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HR & Recruiting · head to head

CharlieHR vs Oyster HR

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR & Recruiting

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster HR logo

Oyster HR

HR & Recruiting

Global employer of record and contractor payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Oyster HR 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; Oyster HR employer of Record plan is priced per employee per month at USD 699, not a flat team rate

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Oyster HR actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Oyster HR differ
AttributeCharlieHROyster HR
Starting price£5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR & Recruiting).

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 Oyster HR

Nothing recorded that CharlieHR does not also cover.

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

Oyster HR

  • Employer of Record plan is priced per employee per month at USD 699, not a flat team rate
  • Global Contractors plan is free for only the first 30 days, then USD 29 per contractor per month
  • A separate currency conversion fee applies whenever payment currency differs from contract currency
  • People Partner Services are billed at USD 300 per hour on top of the platform subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

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

Oyster HR

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Oyster HR 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.
CharlieHR review

Choose Oyster HR if

  • You want to start without paying.
Oyster HR review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Oyster HR better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Oyster HR at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Oyster HR?
Oyster HR has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £5/month for CharlieHR and Free for Oyster HR.
Does CharlieHR or Oyster HR run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Oyster HR runs on Web.
Can I use Oyster HR for free?
Yes. Oyster HR has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can CharlieHR do that Oyster HR 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
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
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
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
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

More on CharlieHR

More on Oyster HR

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