Overview

HollyHR brings employee records, working patterns, documents, starter journeys and standard reports into one system. That can replace scattered spreadsheets and joining paperwork for a small team, while keeping the product focused on core administration rather than the full employee lifecycle.

Its UK orientation shows in support for public holidays and right-to-work evidence, and in its Xero Payroll UK connection. However, that connection passes approved leave only after employees and leave types are matched; it does not transfer salary, tax, bank, pay-run or employee-creation data. Teams expecting an HR system to handle payroll should look elsewhere.

Key features

Leave and employee records

Employees can request leave and managers can approve it, with balances, sickness records, working patterns and UK public holidays alongside a shared Who’s Away calendar. This is a useful foundation for routine absence administration and team coordination. It is not a substitute for rota planning or time capture, neither of which is a shipped feature.

Onboarding and documents

Reusable onboarding packs create individual journeys with named owners and due dates, helping managers track starter tasks rather than rely on informal reminders. Private files, right-to-work evidence and policy acknowledgements stay attached to the employee record, making the system more useful than a leave-only tool for teams consolidating basic HR administration.

Reports, connections and data controls

Headcount, turnover and time-off reports export as CSV or PDF. Organisation export includes CSV data, available uploaded files and a manifest, which gives teams a practical route to take their records with them.

Connections include Zapier, Make, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Claude, Google Calendar, Outlook and Xero Payroll UK; Staffology Payroll is in private preview. Capabilities and availability differ by connection. API reads and signed webhooks are available on every plan, but creating records through Zapier, Make or the API requires Standard and System Admin permission.

HollyHR says it checks organisation membership, permissions and scope for data operations, and adds encryption to selected sensitive values. Primary HR records are in the EU; uploaded documents and database backup copies are in the UK, while supporting providers have their own locations and transfer terms. It is not currently certified to ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials and does not publish an external penetration-test claim. That may matter to buyers with formal assurance requirements.

Pricing

The freemium model gives small teams a way to start without a subscription, while Standard is priced per active employee. The trade-off is that the free tier has a firm headcount ceiling and some integrations writes require a paid plan.

Free: Free. It includes everyday HR and API/MCP reads and signed webhooks, capped at 10 active employees. It suits very small teams testing a basic HR process, but not a business already beyond that employee count.
Standard: 2.00 GBP per month, billed Monthly; also £20 per active employee per year. It supports any team size and adds Ask Holly, priority support, a custom domain and approved API/MCP writes. This is the practical paid option for a growing team that needs broader access or write-enabled workflows. Paid Standard support cases have a one UK business day first-response target.
Plus: 4.00 GBP per month, billed Coming soon, and not currently available to buy. Its planned modules include rotas, attendance, timesheets, expenses, hiring, training management, goals, reviews, safety, surveys, employee cases and benefit administration. The planned annual price is £40 per active employee per year. Since it cannot be purchased today, teams needing those capabilities now should not treat it as an available upgrade.
Enterprise: custom pricing, with commercial terms discussed for procurement or multi-organisation needs.

A 30-day trial is offered. The Free plan is also available, so teams can assess the core product before deciding whether Standard’s per-employee pricing fits.

Platforms

HollyHR runs on the web and offers an API. It does not have a shipped native mobile app, so teams that require a dedicated phone app should factor that limitation into their choice.

Who it's for

HollyHR is aimed at small UK teams and provides workflows for founders, HR and office managers, finance managers, managers and employees. It is a sensible fit where one system for records, leave, starter tasks and standard reporting matters more than payroll, shift scheduling or specialist talent modules. It is less suitable for organisations that need those capabilities built into their HR platform or require established third-party security certifications.

Pros and cons

Pros: The free plan covers everyday HR for up to 10 active employees, making it a credible starting point for a very small team.
Pros: Onboarding journeys, employee documents, leave and core reports sit together, reducing the need to split basic administration across separate processes.
Pros: CSV/PDF reports and an organisation export with available files support routine analysis and data portability.
Cons: There is no native payroll, rota, time tracking, expenses, recruitment, performance or learning module in the shipped product, limiting its fit as an all-in-one workforce system.
Cons: The Xero Payroll UK connection handles approved leave, not payroll data or employee creation, so it does not remove the need for a separate payroll workflow.
Cons: The mobile app is not shipped, and the company is not currently certified to ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials; buyers requiring either may need another option.

Alternatives

For a different onboarding or HR shortlist, compare Employee Onboarding Software and HR Software.

Among the named products, 50skills Offboarding is the relevant alternative when the priority is offboarding rather than HollyHR’s broader core HR scope. Choose Whale when a free knowledge and playbook tool is a closer fit: its free plan allows 10 members, one creator, 20 Playbook items and 20 AI credits. EmployeeConnect is worth considering when payroll is central, since its Payroll Standard plan includes automated payroll management, Single Touch Payroll, timesheets, leave management and superannuation processing.

OnboardSwift is another onboarding-focused option, with a Starter plan at 2.80 USD per month billed annually per employee and a five-employee minimum. Workelo is an alternative with a free trial and a demo-request buying route. Boardon offers a free plan and web/API access for teams considering an onboarding-focused product. NEOGOV Insight is an alternative for buyers prepared for customized pricing based on products selected and agency size. Kriatix Lead Qualification Chatbot is another listed alternative.

Verdict

Choose HollyHR if a small UK team wants affordable, joined-up employee records, leave and onboarding, with a free tier for up to 10 active employees and a modestly priced Standard plan beyond that. Its strongest case is practical core HR with usable exports and straightforward UK leave workflows. Look elsewhere if payroll, rotas, time tracking, a native mobile app or formal security certification is a requirement rather than a future possibility.

	Employment Hero	HollyHR
Free plan		Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from		£2/mo
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	api, Web
Free plan	No	Yes
Employee records	Yes
Time-off management	Yes
Employee onboarding	Yes
Performance management	Yes
Time tracking	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes
Workflow automation		Yes
Document collection		Yes
Training content		Yes
Progress reporting		Yes

Employment Hero vs HollyHR

Employment Hero

HollyHR