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Best Free HR Software to Try in 2024

Saroj Kanwar

November 8, 2024

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Managing your team effectively is crucial, whether you’re running a small business or managing a larger team. Good HR software can help you handle employee records, track time off, and more, without breaking the bank.

In 2024, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a great Free HR tool. Many platforms offer free versions with useful features to help you manage your HR tasks. As remote work continues to grow, having tools that help you stay connected with your team from different locations is more important than ever.

Here’s a look at some of the best free HR software you can try this year:

Zoho People is a comprehensive HR software solution designed to streamline various HR functions. It offers a robust set of features for managing employee records, leave requests, and attendance tracking.

With Zoho People, you can maintain detailed employee records, including personal information, job roles, and performance metrics. The leave management feature allows you to easily track and approve leave requests, ensuring that your team’s availability is always up-to-date.

Additionally, Zoho People’s attendance tracking helps you monitor employee work hours and manage time off efficiently.

Key Features:

• Employee Records Management: Maintain comprehensive records for each employee, including personal details, job roles, and performance data.
• Leave Management: Easily track and manage leave requests, approvals, and balances to ensure efficient scheduling and coverage.
• Attendance Tracking: Monitor employee attendance, including clock-ins and clock-outs, and manage time-off requests.
• HR Automation: Automate routine HR tasks such as leave approvals, reminders, and notifications to reduce administrative work.
• Performance Appraisals: Conduct performance reviews and set goals for employees to track their progress and development.
• Customizable Workflows: Tailor HR processes and workflows to fit your organization’s specific needs and requirements.

Best For:

Zoho People is ideal for businesses that need a full-featured HR tool with strong automation and employee management capabilities.

BambooHR is known for its user-friendly interface and extensive HR features designed to simplify employee management. It caters to small and medium-sized businesses by providing tools for managing employee records, performance reviews, and recruitment processes.

BambooHR’s employee self-service portal allows employees to update their own information, request time off, and view their benefits, reducing the administrative burden on HR teams.

The performance management feature lets you set goals, conduct performance reviews, and track employee development, which helps in fostering a productive work environment.

Key Features:

• Employee Self-Service Portal: Allows employees to update their personal information, request time off, and view their benefits, reducing HR administrative tasks.
• Performance Management: Set goals, conduct performance reviews, and track employee development to support growth and productivity.
• Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Manage job postings, track applications, and coordinate interviews to streamline the recruitment process.
• Customizable Reports: Generate and analyze reports on various HR metrics to gain insights and make data-driven decisions.
• Onboarding Automation: Automate the onboarding process for new hires, including document submission and orientation scheduling.
• Employee Directory: Maintain a central directory of employee contact information and roles for easy access and communication.

Best For:

BambooHR is perfect for businesses looking for a simple yet effective HR tool with strong performance management and recruitment features.

Gusto offers a comprehensive suite of HR and payroll features in its free version, making it a valuable tool for small businesses.

It handles essential payroll tasks such as calculating wages, managing deductions, and adhering to tax regulations. This integration of HR and payroll functions means you don’t have to juggle multiple systems, simplifying your administrative tasks.

Overall, Gusto’s free version offers a solid foundation for businesses needing both HR management and payroll functionalities, making it a great choice for simplifying your HR operations.

Key Features:

• payroll Management: Handle payroll processing efficiently, manage deductions, and ensure compliance with tax regulations to keep payments accurate and timely.
• Employee Benefits: Oversee employee benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, making it easy to manage enrollments and track benefits usage.
• Time Tracking: Monitor employee hours, manage overtime, and integrate with payroll systems to ensure accurate compensation for worked hours.
• Compliance: Stay updated with labor laws and regulations to ensure your business remains compliant, avoiding legal issues and maintaining accurate practices.
• Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process with electronic document signing and task checklists to make new hires’ integration smoother and faster.

Best For:

Gusto is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses that need an integrated HR and payroll solution with straightforward features.

Zenefits is a cloud-based HR software solution designed to simplify and automate HR tasks for businesses of all sizes.

It provides a comprehensive suite of features that help manage various aspects of human resources, including employee benefits, compliance, and HR administration. Zenefits is known for its user-friendly interface and its focus on streamlining HR processes to save time

Key Features:

• Employee Self-Service Portal: This enables employees to update personal information, request time off, and view their benefits, reducing the need for HR intervention.
• Performance Management: Allows you to set goals, conduct performance reviews, and track employee progress to boost productivity and support professional growth.
• Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Simplifies the recruitment process by managing job postings, tracking applications, and coordinating interviews.
• Customizable Reports: Offers tools to generate and analyze reports on various HR metrics, providing insights to make informed decisions and improve HR strategies.
• Onboarding Automation: Automates the onboarding process for new hires, including electronic document submission and orientation scheduling, to enhance efficiency.
• Employee Directory: Maintains a central directory of employee contact details and roles, making it easy to find and communicate with team members.

Best For:

Zenefits is ideal for businesses that need a comprehensive HR tool with a broad range of features to manage various HR functions effectively.

Workday is a leading cloud-based HR and financial management software known for its comprehensive suite of features designed to streamline various business processes.

It offers a unified platform that integrates human capital management (HCM), payroll, time tracking, benefits administration, and financial management, making it a powerful tool for organizations of all sizes.

Key Features:

• Human Capital Management (HCM): Provides comprehensive tools for managing all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from recruitment to retirement, including performance management, compensation, and succession planning.
• Payroll Management: Handles payroll processing, including tax calculations and compliance, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
• Time Tracking: Enables employees to log their working hours, manage time-off requests, and track attendance, which integrates seamlessly with payroll systems for accurate compensation.
• Benefits Administration: Manages employee benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and other perks, streamlining enrollment and ongoing benefits management.
• Recruitment and Onboarding: Simplifies the hiring process with tools for job postings, applicant tracking, and onboarding new hires, including electronic document signing and task management.
• Analytics and Reporting: Provides advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to track HR metrics, generate insights, and support data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Best For:

Workday is best suited for medium to large organizations that require a powerful HR tool with advanced features and scalability.

1. Employee Self-Service Portal:

An Employee Self-Service Portal allows employees to directly access and manage their personal information, such as updating contact details or requesting time off.

It makes HR work easier by letting employees handle these tasks on their own, saving HR staff time. It also ensures that employee data is up-to-date and accurate, making HR processes more efficient and freeing up time for more important tasks.

2. Payroll Management:

Payroll Management handles calculating wages, deductions, and benefits for employees. It makes sure everyone gets paid correctly and on time while following tax laws and regulations.

This tool reduces errors and simplifies payroll tasks, helping HR teams manage employee compensation smoothly and avoid legal issues.

3. Benefits Administration:

Benefits Administration manages employee perks like health insurance and retirement plans. It helps employees sign up for and manage their benefits easily.

This feature keeps benefits organized and makes it clear for employees what they’re entitled to, improving their overall satisfaction and ensuring benefits are handled correctly.

4. Time Tracking:

Time Tracking records how many hours employees work, including overtime and absences. It integrates with payroll to ensure employees are paid accurately based on their actual work hours.

This feature helps HR keep track of attendance and manage employee schedules, making payroll and resource planning more straightforward.

5. Onboarding Automation:

Onboarding Automation makes it easier to bring new employees into the company. It handles tasks like collecting documents, completing compliance checks, and scheduling orientations automatically.

The tool ensures a smooth and organized start for new hires, helping them get up to speed quickly and efficiently.

Here’s an updated table summarizing the comparison of each free HR tool in 2024, with more features and services highlighted to help you make an informed decision:

Each tool offers essential HR services such as employee self-service, payroll management, time tracking, and benefits administration.

Choosing the right HR software depends on your specific needs and the size of your organization. Each of these free HR tools—Zoho People, BambooHR, Gusto, Zenefits, and Workday—offers unique features that can help streamline HR processes and improve efficiency.

If you’re looking for a simple, user-friendly tool, Zoho People and BambooHR are great options. For businesses that need integrated payroll and HR management, Gusto stands out. Zenefits offers a versatile solution with a broad range of features, while Workday provides advanced capabilities for larger organizations.

Evaluate these tools based on your requirements to find the one that best fits your HR needs. With the right free HR software, you can manage your HR functions more effectively and support your team’s success.