Guide · 7 min read · Part of the HR software hub

HR software under $100/month

You can genuinely run a small team's HR stack for under $100/mo. Here's what fits inside that budget in 2026, what it covers, and where it starts to break.

The under-$100 shortlist

Gusto Simple

$40 base + $6/emp

Best for: 5–15 person team that needs payroll + light HR

Covers: Payroll, tax filing, records, PTO, benefits admin, W-2s

BambooHR Core

$99/mo for 25 employees (est.)

Best for: 10–25 person team that has payroll elsewhere

Covers: HRIS, PTO, docs, org chart, e-signature

Rippling starter

$8/emp/mo

Best for: 5–10 person tech team that also wants device management

Covers: HRIS, payroll add-on, device provisioning, app SSO

Homebase

Free–$60/mo

Best for: Frontline / hourly teams under 20 people

Covers: Scheduling, timesheets, light HR, hiring

RecruitFlow (ATS)

$149/mo flat

Best for: Any team hiring more than 1 person a month

Covers: Board pipeline, candidate timeline, notes, scorecards, CSV import

Three real combinations

Under $60/mo — 5-person team

Gusto Simple ($40 base + $30 for 5) = $70/mo. Covers payroll, records, PTO, and benefits. Add a spreadsheet for hiring.

Under $100/mo — 10-person team

Gusto Simple ($40 + $60) = $100/mo. Or Rippling starter ($80) for the same team. Hiring lives in a spreadsheet or the free RecruitFlow trial.

~$150/mo — 10-person team with a real ATS

Gusto ($100) + no separate ATS (spreadsheet) OR Gusto ($40 base + $30 for 5 hourly) + RecruitFlow ($149) if hiring is active.

Where the $100 budget breaks

Per-employee pricing scales linearly. Every product on this list stops fitting under $100 somewhere between 12 and 20 employees. That's the real budget cliff — plan for it.

The other cliff: hiring. HR software bundles almost never include a serious ATS. If you're hiring more than one role at a time, either budget separately for one or accept that candidates will fall through the cracks.

Loved this tool? Try the full dashboard

Flat pricing that doesn't scale with your headcount.

RecruitFlow is $149/mo flat, unlimited hiring managers, unlimited jobs. The ATS you can add without triggering another per-seat spiral.

Unlimited candidates & jobs
Resume parsing & file uploads
Interview scheduling + scorecards
Analytics, XLSX & PDF exports

See pricing & features

Create your account · verify your email · choose a plan · move in today

What users say

"We replaced a Greenhouse seat and three spreadsheets with RecruitFlow. Our recruiters actually open it on Monday morning now."

— Head of Talent, Series A SaaS

Frequently asked questions

Is there truly free HR software?+

For 1–5 employees, yes — Homebase, Freshteam free tier, and Zoho People free plan work. Free plans cap out fast around 5–10 employees. See our free HR software guide for the honest picks.

What's the cheapest full HR + payroll bundle?+

Gusto Simple at $40/mo base + $6/emp/mo. A 5-person team lands at $70/mo — payroll, tax filing, records, and PTO included.

Does RecruitFlow count as HR software?+

No — RecruitFlow is the ATS half of the stack. It doesn't run payroll or store employee records. It's what you use to hire the people you'll then onboard into your HR system.

Can I run a 20-person company on under $100 of HR software?+

Tight, but yes. Rippling starter for 20 = $160/mo (over), Gusto Simple for 20 = $160/mo (over). To stay under $100 at 20 people you'll be on a free HRIS tier (Zoho, Freshteam) + a separate payroll provider.