How you can save more money with Charlie than with other HR software
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Charlie has plenty to offer small businesses, especially when it comes to value for money. But how do you evaluate the benefits beyond comparing price tags?
In this guide, we’ll explore why Charlie offers value for money and how you can demonstrate this to others, with useful comparisons and transparent pricing.
What to consider
Before we explore the full value of Charlie, there are a few things to ask yourself:
- What’s your current budget?
- Is there room in your budget for a new or replacement tool?
- Is your existing setup well-liked?
- Is your team excited or nervous about the idea of a new platform?
- Do you need approval or are you the decision-maker?
These questions matter as they’ll help you figure out what any potential objections might be, so you can frame Charlie as the best option for your organisation. And if you’re the decision maker, you can use this guide to help you feel even more secure in your choice.
Comparing Charlie to other options
We believe Charlie is an ideal choice for small businesses that want to streamline HR tasks and free up time for high-value work. Still, it’s good to compare different options so you can see what’s out there and be clear on what does or doesn’t work for your company.
Here’s how to understand the true value of a tool like Charlie:
- Make a list of your must-have and nice-to-have requirements
- Organise your requirements into a spreadsheet or Notion doc
- Conduct your own research into other HR software tools
- Ask for recommendations from people you trust
- Read user reviews and comparison guides
-
Book a demo to see Charlie in action
- Write down your findings and evaluate which tool is best for you
Our expert-led demos are the best way to see how Charlie works and get a feel for the platform, but we also have a wealth of other resources available to you — like our comparison hub and blog.
Charlie’s pricing and value
Most HR software tools work on a monthly or yearly subscription basis, with fees ranging from free right up to multiple thousands. Charlie runs on a subscription basis, but there’s no minimum term and you’re free to adjust your plan as your needs change.
Charlie’s pricing doesn’t increase per user. Instead, there’s a set price depending on which headcount bracket you’re in.
Headcount
Charlie
Charlie Concierge
Charlie Recruit
Charlie Advice
1-4
£20
£20
£55
£179
5-9
£40
£30
£55
£179
10-14
£40
£30
£55
£299
15-29
£100
£40
£85
£299
30-49
£170
£50
£85
£299
50-99
£300
£75
£100
£299
100-149
£400
£100
£100
£499
150-199
£500
£125
£100
£499
200-249
£600
£150
£150
£499
250+
£700
£175
£150
£499
This bracket approach means the software gets more affordable as your team grows. Within a bracket, the more employees you add, the less it costs per user:
- From 15 to 29 team members (£100 per month), the cost per user drops from £6.67 to £3.44 per employee
- From 50 to 99 team members (£300 per month), the cost per user drops from £6 to £3.03 per employee
With transparent pricing, there’s never any surprise when you receive your monthly bill, and you can scale comfortably knowing you can plan for what your subscription fee will be.
Why Charlie is better than less expensive alternatives
There will always be a less expensive alternative to any software you consider — whether it’s a basic tool or a DIY attempt using Google Sheets or Notion. But what you save in pounds might cost you in the long run — especially when a platform like Charlie can bring you even more benefits.
With Charlie, you can enjoy core features like:
Onboarding
Collect new starter info with just one click
Read more →
Time off
Let Charlie handle your time off admin for you
Read more →
Employee engagement
Understand your team and drive engagement
Read more →
Reviews
Help your team to grow personally and develop professionally
Read more →
Perks
Give your team the experience they deserve
Read more →
Docs & employee data
Store & organise your HR records
Read more →
Integrations
Easily integrate with the rest of your HR tech stack
Read more →
Marketplace
Discounts on services with our trusted partners
Read more →
It doesn’t stop there, though. You can often find these features in other HR platforms too — including ones with a similar pricing structure to Charlie.
Where Charlie stands out is in the value you get beyond core HR features. Your subscription to Charlie also includes:
- Perks and benefits — discounts on 3,000 brands included at no extra cost
- Charlie marketplace — access to exclusive discounts on key business services like insurance, legal services, and IT procurement
Without this, you’ll:
- Have to pay for an expensive perks and benefits platform
- Need to keep track of multiple platforms
- Have to do your own research when looking for service providers
- Not know whether suggested partners are vetted (like they are in Charlie Marketplace)
Many of our users choose Charlie because it’s fairly priced for small businesses. That’s what attracted Lem-uhn. Their team used a free trial to explore Charlie, then signed up — allowing them to swap several tools for one affordable platform for all their HR needs.
Riannon Palmer, Founder & CEO @ Lem-uhn
“Charlie is easy, streamlined and helpful for small businesses looking for HR software, even if you’re small.”
Read case study
Charlie offers more value for money than more expensive alternatives
- Transparent, flat monthly price
- ✅
- ❌
- ✅
- Onboarding
- ✅
- ✅
- ✅
- Time off tracking
- ✅
- ✅
- ✅
- Performance reviews included
- ✅
- ❌ (add-on)
- ❌ (pro tier)
- Surveys
- ✅
- ❌
- ❌
- Marketplace
- ✅
- ✅
- ✅
- Perks or benefits
- ✅
- ❌ (compensation add-on)
- ❌ (benefits admin add on, only available for US customers)
- Pricing
- From £20 per month
- Only available on request
- Only available on request
- Only available on request
Even though these alternatives are more expensive, Charlie still has more to offer when it comes to features. With transparent pricing and all core features included in one simple plan, it’s easy to see why so many small businesses choose Charlie.
Rachel Carrell, Founder & CEO @ Koru Kids
“To me, Charlie has this ability to be simple, helpful and foundational to HR – it’s also a very joyous software that our team loves to use.”
Read case study
Save more money with Charlie
Charlie is one of the most affordable all-in-one HR platforms out there — especially for UK small businesses. Unlike other platforms that limit your usage or ask you to upgrade to enjoy access to must-have features, you can enjoy all of Charlie’s core HR features freely with one simple subscription.
With Charlie you can organise employee docs, streamline time-off management, run performance reviews, and much more from one affordable platform. Book a demo with our friendly team to see how Charlie can meet all your needs in a budget-friendly way.
Written by:
Jenny Tattum
Jenny is a Senior Product Manager at CharlieHR. She has years of experience with product planning and development, and user research too – she put together this guide by collecting data and information on competitors so we could improve our product and tailor it to small business owners.
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