7 of the Best SafeHR alternatives for small businesses

SafeHR, formerly CitrusHR, offers UK-based businesses not just human resources software but an optional HR support service too. On top of this, you can also manage payroll from the same platform.  It’s for these reasons that you might be tempted to try or stick with them, but we’re here to show you that there are alternatives out there — whether you need the HR support, payroll feature, or something else entirely.

In this guide, we’re comparing some of the top SafeHR alternatives so you can decide which is right for your small business. We’ll take you through the pros and cons of SafeHR, before introducing some of the best alternatives based on our thorough research.

How we’ve created this guide

As part of product development at Charlie, we spend a lot of time researching what’s already out there, what customers want and need, and how we can create the kind of features and experience that small businesses want. As part of this, we conduct research on competitors too — and decided to share our insights with you.

‍To bring you this guide, we’ve:

• Researched both SafeHR and the top people management alternatives
• Explored real user reviews from all the HR systems on this list
• Spoken to Charlie customers who have previously used these software tools
• Asked Charlie customers what they look for in HR software

While we do offer HR software for small businesses, our goal with this guide isn’t to only promote what we offer — it’s to give you options and the reasoning behind them, so you can find the software that’s an ideal match for your needs. That might be Charlie, or it could be another SafeHR alternative.

What is SafeHR?

SafeHR (formerly known as CitrusHR) is an HR software platform designed to help businesses save time and manage HR more effectively. The software covers core HR needs like document management and a secure employee database, as well as a handful of extras like expenses and performance management.

While some HR platforms focus on culture, engagement, or analytics and reporting, SafeHR is better suited to businesses looking for a simple, straightforward way to manage basic HR tasks.

Why SafeHR might be right for your business

Every business has different needs, and although you’re considering a SafeHR alternative, it might be that this is actually a good option for you. 

Here are some of the situations where we think SafeHR could be a good contender for your shortlist.

Health and safety focus

SafeHR is part of the Alcumus SafeContractor suite, which means it’s ideal for businesses in manufacturing, construction, and facilities management. Businesses with a high requirement for health and safety will feel at home with SafeHR and be able to benefit the most from integrations with other products in the SafeContractor suite.

Integrated payroll software and expenses management

Most HR software tools don’t come with payroll capability built into them, but SafeHR does. For an additional monthly fee, businesses can add payroll functionality to their plan. SafeHR’s payroll solution allows HR teams to run payroll, send secure payslips, and avoid manual data entry.

Optional HR support service

As a small business it’s helpful to be able to speak to a HR consultant or expert from time to time, but you don’t always have the budget or need to hire someone to join your team. SafeHR gives teams the option to add a HR support service to their monthly plan, giving you extra capacity and knowledge.

If having access to high quality, expert HR advice is valuable to you, then our top recommendation for a SafeHR alternative is Charlie. Like SafeHR, we’re a UK-based company and have a team of experts available to support you with HR challenges as part of our Charlie Advice service.

Why you may need an alternative to SafeHR

Of course, you might decide that the factors above don’t relate to your business, or you’re trying to rule out SafeHR as a potential HR software for you. 

Here are some of the main reasons why you might find a better alternative elsewhere.

You require more features

SafeHR covers the basics, but for extra functionality or enhanced features you’ll want to look elsewhere. Apart from employee surveys, there’s little in the way of employee engagement and culture building. The reporting is also not as advanced compared to some other HR tools. 

Prefer a more modern user experience

Some SafeHR users report that they found the interface challenging at times, and the design doesn’t feel as sleek and contemporary as some alternatives. If the user experience or look and feel of the software matters a lot to you, it’s best to trial a few platforms to see which suits you the best.

It’s not always easy to find the right information

On several occasions during our research we discovered that users wished the search function was better or visible on specific pages. Not having access to a robust search function can make finding information within your HR information system (HRIS) really challenging and time-consuming.

When to consider an alternative to SafeHR

Sometimes SafeHR is the right choice as a human capital management (HCM) software, but other times it’s not. Only you can decide on the right match for your needs, but to help you out here’s a list of situations in which it’s a good idea to seek out an alternative:

• You need more than just core HR functionality
• You prefer a more modern or user-friendly design
• You’re not in one of the industry sectors that SafeHR is designed for
• You don’t want a per-user pricing model
• You want access to free HR templates
• You want a more affordable plan for a micro business
• You appreciate value for money

Consider the points above, decide what matters the most for your business and how you operate, and use our alternatives guide to find the right fit for your goals.

Try the best alternative for small businesses

SafeHR is a potential option for businesses that want something simple and uncomplicated, and need the added payroll functionality or HR support service. Still, there are alternatives out there, including our favourite option for UK small businesses — Charlie.

It might sound biased, but we genuinely believe Charlie is the best HR software for small businesses. It’s affordable, easy to use, and designed with UK small businesses in mind. It has the HR essentials you need, plus the option to enhance your options further with Charlie Recruit or Charlie Advice. All this, plus a friendly customer support team, means that we’re the right choice for your small business.

We think the best way to see if our software is a good match is to take a free 7 day trial. Explore the software, add some of your real data and workflows, and see how much time you can save with Charlie.