Best free HR software
Jibble ranks first on free headcount: its free plan is free forever with unlimited users. Snipe-IT follows for a self-hosted asset register with no user cap. For a team that wants every HR module in one system, PeopleMuster is our pick: 14 days free with no card, then $3 per person a month.
How this was judged
Ranked on how many people the free plan covers with no time limit. Plans that state no user count follow those that do, and a free trial ranks after every free plan.
Nine offers were compared on 24 September 2026, each read from the vendor's own pricing page that day. Most free HR plans cover one job, such as time tracking, recognition or an asset register. We name the job beside each one. Paid prices are quoted so you can see where the free plan ends. Disclosure: PeopleMuster is our product. It has a free trial rather than a free plan, so the method places it last.
The ranking
Jibble
Free forever, unlimited users. Paid tiers sit above it. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A team of any size that wants free time tracking before it spends anything.
- Where it wins
- No user cap and no end date on the free plan.
- Where it falls short
- Extra features sit on paid tiers above the free plan.
Snipe-IT
Self-hosted version free and open source, unlimited users. Hosted: Basic $39.99, Small Business $99.99, Dedicated from $249.99 a month. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- An IT lead who can run a server and wants a free register of company laptops and equipment.
- Where it wins
- Free with unlimited users when you host it yourself.
- Where it falls short
- The free version runs on your own server; hosting starts at $39.99 a month.
Connecteam
Free for up to 10 users. Paid hubs from $29 a month billed yearly ($35 monthly) for the first 30 users. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A team of ten or fewer that wants a free plan with room to grow into paid hubs.
- Where it wins
- Free up to ten users, then a 14-day trial on each paid hub.
- Where it falls short
- The eleventh user moves you onto a paid hub, and each hub is priced on its own.
Zoho People
Free edition for up to 5 users, 3 in the US. Paid from Essential HR at $1.50 per user a month ($1.25 yearly), five-user minimum. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A five-person company that wants a free core HR record.
- Where it wins
- A free core HR edition and a 30-day trial on paid plans.
- Where it falls short
- The free edition stops at five users, three in the US, and paid plans need five users.
Toggl Track
Free for 3 users. Starter $9 per user a month yearly ($12 monthly), Premium $16 ($24). Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A three-person team that wants free time tracking.
- Where it wins
- A free plan for three users and a 30-day trial on paid plans.
- Where it falls short
- The fourth user moves the team to Starter at $9 per user a month billed yearly.
Harvest
Free for 1 seat and 2 projects. Teams $9 per seat a month yearly ($11 monthly), Enterprise $14 ($17.50). Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A freelancer tracking time on a couple of projects.
- Where it wins
- Free for one person, with a 30-day trial on Teams.
- Where it falls short
- One seat and two projects, so a second person or a third project needs Teams.
Clockify
Free tier. Basic $3.99 per user a month yearly ($4.99 monthly), Standard $5.49 ($6.99), Pro $7.99 ($9.99), Enterprise $11.99 ($14.99). Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A team that wants free time tracking and may add paid features later.
- Where it wins
- A free tier and a 7-day trial of Pro.
- Where it falls short
- Four paid tiers sit above the free one.
Bonusly
Free plan. Team without Bizy $3, Team + Bizy $5 per user a month, Organization custom. Verified 24 September 2026.- Who it suits
- A team that wants free peer recognition beside its HR system.
- Where it wins
- A free plan and a 30-day trial on paid plans.
- Where it falls short
- Recognition is the whole job, so leave, attendance and records sit in another system.
PeopleMuster
14 days free, no card required, then $3 per person a month with every module. $30 per person a year on annual billing, which is two months free.- Who it suits
- A team that wants attendance, leave, timesheets, capacity planning, policies and devices in one system after the trial.
- Where it wins
- The trial opens every module. After it, $3 is the whole bill: no seat minimum, no setup fee, no base fee and no tier to climb. Billed monthly, cancel any time.
Questions people ask
Is PeopleMuster free?
PeopleMuster gives every new customer 14 days free with no card required. After that it's $3 per person a month with every module, or $30 per person a year on annual billing. There's no seat minimum and no contract.
What does free HR software usually cover?
One job each, in this list. Jibble, Toggl Track, Harvest and Clockify track time. Bonusly handles recognition, Snipe-IT keeps an asset register, and Zoho People and Connecteam give a small team a free plan. Leave, attendance and records together usually mean a paid plan.
Why aren't BambooHR or Rippling on this list?
The list ranks free plans. BambooHR's published plans start at Core, $10 per employee a month, and Rippling publishes no price at all, both checked September 2026.