The HR Partner Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HR Partner in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HR Partner
The Insider’s Guide
HR records, leave, onboarding and recruiting for teams of 20 to 500
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from HR Partner’s own pages.
Made by HR Partner · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HR Partner’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HR Partner’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade
HR Partner is an HRIS for companies of about 20 to 500 employees. Core covers employee records, a self-service portal, leave and onboarding checklists; Premium adds applicant tracking, performance reviews, timesheets and e-signatures. Price depends on headcount, with a 14-day trial and no long-term contract.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HR Partner, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Records, leave policies and checklists need setting up, with three implementation sessions on Core.
- 1
Best for small firms wanting HR records and leave tracking
Applicant tracking, performance reviews and timesheets need Premium, and extra admin users cost more.
- 2
Paid plans start at $86 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $86 per month for up to 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly).
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Employee records
Contact details, position and salary history, training records, skills matrix, assets, dependents, file attachments and an org chart.
- 6
Leave and PTO
Requests, approvals, configurable policies, custom working-day schedules, balances and a leave calendar.
- 7
Onboarding checklists
Unlimited checklists with reminders, admin tasks, verification and optional e-signatures.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 50 of 63
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of HR Partner you could make: employee records, time off, applicant tracking, goals and expense tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
HR Partner at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $86 per month for up to 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- HR Partner
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for small firms wanting HR records and leave tracking
HR Partner covers employee records, leave, onboarding checklists and, on dearer plans, recruitment, reviews and timesheets, with the price set by headcount. The smallest size shown is 25 employees at $86 a month. Applicant tracking, performance reviews and timesheets need Premium, and extra admin users cost more.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $86 a month for up to 25 employees on Core, about $3.40 each, and $946 a year if you pay yearly. Premium is $108 and VIP $155 for 25 employees. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 14-day free trial with no card needed, and no free plan. |
| Features | B | Records, leave and accruals, onboarding, recruitment, reviews and goals, expenses and e-signatures. The listing names no gap in the core HR work. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Records, leave policies and checklists need setting up, with three implementation sessions on Core. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with 7 integrations on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HR Partner is for
- Fits if you run a firm of 25 or so and want records and leave in one place
- Works for small teams that want recruitment and reviews on a Premium plan
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you have under 25 people and expect a lower price, as that is the smallest size shown
- Tight if you want recruitment, reviews or timesheets, which need Premium at $108
- Watch out: Core has up to 5 admin users, and extra admins cost a fee
- Watch out: yearly billing is 11 times the monthly price, a saving of about one month
Good to know
Good for
- Growing companies of 20 to 500 people that want one HR system without contracts
- Teams using Xero that want approved leave sent to payroll
Worth knowing
- Price is set by employee count; the figures here are for 25 employees, the smallest size in the page's price table, and rise with headcount.
- Yearly billing works out to 11 times the monthly price, so the saving is about one month.
- Applicant tracking, performance reviews and timesheets need Premium; Core has up to 5 admin users and extra admin users cost a fee.
- Prices can be shown in USD, GBP, AUD or EUR on the pricing page.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$86
A month to start
HR Partner is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $86 per month for up to 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly).
Core
$86
per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly)
Employee records, self-service portal, leave and accruals, onboarding checklists, up to 5 admin users. Price rises with headcount: $360 a month at 100 employees.
Premium
$108
per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($1,188 billed yearly)
Core plus applicant tracking, performance reviews and goals, timesheets and clock-in, e-signatures, 10 admin users. $450 a month at 100 employees.
VIP
$155
per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($1,705 billed yearly)
Premium plus priority support, a dedicated account manager, a custom domain, unlimited admin users and 5 implementation sessions. $648 a month at 100 employees.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from hrpartner.io on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Yearly billing at 11 times the monthly price
The pricing page toggle shows a yearly price equal to 11 months of the monthly price, for example $946 against $86 a month for Core at 25 employees.
Stated on hrpartner.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
HR records, leave, onboarding and recruiting for teams of 20 to 500. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: goals, expense tracking, time clock, applicant tracking, employee records, time off.
Records, leave and accruals, onboarding, recruitment, reviews and goals, expenses and e-signatures.
- Employee records
- Contact details, position and salary history, training records, skills matrix, assets, dependents, file attachments and an org chart.
- Leave and PTO
- Requests, approvals, configurable policies, custom working-day schedules, balances and a leave calendar.
- Onboarding checklists
- Unlimited checklists with reminders, admin tasks, verification and optional e-signatures.
- Recruitment
- On Premium and above: an applicant tracking system with a job portal, application forms, stage pipeline and selection panels.
- Performance reviews and goals
- Custom review forms, reminders, individual goals and team goal templates, on Premium and above.
- Expense claims and e-signatures
- Online expense claims with approvals and reports, plus electronic signatures, appear in the plan comparison.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Xero
- Slack
- Merge
- Indeed
- Talent.com
- Virtlx
- Canvass
HR Partner is made by HR Partner.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
50/63
Other HR software it is graded above
HR Partner's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on features (B, above 41 of 63) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $86 a month, against a middle price of $5.36 for the category: 35 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 64 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. HR Partner’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 63
- CFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 63
- BFeaturesAbove 41 of 63
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 63
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 22 of 63
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 38 HR software. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HR Partner is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of HR Partner you could make: employee records, time off, applicant tracking, goals and expense tracking. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.4 is higher than 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade. It costs $1,032 a year.
What you could make
- Employee records, time off, applicant tracking, goals and expense tracking: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- It plugs into other products, Xero, Slack and Merge among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. HR Partner’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Breathe, CharlieHR, BambooHR, Factorial and BrightHR
The 5 tools HR Partner is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Breathe
Free trial · from £24/mo
UK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person.
- Only Breathe lists iOS and Android apps.
- HR Partner also covers goals.
- Breathe also covers reports and shift scheduling.
- 2.4GPA
CharlieHR
Free trial · from £21/mo
HR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket.
- HR Partner also covers goals, expense tracking and time clock.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys.
- 2.4GPA
BambooHR
Free trial · from $250/mo
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on.
- Only BambooHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- HR Partner also covers goals, expense tracking and time clock.
- BambooHR also covers reports and payroll.
- 2.0GPA
Factorial
From $8/mo
HR, time, shifts, expenses and IT for small firms, quoted by module.
- Only Factorial lists iOS and Android apps.
- HR Partner also covers goals and time clock.
- Factorial also covers time tracking and shift scheduling.
- 2.0GPA
BrightHR
From £16.67/mo
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines.
- Only BrightHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- HR Partner also covers goals, expense tracking and applicant tracking.
- BrightHR also covers reports, payroll and shift scheduling.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HR Partner free?
No, HR Partner is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does HR Partner cost?
HR Partner lists 3 plans. Core: $86 per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly).
What platforms does HR Partner work on?
HR Partner is available on Web.
Does HR Partner offer any discounts?
HR Partner publicly lists the following: Yearly billing at 11 times the monthly price.
Does HR Partner have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. HR Partner is listed for Web.
Does HR Partner have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. HR Partner is listed for Web.
Is HR Partner open source?
HR Partner is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does HR Partner integrate with?
HR Partner's listing names Xero, Slack, Merge, Indeed, Talent.com, Virtlx and Canvass.
Who makes HR Partner?
HR Partner is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to HR Partner?
The closest alternatives to HR Partner in our directory are Breathe, CharlieHR, BambooHR, Factorial and BrightHR.
How does HR Partner compare with other HR software?
HR Partner's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 50 of the 63 other HR software we grade, and level with 9.
Is HR Partner good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HR Partner C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $86 a month, against a middle price of $5.36 for the category: 35 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HR Partner?
The plain part of HR Partner you could make: employee records, time off, applicant tracking, goals and expense tracking.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HR Partner’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HR Partner's own pages on 12 November 2026. Its pricing page fills in the figures by script, so we could not re-read them. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HR Partner. Prices change, so check hrpartner.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HR Partner, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hrpartner
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HR Partner: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hrpartner
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hrpartner/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after HR Partner, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 64 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- Leave Dates Insider's GuideAnnual leave planner and absence tracker for small teams2.6 GPA
- TalentHR Insider's GuideHR records, time off, hiring and reviews for small teams2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HR Partner’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HR Partner is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HR Partner. Prices and plans change: check hrpartner.io before you buy.