Is FastHRM free?
Yes. Every available FastHRM feature is Free, and coming-soon scope is also labelled Free rather than reserved for a paid tier.
Free and open by default.
A source-linked comparison of FastHRM with six close alternatives. Software price, source availability and operating costs are shown separately.
Free FastHRM featuresMIT open-source licenceNo paid tiers
| Platform | Best for | Ideal team | Starting price | Free option | Open source | Payroll / global | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FastHRM
Official source ↗ |
SMEs and startups wanting broad HR and recruiting without licence fees | Small and growing teams | Free — every listed feature | All available features | Yes · MIT | Payslips and HR workflows; statutory payroll is coming soon | Granular RBAC hardening and live provider adapters remain on the roadmap |
|
Gusto
Official source ↗ |
US startups prioritising full-service payroll, tax and benefits | Typically 1–50 | $49/month + $6/person | No permanent free plan | No public open-source edition | Strong US payroll; international contractor payments are an add-on | Primarily US-focused; deeper HR features require higher plans |
|
BambooHR
Official source ↗ |
Growing teams wanting a polished, dedicated core HRIS | Typically 10–200 | Core from $10/employee/month | Trial; no permanent free plan | No · proprietary | Payroll and benefits are subscribed services; limited global employment scope | Per-employee pricing; advanced capabilities and services increase total cost |
|
Rippling
Official source ↗ |
Fast-scaling teams combining HR, IT, devices, apps and payroll | Typically 20–500+ | From $8/user/month + $40 base fee | Demo and custom quote | No public open-source edition | US and global payroll options with deep workforce automation | Required platform plus modular products can raise cost and setup effort |
|
Deel
Official source ↗ |
Distributed teams hiring employees and contractors internationally | Any size; global-first | $49/contractor or $599/EOR employee monthly | Free demo; no general free plan | No public open-source edition | EOR, contractors and payroll across 130+ countries | EOR and contractor compliance fees add up; core HR is not the main differentiator |
|
Zoho People
Official source ↗ |
Budget-conscious SMEs and existing Zoho customers | 5–200+ | Free for 5 users; paid from $1.25/user/month annually | Permanent free plan for 5 users | No public open-source edition | Multi-language HR; payroll is a separate Zoho product | Advanced attendance, performance and talent features sit in higher tiers |
|
Odoo HR
Official source ↗Licence ↗ |
Teams wanting modular HR inside a broader ERP suite | Small to mid-market | One App Free; all-app plans from $24.90/user/month annually | One App Free and Community edition | Community: LGPLv3; Enterprise: proprietary | Broad modular HR/ERP with regional configuration | A complete HR stack spans multiple apps; API/customisation require the paid Custom plan |
Comparison is based on official vendor pages linked in each row. “Free” describes the software or named plan, not unavoidable infrastructure or implementation work.
Questions people ask
Is FastHRM open source?
Yes. FastHRM is published under the MIT licence, can be inspected and modified, and is designed to be self-hosted.
Which compared HR systems are open source?
FastHRM is MIT-licensed open source. Odoo Community is LGPLv3 open source, while Odoo Enterprise is proprietary. BambooHR is proprietary; Gusto, Rippling, Deel and Zoho People do not publish open-source editions.
Does free software mean zero operating cost?
No. Software can be Free while hosting, implementation, support, migration and third-party provider usage still incur costs. The comparison separates software price from those operating choices.
Are coming-soon FastHRM features available today?
No. Coming soon is an availability label, not a pricing tier. The Features page distinguishes shipped functionality from roadmap scope.