Overview

IceHrm covers employee records, leave, attendance, payroll, recruitment, performance reviews, expenses, projects and timesheets. Employee self-service, role-based permissions and an audit log support distinct staff and administrator workflows. That range can help teams consolidate routine HR work; organizations seeking only a single narrow function may find the platform broader than they need.

Open Source includes core HR functions, while Cloud adds managed hosting and IceHrmPro serves deployments of up to 500 employees at its starting price. Premium extensions are not available in Open Source and cannot be purchased separately, so teams that require them need Cloud or IceHrmPro.

For a broader category comparison, see HR Software. Teams focused on document workflows can browse HR Document Management Software.

Key features

Leave, attendance and time

Leave balances, accruals, manual adjustments, multi-level approval chains and company or team holiday calendars cover more than basic absence tracking. Employees can clock in and out on web or mobile with work location captured, while timesheets support submission and approval. This combination suits teams managing both attendance and leave approvals in one workflow.

Payroll and expenses

Payroll supports custom columns, pay groups, multiple currencies and payslip design, giving administrators room to accommodate different pay arrangements. Employees can submit expense claims with receipts for approval and reimbursement through payroll. Teams needing payroll and expense workflows alongside HR records have a broader operational set than a records-only tool provides.

Recruitment, performance and integrations

Performance review cycles include goals and 360-degree feedback, while recruitment pipelines hold candidate profiles and interview scheduling. A documented REST API with bearer-token authentication supports integrations with external systems and custom applications. Microsoft Entra ID, SAML 2.0 and LDAP/Active Directory sign-on options are included in the editions comparison.

Security and data control

For Cloud, IceHrm says personally identifiable database data uses 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 audits. 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 free plan, paid plans and a 14-day trial. The plans differ substantially in hosting, support, scale and extension access.

IceHrm Open Source: Price not listed. It includes employee profiles, attendance and clock-in/out, payroll, documents, projects and timesheets, and reports. Community support is listed. This is the clearest fit for teams seeking a no-cost, self-hosted core system, but premium extensions are unavailable and cannot be bought separately.
IceHrm Cloud: 12.00 USD per month, billed $ 12 /mo total for up to 6 employees; $1.10/employee. Managed hosting, email support and pricing up to 100 employees are included; contact for custom pricing over 100. This suits small teams wanting hosted service, though the six-employee total-price tier and higher headcount pricing should be weighed against expected growth.
IceHrm Enterprise: Custom pricing, with unlimited employees. It is the option for organizations whose headcount exceeds the stated Cloud and IceHrmPro limits.
IceHrmPro: 1799.00 USD per month, billed From $1,799 for up to 50 employees, up to 500. The starting price covers up to 50 employees; the plan supports up to 500. Email/Slack support is listed. Its starting price makes it a substantial commitment compared with Cloud, so it is best considered by larger teams that need its scale or premium extensions.

Platforms

IceHrm supports web, iOS and Android, and offers self-hosted deployment and an API. Employees can use the dedicated mobile app or the mobile web experience for access and clock-in/out.

Who it's for

IceHrm is best suited to organizations that want employee administration connected to leave, attendance, payroll and talent processes. Cloud fits smaller teams prioritizing managed hosting; Open Source fits those comfortable with self-hosting and without a need for premium extensions. Larger organizations should compare custom-priced Enterprise with IceHrmPro's stated employee range and starting price.

Pros and cons

Pro: Leave approvals, attendance, timesheets, payroll and expense reimbursement sit alongside employee records, reducing the need to split these workflows across separate tools.
Pro: Multiple currencies, custom payroll columns and payslip design accommodate varied payroll setups.
Pro: Mobile apps, mobile web, role-based permissions, self-service and an audit log support staff access and administrative oversight.
Con: Open Source excludes premium extensions, and there is no separate extension purchase route; teams relying on them must choose Cloud or IceHrmPro.
Con: IceHrmPro starts at 1799.00 USD per month for up to 50 employees, a significant step up from Cloud for growing teams.

Alternatives

Zoho People is worth considering for teams wanting a freemium HR option with a free tier for 5 users and web, iOS and Android access; its paid Essential HR and Professional plans have a 5-user minimum.

SovoHR may suit very small teams: its free Starter plan covers up to 1 employee, while its Micro plan is 19.99 GBP per month for up to 5 employees.

DutyDuke is a free, self-hosted, web-based open-source option for teams that want software they can extend and contribute to on GitHub.

UKG Document Manager is an alternative for organizations considering document management as a capability within UKG Ready, with pricing obtained through a quote.

Efalia HR ECM is another paid, web-based alternative.

Employment Hero is a paid web and mobile alternative whose listed Pro plans are organized around AI video interview counts.

Iron Mountain Digital HR Solution is another paid option with web access.

MHR iTrent is a paid HR option with Android, iOS and web access, and its iTrent plan is presented through a demo request.

Verdict

Choose IceHrm if your organization wants a broad HR system connecting core records with leave, attendance, payroll and talent workflows, and can match an edition to its scale. Its strongest case is the breadth of connected operations and flexible payroll features. Look elsewhere if you need premium extensions without a hosted edition or cannot justify IceHrmPro's starting price for larger deployments.

	IceHrm	SmartOffice
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	—	—
Open source	No	No
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	—

IceHrm vs SmartOffice

IceHrm

SmartOffice