Which one is cheaper?

Planday is the cheaper option, starting at $2/mo vs $5/mo for CharlieHR.

Can I use either one for free?

Neither has a free plan. But CharlieHR and Planday offer a free trial.

Different approach here. CharlieHR uses flat-rate pricing, while Planday goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.

Which one is a better deal?

Depends on what you need. CharlieHR: At £20/month for up to 4 people (post-promo), Charlie is positioning as an affordable HR foundation for UK SMBs — cheaper than Rippling or BambooHR at small scale, but the promo is doing a lot of heavy lifting to make that first impression land. They're clearly going after the 'first proper HR tool' buyer, not teams already running sophisticated people ops. Planday: At sub-$5 per seat, they're positioning as an affordable alternative to heavier workforce management platforms like Deputy or When I Work — squarely targeting cost-conscious SMBs in shift-heavy industries. The currency ambiguity (USD vs. GBP) suggests they're leaning into European markets where they may have stronger brand recognition.

CharlieHR vs Planday Pricing (2026)

	CharlieHR	Planday
Starts at	$5/mo	$2/mo
Number of plans	1	3
Free plan	—	—
Free trial
Pricing model	flat-rate	per-seat

CharlieHR

Official page

Charlie

$5/mo

Onboarding
Time off
Performance reviews
Employee engagement
Perks & benefits
Docs & employee data

Planday

Official page

Starter

$2/mo

Intuitive scheduling
Simple time tracking
Working time rules and compliance warnings
Basic payroll reporting
Team communication
Help centre and live chat support

Plus

Popular

$4/mo

Advanced scheduling
Leave and absence management
Accurate payroll reporting and integrations
Revenue integration and reporting
Access to integrations and API
Employee information and document management

Pro

Custom

Custom planning metrics
Auto-scheduling
Configurable organisational structure
Custom Permissions & User Roles
Dedicated phone support (call back service)
Custom account set up

CharlieHR vs Planday FAQ

Which one is cheaper?: Planday is the cheaper option, starting at $2/mo vs $5/mo for CharlieHR.
Can I use either one for free?: Neither has a free plan. But CharlieHR and Planday offer a free trial.
How do they charge?: Different approach here. CharlieHR uses flat-rate pricing, while Planday goes with per-seat. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
Which one is a better deal?: Depends on what you need. CharlieHR: At £20/month for up to 4 people (post-promo), Charlie is positioning as an affordable HR foundation for UK SMBs — cheaper than Rippling or BambooHR at small scale, but the promo is doing a lot of heavy lifting to make that first impression land. They're clearly going after the 'first proper HR tool' buyer, not teams already running sophisticated people ops. Planday: At sub-$5 per seat, they're positioning as an affordable alternative to heavier workforce management platforms like Deputy or When I Work — squarely targeting cost-conscious SMBs in shift-heavy industries. The currency ambiguity (USD vs. GBP) suggests they're leaning into European markets where they may have stronger brand recognition.

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