Free HR software for small business 2026 - the honest guide
There is some genuinely free HR software, and there are a lot of fake free promises. Here is the truth: which platforms have permanent free tiers, what those tiers actually include, and which paid platforms have free trials worth running. No fluff, no affiliate-padding.
Permanent free tiers
Homebase Basic (Free)
Scheduling, time clock, basic onboarding, team messaging, basic reports.
One location only. No payroll. Higher tiers ($24.95-$99.95/loc) add benefits and HR features.
Restaurants, retail, single-location hourly teams under 20 employees.
WebHR Free
Employee records, time-off requests, basic document storage, attendance tracking.
Hard cap at 5 employees. No payroll, no advanced workflows, dated UI.
Very small teams (1-5 employees) that need basic record-keeping.
TalentHR Free
HRIS basics, time-off tracking, document management, simple reporting.
Limited to small teams; advanced features (performance, ATS) require paid plan.
Bootstrapped startups under 10 employees needing more than a spreadsheet.
Zoho People Free
Employee database, time-off management, attendance, basic Zoho ecosystem integration.
Capped at 5 users on free plan; useful primarily if you already use Zoho.
Existing Zoho users wanting to extend into HR records.
Free trials on paid platforms
| Platform | Trial length | Full access? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | 30 days | Yes - Simple plan | Longest trial in the category. Run a full pay cycle. |
| OnPay | 30 days | Yes - full plan | First month free; the full feature set is available. |
| Rippling | 14 days | Limited - HR Core only | Modules require paid commitment to evaluate. |
| BambooHR | 7 days | Yes - Core or Pro | Short but full-feature. Plan a focused 1-week evaluation. |
| Homebase | 14 days | Yes - Plus tier | Trial of paid features beyond the always-free Basic tier. |
| GoCo | – | Demo only | No self-service trial. Sales-led demo with sandbox access. |
| Justworks | – | Demo only | PEO co-employment requires contract; no trial period. |
| ADP Run | – | Demo only | Quote-based with sales-led onboarding; no trial. |
| Paychex Flex | – | Demo only | Quote-based; you can request a recorded demo or live walkthrough. |
| Deel | – | Free Deel HR tier always | Deel HR (basic employee data) is permanently free; payroll is paid. |
Stay on free if all of these are true
- ▸You have under 10 employees and don't expect to grow significantly in the next 12 months.
- ▸You operate in a single state, single location.
- ▸You can use a separate, free or cheap payroll tool (Square Payroll under 5 employees, Wave Payroll in some states).
- ▸You don't offer benefits beyond statutory requirements (no health insurance, no 401(k)).
- ▸You can manually handle PTO tracking and onboarding paperwork.
If two or more of these stop being true, the free tier is costing you in time and risk. The cheapest paid plan (OnPay $40 + $6/emp, Gusto Simple $49 + $6/emp) is usually the right move.
Cheapest paid HR software with payroll
If free doesn't fit your needs, here's the cheapest path to compliant US payroll plus basic HR:
OnPay
Single flat plan with full payroll, basic HR, benefits brokerage, and onboarding. $100/month at 10 employees. Cheapest fully-featured option in 2026.
Gusto Simple
$109/month at 10 employees. Modern UX, best-in-category transparent pricing, free 30-day trial. $9 more per month than OnPay buys a more polished experience.
Homebase Plus + Payroll
For hourly teams at one location: $123.95 base + employee fees. Strong scheduling and time clock features Gusto and OnPay don't match. ~$184/month at 10 employees.