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Comparison · HR

Frappe HR vs OrangeHRM

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Frappe HR and OrangeHRM — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Frappe HR vs OrangeHRM: at a glance

FeatureFrappe HROrangeHRM
SectorHRHR
Velocity score5.02.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesopen-source, payroll, leave-management, hr-onboardinghrms, human resources, open source, integrations
Last editorial update2d ago3mo ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Frappe HR?

Frappe HR is making HR-only deployments a first-class setup, not an ERPNext add-on

Frappe HR maintains parallel v15 and v16 release lines, with v15 now receiving only backported fixes, sometimes two in a day. Recent v16 work centers on payroll correctness (employer-contribution liability entries, advance recoveries, half-day holidays and conditional components in salary slips) plus onboarding for HR-only sites via guided setup in v16.50.0.

Read the full Frappe HR trajectory →

What is OrangeHRM?

OrangeHRM adds Slack and Google Chat notifications in 5.9, its steadiest feature step in a slow cadence

OrangeHRM, an open-source HR management system, releases a few times a year. Version 5.9 adds workspace notifications to Slack and Google Chat for Starter users, on top of the usual bug fixes, security improvements, and expanded PHP/MariaDB/MySQL support. Recent history alternates feature additions (XLIFF imports, OIDC social login) with security/compatibility maintenance dot-releases.

Read the full OrangeHRM trajectory →

Frappe HR vs OrangeHRM: editorial side-by-side

F5.0

Frappe HR is making HR-only deployments a first-class setup, not an ERPNext add-on

◆ Current state

Frappe HR maintains parallel v15 and v16 release lines, with v15 now receiving only backported fixes, sometimes two in a day. Recent v16 work centers on payroll correctness (employer-contribution liability entries, advance recoveries, half-day holidays and conditional components in salary slips) plus onboarding for HR-only sites via guided setup in v16.50.0.

◆ Where it's heading

The product is maturing along two tracks: accounting accuracy for payroll and leave edge cases, and a smoother first-run for teams that run Frappe HR without the rest of ERPNext. v16.51.0 continues both, defaulting new HR trial sites to HR Setup while closing gaps in leave and salary calculations. Release cadence is high, with several tags a week, most of them fix bundles.

◆ Prediction

Expect more v16 fix bundles focused on leave and payroll edge cases, with v15 trailing as backports; the entries do not show a large new module in the pipeline.

O2.5

OrangeHRM adds Slack and Google Chat notifications in 5.9, its steadiest feature step in a slow cadence

◆ Current state

OrangeHRM, an open-source HR management system, releases a few times a year. Version 5.9 adds workspace notifications to Slack and Google Chat for Starter users, on top of the usual bug fixes, security improvements, and expanded PHP/MariaDB/MySQL support. Recent history alternates feature additions (XLIFF imports, OIDC social login) with security/compatibility maintenance dot-releases.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc is incremental modernization of the open-source/Starter tier: chat integrations, social login, language imports, and steady runtime-compatibility bumps. OrangeHRM is broadening everyday integration touchpoints rather than making a directional bet, keeping the free tier current and deployable on modern stacks.

◆ Prediction

Expect continued alternation between feature releases that extend Starter-tier integrations and maintenance dot-releases focused on security and PHP/DB compatibility. The chat-notification work suggests more workplace-tool integrations are plausible next.

Alternatives to Frappe HR and OrangeHRM

Other HR products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Frappe HR or OrangeHRM.

See all Frappe HR alternatives → · See all OrangeHRM alternatives →

Recent activity from Frappe HR and OrangeHRM

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 2d agoFrappe HRv15 backport: leave caps respect multi-period allocations
  2. 2d agoFrappe HRFrappe HR 16.51: half-day holiday payroll fixes, faster leave report
  3. 2d agoFrappe HRv15 backport: blocks half-day requests on full leave days
  4. 10d agoFrappe HRv15 asset build repeating v15.64.3 fixes
  5. 10d agoFrappe HRv15.64.3: account picker for advance returns, approver in PWA
  6. 10d agoFrappe HRFrappe HR 16.50: guided setup for HR-only sites
  7. 3mo agoOrangeHRM5.9: Slack & Google Chat workspace notifications
  8. 6mo agoOrangeHRMOrangeHRM 5.8.1
  9. 11mo agoOrangeHRMOrangeHRM 5.8
  10. 2y agoOrangeHRM5.7: XLIFF language-package import
  11. 2y agoOrangeHRMOrangeHRM 5.6.1
  12. 2y agoOrangeHRM5.6: OIDC social login; GPLv3 relicense

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Frappe HR and OrangeHRM?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Frappe HR is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Frappe HR better than OrangeHRM?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Frappe HR is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other HR products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Frappe HR?

Top Frappe HR alternatives in HR are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Frappe HR alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/frappe-hrms for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to OrangeHRM?

Top OrangeHRM alternatives in HR are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "OrangeHRM alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/orangehrm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.