Charlie

HR software for UK small businesses, with onboarding, time off, reviews and an optional applicant tracker.

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Charlie

Charlie (formerly CharlieHR) is a London-based HR platform for small UK companies, typically from a handful to around a hundred employees. It handles onboarding, employee records, time off and sickness, performance reviews, one-to-ones, engagement surveys and document storage, with an add-on called Charlie Recruit for job posting and applicant tracking, and an HR advice service for businesses without an in-house HR person. Pricing is a monthly fee by headcount band rather than per employee, with recruiting and advisory options priced separately, and a short free trial with no credit card. It runs in the browser with a mobile app. It is approachable and quick to set up, but there is no payroll, reporting is basic, and companies with more than about a hundred staff or international teams will usually move to a larger HRIS.

Best for: UK startups and small businesses with no dedicated HR person.

What works

Quick to set up and easy to use
Headcount-band pricing that is easy to predict
Optional recruiting add-on and HR advice

Why people leave

No payroll
Basic reporting
Outgrown by larger or international teams

Top Charlie alternatives

See all 4

1
Breathe
UK small-business HR with leave, absence and safety tools.
66.5
2
BambooHR
Bigger HRIS with more integrations and features.
62.6
3
Employment Hero
Adds payroll and hiring in one UK platform.
59.6
4
Personio
European all-in-one for companies that are growing fast.
46.7

Why people left Charlie

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Reviews

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Charlie: common questions

Is Charlie free?

No, Charlie is a paid product. Starting price: £21/month (1–4 employees) (checked on Charlie's own site).

Is Charlie open source?

No, Charlie is not open source.

What platforms does Charlie run on?

Charlie is available for Web, iOS and Android.

What are the best alternatives to Charlie?

The highest-ranked Charlie alternatives right now are Breathe, BambooHR and Employment Hero. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Charlie alternatives

Charlie facts

3 of 3 verified

Starting price: £21/month (1–4 employees); Checked Oct 25, 2026charliehr.com(opens source in a new tab); “is just £21 per month”
Recruiting add-on: From £55/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026charliehr.com(opens source in a new tab); “Discover charlie's add-on Manage your entire hiring process with our ATS built for small businesses. From £55 per month”
Free trial: 7 days, no credit card; Checked Oct 25, 2026charliehr.com(opens source in a new tab); “Yes, you can try Charlie for free for 7 days, no credit card required.”