For startups
HR Software for Startups With 5 Employees
Updated June 6, 2026
At five people you don't need a full HRIS — you need to stop running time off in a spreadsheet before it bites you. Here's what actually matters for a tiny team, and how Orvella covers it without enterprise overhead.
What a 5-person startup actually needs
With a handful of people, the goal is accurate, low-effort leave and time tracking — not modules you'll grow into someday. You want requests, approvals, balances, and a shared calendar that just work, plus optional time tracking if anyone bills hours.
Why not just a spreadsheet?
Spreadsheets break the moment two people edit them, balances drift, and nobody trusts the numbers by year-end. An auditable system fixes accruals and carryover automatically and gives everyone the same source of truth — for the price of a coffee per person per month.
What it costs
Orvella starts at $4/user/month (Starter) and is free to set up and try — for five people that's a few dollars a week. There's no free tier beyond the trial, but pricing is per active employee with no contract, and we can sometimes offer a minor discount for very small teams on request.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free HR software for a 5-person startup?
Most 'free' tools cap features hard or monetize your data. Orvella is free to start and inexpensive at $4/user/month — for five people that's a small, predictable cost with no contract.
Do we need payroll built in?
Not necessarily. Orvella focuses on leave, time, and approvals; most small startups pair it with a dedicated payroll tool and export Orvella's reports into it.
How fast can we set it up?
Minutes — create a workspace, invite four teammates, pick your leave types, and holidays are applied automatically.