Softwr

HR & Recruiting · head to head

CharlieHR vs Folk

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR & Recruiting

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Folk logo

Folk

All industries

The CRM that works for you, not the other way around

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Folk 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; Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
  • They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Folk covers Contact management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Folk actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Folk differ
AttributeCharlieHRFolk
Starting price£5/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web
CategoryHR & RecruitingAll industries
Founded20152020

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 Folk

  • Contact management
  • Email tracking
  • Mail merge
  • Chrome extension
  • Tags & groups
  • Notes & activities
  • Import/export
  • Search & filters

Both cover

  • Zapier
  • Web support

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.

Folk

  • Contact managementnot CharlieHR
  • Sales outreachnot CharlieHR
  • Networkingnot CharlieHR
  • Recruitmentnot CharlieHR
  • Investor relationsnot 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

Folk

  • No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
  • Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
  • No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
  • Limited reporting and analytics features
  • Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
  • LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
  • Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

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

Folk

Free
  • Standard$24/month
    • Pipeline management
    • Email campaigns
    • Contact enrichment
  • Premium$48/month
    • Custom objects
    • Email sequences
    • Dashboards
  • Enterprise$80/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose CharlieHR if

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

Choose Folk if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email tracking.
Folk review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Folk better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Folk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Folk?
Folk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £5/month for CharlieHR and Free for Folk.
Does CharlieHR or Folk run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Folk runs on Web.
Can I use Folk for free?
Yes. Folk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can CharlieHR do that Folk cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Both handle Zapier, Web support.

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
Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?

Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.

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
Folk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?

Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.

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
Folk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?

No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.

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
Folk: What integrations does Folk support?

Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.

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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Related pages

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