The right CharlieHR alternative for you depends on one question: do you want payroll in the same system as your people records, or only a simpler way to manage holidays and rotas? All-in-one HR and payroll suites remove the most admin, while leave and time tools stay light and quick to set up.
If you're the office manager who also handles holidays, contracts and new starters, you're the reader this list is for. CharlieHR sells itself as a small firm's first HR hire, so the fair test for any replacement is how much of that admin it takes off your desk. Here are eight options, in no particular order, starting with a quick comparison.
Eight CharlieHR replacements in one table
| Tool | Scope | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cezanne HR | Cloud HRIS and payroll | Recruitment through to people management in one system |
| Employment Hero | All-in-one HR and payroll | HR, payroll, benefits and hiring under one login |
| Humaans | HRIS for growing teams | Growing teams with staff in several countries |
| OrangeHRM | All-in-one HR platform | Employee records, hiring, time and performance together |
| People HR | UK cloud HR platform | UK firms adding learning and benefits to HR |
| Sesame HR | Time, absence and shift HR | Clock-ins, absence requests and shift rotas |
| Timetastic | Staff leave planner | A simple holiday planner with rotas |
| Zelt | UK HR and payroll platform | Growing UK firms wanting payroll in the HR system |
HR software for small firms, A to Z
Unranked. Each line is based on how the vendor describes its own product.
Cezanne HR
Best for: UK and global organisations wanting cloud HR from recruitment and onboarding through people management, which the vendor says it simplifies at every step.
Employment Hero
Best for: Small and medium businesses that want HR, payroll, benefits and hiring on one platform; the vendor says talent tools are built in too.
Humaans
Best for: Global teams handling onboarding and people data; the vendor pitches an HRIS plus an agentic AI workforce that carries out admin tasks.
OrangeHRM
Best for: Bringing employee data, recruitment, time and performance management into one place; the vendor calls it flexible for businesses of all sizes. A free trial is named.
People HR
Best for: UK businesses that want HR, payroll, learning and benefits in what the vendor describes as one unified platform.
Sesame HR
Best for: Shift-based teams tracking clock-ins and clock-outs, absence requests and shifts; a free trial is named on the vendor's site.
Timetastic
Best for: Offices that mainly need to organise time off; the vendor calls it a super-simple staff leave planner, with rotas and time clocking too.
Zelt
Best for: Growing UK businesses wanting people admin and payroll in one flexible platform, which is how the vendor describes it.
Payroll in the same place, or just a leave planner?
This is the split that matters most. Zelt, People HR, Employment Hero and Cezanne HR bundle payroll into the same system as your people records, so a new starter's details flow straight through without retyping. That's a big saving if payroll currently means exporting a spreadsheet to your accountant every month.
Humaans and OrangeHRM are HR information systems first: strong on records and onboarding, with recruitment, time and performance tools in the second of those. Check how each connects to the payroll you already run before you assume it'll replace it.
Timetastic and Sesame HR sit at the lighter end. They handle leave, rotas and clocking in, and little else, which is exactly right for a team that just wants to stop tracking holidays in a shared calendar.
One caution on anything touching pay, holiday entitlement or contracts: the software records and calculates what you set up, but the rules behind it vary and change. Check GOV.UK guidance or an adviser for your own situation, rather than relying on a tool's defaults.
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Advice for UK small business owners
Write down the three HR jobs that eat most of your week before you book a single demo. For most small firms it's holiday requests, onboarding paperwork and keeping records up to date. Judge every tool on those three, not on the features you'll never touch. If payroll is one of the three, put the suites first. If it isn't, a leave planner will probably save you the most time for the least setup.
Ask your team, too. The people booking leave and updating their own details will use the system more often than you will, so a clunky phone app can undo a good admin screen. For more options, see my lists of Breathe HR alternatives and the best HR software for UK businesses.
Moving your staff records safely
People data is the most sensitive thing you'll move. Export employee records, holiday balances and documents from your current system before you cancel anything, and check them against your payroll records so the balances match on day one.
Restrict who can see the export while it sits on your computer, and delete working copies once the move is done. Then ask each employee to check their own profile in the new system in their first week. They'll spot a wrong address or holiday balance faster than you will.
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Frequently asked questions
What does HR software do for a small business?
It keeps employee records, holiday requests, documents and onboarding in one place, so you're not chasing spreadsheets and email threads. Some tools add payroll, performance reviews and recruitment on top.
Do I need payroll in my HR software?
Not always. It saves retyping if you run payroll in-house, but if an accountant handles it, a good export or integration may be enough. Ask whoever runs payroll before you decide.
What's an HRIS?
A human resources information system: a central record of your people, their roles, contracts and history, usually with self-service so staff can update their own details and request leave.
Will HR software keep me compliant with employment law?
It helps you keep records organised, but it doesn't replace advice. Employment rules vary and change, so check GOV.UK guidance or speak to an adviser about your own situation.
How long does it take to switch HR systems?
For a small team, setting up the basics can be quick. The slow part is cleaning and checking the data you bring across, so allow time for holiday balances and documents.
Can staff use HR software on their phones?
Many HR tools offer a mobile app or a mobile-friendly site for booking leave and checking rotas. Check each vendor's site for what its app covers before you roll it out.
