HiBob Vs CharlieHR: Detailed Comparison For HR Teams

Payroll

HiBob offers its own built-in payroll solution for the UK (United Kingdom). That means you can manage your entire payroll process directly inside the platform—without needing to switch to another tool. This includes everything from setting payroll schedules (weekly, monthly, bi-weekly) to handling things like tax codes, student loans, overtime, and even automatic calculations for things like enhanced parental leave. It also helps companies stay compliant with UK tax laws by sending alerts when something like the minimum wage rules is at risk of being violated.

One of the best things about HiBob’s payroll is its Payroll Hub—a centralized dashboard where all payroll data comes together in real time. Changes like salary or address updates are tracked, flagged, and sent to your payroll provider automatically. It integrates out of the box with top providers like ADP, Xero, and Paylocity. And if you’re not using one of their pre-set integrations, HiBob has something called ‘Payroll Connect’, a no-code tool that helps you link your system without needing a developer.

Unlike HiBob, CharlieHR does not offer a built-in payroll system. This means you can’t actually run payroll within the system. Instead, you’ll need to use a separate payroll software to actually pay your employees. But here’s what it does offer: it integrates with third-party payroll systems like Xero and PayCaptain. These integrations allow you to sync changes made in Charlie—like new hires or updated salaries—with your payroll provider.

Onboarding

HiBob gives you a full onboarding system with lots of flexibility. You can create unlimited flows based on teams, roles, or locations—so a developer in London can have a different setup from a marketer in New York without manual updates. You can also assign tasks to IT, HR, or managers so everyone knows their role when a new hire joins. For example, IT gets a reminder to prep the laptop, and managers are prompted to check in. Once set, HiBob automates the flow for every new hire.

It also supports preboarding, so new employees can start filling in info and reviewing docs before day one. What sets HiBob apart is its focus on company culture—you can share welcome videos, post photos, introduce team members, and use features like ‘Shoutouts’ in Slack or Microsoft Teams to create a more personal and engaging remote onboarding experience.

CharlieHR, by contrast, keeps things extremely simple. You set up one onboarding flow, and it runs automatically for every new hire. They fill in their info via self-service, so you don’t need to supervise every step. It’s ideal for small teams that want fast, low-maintenance onboarding. However, CharlieHR’s onboarding is more limited compared to HiBob. It doesn’t support task assignments to others, and it lacks cultural elements like videos or welcome messages.

Time Off Management

HiBob lets you create custom time-off policies based on employee levels, office locations, or local regulations. For example, if you have teams in different countries, you can match leave rules per region and choose whether allowances are given upfront or accrued over time. This makes HiBob ideal for growing or global teams needing detailed control.

Employees can request leave through Slack, MS Teams, or the app, and managers can approve it instantly. Another helpful part is its reporting tools, where you can track absence trends or even create payroll reports based on time-off data.

On the other hand, CharlieHR’s main goal is to make time-off management automatic. Once set up, the system takes care of itself. When someone requests time off, it goes straight to their manager, and the company calendar updates instantly—no manual tracking needed. It also handles tricky calculations automatically. For instance, it can figure out holiday allowances for part-time workers, manage holiday rollovers, or calculate leave for new starters without any HR input.

Where CharlieHR stands out is its smart notifications—such as reminders when someone might need a break—helping managers support wellbeing. This is something HiBob does not emphasize as clearly, making Charlie a better fit for teams focused on mental health.

Perks And Benefits

HiBob focuses more on offering traditional employee benefits that support long-term wellbeing and engagement. These include wellness app subscriptions, gym memberships, childcare support, food subsidies, and flexible working arrangements. This system helps companies build a benefits strategy that reflects their culture and values. It also supports HR teams in tracking the usage of benefits, so they can see what’s working and what’s not.

CharlieHR, in comparison, gives you a ready-to-use perks system that focuses on savings and discounts. It includes access to over 30,000 deals across popular categories like retail, health and wellness, travel, and entertainment. The best part is, these perks come free with your CharlieHR subscription and require no extra setup. Employees can even share the perks with their friends and family, which adds a nice personal touch.

Performance Management

HiBob gets you a full system that supports 360-degree reviews. What’s even more helpful is that all the performance data—like goals, past achievements, and review history—is already saved inside the platform, so there’s no need to collect it separately.

It also helps with goal setting, allowing you to assign and track goals at individual, team, or department levels—making progress easy to measure. Another strong point is HiBob’s ongoing check-in support. Managers can schedule 1-on-1s regularly—like 30-60-90-day reviews—and use built-in templates or create their own. This helps keep feedback flowing, not just during formal review periods.

CharlieHR, meanwhile, is great for teams that just want to run reviews without dealing with a lot of setup or admin. You get built-in templates for things like probation or exit interviews, and the system walks managers through every step—like collecting self-assessments, sharing feedback, and holding review meetings. It also has a cycle dashboard, where you can see the progress of reviews at a glance and send automatic reminders, so nothing gets missed.

While it supports 360-degree feedback, it doesn’t offer many of the flexible features that HiBob does, which makes it more limited in comparison.