Frappe HR is an open-source Human Resource Management System (HRMS) built on the Frappe Framework, designed to manage the entire employee lifecycle—from onboarding to exit. Originally part of ERPNext, it was spun off as a standalone product starting with version 14 to provide a more focused and mature HR solution. It targets small to medium-sized organizations seeking a fully customizable, self-hosted alternative to commercial HR platforms. With modules covering payroll, attendance, leave management, performance reviews, and expense claims, Frappe HR eliminates vendor lock-in while offering deep integration with ERPNext’s accounting system for seamless financial operations.
What You Get
- Employee Lifecycle Management - End-to-end tracking of employees from onboarding through promotions, transfers, and exit interviews with automated documentation and feedback collection.
- Leave and Attendance Tracking - Configure regional holiday calendars, enforce leave policies, capture geolocated check-ins/check-outs via mobile or web, and generate attendance reports with real-time analytics.
- Expense Claims & Advances - Submit and approve expense claims with multi-level workflows, manage employee advances, and sync all transactions directly to ERPNext accounting ledgers.
- Performance Management - Set and track employee goals aligned with KRAs, enable self-evaluations, schedule appraisal cycles, and generate performance summaries for HR review.
- Payroll & Taxation - Build salary structures, define income tax slabs by region, process standard and off-cycle payments, and view detailed income breakdowns on salary slips with tax deductions.
- Frappe HR Mobile App - A Progressive Web App (PWA) allowing employees to apply for leave, check in/out using geolocation, view their profiles, and access HR documents from any mobile device without installing a native app.
Common Use Cases
- Building a multi-tenant SaaS HR platform - Organizations deploying Frappe HR as the core HR engine for multiple client companies, leveraging its modular architecture and multi-site support via Frappe Cloud.
- Creating a compliance-ready payroll system for regional teams - Companies with employees in multiple countries using Frappe HR’s configurable tax slabs and holiday calendars to automate local payroll compliance without third-party tools.
- Problem: Manual HR processes causing delays in payrolls and leave approvals → Solution: Frappe HR automates workflows, integrates with accounting, and reduces administrative overhead by 70% - A startup with 200+ employees replaced spreadsheets and paper forms with Frappe HR to streamline payroll cycles and reduce approval bottlenecks.
- DevOps teams managing HR infrastructure across hybrid cloud environments - Teams using Docker or Frappe Cloud to deploy and scale Frappe HR with CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and automated backups for high-availability HR systems.
Under The Hood
Frappe HRMS is a modular, extensible HR and payroll management system built on the Frappe framework, designed for enterprise-level customization and seamless integration with ERPNext. It combines a modern frontend with a robust backend to support diverse HR workflows and provides a mobile-friendly interface through Ionic Vue.
Architecture
Frappe HRMS follows a monolithic architecture with strong emphasis on modularity and extensibility, leveraging the Frappe framework as its core foundation.
- The system is organized into distinct HR modules such as attendance, leave management, and payroll, each with clear separation of concerns
- Custom field injection and component-based UI design enable flexible configuration and user experience customization
- Integration hooks and extension points support deep integration with ERPNext and third-party systems
Tech Stack
The project leverages modern web technologies to deliver a scalable and maintainable HR platform with a focus on developer experience.
- Built primarily using Python for backend logic and Vue.js for the frontend, with Ionic Vue enhancing mobile capabilities
- Relies on Frappe’s ecosystem including frappe-ui, frappe modules, and hrms for core functionality and UI components
- Employs Vite for frontend builds, Tailwind CSS for styling, and PostCSS with autoprefixer for optimized CSS processing
- Includes commit linting via commitlint and CI/CD pipeline support to enforce code quality standards
Code Quality
Code quality in Frappe HRMS shows a balanced mix of structured testing and some inconsistencies in style and documentation.
- Comprehensive test coverage is present across key modules, demonstrating a commitment to validating core functionality
- Error handling is implemented in multiple files with consistent use of try/catch blocks and exception management
- Code style and naming conventions are reasonably consistent, though some deviations appear in configuration and core logic files
- Technical debt is visible through broad exception handling and limited analysis of core module internals
What Makes It Unique
Frappe HRMS distinguishes itself through its purpose-built approach to HR management, combining modern UI with extensible backend capabilities.
- Leverages the Frappe framework to deliver a highly customizable and modular HR platform with built-in extensibility
- Offers deep integration capabilities with ERPNext and third-party tools, supported by well-defined hooks and APIs
- Provides a mobile-friendly interface built with Ionic Vue, enhancing accessibility for HR professionals on the go