Quick answer
On 27 October 2026, Breezy HR was free for one open position at a time, and OrangeHRM Starter was free, open-source HR software. Homerun's entry plan cost €89 a month annually for 3 job slots. BambooHR charged a flat $250 a month for companies of 25 or fewer on Core. Workable charged $299 a month for companies of up to 20 employees.
Hiring software is priced in more different ways than any other category we cover, so the cheapest tool depends on how your company hires. Steady hiring at a growing company suits one model, and two roles a year suits another. Below are five options, with prices read from vendor pages on 27 October 2026.
Three ways vendors charge
- By company headcount. You pay for the size of the business, with unlimited jobs. Workable, BambooHR.
- By job slots. You pay for how many roles are open at once. Homerun.
- By plan, with a free tier. You pay a flat fee, and the cheapest tier is free with limits. Breezy HR.
A fourth option is to run open-source HR software yourself: OrangeHRM.
| Tool | Model | Entry price (monthly) | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breezy HR | Flat plans | $157 on annual Startup | Bootstrap: 1 position |
| Homerun | Job slots (EUR) | €89 annual / €99 monthly, 3 slots | 15-day trial |
| BambooHR | Headcount | $250 Core, ≤25 employees | None stated |
| Workable | Headcount band | $299, 1–20 employees | 15-day trial |
| OrangeHRM | Open source | $0 Starter (self-run) | Starter |
Profiles: Workable, Breezy HR, OrangeHRM.
Breezy HR
Bootstrap is free forever with one active position at a time and unlimited users. Paid plans: Startup $157 or $189 a month, Growth $273 or $329, Business $439 or $529. The page says "Annual pricing includes 2 months free!" and the figures fit that exactly ($189 × 10 ≈ $157 × 12), so we read the lower price as annual. The page does not mention single sign-on.
Homerun
Homerun prices in euros by job slots. Its comparison table lists Light at €89 a month annually (€99 monthly) for 3 slots, Basic €159 (€179) for 6, and Plus €249 (€289) for 10. Plans include 25, 75 and 150 seats, with extra seats at €4 a month. The plan cards above the table used different names and figures, so we cite the table only. Dutch customers pay 21% VAT, and other EU businesses use reverse charge.
BambooHR
BambooHR is a broader HR system with hiring included. Core allows 5 job openings, Pro 25 and Elite 50. For companies of 25 or fewer employees, it lists flat prices of $250 (Core), $425 (Pro) and $650 (Elite) a month. Above that it charges per employee. Its cards said $10, $17 and $25, while its FAQ said $10.25, $17.50 and $25, so ask before you budget. No trial was mentioned.
Workable
For the 1–20 employees band, Workable lists Standard at $299 a month ($3,588 a year), Premier at $599 and Enterprise at $719 on annual payment. Every plan includes unlimited active jobs under fair use, and SSO is listed from Standard. The 15-day trial needs no card.
What about running your own HR system?
OrangeHRM Starter is "Completely FREE & Open-source HR Software", licensed under the GPL-3.0 according to its repository. Advanced is priced per employee per month by module, on request, with a 30-day trial. It is an HR records system first. For recruiting alone, the trackers above are built for the job.
Picks by how you hire
- One or two roles a year: Breezy HR Bootstrap, free.
- Bursts of hiring, a few roles at a time: Homerun Light or Basic.
- Under 25 people, want HR and hiring together: BambooHR Core.
- Constant hiring, SSO required: Workable Standard.
- HR records on your own server: OrangeHRM Starter.
New hires need accounts everywhere. See what each extra seat adds in our password manager and CRM comparisons.
Key points
- The three pricing models are headcount bands (Workable, BambooHR), job slots (Homerun, BambooHR openings) and flat plans (Breezy HR).
- Breezy HR's Bootstrap plan is free for one active position at a time, with unlimited users.
- BambooHR's own page gave two different per-employee prices; its flat prices for 25 or fewer employees were $250, $425 and $650 a month.
- Workable includes single sign-on on Standard, its entry plan.
- OrangeHRM Starter is GPL-3.0 open source; its Advanced edition has no published price.
Questions
Is there free hiring software for a small company?
Yes. Breezy HR's Bootstrap plan was free forever on our 27 October 2026 read, limited to one active position or pool at a time, with unlimited users. OrangeHRM's Starter edition is free, open-source HR software under the GPL-3.0, which you install and run yourself.
Why does Workable charge by employee count?
Workable prices by company headcount bands, such as 1 to 20 employees, rather than by the number of recruiters. That includes unlimited active jobs and users within fair-use limits. It suits companies that hire constantly, but the price rises as the company grows, even if hiring slows.
How much does BambooHR cost for a small company?
BambooHR's pricing page listed flat monthly prices for companies of 25 or fewer employees: $250 for Core, $425 for Pro and $650 for Elite. Above that it charges per employee per month, and the page's cards and FAQ gave slightly different figures, so confirm with BambooHR.
What is a job slot?
A job slot is the number of roles you can advertise at the same time. Homerun's comparison table listed 3 slots on Light, 6 on Basic and 10 on Plus. Slot-based pricing suits companies that hire in bursts, because closing a role frees the slot for the next one.
Why are JazzHR, Recruitee and Teamtailor not included?
We publish only prices we can read on a vendor's own page. JazzHR's page did not load in our tools, Recruitee's showed no prices, and Teamtailor asks companies to request a quote. They will be added if published prices become available to read at source.
Who wrote this
Stackfeature Research Desk
The Research Desk is a shared byline, not a person. Work published under it is compiled from vendor pricing pages, documentation and licence files, each linked and dated in the piece. Nothing under this byline claims hands-on testing unless the piece says so and links the evidence.
Citing a figure from this page? Carry its date with it. Prices here were read on the date shown above, and corrections are logged.
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