OrangeHRM Starter

HR & people

Free self-hostedEditorial overview
A CLOSER LOOK

What is OrangeHRM Starter?

OrangeHRM Starter is a free, self-hosted HR system for employee information, leave and time-related administration. It helps small organizations replace scattered personnel spreadsheets, with the commercial Advanced edition and managed services offering a separate feature set.

Employee information

Leave records

Time tracking

Employee self-service

Is it a good fit?

Best suited to

Organizations beginning to centralize core employee administration.

Before you choose

Starter and Advanced have different modules and support arrangements.

Editorial assessment based on the provider’s published information. Our method

Know what you're signing up for.

OrangeHRM Starter can be used under GPL-3.0-or-later terms without a software subscription. Self-hosted Starter Edition; Advanced features and hosted services are separate. Deployment, maintenance and any external services remain the user’s responsibility.

Self-hosted Starter Edition; Advanced features and hosted services are separate.

Check current official pricing

The useful parts. The trade-offs.

Why consider it

Core HR records can move out of spreadsheets

Employee self-service reduces repeated information requests

What to keep in mind

Premium modules belong to another edition

Hosting and updates require administration

How to use it well

Build a consistent employee directory and define reporting lines before enabling self-service. Configure leave types and approval paths with a small internal group, then check that balances and manager permissions reflect the organization’s policies.

Treat the Starter installation as an operational system that needs updates and backups. Compare the exact edition when evaluating performance, compensation or additional enterprise modules. A cloud trial is not the same access arrangement as maintaining the free self-hosted Starter application.

A few things you might be wondering.

Is OrangeHRM Starter free?

OrangeHRM Starter can be used under GPL-3.0-or-later terms without a software subscription. Self-hosted Starter Edition; Advanced features and hosted services are separate. Deployment, maintenance and any external services remain the user’s responsibility.

Which edition is covered by free self-hosting?

The listing covers OrangeHRM Starter, distributed under GPL terms.

Are all Advanced features included?

No. Advanced is a separate commercial edition with additional functionality and services.

Where can I check the latest prices?

Use the provider link on this page. Billing period, location, team size, promotions, taxes, and optional extras may affect the amount you pay.

How should I compare this tool with alternatives?

Choose tools for the same task, then compare their feature limits, platform support, and total cost for your team. The Compare button helps you keep a shortlist.

Are the user reviews moderated?

Yes. New reviews are submitted for moderation. We show published user reviews separately from the editorial overview and never assign a default user rating.

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