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HR & Recruiting · head to head

CharlieHR vs Craft Docs

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR & Recruiting

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Craft Docs logo

Craft Docs

Project Management

Beautiful document and note-taking app for Apple devices

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Craft Docs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CharlieHR limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms; Craft Docs primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android
  • They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Craft Docs covers Rich document editing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Craft Docs actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Craft Docs differ
AttributeCharlieHRCraft Docs
Starting price£5/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Web
CategoryHR & RecruitingProject Management
Founded20152019

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CharlieHR

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off Management
  • Onboarding
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

Only in Craft Docs

  • Rich document editing
  • Beautiful templates
  • Collaboration in real-time
  • Comments and discussions
  • iCloud sync
  • Powerful search
  • Dark and light themes
  • File attachments

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CharlieHR

No use cases recorded yet. See the CharlieHR review.

Craft Docs

  • Productivitynot CharlieHR
  • Collaborationnot CharlieHR
  • Task managementnot CharlieHR
  • Organizationnot CharlieHR

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CharlieHR

  • Limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • Pricing structure geared toward UK and Europe, with limited localization for other regions
  • Add-on services like Charlie Recruit and Charlie Advice incur additional costs
  • Smaller employee base (approximately 30 people) compared to enterprise HR competitors

Craft Docs

  • Primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; limited support for Windows or Android
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to Notion or Obsidian
  • Collaboration features less mature than dedicated team document platforms
  • Requires learning Craft-specific formatting and structure

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

£5/month
  • Core HR (Teams 1-4)$5/month
    • Employee onboarding
    • Time off management
    • Document storage

Craft Docs

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Craft Docs review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want time off management.

Choose Craft Docs if

  • You need rich document editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Web.
  • You also want beautiful templates.

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Craft Docs better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Craft Docs at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Craft Docs?
Craft Docs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £5/month for CharlieHR and Free for Craft Docs.
Does CharlieHR or Craft Docs run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Craft Docs runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Web.
Can I use Craft Docs for free?
Yes. Craft Docs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can CharlieHR do that Craft Docs cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Craft Docs covers Rich document editing, Beautiful templates, Collaboration in real-time, Comments and discussions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

Source
Craft Docs: What platforms does Craft Docs support?

Craft Docs is available on iOS, iPad, and Mac, with deep integration into Apple's ecosystem. A web version is also available.

Source
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

Source
Craft Docs: Can you collaborate on documents in Craft Docs?

Yes. Craft Docs supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple users to edit documents simultaneously.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

Source
Craft Docs: Does Craft Docs have AI features?

Yes. Craft Docs includes AI-powered writing assistance and editing features.

Source
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

Source
Craft Docs: Can you use Craft Docs offline?

Yes. Craft Docs allows offline editing with synchronization when connectivity is restored.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source

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