offers free demos of its scheduling solution which covers the following functionalities:
- Customizable schedule template
- Scheduling budget caps
- Shift trading between employees
- Team communication
- Shift updates and acknowledgments
Detailed Paycor Review
3. TalentHR
TalentHR modernizes HR management with an encrypted HRIS, simplifying record-keeping. Profiles auto-populate, and customized permissions secure sensitive data access. Furthermore, automated reviews and goal-setting enhance team performance, while streamlined onboarding, equipment issuance, and communication simplify organizational processes. Effortless one-click leave management also accommodates diverse time zones. Likewise, you can gain insights into organizational metrics for informed decision-making. TalentHR offers efficiency and precision for HR professionals.
TalentHR
Try out TalentHR with their free trial
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Employee database
- Time off tracking
- Documents management
- Reports & Analytics
- Onboarding & Offboarding
- Benefits management
- Applicant tracking (ATS) (up to 2)
- 10 users limit
Detailed TalentHR Review
4. Freshteam
Employee productivity platform Freshteam is one of the most popular products of Freshworks. The system is rich in features, allowing it to manage a variety of HR processes, including employee recruitment, applicant tracking, and CRM.
Freshteam provides users with total control over the hiring process without compromising the quality of candidates. It comes with a searchable and secure database, ensuring data security. You can learn more about this product at no cost thanks to the Freshteam free trial.
The tool is ideal for teams who need both tracking and recruitment management functionalities in a single solution. Its free version offers a very good set of features supporting HR management, time-off management, and applicant tracking processes. To wit, it is the best one on our list.
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Up to 3 published job postings
- Email application management
- Job posting management
- Basic career site
- Referral management
- Job embeds
- Team collaboration
Detailed Freshteam Review
5. Homebase
Homebase is a cost-efficient tool, and its basic plan comes for free. Despite being free, the platform offers many useful solutions, including support for unlimited employees, timesheets, a scheduling module, team collaboration features, and reporting, among others.
What’s great about its free version is that it is easily scalable to a premium account. The vendor has an appealing free trial where you can tinker with the features at no cost.
Considered one of the best HR software solutions today, Homebase offers premium accounts that are also priced quite well. The advanced plans include a paid time off accrual module, message-read receipts, API, multiple role types, and multi-location support, among many others. Additionally, the platform is very intuitive to use with a clean design. Even better, you can have a go at Homebase for free.
Detailed Homebase Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Unlimited number of employees
- Scheduling
- Team Communication
- Hiring
- Reporting
- Mobile Apps
6. Zoho People
Zoho People is a simple solution designed to help business owners to keep track of all employee-related activities. The solution provides powerful HR tools that enable small and midsized businesses to manage their workforce, benefits programs, and employee concerns in a single platform.
Some of the features included in the free plan include leave tracking, document management, an employee database, and more. Luckily, should you want to learn more about this product, you can do so at no cost thanks to Zoho People free trial.
Primarily, Zoho People seeks to automate and streamline all HR-related tasks that eat away at employee productivity and time. Besides, it enables managers to save time spent managing employee issues manually, freeing them up to spend time on attracting, retaining, and rewarding top talent. The solution is easy to implement and it can be customized to suit the unique needs of each business.
Detailed Zoho People Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- 1 administrator and 5 users
- Employee database
- Document management
- Leave tracking
- Module-based reports
- Webhooks
- Mobile apps for Android and iOS
7. QuikHiring
QuikHiring is a helpful application for posting jobs and finding the right candidates. It is a platform that bridges job promoters to applicants through a mobile app. What it is is a mobile-based job marketplace.
The main features include an easy one-step registration process, pre-configured interviews, a video profile, job postings, invites, and the ability to share or rate interview reviews. You can easily leverage the QuikHiring free trial here and get to know the features firsthand at no cost and without commitment.
Besides, QuikHiring is free. However, its potential for HR use only stops at hiring. But, this is where it truly shines. Additionally, there is a free trial for potential recruiters.
Detailed QuikHiring Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Map-based searches
- Post jobs and invites
- Rate and share interviews
- Video profiles
8. GoCo
GoCo comes with capabilities such as HR management, payroll, and benefits administration. It is targeted at SMBs, allowing them to streamline processes such as hiring and employee onboarding, to name a few. Besides, online benefits management can be implemented, and reinforced by notable benefit advisors all over the US. Likewise, you can run payrolls using GoCo while being able to integrate the solution with popular payroll apps.
Even better, compliance is a breeze with the platform as it automatically updates users with the latest laws on benefit and employment compliance. It collects new hires’ W-4 I-9, agreements, and work eligibility data. Using the software, employees become empowered as it allows them to monitor and request time off through an employee portal.
Detailed GoCo Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- FSA administration
- Disability insurance administration
- Tax Forms
9. OrangeHRM
Although OrangeHRM has paid plans, it is essentially a free and open-source tool ideal for businesses of any size. Thousands of companies use the solution, including giants such as RedHat, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Duke University.
The software has different modules that provide functionalities such as benefits and leave management, recruitment, time and attendance, personnel information management, and employee self-service, among others.
These features allow users to align their processes with their corporate goals. Moreover, the product is both scalable and flexible so that you can use it any way you want and can grow as your organization grows.
Detailed OrangeHRM Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- System administration
- Personnel Information Management
- Leave /time off management
- Time and attendance management
- Performance assessment
- Employee self-service
- Dashboard
10. Apptivo
Apptivo is a powerful CRM suite that offers a variety of HR apps that come with a myriad of features. Among these are employee data management, vacation tracking, recruitment, and team communication. These and more allow this flexible piece of software to provide a basic HR tool that can meet most businesses’ needs.
In this way, you can treat your HR candidates and employees as internal customers that provide value for your company. Features such as business contacts, process tracking, collaboration tools, and personal dashboards can help you coordinate HR activities easily.
Besides, there are modules for reports and steady standard support for the free plan.
Detailed Apptivo Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Employee information management
- Time tracking
- Recruiting
- Team communication
11. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is a reliable tool that likewise covers all key HR processes as it comes with more than 25 free HR tools. But what’s great about the platform is that it has a free plan, so you need not spend anything to get a working HR solution.
Key features include an absence chart, a private social network, document management, an employee portal, shared calendars, leave requests, project management, and employee workload planning, among others.
Currently, the app is being used by more than 2,500 HR departments, professional recruiters, and staffing agencies.
Detailed Bitrix24 Review
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Employee directory
- Visual builder
- Permission settings
- Company-wide announcements
- Time management
- Leave/time-off management
- Calendars
- eLearning/training system
- Activity stream/social intranet
- Document management
- HR forms and records management
- Recruiting
- API
What is included in the Free Plan?
- Free for 5 employees
- Employee management
- Time and attendance reports
Which free HR solution should you choose?
Let’s face it. Many free software solutions out there don’t provide great value to companies. Yes, they may give some value, yet they leave a whole lot wanting. This is why it’s pretty hard to come up with a top 10 best free HR software solutions list that has some platforms that provide good operational value.
The best one, according to our research, is Freshteam. Its free plan called Sprout has great features for a basic plan. It has core HR software features such as an employee directory, organizational chart, and basic employee profiles. What’s more, is that it even has basic applicant tracking software (ATS) integrated with it. The ATS module affords you a basic career site, team collaboration tools, email application management, and others. Additionally, the plan includes a basic time-off management module complete with a customizable policy if you want to know more about the features, you can easily sign up for Freshteam free trial.
Of course, you can scale up your Freshteam plan to a premium one once you get the budget for it in the future. However, it is one of the best free plans out there for basic HR management and applicant tracking processes. Moreover, there are great reasons to start with free HR software. So, before you go, we’d like to share some.
Why Use Free HR Software?
1. Free HR Software Is For Everyone
Whether you are own a small business or a large corporation, free HR solutions were developed for you. Free tools are independent of their developers. Hence, restrictions in their use are limited, if not altogether absent. This is the basic premise of all the other benefits of using free HR software.
2. No Upgrade Costs
Unlike paid plans, free HR software does not require users to pay for upgrades. This helps businesses avoid financial burdens associated with upgrades.
3. Just the Right Level of Support
As opposed to premium HR solutions, you can easily get the right amount of support with free tools. If premium vendors offer knowledge bases, freeware offers the largest support database there is—the Internet. This is because they have a much more technical user base that constantly documents solutions to issues. Aside from this, you can hire people from the development team if you so desire.
4. Licensing Made Simple
What’s good about free HR tools is that you can easily manage software licenses. In the case of paid plans, lost productivity, and even legal problems could arise from the use of a single license by several people. With free HR software, anyone can use the tool at any given time without fear of non-compliance.
5. Easy Transition
The transition to a free HR platform is so much easier because these much simpler systems have fewer features. Data transfer, technical work, and employee training are also significantly less. These systems involve less implementation time, fewer downtimes, and improved adoption. Also, simpler HR solutions are very intuitive because there are few buttons to click and options to use. They likewise encounter less resistance from staff, making an easy task of change management.
Should You Use a Free Platform in the Long Run?
A lot of companies are able to recover from a dismal period and are likely to secure significant returns in due time. So when this occurs, is it wise to continue using free software? Typically, free packages can be upgraded to paid plans that offer more. So, if work has been running smoothly with no major concerns, you might as well pursue an upgrade. After all, your workforce has probably already found comfort in using the platform.
But, if you find using free software quite limiting, you should check out other HR management solutions that don’t offer free plans. What’s great is that many of these also offer free trials and demos, so you can check out the platforms themselves before committing fully.
Also, we’d like to drive the point that adopting digital solutions for your business processes is a must in today’s world. Judging from the HR management statistics we have compiled, the trajectory toward digital transformation is picking up speed. And, you don’t want to place last in this arms race if you’re going to keep your company healthy and relevant in the future.
Key Insights
- Growing Importance of Remote Work: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote work, with many companies and employees realizing the benefits of this setup. As a result, remote work is becoming a permanent fixture in the business landscape.
- Need for Efficient HR Software: The pandemic highlighted the necessity of HR software to manage remote workforces efficiently. Free HR platforms with essential features can provide significant value for companies with smaller budgets.
- Increased Employee Productivity: Studies show that 51% of employees are more productive when working from home. This increased productivity is beneficial for organizations, making remote work an attractive option.
- Challenges in Employee Performance: Despite the benefits, employee performance and productivity remain top concerns for organizations. Modern HR platforms with performance tracking features can help alleviate these challenges.
- Scalability of Free HR Software: Many free HR software solutions offer basic functionalities that can be scaled up to premium plans as the company grows and budgets allow.
- Cost-Effective Solutions: Free HR software solutions provide a cost-effective way for businesses to manage their HR processes without incurring significant costs, making them ideal for small to medium-sized businesses.
FAQ
- What are the benefits of using free HR software?
Free HR software provides essential HR management features without the financial burden of premium plans. It is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that need to manage their HR processes efficiently without incurring significant costs. - How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the use of HR software?
The pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote work, making HR software essential for managing remote workforces. Companies have had to adapt quickly to digital solutions to maintain productivity and efficiency. - What are the main features to look for in free HR software?
Key features to look for include employee database management, leave tracking, document management, recruitment and applicant tracking, team collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities. - Can free HR software handle all HR processes?
While free HR software can handle many HR processes, it may lack some advanced features found in premium solutions. However, many free solutions offer scalable options that can be upgraded as the company’s needs grow. - How can free HR software improve employee productivity?
Free HR software can streamline HR processes, making it easier to manage tasks such as scheduling, leave tracking, and recruitment. By automating these processes, employees can focus on more productive tasks, thus improving overall productivity. - What are some examples of free HR software solutions?
Examples of free HR software solutions include Zoho Recruit, Paycor, TalentHR, Freshteam, Homebase, Zoho People, QuikHiring, GoCo, OrangeHRM, and Apptivo. Each of these platforms offers a range of features suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. - Is it possible to upgrade from free HR software to a premium plan?
Yes, many free HR software solutions offer premium plans that provide additional features and functionalities. As your business grows and your budget allows, you can upgrade to a premium plan to access more advanced features. - How does remote work impact the need for HR software?
Remote work increases the need for efficient HR software to manage remote teams, track performance, and ensure effective communication. HR software helps streamline these processes and maintain productivity in a remote work environment. - What are the cost benefits of using free HR software?
Free HR software eliminates the need for significant upfront investment in HR solutions. It allows businesses to manage their HR processes effectively without incurring additional costs, making it a cost-effective option for budget-conscious companies. - What should companies consider when choosing free HR software?
Companies should consider the specific HR needs of their organization, the features offered by the free HR software, the scalability of the solution, and the availability of support and upgrades. It is also important to evaluate how well the software integrates with existing systems and workflows.
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