OrangeHRM Review (2026): HR Software For Employee Records, Leave, Recruitment, And Performance Workflows

Open-source and paid HR software for employee records, leave, time, recruitment, and performance

Updated June 19, 2026

By James Han · How we review

4.1 MAQTOOB rating

Our Verdict

OrangeHRM can work when your company wants HR software with a free open-source option, paid support options, and broad HR administration features. It can cover employee data, leave, time, recruitment, performance, and training without forcing a payroll-first buying decision.

Before subscribing to the paid version, compare the open-source edition with the Advanced plan and test the exact modules your team needs. Companies that want a highly polished modern HR app may prefer another HRIS, while technical teams may value OrangeHRM's flexibility and long product history.

A good fit if you

  • HR teams that want a free open-source HR starting point
  • Companies needing employee records, leave, time, and recruitment
  • Technical teams comfortable evaluating open-source and paid HR options

Look elsewhere if you

  • Teams that want the most polished modern HR interface
  • Companies needing payroll as the central product
  • Small teams unwilling to configure HR workflows
Next step: write down the problem you need solved, check the pricing details, test one real workflow, then compare alternatives before you pay.

What Is OrangeHRM?

OrangeHRM is HR software with a free open-source edition and paid Advanced plans for employee records, leave, time, recruitment, performance, training, and HR administration.

It fits teams that want HR software with an open-source option or companies that need a configurable HR platform without starting from a payroll-first system.

OrangeHRM Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Employee information — Helps teams manage employee information inside the main workflow, instead of leaving that job in disconnected tools.
  • Leave and time — Helps teams manage leave and time inside the main workflow, instead of leaving that job in disconnected tools.
  • Recruitment and onboarding — Helps teams manage recruitment and onboarding inside the main workflow, instead of leaving that job in disconnected tools.
  • Growing companies needing more HR modules — Use the paid options when leave, time, recruitment, performance, and training need support and service.

Cons

  • Want the most polished modern HR interface — Poor fit for teams that want the most polished modern hr interface; those teams should choose a workflow built around that need.
  • Payroll as the central product — Poor fit for companies needing payroll as the central product; those teams should choose a workflow built around that need.
  • Small teams unwilling to configure HR workflows — Poor fit for small teams unwilling to configure hr workflows; those teams should choose a workflow built around that need.

Key Features

Feature What it helps users do Plan or buying note
Open Source Starter Free HR software starting point for core employee management. Free Starter
Employee information Manage staff records and HR data. Starter / Advanced
Leave and time Handle time off, attendance, and related HR workflows. Advanced fit
Recruitment and onboarding Support hiring and new-hire processes. Module dependent
Performance and training Manage reviews, goals, learning, and employee development workflows. Advanced fit

Who Uses OrangeHRM — and For What

HR teams testing a free HR system

Use OrangeHRM Starter when the company needs a low-cost way to organize employee records and basic HR work.

Start with Open Source Starter.

Technical teams wanting configurable HR software

Use it when the company is comfortable setting up workflows and evaluating open-source tradeoffs.

Compare Starter and Advanced.

Growing companies needing more HR modules

Use the paid options when leave, time, recruitment, performance, and training need support and service.

Request Advanced pricing.

Pricing

Plan / item Public price Use case / notes
Starter Free Open-source HR software edition.
Advanced Custom quote Paid plan with broader features, support, and services.
Trial 30-day free trial Official page advertises a 30-day free trial for Advanced evaluation.
Demo Available official page includes demo and sales process.

Source: Official pricing page.

OrangeHRM publishes a free Starter option and uses quote-based pricing for Advanced. The official page advertises a 30-day free trial.

Prices checked 2026-06-17 against official product sources.

Integrations

OrangeHRM integration checks should cover payroll exports, identity access, calendars, time clocks, recruitment sources, training data, reporting exports, and any self-hosting or data hosting requirements. Ask what differs between Starter and Advanced for integrations and support.

Getting Started: What Implementation Actually Takes

Start by choosing whether the free Starter edition is a real option or only a trial option. Then configure employee records, leave policy, roles, reports, and one manager workflow.

Before buying Advanced, compare Starter limits, support needs, hosting, integrations, data export, training, and the exact modules your HR team will use every month.

What Users Say

G2 4.2/5 · 40 reviews Capterra 4.2/5 · 188 reviews GetApp 4.2/5 · 188 reviews Software Advice 4.2/5 · 188 reviews

What works well

  • Users praise OrangeHRM for Ease of Use, Attendance Tracking, Efficiency, Leave Management.
  • The useful positive pattern is whether the product makes the day-to-day workflow easier for the team that will use it.

What gets frustrating

  • Users complain about Native reporting is limited, However.
  • The main buying risk is choosing the product before testing the exact workflow, support path, and reporting needs.
MAQTOOB take: Use the review scores as a starting point for OrangeHRM, then run a real trial or demo. Confirm the daily workflow, setup effort, support access, integrations, reporting, and export path before rollout.

Top OrangeHRM Alternatives

  • Choose BambooHR if BambooHR is easier for teams that want a polished HRIS without open-source setup work.
  • Choose Zoho People if Zoho People is a comparison for cost-conscious HR teams already using Zoho apps.
  • Choose Factorial if Factorial is a modern SMB HR platform comparison for records, documents, time, and people operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OrangeHRM free?

Yes. OrangeHRM's official page lists a free Starter open-source option.

Does OrangeHRM offer a free trial?

Yes. The official page advertises a 30-day free trial.

Who should use OrangeHRM?

Teams that want a free HR starting point or a configurable HR platform with paid support options should consider OrangeHRM.

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