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CharlieHR vs SmartHR

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

Software

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SmartHR logo

SmartHR

Software

Japanese back-office cloud for labor management, payroll and talent management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CharlieHR limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms; SmartHR pricing is not published for any of the three named plans (HR Strategy, HR Essential, Talent Management); the vendor states price varies by company size and requires a quote request form

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and SmartHR actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and SmartHR differ
AttributeCharlieHRSmartHR
Starting price£5/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 SmartHR

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

SmartHR

  • Pricing is not published for any of the three named plans (HR Strategy, HR Essential, Talent Management); the vendor states price varies by company size and requires a quote request form
  • Many core functions (payroll, attendance tracking, hiring management, surveys) are separate paid add-on modules rather than included in the base plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

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

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR 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 SmartHR if

Nothing in the data separates SmartHR from CharlieHR on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SmartHR review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or SmartHR better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or SmartHR?
CharlieHR starts at £5/month and SmartHR at On request.
Does CharlieHR or SmartHR run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). SmartHR runs on Web.
What can CharlieHR do that SmartHR 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

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