OrangeHRM Starter
The old-school HR suite: records, leave, attendance and approvals, with a real server and no fashion budget.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- GPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- webself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Use the free hosted Starter signup, or upload the release to an Apache/PHP/MySQL server and complete the web installer
- Operational Setup
- Self-hosting requires Apache, PHP and MySQL/MariaDB plus security and backups; the hosted path starts with a 30-day trial before conversion to lifetime-free Starter
- Where Your Data Lives
- Hosted Starter keeps employee records in OrangeHRM's cloud; self-hosted Starter stores them in MySQL/MariaDB with uploaded files in application storage
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Its older interface and smaller integration/reporting ecosystem are a step down from BambooHR, especially when self-hosted.
Replaces 8 paid apps
up to $156/mo ($1,872/yr) in subscriptions
OrangeHRM Starter FAQ
Common questions
Is OrangeHRM Starter free and open source?+
OrangeHRM Starter is an open-source tool licensed under GPL-3.0+ that runs on local or hosted. The old-school HR suite: records, leave, attendance and approvals, with a real server and no fashion budget.
What paid software does OrangeHRM Starter replace?+
OrangeHRM Starter serves as a free replacement for 8 paid SaaS applications: BambooHR, Connecteam, Deel, Gusto, HiBob, Personio, Remote, Rippling, saving up to $156/month ($1,872/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up OrangeHRM Starter?+
Installation: Use the free hosted Starter signup, or upload the release to an Apache/PHP/MySQL server and complete the web installer. Setup notes: Self-hosting requires Apache, PHP and MySQL/MariaDB plus security and backups; the hosted path starts with a 30-day trial before conversion to lifetime-free Starter
What is the catch or trade-off with OrangeHRM Starter?+
Its older interface and smaller integration/reporting ecosystem are a step down from BambooHR, especially when self-hosted.