Free Employee Onboarding Software: DIY Tools & No-Code Solutions for HR Teams

For small and medium-sized businesses — and especially those where HR is a one-person team — implementing effective onboarding software can feel out of reach.

There are free employee onboarding tools out there, from spreadsheets and forms to basic freemium platforms. But most come with tradeoffs: they’re clunky, unscalable, or require a lot of manual work.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the scrappier, DIY options that can help you get started — and why no-code platforms like Noloco offer a more flexible, powerful alternative for lean HR teams who want to do more with less.

What Is Employee Onboarding Software?

Employee onboarding software helps you manage and streamline everything that happens when a new hire joins your company — from signing paperwork to meeting the team.

At its core, onboarding software is designed to make the process smoother and more organized by handling key tasks like:

• Assigning onboarding checklists and tracking progress
• Collecting documents like contracts and IDs
• Setting up tools, email accounts, and internal access
• Introducing new hires to colleagues, culture, and company values

Even for small teams, having a structured onboarding process is critical. Without it, things fall through the cracks — new hires feel lost, HR is stuck chasing tasks, and the whole experience feels disjointed. Whether you’re onboarding one person a month or ten, the right tool can make a big difference in saving time, improving the employee experience, and staying compliant.

Popular Free (or DIY) Employee Onboarding Tools

If you’re working with a tight budget or managing HR solo, free or DIY onboarding tools can seem like a lifesaver. And to be fair — they can help you get organized. But most of them only go so far before the cracks start to show.

Here are a few of the most common options we see teams start with:

Google Forms + Sheets

A classic low-cost combo. Use a Google Form to collect new hire info, then store it in a Sheet. It’s simple and accessible — but there’s zero automation, no task tracking, and you’ll still be stuck sending emails manually.

Trello or Notion

These are great for basic checklist-style onboarding. You can create a card or page for each new hire and list their to-dos. But there’s no personalized experience, no automation, and it quickly becomes hard to manage if you're onboarding more than one person at a time.

Airtable (Free Plan)

Airtable gives you more structure — great for storing data and visualizing a pipeline. But it lacks a front-end for employees. You’ll still need to manually share info, and it’s not a real portal where new hires can self-serve.

Freshteam (Free Tier)

Offers basic onboarding features for up to 50 employees. It includes tasks and document collection, but most advanced features are locked behind a paid plan. Great for trying out, but limited in the long run.

Zoho People (Free for up to 5 users)

Zoho’s free tier is ultra-restrictive. You get a tiny slice of the full platform, and it’s mostly useful for testing — not for building a real onboarding flow.

👉 These tools can absolutely get you started — but they can’t scale, automate, or adapt to your workflow. If you’re looking to grow, streamline, or personalize your onboarding, you’ll hit their limits fast.

Bottom line?

‍DIY tools can help you start the onboarding process — but Noloco lets you build a custom onboarding solution that actually grows with you, automates repetitive work, and gives new hires a far better first impression.

Why Free HR Tools Fall Short — and How Noloco Fills the Gap

Free onboarding tools help you get started — but they often leave HR teams stuck in the weeds.

You’re still sending manual emails, copying and pasting tasks, and tracking progress in spreadsheets. You can’t tailor the process for different roles. And worst of all? New hires feel it. The onboarding experience ends up feeling messy, inconsistent, or just plain unprofessional.

That’s where Noloco comes in.

Noloco is a no-code platform that lets you build your own fully customized employee onboarding software — without needing to code or buy an off-the-shelf HR system that’s too big (or too expensive) for your team.

Even on the free plan, Noloco gives you powerful features that most DIY tools can’t offer:

• ✅ Personalized onboarding portals for each new hire
• ✅ Role-based task lists and onboarding flows
• ✅ Secure document uploads and digital form collection
• ✅ Built-in automation (no more chasing tasks manually)

And because it’s no-code, you can design the exact experience you want — from branded portals to automated workflows — without relying on developers or expensive software consultants.

💡 In short: Noloco gives you the polish and power of a custom HR tool, without the price tag or complexity.

Real-world onboarding automations you can build with Noloco

Here are just a few examples of what small HR teams (or even solo founders) are building in Noloco:

1.Automated task assignments

‍When a new hire is added, Noloco automatically assigns tasks based on their role (e.g., IT setup for developers, training links for sales reps).

2. Custom forms for collecting documents

‍New hires get a personalized portal where they upload their ID, sign documents, and complete forms — no back-and-forth emails needed.

3. Integrated HR checklist

‍Connect to Airtable or Google Sheets to create a live checklist of onboarding steps that updates automatically.

4. Self-serve welcome hub

‍Include links to team introductions, company handbooks, benefits info, and more — all branded and customized for your company.

5.Email + Slack notifications

‍Automatically notify managers or IT when their onboarding step is ready, keeping the whole team in sync.

Watch it in action: This quick video walkthrough shows exactly how to set up an onboarding portal in Noloco — from dashboard to task automation.

‍

Free onboarding tools might seem like a quick fix, but they often fall short when it comes to automation, customization, and scalability. For small and medium businesses, especially those with limited HR resources, this can mean wasted time and a disjointed experience for new hires.

That’s why no-code platforms like Noloco offer a compelling middle ground: easy to set up, fully customizable, and powerful enough to grow with your team — all without needing developers or expensive software licenses.

If you want to streamline your employee onboarding, reduce manual work, and create a polished, professional experience, Noloco is worth exploring.

Ready to get started? Build your free onboarding portal today — no coding required.

FAQs related to Free Employee Onboarding Software

1: What should be included in employee onboarding?

‍A successful employee onboarding process typically includes:

• A clear overview of the company mission, culture, and values
• Role-specific training and task assignments
• Collection of necessary documents and compliance forms
• Introductions to key team members and resources
• Access provisioning (email accounts, software tools, badges, etc.)
• Regular check-ins and feedback opportunities during the first weeks
  This helps new hires feel welcomed, informed, and equipped to succeed from day one.

2: Where can I find free onboarding templates?

‍If you’re looking for free, customizable onboarding templates, Noloco offers ready-to-use templates designed for easy adaptation to your company’s needs. You can explore and start using them here: Noloco Templates. These templates provide a solid foundation to build your HR portal — no coding required.

‍