CharlieHR vs Collage (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CharlieHR grades higher than Collage: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CharlieHR grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CharlieHR
HR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket
Collage
Canadian HR and payroll software with a built-in HR advice line
Which one is for you
Pick CharlieHR if
- Fits if this is your first HR system and your team is in the UK
- Works for teams that want new hires filling in their own details
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if staff expect a phone app, as it runs in a browser
- Pricey if you add recruiting and HR advice, from £55 and £200 a month, and Recruit isn't sold on its own
- Skip it if you're outside the UK, as it's priced and built for UK businesses
- Tight if you want a proper look before paying, as the trial is 7 days and leaves out the add-ons
- Watch out: it stores payroll details but doesn't run payroll, so you'll need Xero or PayCaptain too
Pick Collage if
- Fits if you run a Canadian company and want HR and payroll in one
- Works for small teams that want an HR advice line
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're outside Canada, as it's built around CRA remittances and T4s
- Pricey if you want payroll, which needs the CA$18 tier
- Watch out: the page doesn't say if the per-employee price is monthly or yearly
- Watch out: no free plan or trial
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACharlieHRFair | 1.8GPACollageWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CTen people fall in the 5 to 14 bracket at £47 a month, in pounds before VAT. That buys records, onboarding, time off, reviews, surveys and perks. It sits between this category's cheaper quarter and its middle, and HR advice with Charlie Grow starts at £200 a month on top. | CCA$14 an employee a month, about US$10, which sits in the dearer quarter of this category, so C. Payroll takes CA$18. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 7-day trial with no card. A week is short, and the add-ons aren't in it. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed. It offers a free demo only. |
| Features | BRecords and documents with e-signatures, self-service onboarding, time off with Slack showing who's out, scheduled reviews, engagement surveys and perks. The whole job for a small team, with payroll left to Xero or PayCaptain. | CHR records and Canadian payroll, but the listing says payroll is on the higher tier and the pages are built around CRA remittances and T4s. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. New hires fill in their own details, but you'll still set up leave types and review cycles. | CNo store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, linked to Xero, PayCaptain, Workable, Teamtailor, Spendesk, Hofy, Ravio and Pave. No phone or desktop app on record. | BWeb only, with six listed integrations. No mobile or desktop app named. |
| Best for | a UK small business's first HR system | Canadian HR and payroll |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CharlieHR and Collage. How we grade
Where they differ
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
- Collage also covers reports, expense tracking, payroll and time clock.
At a glance
| CharlieHR | Collage | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT) | CA$14 per employee / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card required (add-ons not included) | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Charlie OS Limited | Collage |
| Price read from | charliehr.com | collage.co |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Collage
- Built for Canada: the pricing page lists CRA remittances and T4s, and prices are in Canadian dollars.
- The page does not state a free plan or a free trial; it offers a free demo.
- Payroll is only on the higher HR and Payroll tier.
- The pricing page does not say whether per-employee prices are for monthly or yearly billing.
Key features
CharlieHR
- Employee records and documents
- Stores contracts, policies, tax codes and other records on each profile, sends contracts for e-signature and files them once signed.
- Onboarding
- New hires submit their own details through a self-service onboarding flow, with checklists to track tasks and contracts sent for e-signature.
- Time-off management
- Leave requests go to the right manager, public holidays sync to the calendar, custom leave types fit company policy, and Slack shows who is off.
- Performance reviews and engagement
- Run structured reviews and appraisals on a schedule, and send engagement surveys to the team.
- Charlie Recruit
- An add-on applicant tracker with interview scheduling, e-signed contracts, best-fit analysis, blind hiring and a custom careers site.
- Charlie Grow
- An add-on with a dedicated HR adviser, the AskCharlie AI assistant, urgent support and help with compliance and policies.
Collage
- Employee records and onboarding
- Stores employment history and documents with e-signatures, and runs onboarding and offboarding task lists.
- Time off and timesheets
- Custom leave policies, approvals and balances, with timesheets and geofenced clock-in that feed payroll.
- Recruiting
- An applicant tracking system with a job board, a resume screener and offer letters.
- Payroll
- On the HR and Payroll tier, payroll runs with CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s.
- HR on Call
- Phone and email access to HR advisers, plus a library of 100+ policy and document templates.
- Performance and surveys
- Review templates, manager and self reviews, engagement surveys and HR analytics.
Plans
CharlieHR
1-4 team members£21
per month for up to 4 team members
Core Charlie: records and documents, onboarding, time off, performance reviews, engagement surveys and perks.
5-14 team members£47
per month for up to 14 team members
Core Charlie for teams of 5 to 14; the page lists 5-9 and 10-14 as separate brackets at the same price.
15-29 team members£108
per month for up to 29 team members
Core Charlie for teams of 15 to 29.
30-49 team members£185
per month for up to 49 team members
Core Charlie for teams of 30 to 49.
50-99 team members£323
per month for up to 99 team members
Core Charlie for teams of 50 to 99.
100+ team members£431
per month for up to 149 team members
Core Charlie for 100 to 149 people; then £539 for 150-199, £646 for 200-249 and £754 a month for 250 or more.
Collage
HR PremiumCA$14
per employee / month
Onboarding, employee records, training, engagement surveys, HR analytics, time off, AI recruiting, time tracking, clock-in, performance reviews and expert HR advice.
HR and PayrollCA$18
per employee / month
Everything in HR Premium plus payroll, CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s, and expense management.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom packages and pricing, quoted on request.
Ways to pay less
CharlieHR
No public discounts listed.
Collage
- Other savings
10% off to switch or buy Canadian
The pricing page mentions a 10% discount for businesses that switch or buy Canadian, and says volume and nonprofit discounts are available.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT), and Collage starts at CA$14 per employee / month.
Which has a free plan, CharlieHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither CharlieHR nor Collage has a free plan. CharlieHR has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.