Softwr

HR & Recruiting · head to head

CharlieHR vs Zoom

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR & Recruiting

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
Rated
-
Zoom logo

Zoom

All industries

Video conferencing that's easy, reliable, and secure

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Zoom 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; Zoom cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
  • They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Zoom covers HD video & audio.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Zoom actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Zoom differ
AttributeCharlieHRZoom
Starting price£5/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
CategoryHR & RecruitingAll industries
Founded20152011

Identical on both: 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
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Only in Zoom

  • HD video & audio
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording & transcripts
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Breakout rooms
  • Polling & Q&A
  • Chat
  • Whiteboard

Both cover

  • Slack

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.

Zoom

  • Team meetingsnot CharlieHR
  • Webinarsnot CharlieHR
  • Virtual eventsnot CharlieHR
  • Online trainingnot CharlieHR
  • Telehealthnot 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

Zoom

  • Cost creep from add-ons increases pricing from $14/user to $25+/user when including Phone and advanced features
  • Feature set is overwhelming with complex navigation and too many options
  • Limited analytics and coaching features compared to dedicated contact center platforms
  • Call recording and admin oversight lack strict governance needed for regulated industries

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

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

Zoom

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 100 participants
    • 40-minute group meetings
    • Unlimited 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pro$14.99/month
    • 100 participants
    • 30-hour group meetings
    • Cloud recording (5GB)
  • Business$19.99/month
    • 300 participants
    • Single sign-on
    • Recording transcripts
  • Enterprise$25/month
    • 500 participants
    • Advanced admin features
    • Executive business 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.

Choose Zoom if

  • You need hd video & audio.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want screen sharing.

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Zoom better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at £5/month and Zoom at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Zoom?
Zoom has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £5/month for CharlieHR and Free for Zoom.
Does CharlieHR or Zoom run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Zoom runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Zoom for free?
Yes. Zoom has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can CharlieHR do that Zoom cannot?
CharlieHR covers Employee Database, Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews. Zoom covers HD video & audio, Screen sharing, Recording & transcripts, Virtual backgrounds. Both handle Slack.

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
Zoom: What are Zoom's main pricing tiers?

Zoom offers a free Basic plan with 40-minute limits for group meetings, Pro at $14.16/user/month, Business at $15.58/user/month with 300 participant capacity, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Additional costs apply for Phone ($10.50/user/month), Webinars, and Rooms.

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
Zoom: What integrations does Zoom support?

Zoom integrates with Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Zendesk, and many other business applications, though integration depth varies by partner.

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
Zoom: Can Zoom be used for webinars?

Yes, Zoom Webinars is available as a separate product starting at $66.67 per month, providing larger audience capabilities and specialized webinar features.

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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