Horilla is a free and open-source Human Resource Management System (HRMS) designed to simplify and automate core HR functions for organizations of all sizes. Built with Django, HTMX, and PostgreSQL, it offers a full-stack solution for managing employee lifecycle events—from recruitment and onboarding to payroll and offboarding. Horilla targets HR teams, small-to-midsize businesses, and IT administrators seeking a self-hosted alternative to proprietary HR platforms. Its modular architecture allows customization while maintaining simplicity in deployment and usage.
The project emphasizes transparency, community-driven development, and ease of installation across Linux, Windows, and macOS. With built-in support for translations, biometric attendance integration, and real-time analytics via Chart.js, Horilla provides a robust foundation for organizations looking to reduce dependency on cloud-based SaaS HR tools while retaining enterprise-grade functionality.
What You Get
- Recruitment Management - End-to-end tracking of job postings, applicant pipelines, interviews, and hiring workflows with customizable stages and notifications.
- Employee Management - Centralized database for storing employee profiles, contact details, employment history, and documentation with search and filtering capabilities.
- Attendance Tracking - Capture employee attendance via manual entry or biometric device integration, with daily logs and overtime calculations.
- Leave Management - Request, approve, track, and analyze leave balances (vacation, sick, unpaid) with calendar views and automated notifications.
- Payroll Processing - Calculate salaries based on attendance, overtime, deductions, and tax rules with exportable reports in multiple formats.
- Asset Management - Track company-issued assets like laptops, phones, and tools with assignment history, condition logs, and return tracking.
- Performance Management - Set goals, conduct reviews, and record feedback for employees with structured evaluation templates.
- Offboarding - Streamline exit processes with checklist automation, asset return confirmation, and final payroll settlement.
- Helpdesk Support - Internal ticketing system for HR-related employee inquiries with priority tagging and resolution tracking.
- Docker Deployment - Official Docker image available for containerized deployment, enabling quick setup in production environments.
- Multi-Platform Support - Full installation guides for Ubuntu, Windows, and macOS with Python virtual environments and PostgreSQL configuration.
Common Use Cases
- Building a self-hosted HRMS for SMEs - A mid-sized company with 200+ employees replaces its expensive cloud HR platform with Horilla to reduce SaaS costs and retain full data control.
- Creating a biometric attendance system for manufacturing plants - HR teams integrate hardware fingerprint scanners with Horilla to automate punch-in/punch-out logs and reduce timesheet fraud.
- Problem → Solution flow: Manual payroll errors → Automated salary calculation - HR staff manually calculated salaries using spreadsheets, leading to delays and mistakes. Horilla automates payroll based on attendance data, leave records, and tax rules, reducing processing time by 70%.
- Team/workflow scenario: DevOps teams managing HR infrastructure - IT departments deploy Horilla on Kubernetes using the official Docker image, configure PostgreSQL backups via cron jobs, and integrate with existing SSO systems for secure access.
Under The Hood
Horilla is a comprehensive HR and operations management platform built on the Django framework, designed to support modular development and extensible functionality across diverse organizational needs. It integrates a range of backend and frontend technologies to deliver a flexible, reusable system for managing human resources and related workflows.
Architecture
This project adopts a layered monolithic architecture with clear separation between models, views, and templates. It emphasizes modularity and reusability through custom apps and shared components.
- Modular app design enables independent development and deployment of HR modules such as attendance, asset management, and payroll
- Middleware and custom filters are consistently applied to manage cross-cutting concerns like access control and data filtering
- Strong separation of concerns supports maintainability and scalability across functional areas
- Configuration classes and decorators enhance code reusability and reduce duplication
Tech Stack
Horilla leverages a modern Python-based stack with Django as its core framework, complemented by extensive frontend tooling and containerization.
- Built with Python 3.10 and Django, utilizing its rich ecosystem for API handling and admin interfaces
- Integrates frontend libraries such as jQuery, Alpine.js, and UI components like Select2 for enhanced user experience
- Employs Laravel Mix for asset compilation and Docker for streamlined development and deployment environments
- Includes a built-in testing suite, though specific frameworks like pytest or unittest are not explicitly detailed in the codebase
Code Quality
The project demonstrates a mixed level of code quality with some structured practices and inconsistent application across modules.
- Test coverage is present but not uniformly applied, with various testing patterns and error handling mechanisms in place
- Error handling is implemented in key areas but lacks comprehensive documentation or standardized approaches
- Code consistency varies, with some adherence to Django best practices and others showing signs of technical debt
- Type annotations are included, indicating a growing awareness of code clarity and type safety
What Makes It Unique
Horilla stands out through its modular architecture and deep integration of reusable components across HR functions.
- Modular app structure allows for independent development and extensibility without tight coupling between modules
- Custom filter systems and middleware provide flexible and scalable access control and data handling
- Extensive use of Django’s admin and template systems enables rapid UI customization for diverse organizational needs
- Strong emphasis on shared utilities and reusable components reduces redundancy and improves long-term maintainability