CharlieHR vs Frappe HR

One of these is a hosted HR product with a printed price list, and the other is open source software you must host and configure. CharlieHR charges a monthly sum by headcount band in pounds, and lets you trial it for 7 days without a card. Frappe HR is free under AGPL-3.0, and the cost lies in hosting and implementation. Only Frappe HR lists payroll today, though its named tax regimes are Indian, while CharlieHR shows payroll as coming soon. Choose by whether you want a finished product or control of the code.

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Both are reviewed in full in our HRIS software ranking: CharlieHR and Frappe HR.

1. 01

   Payroll today versus payroll promised

   Frappe HR names payroll, payroll tax and reports among its functions, and its page says India payroll and tax regimes are live, covering EPF, Professional Tax and ESI. CharlieHR lists Charlie Payroll as coming soon with no price, so pay runs stay in a separate system for now. A UK buyer should not assume Frappe HR covers UK payroll, as the page we read names only Indian regimes. For payroll inside the product itself, Frappe HR is ahead.

   Edge: Frappe HR

2. 02

   What a team of 30 would see on a bill

   CharlieHR's core costs 21 pounds a month for 1 to 4 people, 47 for 5 to 14, 108 for 15 to 29, 185 for 30 to 49 and 754 for 250 or more, all excluding 20% UK VAT. Frappe HR is free software, and Frappe Cloud hosting runs from $5 for Sites and $20 for entry Servers, billed by usage and not per user. A 30-person firm therefore pays less with Frappe, before the cost of setup effort.

   Edge: Frappe HR

3. 03

   Trial access and getting started

   CharlieHR gives a 7-day trial and asks for no card up front, though Grow and Recruit are not automatically included, and there is no free plan. Frappe's pricing page mentions a 14-day free trial of ERPNext on Frappe Cloud, and the HR page has a Start free trial button, but the page does not say whether the trial covers Frappe HR. CharlieHR is clearer about what you get to test before paying for anything.

   Edge: CharlieHR

4. 04

   Running it: hosted product or your own server

   CharlieHR is described as a hosted online application, with no hosting provider, data-centre location or self-hosted option named in the terms. Frappe HR can be deployed on your own server with installation scripts or on Frappe Cloud, and implementation is explicit: do it yourself, take a starter pack with a certified partner, or commission a larger partner project. Frappe gives deployment choice, while CharlieHR needs no setup work.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Modules and add-ons beyond the core

   CharlieHR's core covers employee records, onboarding, leave, performance reviews, engagement surveys and perks. Charlie Recruit runs from 55 to 150 pounds a month and cannot be bought alone, while Charlie Grow runs from 200 to 1,253 pounds. Frappe HR names recruitment, employee lifecycle, shifts and attendance, leave, expenses, performance, payroll and a mobile app on one page, and integrates with ERPNext. Frappe HR carries more named modules without extra licence fees.

   Edge: Frappe HR

6. 06

   Where each company sits and what governs the contract

   Charlie OS Limited is incorporated under English law, and its terms put the registered office in London; no parent company is named. Frappe HR is operated by Frappe Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai, with Indian governing law and Mumbai courts, and the About page says it is backed by an Indian startup with investor logos. If you want a contract with a UK entity under English law, CharlieHR fits better.

   Edge: CharlieHR

Does CharlieHR's 21 pound price include VAT?

No, the pricing page excludes UK VAT, which is added at 20% on top. The 21 pound figure is for a company of one to four people. Larger bands cost more, up to 754 pounds for 250 or more.

What does a Frappe Cloud site cost compared with a seat licence?

Frappe's pricing page lists Sites from $5 and entry Servers from $20 a month, billed by usage and not per user.

That covers hosting, not implementation, which the vendor treats as a separate cost. The Frappe HR page itself says costs do not rise with headcount.

Can a UK firm run payroll in either product?

CharlieHR lists payroll as coming soon, so not today. Frappe HR names payroll, but the tax regimes on its page are Indian ones. Neither page we read shows UK payroll.

• CharlieHR pricing page: band prices in pounds, VAT exclusion, trial terms, Recruit and Grow add-on prices, payroll listed as coming soon.
• CharlieHR terms: England incorporation, London registered address, hosted online application.
• Frappe HR pricing page: free open source cost split, self-host scripts, three implementation routes.
• Frappe HR product page: India payroll regimes, named modules, self-host or Frappe Cloud, no cost rise with headcount.
• Frappe Cloud pricing: $5 Sites and $20 Servers entry, per-usage billing, 14-day ERPNext trial mention.
• Frappe contact page: Frappe Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in Vidyavihar West, Mumbai.
• Frappe legal terms: Indian governing law and Mumbai courts.
• Frappe about page: backing by an Indian startup with investor logos.