For a small or mid-sized business that wants HR software without a wider business suite, the alternatives fall into three camps: time off and attendance first, all-in-one HR with payroll, and lighter or people-development platforms. Choose the camp that matches your daily admin, and export your leave and payroll records before you cancel anything.
Most small businesses buy HR software for three reasons: leave, employee records and payroll. If that's you and you're moving on from Factorial, these eight tools keep the focus on HR rather than a wider suite covering finance and IT as well.
They're in no particular order, grouped by what each one leads with. That's the quickest way to narrow the field, because an HR tool built around shift planning feels very different day to day from one built around performance reviews.
Leave first, payroll first or people first
Time off and attendance first. Calamari is built around time off, attendance and scheduling, with Slack, Microsoft and Google Workspace integrations. Kenjo suits shift-based and deskless teams, with shift plans shared on mobile. Sesame HR pairs time tracking with payroll and recruitment, and adds an AI assistant on top.
All-in-one HR with payroll. Zelt is UK-focused, built for growing UK businesses across HR, payroll and IT. Eddy pairs payroll with employee and attendance management for businesses leaving spreadsheets behind. Tellent HR, which was previously kiwiHR, covers time tracking, leave, payroll and employee journeys in one HRIS.
Lighter or people-development options. HR Partner is lightweight employee management for small and medium businesses, with leave tracking, records and an employee portal. Leapsome is more performance and development than HR admin: it runs from interviewing to compensation, with absence and payroll preparation as modules you add.
My advice for small businesses choosing HR software
Write down the three HR jobs that eat most of your week, and pick the group that handles those first. If it's leave requests and rotas, start with the time off and attendance tools. If it's getting payroll right every month, look at the all-in-one HR and payroll group, and if you're a UK employer, check the payroll side handles UK rules. If your HR admin is already under control and the gap is reviews, goals and development, that's where the people-first platform comes in.
Ask every vendor for a test account loaded with a few of your own employees, not their demo data. For a wider shortlist, start from my guide to HR software for small businesses, and if leave is the main headache, my piece on leave versus absence management software explains the difference.
The eight HR tools compared
| Tool | Kind of HR tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Calamari | Time off and attendance HR | Leave and attendance with flexible absence types |
| Eddy | HR and payroll for small businesses | HR and payroll for businesses leaving spreadsheets |
| HR Partner | Lightweight HR for SMBs | Lightweight HR admin with an employee portal |
| Kenjo | Shift planning and HR for deskless teams | Shift planning for deskless teams |
| Leapsome | Performance-led HR platform | Performance and development first |
| Sesame HR | All-in-one HR with time tracking | Time tracking with an AI assistant |
| Tellent HR (previously kiwiHR) | HRIS with time tracking and payroll | One HRIS covering leave and payroll |
| Zelt | UK all-in-one HR and payroll | UK HR, payroll and IT in one place |
Which business each tool is for
Sorted alphabetically.
Calamari
Best for: Teams that mainly need time off and attendance, with unlimited absence types, automatic carry-over and automatic balance calculation (vendor wording).
Eddy
Best for: Small and midsize businesses leaving spreadsheets that want to hire, onboard, manage and pay employees from one HR and payroll platform (vendor wording).
HR Partner
Best for: Small and medium businesses wanting leave tracking, employee records, onboarding, an employee portal, custom forms and e-signatures, with no contracts (vendor claim).
Kenjo
Best for: SMEs with deskless teams who need shift planning, time tracking, absence management and payroll preparation, with shift plans shared on mobile.
Leapsome
Best for: Companies more focused on performance and development than HR admin, using a modular platform that runs from interviewing to compensation (vendor wording).
Sesame HR
Best for: Businesses wanting time tracking, payroll, recruitment and more on one HR platform, with an AI assistant called Sesame Intelligence (vendor wording).
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Tellent HR (previously kiwiHR)
Best for: Growing companies after one HRIS for time tracking, leave, payroll and employee journeys, with automated hiring, growth and offboarding workflows (vendor claim).
Zelt
Best for: Growing UK businesses that want HR, payroll, benefits, devices, reviews and scheduling modules on one platform across the employee lifecycle.
Export your records before you cancel
Here's the step people leave too late. Before you cancel an HR system, export your absence, sickness and payroll history in full. For UK employers, GOV.UK's guidance on keeping PAYE records says employers must keep payroll records, including what went out in statutory pay such as sick pay, for three years from the end of the tax year they relate to.
That's UK guidance, and other countries have their own retention rules, so check with the tax authority or regulator wherever you employ people. This isn't legal advice; it's a reason to make the export part of the deal, because records you can't reach are no use to you if someone asks for them.
Ask any vendor on this list two things before you sign: can you get a full export of leave, sickness and document history whenever you want it, and in what format? Then ask your current provider the same question before you give notice, not after your login stops working.
Do you make HR software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between HR software and an HRIS?
The terms overlap. An HRIS usually means the core system of employee records, with leave, payroll and documents built on top. HR software can be anything from a leave tracker to a full platform.
Can small businesses run payroll inside their HR software?
Some tools here include payroll and some only prepare data for a payroll provider. Check which you're getting, and that it handles the payroll rules where you employ people.
How do I move employee records to a new HR system?
Export employee records, leave balances, absence history and documents from the old system, then import them into the new one. Check balances carry over correctly before go-live.
Which HR software suits shift-based teams?
Look for shift planning, mobile access and time tracking, so staff without a desk can see rotas and request leave on their phones.
Do I need performance review software as well as HR admin?
Not at first. Many small businesses start with leave, records and payroll, and add reviews and goals once the team grows enough that informal check-ins stop working.
How long should I keep sickness and leave records?
It depends on the country. For UK employers, GOV.UK sets out how long payroll records must be kept. Check your own regulator's guidance wherever you employ staff.
