12 Best Free HR Software Options For Your Business In 2025

HR software is an essential tool for any business, whether a startup, SMB, freelancer, or solo entrepreneur. HR software manages payrolls, hiring processes, onboarding, and employee performance.

SMBs and freelancers often find it difficult to go for a reliable HR software with a constrained budget. Most HR software comes with heavy price tags or offers free versions. While many provide limited payroll management, some lack integration with existing tools, making it hard to choose a reliable option without breaking the bank.

Finding reliable HR software requires a multi directional approach, depending on requirements, team size, affordability, and scalability.

Here’s we will look top 12 free HR management software you can choose for your business operations without spending a penny.

Why Having HR software is crucial for Business?

Human resource management software is crucial for any business to ensure a healthy and smooth operation for sustainable growth. It automates repetitive tasks and provides real-time updates on projects, employee performance, payroll management, and onboarding top talents.

Human resource management allows SMBs, startups, and freelancers to save valuable time and money, reduce manual errors, and minimize the risk of non-compliance with regulatory bodies. It helps businesses focus on their core business ideas and policies and offers a flexible and affordable solution to manage workloads.

HR software also helps businesses make data-driven decisions to evaluate trends, project processes, employee performance, and strategies to ensure smooth operation and sustainable growth.

Top 12 Best Free HR Software Options for Business

HR software is essential for any business, whether a startup, SMB, freelancer, or solo entrepreneur. HR software manages payrolls, hiring processes, onboarding, and employee performance.

The global HRM marketplace has experienced massive growth in recent times. It is forecasted to have a CAGR of 7.5% and will reach a revenue of $39.9 billion by 2030.

Many provide limited payroll management, and some lack integration with existing tools, making it hard to choose a reliable option without breaking the bank.

Finding reliable HR software requires a multifold approach and depends on requirements, team size, affordability, and scalability. Here are the top 12 free HR management software you can opt for your business operations without spending a penny.

1) Bamboo HR

Bamboo HR is one of the best free Hr software for SMBs, freelancers, startups, and solopreneurs with low budgets. It offers a user-friendly interface and smooth operation for HR professionals. It automates repetitive tasks, such as payroll management, employee performance, and onboarding top talents.

Bamboo HR is used by thousands of SMBs and startups globally. Whether it is payroll management or tracking employee performance, it offers tailored services for businesses. Bamboo HR offers a centralized service to provide real-time updates and save time on documentation and repetitive tasks.

Bamboo HR offers top-notch services in tracking employee performances and assists HR teams in tracking project status and productivity. This free HR software provides regular updates on regulatory complications to understand complex labor laws and ensure compliance with local bodies and taxations.

Bamboo HR offers high-level security parameters to protect data privacy. The customization features, data privacy, and seamless integration with existing tools make it an ideal choice for SMBs and startups looking for sustainable growth without breaking their banks.

2) Deel

Deel is an all-rounder-free HR software for startups and SMBs with remote and widespread teams. It offers seamless onboarding and team management facilities globally. Deel is widely used by global giants and startups, such as Shopify, Reddit, and Dropbox, to automate repetitive human resources, including payroll management, tax compilations, and remote employees.

Deel offers free onboarding, payroll management, seamless employee tracking, and compliance management with global and local bodies to ensure hassle-free contracts. The free HR management software integrates with payroll management and existing tools to ensure a smooth operation.

While Deel requires subscription plans to experience its premium features, its major facilities, like payroll, onboarding, regulatory compliance, and employee performance management, are free. It offers experts' guidance on automation tools to assist SMBs and startups in adhering to global regulatory compliance. Its expert guidance helps businesses understand complex laws and reduces the risk of penalties.

3) OrangeHRM

OrangeHRM is a powerful, integrated human resources management system designed for small to medium-sized enterprises. It makes core HR processes easier by automating employee information, leave, performance, and recruitment. OrangeHRM makes HR processes easier with customizable workflows, centralized employee information, and easy onboarding tools, gaining the confidence of organizations such as Red Hat, Duke University, and Mercy Corps.

What distinguishes OrangeHRM are its adaptable modules for time tracking, performance appraisals, and training management, as well as smooth integrations with third-party solutions. It accommodates multi-location management, regulatory compliance, and secure employee self-service within a scalable platform. Endorsed by HR professionals and top review sites such as G2 and Capterra, OrangeHRM is ideally suited for industries from education to technology.

With enterprise-grade data security and GDPR compliance, OrangeHRM focuses on both performance and privacy. It has a free trial, mobile support, and an open-source alternative for complete customization. Its full-featured, affordable set of features makes it the perfect HRM solution for expanding teams requiring flexible, compliant, and robust HR software.

4) Connecteam

Connecteam is the best free HR software for SMBs and startups. Connecteam’s mobile-friendly interface is the perfect solution for team management, task processing, communication, and meeting scheduling.

It has powerful security parameters, end-to-end encryption, and customized team-based plans. Connecteam is the best free HR management software for SMBs, startups, and freelancers to leverage innovative tools without a credit card requirement.

The Connecteam HR software offers GPS-based employee scheduling and time tracking to ensure automated planning. It provides a free plan to help SMBs, startups, and freelancers manage remote and on-site employees.

5) Homebase

Homebase is simple, user-friendly, and free HR management software that helps businesses with hourly-based employees. It streamlines operations without spending any pennies. Homebase is designed to help SMBs, startups, freelancers, and solo entrepreneurs automate repetitive tasks such as payroll, scheduling, performance tracking, and hiring processes.

The free HR software is accessible from desktop and mobile applications for tracking hourly-based employees.

Homebase offers free HR tools for unlimited employees, drag-and-drop scheduling, and a GPS-enabled timer to track employee tasks. It provides seamless payroll integration. Homebase HR automates hiring and application tracking to shortlist resumes and hire top talents. The free HR software offers an affordable premium plan to upgrade features for a seamless solution for SMBs and startups.

6) Hireflix

Hireflix offers a streamlined video interview scheduling solution with ATS resume tracking to hire top talents for businesses. HR Teams in Small Enterprises save valuable time and effort by streamlining the hiring process. It helps conduct unlimited one-way interviews and allows candidates to record sessions according to their convenience.

Its free ATS integration assists businesses in reducing scheduling multiple candidate interviews to ensure HR shortlists and hires top talents. Hireflix is used by big startups such as Starbucks, Heineken, and KPMG to streamline the hiring process. It offers unlimited interviews, shortlists the best candidates, and focuses on scalable interviews for businesses considering future upgrades.

Hireflix focuses on robust security parameters to safeguard data privacy according to GDPR compliance and end-to-end encryption. The free HR software offers customized branding options to integrate logos and brand images. Hireflix has multi-language support to help freelance HR consultants hire talents remotely.

7) WorkTango

Worktango has comprehensive HR software for businesses considering future upgrades and features, including enhanced engagement, real-time feedback, and employee performance tracking. It helps HR teams gather valuable information on employee productivity and sentiments to ensure well-deserved recognition.

WorkTango offers robust employee tracking and surveys with its AI-driven analytics for real-time performance tracking. The AI-driven pulses help businesses tackle challenges and foster work-life and productive environments. Its peer-to-peer recognition boosts the morale of deserving employees with customized rewards like employee of the month.

WorkTango seamlessly integrates with other HR and communication tools. It ensures transparency and data security with compliance, end-to-end encryption, and anonymous feedback. WorkTango offers free trials and affordable plans to boost employee productivity and workplace engagement.

8) WebHR

WebHR offers a scalable, simple, affordable, cloud-based solution for comprehensive solution shortlisting candidates, payroll management, and employee performance tracking. It also provides free human resources software solutions for SMBs and Startups for a lifetime.

It automates repetitive HR operations from shortlisting to payroll management. The full-suite HR solutions provide multi-language and global currency support and user bases in over 190 countries. The self-service portals allow employees to manage time off and leave requests in their dashboard.

WebHR integrates time tracking and geolocation for attendance reports. Its robust recruitment and onboarding tools streamline the hiring process with ATS-powered solutions for smooth onboarding. The free HR software provides a secure solution for scalable businesses with GDPR compliance, data encryptions, cloud storage, and role-based access for SMBs.

9) Facto HR

SMBs often struggle to manage payroll, attendance, performance monitoring, and compliance. FactoHR provides AI-based HR and payroll management solutions specifically designed for SMBs, streamlining workforce management without being expensive.

In contrast to most free solutions, FactoHR offers full-fledged attendance and leave automation with minimal manual intervention.

Facto HR supports more than 1.5 million employees across 1,500+ organizations and has been named a leader in HR technology by G2, Capterra, and Gartner. Through secure cloud solutions, role-based access, and tiered pricing with a free trial, FactoHR emerges as a go-to option for SMBs requiring scalable HRMS solutions.

10) Hubstaff

Hubstaff is an employee management software created for SMBs to boost productivity. It automates employees' performance, invoices, and production, reducing manual labor efforts. Its scheduling capabilities allow seamless work allocation, preventing employers from micromanaging.

A recognized leader in the industry, Hubstaff has over 95,000 clients worldwide and is easily integrated with applications such as Trello and QuickBooks. Hubstaff also offers a free plan for small teams with automated time tracking, GPS capabilities, and payroll integration, supporting freelancers and startups while providing scalable premium plans.

11) OnPay HR

OnPay is a full-featured HR and payroll solution designed for SMBs. It automates payroll, benefits administration, and compliance handling. OnPay streamlines HR processes through tax filing, employee onboarding, and enrollment. Having earned the confidence of businesses like Horizon Services and Quick Med Claims, it keeps payroll accurate and compliant.

This platform differentiates itself with features such as unlimited payroll runs, automated tax reporting, and simple integration with best-in-class benefits providers. It also supports multi-state payroll, workers' comp, and 401(k) administration, enabling easy compliance. A top payroll solution recognized by G2, Capterra, and PCMag, OnPay suits numerous industries, including retail and healthcare.

Guaranteeing data protection and compliance with regulations through GDPR compliance and bank-grade security, OnPay provides a 30-day free trial, an employee self-service portal, and benefits and workers' comp integration. Its low cost and comprehensive features make it the best fit for scalable, compliant HR and payroll solutions for SMBs.

12) Talent HR

TalentHR is a simple HR software designed for small and medium-sized enterprises to manage records, monitor time off, and measure performance. It automates recruiting, onboarding, document handling, and workforce management.

TalentHR features an employee self-service portal, automatic time-off tracking, and recruitment features with a free plan option for small teams. It is an easy-to-approach yet powerful HR management tool for SMBs looking for efficiency without cost.

Conclusion

Reliable HR software is necessary for smooth business operations, whether SMBs, freelancers, startups, or solo entrepreneurs. However, finding perfect, reliable HR software with a constrained budget is difficult. Most free HR software comes with heavy price tags or offers limited features in free versions.

While there are multiple free HR systems available, each has its uniqueness. HR software has limited features in its free version, making it crucial to choose a suitable option to ensure sustainable growth for SMBs and freelancers. This article will help you find the best free HR management software, such as Bamboo HR, ZOHO HR, or WebHR.

Still searching for reliable free HR management software? Don’t let your business fail due to a constrained budget. Book a free expert call now!