OrangeHRM is an open-source human capital management (HCM) platform that consolidates recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and people operations.
However, it doesn't fit every business. Larger teams often hit customization limits, while small shops may find setup complex.
Our research team invested over 40 hours analyzing the platform, features, verified user reviews, and pricing. Our detailed OrangeHRM review reveals where it shines and where teams may struggle or need integrations.
Why Trust Our OrangeHRM Review?
To ensure this OrangeHRM review is honest, evidence-based, and actionable, our team evaluated the platform using a structured methodology.
Our review process includes:
- Official Product Analysis: Reviewed OrangeHRM's recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and analytics modules directly from their product documentation and official website.
- Verified User Reviews: Analyzed patterns from verified reviews on G2, Capterra, and other platforms to identify consistent strengths and pain points.
- Implementation Context: Assessed real-world use cases for HR leaders, recruiters, managers, and small business owners to identify where OrangeHRM delivers value and where gaps exist.
- Capability vs. Reality: Cross-checked promised features against actual user-reported performance, ease of use, and integration capabilities.
This review contains no affiliate links or sponsored content. We evaluate the platform objectively to help you make an informed decision.
OrangeHRM Overview
OrangeHRM started as open-source HR software in 2005. Now, it offers cloud and on-premise options for small to mid-sized businesses.
The platform includes a full suite of HR modules, such as recruitment, onboarding, leave management, time and attendance, performance reviews, training, and reporting.
Moreover, there are two main versions available: a free open-source edition with limited features and no licensing costs, and a paid cloud-hosted Advanced plan that includes all features.
Key OrangeHRM Features
Below are the core recruitment and HR features we verified on the OrangeHRM official platform:
- Applicant Tracking (Recruitment module): Full candidate lifecycle tracking from application to offer. Enables stage management and candidate status history.
- Job Posting & Career Site Integration: Post jobs and push listings to your company website or job boards from one place. Good for centralizing vacancy management.
- Custom Application Forms & Questions: Create role-specific forms to capture structured candidate data up front. They help standardize screening.
- Interview Assistant Automation: Workflow automations to schedule interviews, send reminders, and move candidates between stages. It reduces manual follow-ups.
- E-Signatures for Offers/Documents: Built-in e-signature support to accelerate offer acceptance and paperwork. Useful for remote hires.
- On/Offboarding Templates & Task Automation: Automated checklists for new hires and exits to ensure consistency and compliance.
- Reporting & Analytics: Custom reports, scheduled reports, and snapshot dashboards for headcount, vacancy metrics, and time-to-hire statistics.
- Mobile App: Basic mobile functionality for approvals, leave, and candidate quick views, handy for hiring managers on the move.
- APIs & Connectors: REST APIs and a connector framework that allow integrations, data syncs, and custom plugin development. They enable deeper integrations with recruitment tools.
OrangeHRM Pricing
OrangeHRM does not publish standard pricing. All quotes are customized based on organization size, selected modules, and feature requirements.
The free Starter version has basic HR features. However, it doesn't include advanced options like payroll integration, advanced analytics, or API access found in the Advanced plan.
Pros and Cons of OrangeHRM
Based on extensive verified user feedback from trusted review platforms, Personio delivers clear benefits:
- Intuitive Interface: An easy-to-use, clean UI that helps HR teams onboard quickly. This cuts training time and streamlines daily tasks in leave, time, and employee records.
- Modular Scalability: The modular setup allows teams to activate only the necessary modules. This means they can grow from the free Starter plan to the paid Advanced plan without replacing the whole system.
- Reliable Core HR Functions: Core HR modules, like leave, time tracking, performance, and onboarding, work well. They reduce many manual tasks for small and mid-sized teams.
- Free, Open-source Starter Edition: The free open-source Starter edition offers trials, self-hosting, and custom code options. It's perfect for startups wanting affordable HR automation before moving to paid plans.
- APIs and Integration Support: With documented REST APIs and connectors, engineering teams can easily sync data. They can also create plugins and integrate recruiting tools or payroll systems seamlessly.
While Personio shines in various areas, verified users identified these limitations:
- UI Polish Concerns: Some users find the interface outdated and navigation inconsistent. This can cause confusion and slow down workflows for non-technical staff.
- Reporting Needs Configuration: The standard dashboards are basic. Meaningful analytics often require custom report setup or professional services, adding time and cost for teams without in-house IT.
- Customization Effort Required: Complex workflows or UI changes usually need vendor support or developer resources. This makes implementations longer and more costly than anticipated.
- Limited Advanced TA Analytics: Recruitment analytics are useful but lack the advanced AI-driven insights and forecasting found in enterprise HCMs.
- Pricing Opacity: Advanced pricing is custom per employee per month (PEPM) and not publicly listed. This forces teams to contact vendors, which slows down procurement and budgeting for cost-sensitive groups.
How Can Integrating Skima AI Handle OrangeHRM Limitations?
OrangeHRM handles core HR operations well, but its recruitment module relies on manual screening and lacks intelligent candidate matching capabilities.
Skima AI bridges this gap by layering AI-powered intelligence directly into OrangeHRM's recruitment workflow. This enables recruiters to screen faster and smarter without replacing the platform.
Key benefits of OrangeHRM integration with Skima AI:
- AI-Powered Resume Parsing: Automatically extract structured candidate data (skills, certifications, years of experience) from every resume uploaded to OrangeHRM. Eliminate manual data entry and reduce screening time by 70%.
- Intelligent Candidate Matching: Each candidate receives an explainable match score showing precisely why they fit the role. Recruiters surface top candidates instantly instead of manually reviewing hundreds of applications.
- Talent Rediscovery: Automatically surface past applicants and internal candidates now qualified for new openings. Cut time-to-hire by prioritizing qualified internal candidates who already know your culture.
- Unified Experience: No new system to learn, no data export or migration. Skima AI works inside OrangeHRM's recruiting interface as an enhancement, not a replacement.
- Enterprise Security: SOC 2 compliance and GDPR-aligned data handling keep all candidate information secure and encrypted within your OrangeHRM environment.
Who Should Consider OrangeHRM?
OrangeHRM is ideal for:
- Small to mid-sized companies that need a solid, modular HRMS that can grow with them. They may not require advanced talent analytics immediately.
- Organisations that appreciate open source. Teams can use the free Starter edition to customise, test, or self-host.
- IT teams are ready to integrate. Companies with engineering resources can leverage APIs and connectors or enhance OrangeHRM with AI tools like Skima.
Who Should Avoid OrangeHRM?
OrangeHRM might not suit:
- Large enterprises that need a fully integrated HCM. They often require HRIS, payroll, workforce planning, and advanced talent analytics right out of the box.
- Teams that want immediate clarity on PEPM pricing. Procurement teams may find the vendor quoting process slower without a published price card.
- Companies need tailored recruitment workflows without vendor support. Significant customisations can require professional services or developer assistance.
Final Verdict
As this OrangeHRM review found, itis a capable, budget-friendly HRIS platform that excels at core HR operations, particularly time and attendance management, leave administration, and structured onboarding. For growing organizations that value affordability and customization flexibility, it delivers real value.
That said, it demands upfront implementation investment, offers basic reporting, and, critically, lacks intelligent recruitment capabilities. Teams default to manual resume screening, which slows hiring cycles and introduces bias into candidate selection.
For organizations already running OrangeHRM, integrating Skima AI dramatically elevates the hiring function.
Instead of manually reviewing resumes and second-guessing screening decisions, recruiters get AI-driven insights directly within OrangeHRM, cutting time-to-hire, raising candidate quality, and grounding hiring decisions in data.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is OrangeHRM?
OrangeHRM is a modular human resources management system offering open-source Starter and cloud Advanced editions. It manages recruitment, employee records, leave, performance, time tracking, reporting, and API-based integrations for scalability.
2. Is OrangeHRM legit?
Yes, OrangeHRM is a legitimate HRMS provider with a long track record, open-source community, enterprise customers, verified user reviews on G2 and Capterra, and active product documentation and commercial support options.
3. Can OrangeHRM integrate with Skima AI?
Yes, OrangeHRM can integrate with Skima AI using REST APIs or webhooks, enabling automated candidate scoring, evidence capture, and two-way syncing of statuses. Integration requires API credentials and minimal engineering configuration for setup.
4. How does Skima AI improve OrangeHRM hiring?
Skima AI adds explainable match-scores, automated screening, and contextual candidate highlights into OrangeHRM. Recruiters see ranked candidates, transparent reasoning, and audit-ready evidence, reducing manual screening time and improving hiring consistency.
5. How much does OrangeHRM cost?
OrangeHRM pricing varies; Starter open-source is free while Advanced is quoted per-employee-per-month. Enterprise pricing depends on selected modules, headcount, and support level, contact OrangeHRM sales for an accurate PEPM quote today.
6. Is OrangeHRM suitable for small businesses?
Yes, OrangeHRM Starter suits small businesses seeking low-cost HR basics. It provides employee records, leave, attendance, basic recruitment, and customization options. Businesses can later upgrade to Advanced for expanded features.
