Buying guide
Free HR Software Trials: Questions to Ask Before Your Team Starts
By ElevenOS ··5 min read
A free HR software trial can give your team room to evaluate a new way of working. A first-year subscription offer provides a longer window, but the same questions still matter: who can use it, what costs remain and what happens when the free period ends? Before importing employee records, turn the headline into a written scope and a practical evaluation plan. The aim is to understand the offer well enough to decide whether the system fits your team.
Published by ElevenOS. Product scope and quotes can change; confirm your requirements with each provider.
In this guide
1. Which plan and charges does the offer cover?
Ask for the plan name and included workflows, then separate the subscription from services around it. An offer might waive a platform charge while retaining employee fees, or cover the subscription while charging for implementation. Confirm whether the features shown in the demo are included in the proposed package and whether any demonstrated connection needs separate configuration.
Create a simple list of included items, quoted extras and unresolved questions. Include employee import, data cleanup, training, devices, integrations and provider charges where relevant. Ask how applicable taxes will appear in the quotation. A subscription priced at zero can still require a meaningful implementation budget and staff time.
2. How many employees can use it?
Confirm the included employee allowance and how the vendor counts employees. Ask what happens when you add someone, archive a record or change employment status. If your headcount varies, discuss a realistic high point as well as today’s total. A useful quotation explains both the initial allowance and the process for approving additional costs.
Test the allowance against the evaluation you intend to run. A pilot covering a small department may be enough to assess requests and approvals, while a payroll evaluation may need a broader set of employee situations. Do not interpret an unspecified limit as unlimited access; have the allowance recorded before activation.
3. When does the clock start?
Distinguish the deadline to join an offer from the date access begins and the date the benefit ends. Ask whether setup consumes part of the free period and what happens if your employee data is not ready. Keep the agreed dates somewhere your HR and finance teams can find without searching through a sales conversation.
As checked on October 2, 2026, the ElevenOS Launch Offer provides eligible companies with 12 months of Growth subscription access for an agreed employee allowance. Enrollment must be confirmed by December 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Philippine time; the free period starts at the agreed activation date. Booking a demo does not itself enroll the company.
4. What will you test, and who will help?
Choose a short list of tasks that currently cause work for your team. For example, follow a leave request through approval, review an attendance exception or prepare a sample payroll cutoff. Name the person who will run each task and describe a successful result. This gives you something more useful to assess than the number of screens available.
Ask who handles setup questions and operational problems, through which channel and during which hours. Confirm the training included and whether support changes when the free period ends. Keep a shared issue list with examples and outcomes. An unresolved question should have an owner and a next step, rather than disappearing after a demonstration.
5. What would the same team cost after the offer?
Request a renewal example using your expected employee count and the same modules. Separate monthly billing from an annual commitment, and ask how future price changes will be communicated. A current price is a useful budgeting reference; it becomes a guaranteed renewal price only if the agreement says so.
For context, ElevenOS Growth’s published standard monthly price on October 2, 2026 is ₱2,490 plus ₱129 per active employee, with a 10-employee minimum. That is ₱5,715 for 25 active employees, before applicable taxes and separately quoted services. This reference does not determine a company’s promotional allowance or future renewal terms. Check the current pricing page when preparing your budget.
6. How do renewal, cancellation and data exit work?
Ask whether paid renewal happens automatically or requires acceptance, when notice is sent and how to decline. Confirm any payment method requirements before entering billing details. Put the decision date on your calendar early enough for the people using and paying for the system to review the results together.
Discuss data exit while access is active. Identify which records you will need, available formats, who can export them and how long access remains after cancellation. Ask about attachments and historical records separately from summary reports. Have the provider show the relevant export process. A generic promise that your company owns its data does not explain how you will retrieve it.
7. Put the complete offer beside your evaluation results
At the decision point, review the operational results and commercial terms together. Can employees complete their tasks? Can HR resolve exceptions? Does the payroll reviewer understand the output? Compare any remaining work with the cost and effort of continuing. This keeps an attractive subscription offer connected to the process your company needs.
For the published ElevenOS offer, company-specific eligibility, allowance, additional costs and renewal arrangements are agreed before enrollment. Setup and migration are not automatically free. Bring your headcount, current process and questions to the walkthrough, then review the written offer before deciding. Clear terms help both teams start with the same expectations.
Frequently asked questions
Does a free subscription include implementation?
Only if the offer says so. Ask for separate confirmation of setup, imports, training, devices and integrations. ElevenOS’s published launch offer leaves included services and any additional charges to your company’s written offer.
Is a first-year offer the same as an unlimited free plan?
No. Check the included plan, employee allowance, duration and eligibility. A time-limited subscription waiver does not by itself promise unlimited employees or free access after the agreed end date.
Should we import all employee data on the first day?
Start with the agreed evaluation scope and appropriate access controls. Confirm the required fields, transfer process and responsibilities before importing records. Expand the rollout after the relevant workflows and review steps have been checked.
