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Charlie alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Charlie: no payroll, and basic reporting. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Charlie, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Breathe currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Breathe logoBreathePaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 466.5
2BambooHR logoBambooHRPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android5 of 562.6
3Employment Hero logoEmployment HeroPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 359.6
4Personio logoPersonioPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android0 of 046.7
  1. Breathe logo

    1. BreatheTop pick

    Best for: UK small businesses that want simple HR admin without an HR department

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Charlie

    UK small-business HR with leave, absence and safety tools.

    Pros

    • Very easy to use for non-HR staff
    • Built around UK leave and absence practice
    • No-commitment plans and a free trial

    Cons

    • No payroll
    • Limited for international or complex companies
    • Fewer integrations than larger HRIS tools
    Visit Breathe Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Breathe a good Charlie alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Customers
    17,000+ businesses
    Checked Oct 25, 2026breathehr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Company size
    Up to 250 people
    Checked Oct 25, 2026breathehr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Features
    40+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026breathehr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Yes, no credit card
    Checked Oct 25, 2026breathehr.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. BambooHR logo

    2. BambooHR

    Best for: Small and mid-sized companies that want an easy, central HR system employees will actually use

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Charlie

    Bigger HRIS with more integrations and features.

    Pros

    • Easy for employees and managers to use
    • Large integration marketplace
    • Hiring, onboarding and time off in one system

    Cons

    • Native payroll is US-only
    • Reporting and workflows are limited for complex organisations
    • Performance tools need a higher tier
    Visit BambooHR Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is BambooHR a good Charlie alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Starting price
    $10.25 USD per employee/month (Core, 25+ employees)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bamboohr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Small-company pricing
    $250 USD/month flat (Core, up to 25 employees)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bamboohr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Customers
    30,000+ companies
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bamboohr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Countries
    150+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bamboohr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Support
    In-house
    Checked Oct 25, 2026bamboohr.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Employment Hero logo

    3. Employment Hero

    Best for: SMBs in Australia, New Zealand and the UK that want HR, payroll and hiring together

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Charlie

    Adds payroll and hiring in one UK platform.

    Pros

    • HR, payroll, rostering and hiring in one platform
    • AI screening for recruiting
    • Local payroll in several countries

    Cons

    • Features vary by country
    • Many products and tiers to compare
    • Pricing comes with conditions
    Visit Employment Hero Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Employment Hero a good Charlie alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    HR Essentials price
    From $10 (AU site, conditions apply)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026employmenthero.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Recruitment without HR plan
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026employmenthero.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Markets
    AU, NZ, UK, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia
    Checked Oct 25, 2026employmenthero.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Personio logo

    4. Personio

    Best for: European SMEs that want HR, recruiting and payroll preparation in one tool

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    46.7

    score / 100

    Why switch from Charlie

    European all-in-one for companies that are growing fast.

    Pros

    • Strong absence, time tracking and recruiting
    • Built for European compliance needs
    • Workflow automation and integrations

    Cons

    • Quote-based and price rises at renewal reported
    • Reporting can feel limited
    • Strongest in German-speaking markets
    Visit Personio Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1515
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Personio a good Charlie alternative?

    Verified facts

    0 of 0 verified

    No sourced facts yet.

The best Charlie alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Breathe logo

Best Charlie alternative for most people

Breathe

UK small-business HR with leave, absence and safety tools.

BambooHR logo

Best Charlie alternative for iPhone and Android

BambooHR

Bigger HRIS with more integrations and features.

Employment Hero logo

Best Charlie alternative for working in the browser

Employment Hero

Adds payroll and hiring in one UK platform.

Charlie alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Charlie?

Breathe ranks first right now. UK small-business HR with leave, absence and safety tools. BambooHR and Employment Hero follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Charlie?

None of the 4 alternatives we track has a free plan; all are paid, though some offer trials.

Is there an open-source alternative to Charlie?

None of the 4 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Charlie?

The complaints we hear most: no payroll; basic reporting; outgrown by larger or international teams.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Charlie, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.