Is Freshteam or SmartHR better?

Neither clearly leads. Freshteam starts at Free and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Freshteam or SmartHR?

Freshteam has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshteam and On request for SmartHR.

Does Freshteam or SmartHR run on more platforms?

Freshteam runs on Web, Ios, Android. SmartHR runs on Web.

Can I use Freshteam for free?

Yes. Freshteam has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartHR starts at On request.

What is Freshteam best used for?

Freshteam is most often used for onboarding new hires through automated employee lifecycle workflows, processing expense and procurement approvals without manual email routing, managing maintenance requests with centralized tracking and approval trails, automating contract reviews and document request handling. Of those, onboarding new hires through automated employee lifecycle workflows and processing expense and procurement approvals without manual email routing are not what SmartHR is typically brought in for.

What can Freshteam do that SmartHR cannot?

Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Time Off, Employee Directory.

HR · head to head

Freshteam vs SmartHR

Freshteam

Smart HR software for growing businesses

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

SmartHR

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

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Freshteam has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Freshteam no pricing information published on the website; SmartHR no specific pricing published on vendor website
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshteam and SmartHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshteam and SmartHR differ
Attribute	Freshteam	SmartHR
Starting price	Free	On request
Pricing model	subscription	quote
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web, Ios, Android	Web
Founded	2010	Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Freshteam

Applicant Tracking
Onboarding
Time Off
Employee Directory
Time Tracking
Documents
Org Chart
Freshdesk

Only in SmartHR

Nothing recorded that Freshteam does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Freshteam

Onboarding new hires through automated employee lifecycle workflowsnot SmartHR
Processing expense and procurement approvals without manual email routingnot SmartHR
Managing maintenance requests with centralized tracking and approval trailsnot SmartHR
Automating contract reviews and document request handlingnot SmartHR
Routing HR, Finance, Facilities, Legal requests through structured catalogsnot SmartHR

SmartHR

Reducing combined processing time by 88% across HR functionsnot Freshteam
Centralizing employee information through onboarding to offboardingnot Freshteam
Distributing payroll and salary statements via mobile appnot Freshteam
Automating document distribution and employee communicationsnot Freshteam
Integrating with 120+ external systems for extended functionalitynot Freshteam

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Freshteam

No pricing information published on the website
Requires contacting sales or requesting a demo for pricing details

SmartHR

No specific pricing published on vendor website
Requires direct quotation for customized pricing
Multiple plan options create complexity in pricing structure

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshteam

Free

FreeFree
- 50 Employees
- Basic ATS
- Time Off
Growth$1.2/month
- All Free features
- Onboarding
- Time Tracking
Pro$2.4/month
- All Growth features
- Custom Reports
- Advanced Workflows

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshteam if

You need applicant tracking.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Ios, Android.
You also want onboarding.

Freshteam review

Choose SmartHR if

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

SmartHR review

Questions people ask

Is Freshteam or SmartHR better?: Neither clearly leads. Freshteam starts at Free and SmartHR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshteam or SmartHR?: Freshteam has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshteam and On request for SmartHR.
Does Freshteam or SmartHR run on more platforms?: Freshteam runs on Web, Ios, Android. SmartHR runs on Web.
Can I use Freshteam for free?: Yes. Freshteam has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartHR starts at On request.
What is Freshteam best used for?: Freshteam is most often used for onboarding new hires through automated employee lifecycle workflows, processing expense and procurement approvals without manual email routing, managing maintenance requests with centralized tracking and approval trails, automating contract reviews and document request handling. Of those, onboarding new hires through automated employee lifecycle workflows and processing expense and procurement approvals without manual email routing are not what SmartHR is typically brought in for.
What can Freshteam do that SmartHR cannot?: Freshteam covers Applicant Tracking, Onboarding, Time Off, Employee Directory.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshteam: How much does Freshteam cost?

Freshteam (formerly Freshservice HRMS) does not publish specific pricing information. The vendor focuses on describing product features and benefits across HR, Finance, Facilities, and Legal departments on their public website.

Source

SmartHR: How much does SmartHR cost?

SmartHR pricing is customized per organization based on features and user count. The vendor does not publish standard pricing rates. Customers must use the estimation tool or contact the vendor directly to receive a personalized quote. No additional charges are assessed beyond monthly usage fees.

Source

Freshteam: Does Freshteam offer a free version?

Freshteam includes a 'Start for free' call-to-action on their website, suggesting a freemium model or free trial option. However, specific details about free tier capabilities or duration are not published.

Source

SmartHR: What is SmartHR's free tier?

SmartHR offers a free plan (¥0プラン) for small businesses with up to 30 employees. This tier provides basic employee data management without additional charges, making it suitable for very small organizations or trials.

Source

SmartHR: What are SmartHR's plan options?

SmartHR provides multiple plans including HR Strategy Plan (labor and talent management), Essential Plan (labor management focus), Talent Management Plan (employee growth focus), and a specialized plan for companies with 50 or fewer employees. Optional add-ons including payroll, attendance tracking, and recruitment are available.

Source

Freshteam vs SmartHR

Freshteam

SmartHR

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Freshteam

Only in SmartHR

What people use each for

Freshteam

SmartHR

Where each one falls short

Freshteam

SmartHR

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshteam

SmartHR

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshteam if

Choose SmartHR if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Freshteam

More on SmartHR

Keep looking

Other head to heads