OrangeHRM Review: Free Open-Source Starter HRMS vs the Paid Advanced Edition
OrangeHRM is an HR management system (HRMS) built on a GPL-licensed open-source core. The free Starter edition covers employee records, leave, time and attendance, recruitment and performance reviews, and you can either download it and run it on your own PHP and MySQL server or use OrangeHRM's cloud. The paid Advanced edition is sold module by module and adds graphical reports, automated PTO accrual, e-signatures and dedicated support.
Over 5 million users run OrangeHRM, according to the vendor. Starter is aimed at small businesses that want a free HRMS they fully control; Advanced is aimed at mid-size and enterprise employers, with healthcare, manufacturing and education called out, that want a modular HR suite they can still host on premises. I cover the Starter vs Advanced split, the 30-day trial, the connector list for payroll and sign-in, and what running the open-source build yourself actually involves.
The verdict
OrangeHRM is the pick for SMB and mid-market HR teams that want a free, GPL-licensed HRMS they can host and modify, with the per-employee Advanced edition available when they need more modules or vendor support.
The open-source Starter edition is the reason to look at OrangeHRM. The source is on GitHub, Docker images and a public live demo exist, and your employee data can sit on your own servers while your developers change the code. OrangeHRM also sells Advanced as an on-premises install with the same capabilities as its SaaS version, which few HR vendors still offer. For organizations with data residency or customization needs, that control is useful.
Neither edition is turnkey. Advanced has no public price list: OrangeHRM quotes it per employee per month after a form and a call, so you cannot budget from the website. Starter costs nothing to license, yet help comes only from a community forum, and features such as graphical reports, automated PTO accrual and e-signatures are reserved for Advanced.
I would start with Starter if someone on staff can run a PHP and MySQL application and your HR needs stop at records, leave, time and hiring. If you want dedicated support, the extra Advanced modules and a price you can compare, request an Advanced quote early or look at a SaaS HRIS instead.
Where OrangeHRM fits
Who it suits
OrangeHRM suits HR managers at small and mid-size companies, including healthcare, manufacturing and education employers, who want a full HRMS with employee records, leave, time and recruiting under their own control rather than inside a closed cloud product.
Starter fits teams with in-house IT that can run a PHP application and are comfortable with forum support. Advanced fits firms that want vendor support, extra modules and an on-premises option that most SaaS HR suites no longer sell.
If open-source code and self-hosting are requirements, start with the Starter download or the live demo. If you need a published price or zero hosting work, compare an Advanced quote with SaaS HRIS tools first.
What it does differently
Few HR suites match OrangeHRM on this point: the core product is open source under the GNU GPL and the paid edition can still be installed on your own servers.
The Starter code is public on GitHub, ships as a Docker image and has a public live demo, so an IT team can test it before any sales call. Because you host it, employee records stay on infrastructure you choose, which matters for organizations with data residency rules or heavy customization plans.
Around that core, OrangeHRM covers the usual HRMS modules: PIM employee records, leave with request and approval flows, time and attendance, recruitment, performance reviews, onboarding, training and surveys, plus a mobile app. Its connector list includes ADP, Paylocity and TriNet for payroll, ZKTeco for attendance devices, Okta, OneLogin and Entra ID for sign-in, and Power BI for reporting.
Advanced then gives teams that outgrow Starter a paid edition from the same vendor, sold per employee per month, in the cloud or on premises, with dedicated support and more modules, rather than forcing a switch to a different product.
How it gets bought
OrangeHRM sells to two different buyers. Starter targets small businesses and IT-led teams that want a free HRMS; Advanced targets mid-size and enterprise companies that want a modular HR suite with support and a choice of cloud or on-premises hosting.
A free GPL licence gives Starter one of the lowest entry costs in HR software, since you pay nothing per employee and carry only hosting and admin time. When the team needs graphical reports, automated leave accrual or e-signatures, Advanced adds them for a per-employee monthly fee.
Price transparency is the weak spot. Advanced has no public rate card and is quoted only after a form and a sales conversation, and the total depends on how many modules you pick, so comparing it with SaaS tools that list prices takes extra work.
OrangeHRM pricing: the free Starter edition and what paid Advanced adds
Starter, the open-source edition, costs nothing to license. You can download it and run it on your own infrastructure, or start a 30-day cloud trial that OrangeHRM says converts to a lifetime open-source subscription with no fees. The real cost is the server, the setup and whoever applies patches and upgrades, which is small for a team with spare IT capacity and can exceed a SaaS subscription for a team without it.
Advanced is billed per employee per month, and you choose which modules to buy and add others later. OrangeHRM does not list the rate; you fill in a form and an OrangeHRM expert sends a quote. Third-party sites publish estimates, but I would ignore them and get a written quote for your headcount and module mix before comparing Advanced with other HR suites.
| Plan | Published price | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Not stated |
| Advanced | Custom quote, per employee per month | Not stated |
Pricing last checked June 16, 2026. View source
What the free Starter edition covers versus the paid Advanced edition
Starter includes the employee database and corporate directory (PIM), leave requests and approvals, time and attendance with clock-in and timesheets, recruitment with job postings, performance reviews with goal tracking, custom reports and the mobile app. It is licensed under the GNU GPL, the code is on GitHub and Docker images are available. Support comes from the Starter forum, so you own hosting, upgrades and fixes.
Advanced is the commercial edition. OrangeHRM describes it as a pick-and-mix of modules, and its comparison lists items Starter lacks, such as graphical reports, automated PTO accrual, e-signatures and most admin automation, along with dedicated support. It runs on OrangeHRM's cloud or on premises, and the price is set per employee per month in a custom quote.
Hidden costs in the free edition and the quoted Advanced edition
With Advanced, the number you budget against is the quote. There is no public per-employee rate, so ask for one priced against your headcount and the exact modules you plan to switch on. Also ask what adding a module later costs, since the pick-and-mix model means the bill grows as you expand.
With Starter, the licence is free but running it is not. A self-hosted install needs a server with PHP and MySQL or MariaDB, backups, security patches and someone to apply each OrangeHRM release. The cloud route for Starter begins with a 30-day trial that OrangeHRM says converts to a free open-source subscription, so confirm where that account is hosted afterwards. Price the effort in staff hours and set it against the Advanced quote.
OrangeHRM features: time and attendance, workflow automation, and reporting
OrangeHRM open-source and self-hosted deployment foundation
Starter is published under the GNU GPL, with source on GitHub, downloads on SourceForge and Docker images for quick installs. It runs as a PHP application on MySQL or MariaDB, so any team comfortable with a standard web stack can host it.
OrangeHRM also runs its software in its own cloud, and it sells Advanced on premises with the same capabilities as its SaaS version. That gives regulated organizations a choice most HR suites no longer offer, at the cost of taking on hosting work themselves.
OrangeHRM self-hosted data ownership and control. Self-hosting puts employee records in a database you control. Organizations with data residency or governance rules can keep HR data in their own region and under their own access policies.
OrangeHRM open-source flexibility and customization. The GPL code base and RESTful API let developers add fields, change workflows or connect internal systems. Changes to core code do have to be carried forward through each OrangeHRM upgrade, so keep customizations small.
OrangeHRM time, attendance and leave management
Time and Attendance covers clock-in and clock-out plus timesheets, while PTO and Leave Management handles requests, approvals and leave rules. Both are in the free Starter edition and in the mobile app.
Nothing on OrangeHRM's product pages describes screenshot or app-activity monitoring, so buyers who found it under employee monitoring should treat it as an HRMS that records hours and absences.
OrangeHRM time and attendance tracking. Employees clock in and out from the web or the mobile app and submit timesheets for approval. OrangeHRM lists attendance connectors for ZKTeco and CAMS devices, plus Google Calendar and iCal.
OrangeHRM leave requests and rostering. Leave requests follow a request-and-approve flow with configurable leave types. Advanced adds automated PTO accrual, the Roster module (limited in Starter) handles shift planning, and OrangeHRM also sells a separate scheduling product called Rostero.
OrangeHRM recruitment, onboarding and performance modules
The Recruitment (ATS) module handles job postings and can publish openings to your careers site, and OrangeHRM lists job-board connectors including LinkedIn, Monster and Jooble. Onboarding uses templates and task lists to move new hires through their first weeks.
Performance Management supports reviews and goal tracking, and the wider catalogue adds career development, training, surveys, employee voice and discipline modules.
OrangeHRM recruitment (ATS). Post jobs, collect applicants and move candidates through hiring stages in the same system that holds employee records, with connectors to Workable, Recruitee and Teamtailor if you already use one of them.
OrangeHRM performance reviews and goals. Managers run review cycles and track goals for each employee, and the results stay attached to the PIM record for later promotion or training decisions.
OrangeHRM reports, analytics and connectors
Starter includes custom reports built from employee, leave and time data. Advanced adds graphical reports, and a Power BI connector lets analysts pull HR data into existing dashboards.
Beyond reporting, OrangeHRM lists payroll connectors for ADP, Paylocity, TriNet and several regional providers, QuickBooks for accounting, iSpring and Avendoo for learning, and OneSpan for e-signatures.
OrangeHRM custom report builder. Pick the fields and filters you need, such as department, leave type or date range, and save the report for reuse instead of rebuilding a spreadsheet each month.
OrangeHRM single sign-on and identity. Authentication connectors cover Microsoft Active Directory, Entra ID, Okta, OneLogin and SAML, and HR Administration adds custom user roles and an audit trail.
OrangeHRM Advanced edition and its pick-and-mix modules
Advanced is OrangeHRM's paid edition. Buyers choose the modules they need, add others later, and pay per employee per month on a quote that OrangeHRM prepares after a form and a call.
Advanced brings the features Starter lacks, such as graphical reports, automated PTO accrual and e-signatures, along with dedicated support, and it can run on OrangeHRM's cloud or on your own servers.
OrangeHRM Advanced per-employee pricing. No rate is published. Request a quote in writing that names your headcount and every module, and ask how the price changes when you add a module later.
OrangeHRM 30-day free trial. Advanced comes with a 30-day free trial, and the Starter cloud trial also runs 30 days before it can be converted to a free open-source subscription.
OrangeHRM pros and cons: open-source control, core modules and support gaps
Strengths
OrangeHRM open-source foundation gives teams ownership and self-hosted control
Starter is licensed under the GNU GPL, with source code on GitHub and Docker images available. You can run it on your own servers, keep employee data in your own database and modify the code, which is the main reason organizations with data residency or customization requirements pick OrangeHRM.
Self-hosting keeps personal records inside infrastructure you control, which can simplify data-protection reviews compared with a multi-tenant cloud product.
A public live demo and a free download mean an IT team can evaluate the Starter build end to end without talking to sales.
OrangeHRM covers the core HRMS modules in one system
Even the free edition covers the employee database and directory (PIM), leave requests and approvals, time and attendance with clock-in and timesheets, recruitment with job posting, and performance reviews with goals.
Keeping those records in one system avoids separate tools for leave tracking, timesheets and applicant tracking, each with its own employee list.
OrangeHRM's wider catalogue also lists onboarding, training, surveys, employee voice and discipline modules, which Advanced buyers can add through its pick-and-mix model as the company grows.
OrangeHRM leave and timesheet approvals cut routine HR admin
Leave requests go to a manager for approval inside the system, and timesheets follow a similar submit-and-approve flow, so routine requests stop living in email threads.
Custom user roles, an audit trail and notifications in HR Administration control who approves what and show who changed a record.
Advanced adds automated PTO accrual and more admin automation, which removes the manual balance updates Starter users have to make.
OrangeHRM custom reports and a Power BI connector cover HR reporting
Starter includes a custom report builder for employee, leave and time data, so HR can pull headcount lists or leave balances without exporting raw tables.
Advanced adds graphical reports, and OrangeHRM lists a Power BI connector for teams that want HR data in their existing dashboards.
On a self-hosted install, direct database access is another route, since the data sits in your own MySQL or MariaDB instance.
OrangeHRM connects to payroll, attendance and identity systems
OrangeHRM's connector page lists payroll providers including ADP, Paylocity and TriNet, attendance hardware and apps such as ZKTeco and CAMS, and applicant sources like LinkedIn, Workable and Recruitee.
Sign-in can run through Microsoft Active Directory, Entra ID, Okta, OneLogin or SAML, which matters for IT teams that require single sign-on.
The open-source code base also exposes a RESTful API for internal systems the connector list does not cover.
OrangeHRM free / open-source model lowers the barrier to adoption
Starter costs nothing per employee. OrangeHRM also says its 30-day Starter cloud trial can be converted to a lifetime open-source subscription with no fees.
That lets a team prove the system on real records before asking finance for an Advanced budget.
For small companies with technical staff, a free HRMS with leave, time and recruiting built in is hard to beat on cost.
Limitations
OrangeHRM Advanced has no published price
OrangeHRM prices Advanced per employee per month but does not publish the rate. You submit a form and an OrangeHRM expert follows up with a quote.
That adds a sales step before you know the cost, and the quote changes with the number of modules you pick.
If you are comparing several HR suites on list price, OrangeHRM will be the one column you cannot fill in until the quote arrives.
OrangeHRM Starter relies on community support
Starter users get help through the OrangeHRM Starter forum rather than a support desk; dedicated support comes with Advanced.
If an upgrade breaks a customization or a server fails, your own team has to fix it or wait for a community answer.
Teams without in-house technical staff should budget for outside help or choose Advanced from the start.
OrangeHRM self-hosting shifts maintenance responsibility to your team
Running the open-source build means your team handles the PHP and MySQL or MariaDB stack, backups, security patches and each new OrangeHRM release. That is the price of the data ownership that makes OrangeHRM appealing.
Self-hosting requires infrastructure, technical skills, and time that a fully managed cloud product would absorb for you.
For teams that prefer a hands-off managed experience, the maintenance responsibility of self-hosting is a meaningful consideration to weigh against the flexibility benefits.
OrangeHRM Starter leaves out several conveniences
OrangeHRM's own comparison marks graphical reports, automated PTO accrual, e-signatures and most admin automation as unavailable in Starter, and lists Roster with limited features.
Those gaps mean more manual work each month, such as adjusting leave balances by hand, unless you move to Advanced.
Check the Starter vs Advanced comparison against your own monthly HR routine before committing to the free edition.
OrangeHRM module boundaries take some digging
OrangeHRM markets one catalogue of modules across both editions, and which features sit in Starter, which are limited and which are Advanced-only is spelled out mainly in a comparison table and a downloadable overview.
Buyers who skim the product pages can assume a module is included when only part of it is in the free edition.
Ask for the module list in writing when you request an Advanced quote, and test anything you plan to rely on in the Starter demo.
OrangeHRM on-premises installs put security on your team
OrangeHRM offers its software on its own cloud or on your servers, and it says Advanced on premises carries the same capabilities as the SaaS version.
With an on-premises install, encryption, access control, backups and uptime become your responsibility rather than the vendor's.
Organizations with strict hosting mandates should get the support and update terms for on-premises Advanced written into the contract.
OrangeHRM Starter is free and open source, covering employee records, leave tracking and reporting, while the paid Advanced edition adds recruitment, performance management and payroll integration on modular pricing. The vendor claims more than 5 million users and offers cloud or on-premise deployment, so buyers can start free and add modules later.
OrangeHRM demo checklist: testing Starter, quoting Advanced and hosting questions
An OrangeHRM evaluation usually runs on two tracks: testing the free Starter build yourself and pricing Advanced with the sales team. These four questions cover both.
- Get a written Advanced quote for your headcount and module list. Advanced is priced per employee per month with no public rate, so ask OrangeHRM to price the exact modules you plan to switch on, the cost of adding one later, and whether the rate differs between cloud and on-premises. That gives you a number to set against SaaS HR suites with published pricing.
- Map your processes against the Starter vs Advanced comparison. Starter covers records, leave, time, recruitment and performance reviews, but OrangeHRM marks graphical reports, automated PTO accrual, e-signatures and most admin automation as Advanced-only, and Roster as limited. Walk through your monthly HR routine in the Starter demo and note every step that depends on an Advanced feature.
- Estimate the work of running Starter yourself. You need a PHP and MySQL or MariaDB host, backups, patching and someone to apply new releases, with only the community forum for help. Put that in staff hours per month and compare it with the Advanced quote, which includes dedicated support, before deciding the free edition is cheaper.
- Confirm hosting, data location and support terms. OrangeHRM offers cloud and on-premises options and says on-premises Advanced matches the SaaS feature set. Ask where cloud data is stored, who applies updates to an on-premises install, and what support response times apply, especially if data residency rules drew you to OrangeHRM in the first place.
How we evaluated OrangeHRM
Rajat worked through OrangeHRM directly. Every figure below was checked against OrangeHRM's published pricing on June 16, 2026. Follow the link and check it yourself — if the vendor has moved since, that date tells you how stale this page is.
Plans as published
| Plan | List price |
|---|---|
| Open Source | Free |
| Standard | Custom pricing |
Trial: Free trial available
What the list price doesn't cover
Self-hosting effort is the real cost of the free open-source path
The 'free' open-source foundation has no licensing fee, but that does not make it free to run. Hosting infrastructure, deployment, configuration, updates, and ongoing maintenance all fall to your team, and that effort is the genuine cost of the open-source path. For organizations with dedicated technical capacity, this effort is manageable and the licensing savings are real. For teams without it, the maintenance burden can outweigh the savings. Scope the hosting and maintenance effort honestly before assuming the free path is the cheapest option overall.
Custom Standard plan pricing and variable implementation depth
OrangeHRM does not publish per-user pricing for the commercial Standard plan, so there is no public number to anchor a budget — you need a written vendor quote for your specific headcount and deployment model. On top of that, implementation depth varies by plan, which affects total cost of ownership beyond the licensing line. Because both pricing and implementation scope require validation, build a vendor conversation into your evaluation timeline and get the packaging and implementation scope documented in writing before committing.
What we'd confirm on a demo
Get a written Standard plan quote for your headcount and deployment model
OrangeHRM does not publish per-user pricing for the commercial Standard plan and directs buyers to contact the vendor. Request a written quote scoped to your headcount, target deployment model, and packaging needs, and compare it against both the self-hosted open-source path and managed cloud alternatives.
Scope the self-hosting effort before assuming the free path is cheapest
The open-source foundation is free to license but not free to run. Estimate the hosting, deployment, configuration, and ongoing maintenance effort your team will carry, and price that internal effort honestly before concluding the free path beats a managed alternative.
Clarify what sits in the open-source base versus the Standard plan
Implementation depth varies by plan. Ask the vendor to map exactly which capabilities, support, and vendor-managed packaging fall in the open-source foundation versus the Standard plan, so you know whether the free path covers your needs or whether you need the commercial plan from day one.
Frequently asked questions about OrangeHRM open-source HR and costs
Is OrangeHRM really free and open source?
Yes. The Starter edition is free and licensed under the GNU GPL, with source code on GitHub. You can download it and run it on your own servers, or begin with a 30-day cloud trial that OrangeHRM says converts to a lifetime open-source subscription with no fees. Starter covers employee records, leave, time and attendance, recruitment and performance reviews, with support through a community forum. The paid Advanced edition adds more modules and features plus dedicated support.
How much does OrangeHRM cost?
Starter costs nothing to license. Advanced is priced per employee per month, and OrangeHRM does not publish the rate: you fill in a form and an OrangeHRM expert sends a quote based on your headcount and the modules you choose. Advanced includes a 30-day free trial. For Starter, budget for hosting and admin time; for Advanced, get the quote in writing before comparing it with other HR suites.
Can OrangeHRM be self-hosted?
Yes. Starter can be downloaded and installed on your own server, and Docker images are available. OrangeHRM also sells Advanced as an on-premises install that it says carries the same capabilities as its SaaS version. Self-hosting keeps employee data on infrastructure you control, but your team takes on hosting, backups, security patches and upgrades. OrangeHRM's cloud is the alternative if you would rather not host it.
What does OrangeHRM do?
OrangeHRM is an HR management system. It stores employee records and a company directory, handles leave requests and approvals, records time and attendance, runs recruitment and performance reviews, and produces custom reports, with a mobile app for employees. The paid Advanced edition adds features such as graphical reports, automated leave accrual and e-signatures, and OrangeHRM offers connectors to payroll providers like ADP and Paylocity, to Okta and Entra ID for sign-in, and to Power BI.
Who is OrangeHRM best for?
OrangeHRM suits small and mid-size companies, including healthcare, manufacturing and education employers, that want a full HRMS under their own control. Starter fits teams with in-house IT that can host a PHP application and are fine with forum support. Advanced fits firms that want vendor support, extra modules and the option to install on premises. Teams that want a published price and no hosting work may prefer a SaaS HRIS.
What are the main pros and cons of OrangeHRM?
On the plus side: a free, GPL-licensed Starter edition you can self-host and modify, core modules for records, leave, time, recruiting and reviews, on-premises availability for the paid edition, and connectors for payroll, attendance devices and single sign-on. On the minus side, Advanced has no published price, Starter relies on community support and lacks automated PTO accrual and graphical reports, and self-hosting puts upgrades and security on your team.
Does OrangeHRM offer a free trial?
Yes. Advanced comes with a 30-day free trial. Starter can be tried through a 30-day cloud trial, which OrangeHRM says can be converted to a free open-source subscription, or by downloading it or using the public live demo. That lets you test the free edition and the paid one side by side before requesting an Advanced quote.
Alternatives worth comparing
OrangeHRM fits teams that want open-source code and a self-hosting option. If your priorities are different, these categories cover the main alternatives.
| Product | Pricing model | Free trial | Why buyers shortlist it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActivityWatch | Free / open source | Not stated | ActivityWatch is a free, MPL-2.0 licensed automatic time [tracker](/software/tracker) for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android that logs the active app, window title and idle time, with browser extensions and editor plugins for more detail. |
| Kimai | Free / open source | Not stated | Kimai is a free, open-source time tracking tool built for teams that want a more structured way to track time, activity, attendance, or workforce visibility in self-hosted or open environments. |
| TimeTrex | Free / open source | Yes | TimeTrex is time and attendance software with a free self-hosted community edition and paid cloud or on-site editions. |
| Sentrifugo | Free / open source | Not stated | Sentrifugo is a free, GPL-3.0 open-source HRMS that you download and host yourself, covering employee records, leave, attendance, appraisals and recruitment. |
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