Alternatives · HR
CharlieHR alternatives
CharlieHR compared with 5 alternatives: Breathe, Humaans, Personio, BambooHR and Zoho People.
CharlieHR is a paid product with a free trial, starting at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT). 1 of the 5 alternatives is free or has a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
5 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 18, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
How each one differs from CharlieHR
- Free trial · from £24/mo
Breathe
UK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person
- Breathe starts at £24 per month for up to 10 employees, billed monthly (pounds, excluding VAT). CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT).
- Only Breathe lists iOS and Android apps.
- Breathe also covers reports, expense tracking, shift scheduling and time clock.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
Suits: UK small businesses with up to 200 staff
- Paid
Humaans
HR system of record for growing companies, with AI agents, by quote
- Humaans also covers workflow automation, AI agents and reports.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys and applicant tracking.
Suits: Venture-backed companies with staff in several countries
- Paid
Personio
European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting
- Only Personio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Personio also covers time tracking.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
Suits: Companies in Europe wanting core HR, payroll and recruiting together
- Free trial · from $250/mo
BambooHR
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on
- BambooHR starts at $250 per month for up to 25 employees, then $10 per employee / month. CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT).
- Only BambooHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- BambooHR also covers reports and payroll.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
Suits: Small and mid-sized US companies replacing spreadsheets for HR
- Free plan · from $3/mo
Zoho People
Low-cost HR records, attendance, shifts and reviews from Zoho
- Zoho People starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly). CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT).
- Zoho People has a free plan. CharlieHR does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho People lists iOS and Android apps.
- Zoho People also covers reports, shift scheduling and time clock.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys and applicant tracking.
Suits: Small businesses that want HR at a low price per user
Limits worth knowing in CharlieHR
- Made for UK businesses: prices are in pounds and exclude 20% UK VAT, and no other countries are named.
- Charlie Recruit costs £55 to £150 a month extra and cannot be bought on its own; Charlie Grow starts at £200 a month for up to 4 people.
- It does not run payroll; it stores payroll details and links to tools such as Xero and PayCaptain.
- No app-store app is listed on its site; Charlie is used in a browser.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to CharlieHR?
The alternatives to CharlieHR in this directory are Breathe, Humaans, Personio, BambooHR and Zoho People. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with CharlieHR.
Is there a free alternative to CharlieHR?
Yes. Zoho People has a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which CharlieHR alternatives work on Android?
The CharlieHR listing does not include an Android app. Breathe, Personio, BambooHR and Zoho People list one.
Which CharlieHR alternatives work on iOS?
The CharlieHR listing does not include an iOS app. Breathe, Personio, BambooHR and Zoho People list one.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 18, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.