CharlieHR vs Rise People (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CharlieHR grades higher than Rise People: 2.4 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
CharlieHR grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
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
Rise People
Canadian HR, payroll, time tracking and benefits in one system
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 Rise People if
- Fits if you run a Canadian business and want HR and payroll in one system
- Works for a team that needs T4s and CRA remittances handled inside the product
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you pay staff outside Canada, because payroll is Canadian
- Watch out: every tier carries a base fee the page does not state
- Pricey if you want more than Start, as Grow and Optimize have no published price
- Watch out: time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons
- Skip it if you want to try first, since no free plan or trial is listed
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACharlieHRFair | 1.6GPARise PeopleWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CC$8 per employee a month for Start plus a base fee that the page does not state. Grow and Optimize are quoted, so the real cost is unknown. |
| 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 on record in the listing, and a money-back guarantee would not count as one. |
| 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. | CPeople management, Canadian payroll, onboarding, time off and a mobile app. Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons, so the whole job is not in one price. |
| 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. Payroll with CRA remittances and T4s has setup work before the first pay run. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, linked to Xero, PayCaptain, Workable, Teamtailor, Spendesk, Hofy, Ravio and Pave. No phone or desktop app on record. | CThe listing records web only, and no integrations are named. |
| Best for | a UK small business's first HR system | Canadian HR and payroll with a base fee |
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 Rise People. How we grade
Where they differ
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
- Rise People also covers payroll, shift scheduling and time clock.
At a glance
| CharlieHR | Rise People | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT) | C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee |
| 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 | Rise People, Inc. |
| Price read from | charliehr.com | risepeople.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Rise People
- Pricing is in Canadian dollars and every tier carries a base fee that the page does not state.
- Only the Start tier has a published price; Grow and Optimize are quoted on request.
- The page covers Canadian payroll (CRA remittances, T4s), so it is not a fit for payroll outside Canada.
- Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons; benefits give 30% off Rise platform fees.
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.
Rise People
- People management
- A people directory with HR documents, custom roles and permissions, on-demand pay stubs and people reports.
- Canadian payroll
- Automated payroll with direct deposit, automatic tax remittance and automatic T4 generation.
- Onboarding and time off
- Self-onboarding, offer letters and task lists, and custom time off policies with multi-step approvals.
- Recruiting and performance
- An applicant tracking system with a careers page, plus performance reviews, 360-degree feedback and templates.
- Time tracking and scheduling
- Add-ons for timesheets, geofenced mobile punches, shift scheduling and one-click syncing to payroll.
- Benefits and managed payroll
- Digital health benefits enrollment and a managed payroll service, both sold as add-ons.
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.
Rise People
StartC$8
per month, plus a base fee, per employee
People management, payroll, onboarding, time off and the mobile app. All tiers are subject to a base fee.
GrowCustom
Described as solutions that work together. Quoted on request; no price is published.
OptimizeCustom
Marked most popular and described as a full employee experience. Quoted on request; no price shown.
Ways to pay less
CharlieHR
No public discounts listed.
Rise People
- Other savings
30% off platform fees with benefits
The pricing page says adding Rise employee benefits takes 30% off the Rise platform fees.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Rise People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT), and Rise People starts at C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee.
Which has a free plan, CharlieHR or Rise People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither CharlieHR nor Rise People 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.