Home / Best Free HR Software Best Free HR Software for Small Business in 2026 Ranked list of the best free HR software available in 2026. Comparison of free tiers, features, and limits so you can pick the right tool for your team.
Genuinely free forever with GPS attendance
Free tier: Up to 10 employees, no time limit, no credit card
PROS
Full GPS attendance with geofence and selfie verification in the free tier Native mobile app with all core features Leave management with proper approval workflows Employee profiles and org chart 5-minute setup, no sales calls Clear upgrade path — flat pricing (not per-user) CONS
Free tier capped at 10 employees Payroll and performance reviews require paid tiers #2
Zoho People (Free Plan) Part of the Zoho ecosystem
Free tier: Up to 5 employees, very limited features
PROS
Integrates with other Zoho tools Basic leave tracking CONS
Only 5 employees on free tier No GPS attendance on free Complex UI, dated interface Attendance and leave are separate limited modules Part of the Freshworks suite
Free tier: Up to 50 employees, but very limited features
PROS
Higher employee limit on free tier Basic recruitment features CONS
GPS attendance not a core feature Discontinued for new sign-ups in some regions Focused more on recruitment than attendance/payroll HR-only, no payroll on free tier
Free tier: Unlimited employees, HR-only features
PROS
Unlimited employees on free tier Good for contractor management CONS
No attendance tracking No payroll on free tier Best only if you already need contractor payments Time clock for shift-based businesses
Free tier: Up to 20 employees at one location
PROS
Good shift scheduling Time clock kiosk mode CONS
Single location only on free tier No proper HR features (profiles, org chart) Focus is shift work, not full HR Time tracking only
Free tier: Unlimited users, attendance only
PROS
Unlimited users for time tracking GPS-based attendance CONS
No leave management on free No employee profiles or HR features Attendance-only, not a full HRMS How we ranked these Rankings are based on the following criteria for teams of 5-50 employees:
Free tier employee limit — higher is better up to reasonable size Free tier feature depth — is it a real tool or a demo? Attendance and time tracking quality (GPS, geofence, selfie) Leave management with approval workflows Ease of setup (target: under 10 minutes) Mobile app quality Clear upgrade path if you outgrow the free tier Try our top pick free Zilonex is free forever for up to 10 employees. 5-minute setup, no credit card.
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