HR · head to head
CharlieHR vs Recruiterbox
The short version
- Only CharlieHR has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: CharlieHR starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period; Recruiterbox pricing not publicly displayed; requires contacting sales for quotes
- They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Recruiterbox covers Applicant Tracking.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Recruiterbox actually diverge.
| Attribute | CharlieHR | Recruiterbox |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $250/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile (iOS/Android) | Web |
| Founded | 2015 | 2011 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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
- Zapier
- Ios support
Only in Recruiterbox
- Applicant Tracking
- Job Posting
- Candidate Management
- Team Collaboration
- Interview Scheduling
- Reporting
- Indeed
Both cover
- Slack
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CharlieHR
- HR management for small to large teamsnot Recruiterbox
- Employee onboarding and time off managementnot Recruiterbox
- Performance reviews and employee engagementnot Recruiterbox
Recruiterbox
- Applicant tracking system for recruiting and hiringnot CharlieHR
- Workflow automation and candidate management for recruitment teamsnot 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
Recruiterbox
- Pricing not publicly displayed; requires contacting sales for quotes
- Limited integration marketplace compared to competitors
- Web-based only; no dedicated mobile app
- Smaller feature set for enterprise-level hiring compared to larger ATS platforms
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
Recruiterbox
$250/month- Trakstar Hire$250/month
- Unlimited Jobs
- Job Board Posting
- Candidate Tracking
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.
Questions people ask
- Is CharlieHR or Recruiterbox better?
- Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at Free and Recruiterbox at $250/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Recruiterbox?
- CharlieHR has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CharlieHR and $250/month for Recruiterbox.
- Does CharlieHR or Recruiterbox run on more platforms?
- CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Recruiterbox runs on Web.
- Can I use CharlieHR for free?
- Yes. CharlieHR has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Recruiterbox starts at $250/month.
- 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 Recruiterbox is typically brought in for.
- What can CharlieHR do that Recruiterbox cannot?
- CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Recruiterbox covers Applicant Tracking, Job Posting, Candidate Management, Team Collaboration. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, 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.
SourceRecruiterbox: What is Recruiterbox (now Trakstar Hire)?
Recruiterbox was rebranded as Trakstar Hire in 2021. It is a web-based applicant tracking system for managing recruitment, with features for job posting, candidate sourcing, interview scheduling, and collaborative hiring.
SourceCharlieHR: 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.
SourceRecruiterbox: Does Trakstar Hire integrate with other tools?
Yes, Trakstar Hire integrates with Slack for notifications, LinkedIn for candidate sourcing, and Google Workspace. Recruiters receive notifications in Slack when candidates move through stages or when interviews are scheduled.
SourceCharlieHR: 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.
SourceRecruiterbox: How many candidates can Trakstar Hire manage?
Trakstar Hire (formerly Recruiterbox) processes over 300,000 applicants added monthly, interviews over 1 million candidates annually, and handles 5,000+ new hires monthly.
SourceCharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?
Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.
SourceCharlieHR: 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Recruiterbox
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