HollyHR

HollyHR is a core HR system for small UK teams that need employee records, leave administration and structured onboarding in one workspace. It suits founders, office managers and HR leads who do not need a full workforce suite. The low-cost Standard tier is compelling for everyday HR, but payroll, rota and several operational modules remain outside its scope.

Overview

HollyHR combines people records, working patterns, leave, documents, starter workflows and standard reporting. That gives a small organisation one administrative base instead of separate files for absence and joining paperwork. Its boundaries are clear: native payroll, rota and time tracking, expenses, recruitment, performance and learning modules are not shipped features, and there is no native mobile app.

Key features

Leave and employee records

Employees can submit leave requests for approval, while managers maintain balances, sickness records, working patterns and UK public holidays. The shared Who’s Away calendar provides a useful team view of absences. This is well suited to office-based teams with predictable schedules, not businesses that need shift planning or clock-in data.

Onboarding and documents

Reusable onboarding packs become person-specific journeys with owners and due dates, making responsibility for each joining task explicit. Private files, right-to-work evidence and policy acknowledgements remain attached to the employee record. That combination covers core compliance and administration without pretending to be a recruitment or learning platform.

Reports, exports and automation

Headcount, turnover and time-off reports export as CSV or PDF. Organisation export includes CSV data, available uploaded files and a manifest, a practical safeguard when records need to be retained or moved. Zapier, Make, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Claude, Google Calendar and Outlook are listed integrations, alongside Xero Payroll UK and a Staffology Payroll private preview; capabilities and availability vary. Xero can receive approved leave after employees and leave types are matched, but it does not exchange salary, tax, bank, pay-run or employee-creation data.

API reads and signed webhooks are included on every plan. Creating records through the API, Zapier or Make requires Standard and System Admin permission, so automation is not equally open on the free tier. HollyHR describes organisation-scoped permission checks and extra encryption for selected sensitive values. Primary HR records are in the EU, while uploaded documents and database backups are in the UK; supporting providers have their own transfer terms. The company says it is not currently ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials certified and publishes no external penetration-test claim.

Pricing

Free — £0.00 per free. Up to 10 active employees get everyday HR plus API/MCP reads and signed webhooks. It is a sensible way for a very small team to centralise records, but the employee cap and read-only automation limit expansion.

Standard — £2.00 per month, billed monthly; also £20 per active employee per year. Any team size adds Ask Holly and priority support, a custom domain and approved API/MCP writes. Paid Standard support has a one UK business day first-response target. This is the practical choice for growing teams that need write automation and no stated seat ceiling; the 30-day trial lowers switching risk.

Plus — £4.00 per month, billed coming soon. It is not currently available to buy. Planned scope adds rotas, attendance, timesheets, expenses, hiring and training management, goals and reviews, safety, surveys, employee cases and benefit administration.

Plus (coming soon) — £4.00 per month, planned annual price £40 per active employee per year. It is also unavailable today, despite the published annual figure. Enterprise has custom commercial terms for procurement or multi-organisation needs.

Platforms

HollyHR is available on the web and through an API. There is no native mobile app, so mobile-first administration requires a browser or connected tool.

Who it's for

Founders, HR managers, office managers, finance managers, line managers and employees in small UK organisations will find the strongest fit. Teams needing payroll processing, shift rotas, time capture or a broad talent suite should budget for companion products instead.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free use up to 10 active employees; low-cost Standard removes the free-plan ceiling; onboarding packs, compliance files and leave share one record; CSV/PDF reporting and organisation export support portability; API reads and signed webhooks are available on every plan.
• Cons: Xero integration passes approved leave only, not payroll data; API and automation writes require Standard and System Admin permission; Plus is not yet purchasable; no native mobile app, payroll, rota, time tracking, expenses, recruitment, performance or learning modules; no ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials certification is claimed.

Alternatives

For a wider shortlist, compare Employee Onboarding Software and HR Software. Choose Whale instead if you want Android and iOS apps, browser extensions and playbook-oriented knowledge features. 50skills Offboarding is the better direction for a dedicated offboarding workflow, with a two-week trial and paid Business tier. BoardFlow suits teams prioritising guide recordings and progress tracking. Boardon is another web/API onboarding option with a free tier. ChiefOnboarding is worth considering when self-hosting matters. Newployee focuses on active onboarding journeys and surveys, while Open Onboarding offers reusable templates and AI-assisted checklists. Boilerplate is an alternative onboarding product spanning mobile and web platforms.

Verdict

Choose HollyHR if you need affordable, UK-focused core HR with leave, employee files, onboarding and exportable reports in one place. Its main advantage is useful breadth at Free and Standard pricing; its main reason to look elsewhere is the firm boundary around payroll, scheduling, time capture and wider HR operations.