Overview

IceHrm covers employee records, leave, attendance, payroll, recruitment, performance reviews, expenses and timesheets. Employee self-service, role-based permissions and an audit log support distinct needs for staff and administrators. That breadth can reduce the need to split routine HR work across tools; teams looking for only one focused function may find the platform broader than necessary.

The editions make a material difference. Open Source covers core HR operations but excludes premium extensions, which cannot be purchased separately. Cloud adds managed hosting, while IceHrmPro has a much higher starting price and supports larger deployments.

For more options, browse HR Software or, for document-centered tools, HR Document Management Software.

Key features

Leave, attendance and time

Leave management combines live balances, accruals, manual adjustments, multi-level approvals and company and team holiday calendars. Employees can clock in and out on web or mobile, with work location captured; timesheets add submission and approval workflows. This is a solid fit for organizations that need configurable leave administration alongside attendance, though the available facts do not establish how these workflows vary by edition.

Payroll, expenses and talent

Payroll supports custom columns, pay groups, multiple currencies and payslip design. Employees can submit expense claims with receipts for approval and reimbursement through payroll, connecting an employee expense process to compensation administration.

Performance review cycles include goals and 360-degree feedback. Recruitment provides candidate profiles, pipelines and interview scheduling, making IceHrm broader than a records-and-payroll system for employers that also want hiring and reviews in the same platform.

Access, integration and security

A documented REST API uses bearer-token authentication for external integrations and custom applications. The editions comparison includes Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0 and LDAP/Active Directory sign-on options. Dedicated mobile apps support iOS and Android, alongside a mobile web experience.

IceHrm says personally identifiable database data is encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption, files are stored privately and encrypted, and customer data is backed up in at least two locations. Its security policy sets availability, integrity and confidentiality as goals and describes regular internal audit checks. IceHrm also states that it complies with the CISPE Data Protection Code of Conduct and that customers own their data and may request deletion.

Pricing

IceHrm uses a freemium model, with a 14-day trial and paid plans from $11/mo. The named Cloud plan is priced at 12.00 USD per month, billed at $ 12 /mo total for up to 6 employees, with $1.10/employee. It includes managed hosting and email support; listed pricing covers up to 100 employees, with custom pricing above that threshold. The entry price is modest for a small team, but the per-employee charge and six-employee total limit matter when budgeting for growth.

IceHrm Open Source has no listed price and includes employee profiles, attendance and clock-in/out, payroll, documents, projects and timesheets, and reports. Community support is the listed support option. It is the apparent fit for organizations prioritizing those core functions, but the lack of premium extensions is a significant trade-off: they are not sold separately, so needing them means moving to Cloud or IceHrmPro.

IceHrm Enterprise has no listed price and offers unlimited employees. IceHrmPro costs 1799.00 USD per month, starting at $1,799 for up to 50 employees, with coverage up to 500. IceHrmPro's starting price makes it a very different commitment from Cloud; it is relevant to larger organizations that need its employee capacity, rather than small teams comparing monthly entry costs.

Platforms

IceHrm runs on the web and offers iOS and Android mobile access. A self-hosted edition and API access are also available, giving organizations options beyond a hosted browser-based deployment.

Who it's for

IceHrm is a strong candidate for organizations that want one system for employee records, leave, attendance, payroll, recruitment and performance management, especially when mobile access or API integration matters. Small teams can consider Cloud's entry tier, while organizations with larger headcounts should weigh its 100-employee listed-pricing ceiling against IceHrmPro's higher starting cost. It is a poor fit for buyers who require premium extensions but are committed to Open Source.

Pros and cons

Broad HR coverage: Leave, time, payroll, expenses, recruitment and performance reviews sit alongside employee records.
Useful workflow detail: Leave approvals, timesheet approvals, receipt-backed expense claims and payroll reimbursement support connected processes.
Multiple access paths: Web, iOS, Android, self-hosting and a documented REST API serve different deployment and integration needs.
Open Source has a clear ceiling: Premium extensions are unavailable and cannot be bought separately, limiting the edition for teams that need them.
Pricing changes sharply by scale: Cloud lists pricing through 100 employees, while IceHrmPro starts at 1799.00 USD per month for up to 50 employees.

Alternatives

Choose Efalia HR ECM if you want an HR document-management-focused alternative with broad platform support; its pricing varies by company size, storage, users and features, so it requires a quote.

SovoHR is another freemium option, with a free Starter plan capped at one employee and a Micro plan at 19.99 GBP per month for up to five employees.

Zoho People offers a free plan for five users and web, iOS and Android access; consider it when that user cap suits your team.

Sesame HR is a paid, trial-offering option with web and mobile apps; its Essential plan costs 45.00 USD per year, billed annually, with a 15-employee minimum.

Sense HR is another paid option with mobile and web access; its Team plan is 20.00 GBP per month when billed annually, with a monthly-pay option at £24 a month.

Deputy is a paid web and mobile alternative whose Lite plan is 5.00 USD per month per user for basic scheduling and timesheets.

MHR iTrent is a paid web and mobile option with pricing available through a demo booking.

Employment Hero is a paid web and mobile alternative with Pro tiers distinguished by their AI video interview counts.

Verdict

Choose IceHrm if you want a single HR platform spanning operational workflows and talent management, with mobile access and an API. Its breadth is the main reason to consider it; the main reason to look elsewhere is the edition divide, particularly the Open Source extension restriction and the substantial IceHrmPro starting price for larger deployments.

	IceHrm	Sympa
Free plan	Yes
Free trial	Yes
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, self-hosted, Web	Web
Free plan	Yes	No
Employee records	Yes	Yes
Time-off management	Yes	Yes
Employee onboarding	Yes	Yes
Performance management	Yes	Yes
Time tracking	Yes	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes
Audit log	Yes
Employee self-service	Yes
Permission model	role-based
API access	Yes

IceHrm vs Sympa

IceHrm

Sympa