Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Claudia,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write us a review!
If you ever have any suggestions, questions, or concerns, we are just a WhatsApp away.
Kindest regards,
The openHR Care Team
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Company details
Written by the company
openHR is a purpose-driven compliance and governance platform designed to help South African businesses build ethical, transparent, and resilient workplaces. We empower HR and payroll professionals, compliance officers, and business leaders with intuitive tools that simplify complex regulatory requirements — making governance not just a checkbox, but a culture. Our platform offers modules for payroll, expense claims, leave management, policy tracking, and more, all built with a deep understanding of South African labour law and workplace dynamics. Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, openHR scales with you, supporting your journey toward SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Contact info
South Africa
- openhr.co.za
4.3
Excellent
16 reviews
No history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 100% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 24 hours
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Excellent HR software that delivers…
Excellent HR software that delivers superb results, even in the free version.
23 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Akpasi,
Thank you very much for your kind review! Our goal will always be to help employers build stronger businesses. 🚀
User friendly!
11 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Anya,
Thank you very much for your kind review! We really appreciate having you part of our openHR journey and taking the time to write your review.
Best regards,
The openHR Care Team
The person that assisted me had the…
The person that assisted me had the worlds patience with me and assisted me with everything i needed
2 May 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Mrs Miller,
Thank you very much for the kind review 😁
The training videos I have done so far…
The training videos I have done so far are good as well as the ease of navigating your system
21 April 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Hi Nolwazi,
Thank you so much for your wonderful 5‑star review! We’re delighted to hear that you’ve found the training videos helpful and that navigating the system has been smooth for you.
Your feedback means a lot to us, and it’s great to know the experience is working well on both fronts - learning and usability. We’ll keep striving to make things even better as you continue exploring.
Chat to us on WhatsApp if you need immediate assistance.
Warm regards,
openHR Care Team
Check your rates properly
I received fast, helpful and friendly help. Very happy with the product
9 March 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear David,
Thank you for the lekker 5‑star review! It means a lot to know that you found the support fast, helpful, and friendly - that’s exactly what we strive for. Your encouragement energizes us to keep building with dignity and care.
We truly appreciate your trust and support.
Warm regards,
The openHR Care Team
I mostly use openhr for payroll
I mostly use openhr for payroll, but also have come to use the disciplinary functions to keep track of employee warnings. Its really fast and easy to use.
1 March 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Carl,
Thank you for reviewing us!
Reply from openHR.co.za
😄
thank u for the free payroll with…
thank u for the free payroll with contracts and whatsapp employee portal only costing a flat R100 a month no matter how many employees. i was using it since 2024
26 February 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Thubani,
Thank you for your continued support. We are happy to hear you find the self-service portal helpful.
Kindest regards,
The openHR Care Team
The Response to This Review Is Reason Enough to Look Elsewhere
EDIT (in response to the owner's reply):
The review was written by me, a human, with assistance from an AI tool — the same way many professionals use writing tools today. Dismissing it as "AI generated" is a deflection, not a rebuttal; and simply does not reflect the facts of this case.
On the support issue: your own email trail tells the story. Your team told me there was "suspicious activity" and that you "couldn't figure out" what went wrong — your words, not mine. I had to diagnose the problem myself (making a suggestion that, could it be my email alias on a custom domain), at which point your team congratulated me with the following sentence: "I am happy to see you realised what the issue is.". Again, this is not my words, these are the words directly from your support team. This not support; that's the customer doing your job for you. The email alias issue is a solved problem in 2026.
The translation from "manual intervention due to violation of our terms and conditions" to "couldn't figure out" is accurate — because at no point during that exchange was I told what the actual violation was. I was left to guess.
I stand by every word of this review.
---
The core payroll features are decent for a free platform — payslip generation and UIF calculations work as expected. However, my experience was overshadowed by two issues.
First, support. My account was blocked during initial signup because I used a business email alias (specifically openhr(at)mydomain.com). Rather than explaining the issue, the support team told me they "couldn't figure out" what went wrong, and that there was suspicious activity. Then went on to congratulated me when I diagnosed the problem by saying is it because I used "your-name" @ my domain? It's 2026 and we don't understand how email aliases work on domains; come on. The tone was very dismissive and passive-aggressive for what turned out to be a simple domain flagging issue.
Second, the UI. The platform appears designed for mobile, and it shows on desktop. Navigation relies on full-screen modals, so if you land on a paid feature prompt, the browser back button doesn't work — the URL changes but the page doesn't. You end up lost with no clear way to return to where you were.
For a small business owner trying to get compliant quickly, these friction points add up. The bones of the product are there, but the experience needs work.
23 February 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Dear Newteq Software Representative,
Thank you for your AI generated review. We built openHR on trust and transparency so not sure how our original response of "there was a manual intervention again due to violation of our terms and conditions" translates into "couldn't figure out" but this might be because the AI didn't have all the required context.
We hear you about the paywalls and openHR was originally paywall free where premium features relied on an honour basis for payment which didn't work, so we decided that adding a paywall to 33% of the features while 67% of the features remained free was an important next step.
Can navigation be easier? Always. Again, some actions were taken because of pain points which we have noted like someone clicking a back button, getting a create new employee form again, submitting again and creating duplicates. In prior versions the back button was working just fine. Our side menu and navbar menu remain open as you navigate to make that easier.
All the best with your new software development company and we hope you find payroll software that works for you.
Growing From Strength to Strength
Regular updated features, streamlining the app, new look! Amazing!
4 February 2026
Unprompted review
Absolutely LOVE working on OPEN HR
Absolutely LOVE working on OPEN HR - to have this level of payroll available for small business owners for FREE is unheard of! Thank you
5 January 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Hi Leanie,
Thank you so much for the incredible feedback and the 5‑star rating. It means a lot to hear how much you enjoy working on openHR. Our goal has always been to make high‑quality, compliant payroll accessible to every small business - without the usual barriers or inflated costs - so your words truly affirm the mission.
I’m glad the platform is making a real difference for you. Thank you for being part of the journey.
Quick response
Quick response. Very engaging. Room for improvement in terms of product features.
1 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from openHR.co.za
Hi Tsholo, thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We're glad you found our response quick and engaging - it's something we take pride in.
We hear you on the product features, and we're constantly evolving. In fact, openHR already includes advanced tools like contract management, salary advances, and compliance-ready records - features that many paid providers still don’t offer. We built these to support small businesses with big responsibilities, and we’re excited to keep expanding.
Thanks again for helping us grow - your feedback helps shape the future of openHR.
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