What it does
Horilla combines employee records, recruitment, onboarding, attendance, leave, payroll, performance, assets, and HR support. Its free self-hosted application is accompanied by managed Cloud and Enterprise options.
For a new self-hosted deployment, use the repository's stable 2.0 branch. Pin a released container version instead of latest so future deployments do not silently change versions. Initial startup prepares the database before the web server is ready; the Database Initialization page then creates the first administrator and company. Your team remains responsible for the server and its maintenance.
Hosting choices
| Option | Operating arrangement |
|---|---|
| Self-Hosted | Free software, unlimited users and companies, community support |
| Horilla Cloud | Monthly user-based subscription with managed infrastructure and backups |
| Enterprise | Custom deployment, support commitments and integrations |
The self-hosted code is published under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1. Cloud billing counts employees, managers and administrators who have logins; deactivated accounts are excluded. Its registration form offers Google or email signup and advertises 30 days of full-product access. Check the renewal setting before that period ends if you do not intend to continue paying.
The older version 1 line receives fixes case by case. Teams moving from it should use the current technical deployment guidance and check that any functional instructions match their installed version.
Strengths
- Stable and development branches are explicitly distinguished
- Managed hosting is available for teams that cannot run the server
Watch out for
- The older version 1 line has no guaranteed maintenance schedule
- Self-hosting requires server maintenance and backup arrangements
Best for
- Technical HR teams choosing between their own deployment and managed hosting
Sources
- HR Software Pricing — Free HRMS & CRM Plans | Horilla (Oct 27, 2026)
- Horilla — Cloud-Based HR Software & HRMS for Teams (Oct 27, 2026)
- GitHub - horilla/horilla-hr: Horilla is a free and open source HR software. · GitHub (Oct 27, 2026)
- horilla-hr/LICENSE at 2.0 · horilla/horilla-hr · GitHub (Oct 27, 2026)
- horilla-hr/docker/README.md at 2.0 · horilla/horilla-hr · GitHub (Oct 27, 2026)
- Create account — Horilla Cloud (Oct 27, 2026)
- Leave | Horilla Docs (Oct 27, 2026)