10+ Best Free HR Software for Startups & SMBs in 2025

• Deel consolidates HR, IT, and payroll processes into a single platform, reducing the need for multiple systems.
• Its workflows and automation free up time for HR staff, allowing them to focus more on employee engagement rather than administrative tasks.
• The platform is cost-effective, and the time savings provide a strong return on investment.

As a global organization, one of our biggest challenges has been incorporating the unique requirements of the countries we operate in while maintaining a system that works across different regulations.

Deel has evolved into a robust platform that supports compliance in multiple countries, making it an ideal solution for our needs. It also simplifies global payroll, allowing us to pay employees and contractors anytime, anywhere.

With recent advancements in the platform, we can do even more at a reasonable price while benefiting from an integrated system. Since adopting Deel over a year ago, we have successfully streamlined multiple processes into a single platform.

• Deel is a complex system, which may not be suitable for all businesses.
• Due to its complexity, it requires extensive training and experience to use it effectively.
• The user interface has a learning curve and could benefit from additional improvements in usability and navigation.

Deel stands out because of its comprehensive features, covering multiple aspects of HR, payroll, and global workforce management. While similar tools tend to specialize in specific areas, such as payroll or HR data management, Deel offers a wide range of modules that address nearly every HR and operations need in one platform.

One of the most overlooked aspects of selecting a platform like Deel is post-implementation customer support. Many issues arise after deployment, so it’s crucial to research the level of ongoing support provided.

Also, consider any hidden costs for features that may not be included upfront but could become necessary later. Evaluating the full range of available features—even those you don’t need right now—can help ensure the tool remains valuable as your business scales.

Deel continues to expand its platform, adding new features to support the evolving needs of HR and operations teams. The company actively enhances its offerings to provide more comprehensive workforce management solutions.

Deel is ideal for medium to large businesses with a global workforce or those that frequently hire contract workers. It is particularly valuable for companies that do not have entities in every country where they employ workers, as Deel can serve as an Employer of Record (EOR) in such cases.

1. It is free! The free version of the app provides everything we need to solve our scheduling challenges.
2. It is user-friendly. The web app is great for monthly scheduling, and the mobile app works for our team to view their shifts, etc.
3. It was great that I could begin using it right away. There was no complicated onboarding process or steep learning curve.

I stumbled upon Homebase after a Google search looking for a scheduling tool. It has proven to be invaluable for coordinating the cleanings for my LLC's short-term rentals. Prior to using Homebase, we experienced significant challenges in efficiently managing and organizing the cleaning schedule for multiple properties with multiple members of our cleaning team. It was a time-consuming and error-prone process, resulting in delays and dissatisfaction among the team. We have used it for over three months now and have thoroughly enjoyed using the tool.

1. The system sends a lot of automated notifications (app alerts, emails, text messages).
2. There is a lot more functionality than we use it for, which is frustrating. We don't handle payroll, etc., through the app, but get notifications about these features all the time.
3. Limited customization; I don't need an alert every time there is a scheduling "conflict" because oftentimes one employee will handle the turnover for multiple properties in a given day. I wish I could customize my views, alerts, etc., to better meet our needs.

I have never used other scheduling tools so I'm unsure how it compares.

One thing to think about is how you will handle communication and collaboration. Homebase's communication tools work adequately but aren't very robust. I sometimes get better responses from our team by just texting them, so consider how the tool facilitates communication and collaboration among team members. Look for features such as real-time notifications, messaging capabilities, and the ability to easily share schedule updates and changes.

No changes that I'm aware of.

It's hard to answer this, but it's worked great for us - a small team of people managing short-term rental properties with a small team of people handling the scheduled cleanings for these properties.

Three major pros Connecteam offers are task management, community, and timekeeping. Connecteam’s task management tools empower each employee to give their best. The communication tools are a great asset to the company’s culture. Connecteam’s timekeeping functions make scheduling less time-consuming.

Before moving the organization to Connecteam, basic employee functions were on different systems. Timekeeping and workload checklists were all in paper form, taking up valuable space. Connecteam helped create operational excellence. Now, supervisors can delegate workloads to employees without physical paperwork to confirm completion. Employees are now eager to post photos of their completed tasks. Timekeeping has also become much easier. We have used Connecteam for over a year.

The biggest con could be app usage for employees who are not comfortable with technology or mobile apps. This is no fault of Connecteam, but inactive users can slow down operational progress. Using a mobile device can also be a distraction for some employees. From an HR perspective, auto-scheduling is generally helpful, but in some cases, employees' schedules can change weekly or biweekly, which requires extra time to ensure schedules are correct.

Compared to other systems I have used at different companies, Connecteam offers much more ease for users. It also has fewer problems with maintenance and malfunctions.

When buying this tool, I think people should consider operational excellence. Companies should also think about the diversity of their team and whether employees will be open to using the app. In addition to gaining employee buy-in for using this software, buyers should also review the price point to ensure they are comfortable using it within their business. Lastly, potential buyers should ensure that a person or team is in place to explore all the functions to get full use of the app.

The access to the helpdesk and training videos for using the app has greatly met the needs of both the users and employees.

This tool is great for businesses that focus on operational excellence or operational standards. Operational size doesn’t matter because the app is multifunctional. Larger organizations may need to use more of the app’s functions.

Our use of Zoho People was part of a larger bundle that included multiple Zoho systems like CRM, Sign, and Learn. We paid just over $2K monthly for access to these tools, with CRM being heavily utilized by the team.

The main advantage was the cost-effectiveness of the bundled package. If not for that, Zoho People wouldn’t have been our first choice. A user-friendly interface is important to us since our demographic is predominantly millennials, followed by Gen Z.

Ease of use and modern design were key factors in our selection process, which ultimately led us to transition away from Zoho People.

The company I worked for used Zoho People for three years since it aligned with Zoho CRM, a tool the sales team already used. It was the logical choice to stay within the same ecosystem. It also offered many free features that met our initial needs as a startup. As the company grew, we required more advanced functionalities, which eventually led us to transition to a different HRIS system.

The user interface was not as intuitive as other systems I've used as an HR leader. Navigation often felt outdated and clunky. Customization options were limited compared to competitors.

It’s not on my list of preferred HRIS platforms. It does the job and works well for companies just starting out that need a basic system for storing personnel files, providing easy employee access, and offering competitive pricing. From both a backend and user perspective, it’s not ideal. I would still choose other HRIS options like BambooHR or HiBob.

Usability should be the top priority. I’ve launched several HRIS platforms, and at the end of the day, employees need to actually use the system. No matter how great the backend is for HR or how competitive the pricing may be, if the user interface is too complicated, adoption will be a challenge. The system’s overall aesthetic should align with the company’s demographic to support engagement and success.

It improved over the time we used it, but the challenge was that competitors remained ahead of the curve. This made it a tough business decision to stick with Zoho People while waiting for it to catch up. Since we migrated out in December, I’ve noticed significant interface changes, but not enough to make me regret leaving the platform.

Zoho People is a good fit for teams already using Zoho CRM, as it makes sense to keep everything within the same ecosystem. It’s a practical choice for companies looking for a cost-effective, all-in-one solution. I personally think the interface seems to cater more to older generations. It sometimes feels like an elevated version of what AOL Instant Messenger would look like.

I enjoy the ease of use that Monday.com provides. The automation and multiple integrations allow adaptability with Monday.com. Additionally, it is easy to collaborate with teams over tasks.

I have used Monday.com for personal organizational management, as well as for my work. The hardest part of my job as a department leader was not only tracking my own priorities but also the priorities of my direct reports.

Monday.com offers an easy way to manage tasks, add priorities and deadlines, and even assign tasks to people outside of your subscription. Automations and AI are also available, making setting up new tasks and tracking them easy. I've been using Monday.com for about two years now, and I intend to keep using it for a long time to come.

Without expertise, it's hard to add custom fields to tasks that are easy to adjust. Another issue I have is that Monday.com can be tedious as you move between main groupings, and setting up default values has to be done manually. Finally, Monday.com doesn't offer as much customization as other task-tracking websites, such as Notion.

Monday.com is very easy to use compared to the competition, making it easy for new users to get set up and track things right away. The barrier to entry is very low.

Consider cost, as Monday.com will beat the competition in cost alone if you need a simple task-tracking solution. However, if you have specific business needs, you may want to consider functionality and ease of customization.

I have not used Monday.com long enough to see how it has evolved over time. It hasn't changed at all since I started.

Monday.com is great for individual use and small teams, not for larger organizational structures.

I like it for its smooth performance evaluation process. It's one of my favorite features. Second is its onboarding feature and hires packet that let the new employee feel welcomed. Last but not least, is its ATS system which helps us keep a track of our talent pool.

My organization has been using it for 2 years. This is an amazing tool for employee database management. Along with that, it offers an employee satisfaction survey which can help improve things along the way. Its performance module has made life way easier with a simple few steps process for performance evaluation. Lastly, its hiring module is easy to use and generates results.

It does not provide integration with LinkedIn which adds to the cost of LinkedIn job wrapping. Its customization option is very limited and its API keys are also limited to very few options.

For a startup, It provides all the necessary options that will help the organization alleviate its HRIS system. It is not that costly compared to others and it is also very simple to use.

Apart from the very obvious, cost; another criterion could be the size of the organization. The needs of the organization are also very important in terms of what they want to achieve from an HRIS.

They have introduced new modules like performance, moreover, they are always doing webinars to make the best use of their tool. Their customer support is always very helpful.

Small and Medium Enterprises.

• Better communication through instant messaging, group chats, and video calls. One is in the loop of whatever is going on and gets updates quickly.
• Document sharing option. Every member can share a document, and other members can work on the same document simultaneously.
• Better collaboration. This can mainly be attributed to enhanced communication.

My company was mainly trying to solve issues in relation to collaboration and communication. This has led to increased productivity and improved efficiency. We are able to share documents and properly manage our projects better than before. The tools being offered have streamlined our operations a great deal. I have been using Bitrix for 1.5 years now.

• It can be a bit expensive compared to other similar tools out there. Having regular discounts would go a long way.
• Someone who's not familiar with it will have a really hard time navigating through it. A short introductory video of how it works would really help.
• Technical support varies with the different plans available, and this may cause agitation since the responses they are getting aren't necessarily the ones they're hoping for. I feel like the support should be the same regardless of the package one is using.

It has an inclusive tool where one can do product management, CRM and communication. This means that my organization wouldn't have to use different software to achieve the same results.

Pricing. Because there are different plans, one needs to be sure they get a plan that's within their budget.

Ease of use. One needs to make sure that learning how to use it wouldn't be a problem for its members and they'll navigate easily.

I can confidently say that the enhanced features have improved communication and productivity for its members.

Small-sized business, project management, and customer relationship management.

I like that it has the ability to consolidate multiple features/apps into one software program. I enjoy the "Discuss" feature, which essentially creates a company intranet allowing employees to communicate with others privately or with groups/departments. I also like that it allows me to send documents requiring a signature without having to use another external app, such as DocuSign.

My organization chose Odoo because it is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that promises to consolidate and automate several processes. I work for a manufacturing facility that produces food and beverage items, and the processes from creation to delivery of our products include many steps and a lot of paperwork to remain compliant with industry regulations.

We wanted a tool that could be used by several departments, including production, accounting, fulfillment, distribution, and HR. We were hoping we could use Odoo to house our timekeeping, scheduling, and payroll as well. I have been using Odoo for about three months.

I think it is a complex system that requires months of training before it can be fully functional. We cannot use it for payroll because it doesn't track and record tax payments and would require manual journal entries each time. I don't like that the timekeeping feature doesn't allow us to use biometrics (fingerprints via hardware device) when employees clock in and out of their shifts. Although it can integrate with several apps, these drawbacks keep me from recommending it as an HR solution.

Odoo has several functions that it offers to automate processes company-wide. I find the interface to be mostly user-friendly. There are some navigational difficulties when visiting one "app" and then returning to the dashboard, and their training videos could use some work. I find it about average as far as an ERP goes.

Identify exactly which processes you intend to utilize this service for and have a realistic implementation plan. If you're only using it for two or three processes, then a shorter training and implementation plan may work. If you have four or more processes you're looking to integrate, allow yourself and your team several months to meet with their implementation team and demo the trial software so that you can familiarize yourself with it before rolling it out to employees. Training is vital to understanding the full capabilities of the system.

They seem to have a lot of options for different processes that they say continually expand, such as inventory, appointments and to-do lists, project boards, discussion boards, manufacturing, shop floor, quality assurance, etc.

A mid to large-sized manufacturing facility that wants all employees using the same software to meet as many business needs as possible will find Odoo very useful.

• We can manage time and attendance records.
• We can manage onboarding and offboarding.
• We can manage the overall performance management of each employee.

Payroll, time and attendance, performance management, learning & development, recruitment -  all of these were pain points that led us to buy this tool. Prior to WebHR, we were using excel sheets / doing manual work. I have been using this tool for the last 4 years.

• Limited report tracking and analysis.
• Limited customization.
• Occasionally, the system can be slow to respond.

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The appealing quality of WebHR is that it can support the overall performance of each employee, both in small and large organizations.

From time to time, they roll out enhancements to their existing features.

There is no specific type of organization required to buy the WebHR. Any organization can buy this tool to enhance their overall performance and reduce manual work.