Horilla is an open source human resource management system that handles the complete HR lifecycle, from recruitment and onboarding through attendance, leave, payroll, and performance reviews, in a single self-hosted Django application.
The Problem
Commercial HRMS platforms like BambooHR and Workday charge per employee per month. For growing startups and small businesses, this cost scales directly with headcount. Most commercial systems also store all employee data on the vendor's servers, creating data governance concerns for organizations with strict employee privacy requirements.
How Horilla Solves It
Horilla runs on your own server and manages the full HR workflow in one application. Recruitment tracks candidates through stages and generates offer letters. Attendance records clock-in and shift data. Payroll calculates earnings, deductions, and generates payslips. Leave management handles approval workflows. Performance reviews collect 360-degree feedback. GPL-3.0 license applies with no per-employee fees.
Key Features
- Full recruitment pipeline: job posting, candidate tracking, interviews, and offer management
- Attendance and shift management with biometric device integration support
- Payroll processing with configurable deductions, allowances, and payslip generation
- Leave management with approval workflows and accrual policy configuration
- Performance review module for 360-degree feedback and goal tracking
Who It's For
Horilla is best for HR teams at startups and SMBs that need a comprehensive self-hosted HRMS to replace BambooHR or a manual spreadsheet process, want full control over employee data, and cannot absorb per-employee SaaS pricing as headcount grows.
Compared to BambooHR
Unlike BambooHR, which charges per employee per month and stores all HR data on its managed cloud, Horilla is GPL-3.0 licensed and self-hosted. Your employee records, payroll data, and performance reviews stay on your own server with no recurring per-seat fee.
