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CharlieHR vs Employment Hero

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR

HR software built for small businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Employment Hero logo

Employment Hero

HR

Australian HR, payroll and recruitment platform for employment management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CharlieHR starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period; Employment Hero hR plans require minimum of 10 users
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Employment Hero actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Employment Hero differ
AttributeCharlieHREmployment Hero
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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 Employment Hero

Nothing recorded that CharlieHR does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

CharlieHR

  • HR management for small to large teamsnot Employment Hero
  • Employee onboarding and time off managementnot Employment Hero
  • Performance reviews and employee engagementnot Employment Hero

Employment Hero

  • HR and payroll management for small to medium businessesnot CharlieHR
  • Recruitment and candidate screening using AI video interviewsnot CharlieHR
  • Leave management and compliancenot CharlieHR

Where each one falls short

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

CharlieHR

  • Starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period
  • Pricing based on team headcount brackets, not per-user
  • Add-ons (Charlie Recruit, Charlie Advice) cannot be purchased standalone
  • Charlie Advice and Recruit require base Charlie subscription
  • Prices shown exclude 20% UK VAT

Employment Hero

  • HR plans require minimum of 10 users
  • Custom pricing required for HR Elite and Employment Unlimited tiers
  • Currency is AUD only, may require currency conversion for non-AU customers

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

Free
  • Starter (1-4 team members)$5/month
    • Introductory rate for first 6 months
    • Then £20/month
  • Small (5-14 team members)$45/month
    • Covers 5-14 employees
  • Medium (15-29 team members)$105/month
    • Covers 15-29 employees
  • Large (30-99 team members)$180/month
    • Covers 30-99 employees

Employment Hero

Free
  • Free Tier (Recruitment)Free
    • Candidate scoring and ranking
    • 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time)
  • HR Essentials$10/month
    • Leave management
    • Employee records
    • Document management
  • HR Engage$14/month
    • All HR Essentials features
    • Recruitment
    • Performance management
  • Pro 50 (Recruitment)$199/month
    • 50 AI video interviews (24/7)
    • Full ATS pipeline
    • Candidate scoring

Which should you pick?

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want time off management.
CharlieHR review

Choose Employment Hero if

  • You want to start without paying.
Employment Hero review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Employment Hero better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at Free and Employment Hero at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Employment Hero?
CharlieHR starts at Free and Employment Hero at Free.
Does CharlieHR or Employment Hero run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Employment Hero runs on Web.
Can I use CharlieHR for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CharlieHR best used for?
CharlieHR is most often used for hr management for small to large teams, employee onboarding and time off management, performance reviews and employee engagement. Of those, hr management for small to large teams and employee onboarding and time off management are not what Employment Hero is typically brought in for.
What can CharlieHR do that Employment Hero cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews.

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
Employment Hero: How much does Employment Hero cost per employee?

HR plans cost from $10 per employee per month for HR Essentials, $14 per month for HR Engage. Add-ons like managed payroll cost $20 per employee per month. All prices are in AUD with a minimum of 10 users per company.

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
Employment Hero: Is there a free trial or free version of Employment Hero?

Yes, the Recruitment module offers a free tier with candidate scoring and 50 complimentary AI video interviews (one-time). HR plans do not include a free tier but start at $10 per employee monthly.

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
Employment Hero: What is the minimum commitment for Employment Hero?

HR plans require a minimum of 10 users. The initial HR contract is billed based on the greater of the minimum commitment or actual billable employees. Add-ons have minimum monthly costs, such as $20 for Chat and $40 for Rostering.

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
Employment Hero: Does Employment Hero include add-on fees beyond the base plan?

Yes, add-ons include Chat ($2 per employee/month, minimum $20), Rostering ($4 per employee/month, minimum $40), Managed Payroll ($20 per employee/month, minimum $400), and other services with separate pricing.

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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