The product page lists Performance, Timesheets and Shift Scheduling at £2.50 each, Expenses at £1.25 and Recruitment at £184.45. The linked calculator displays lower prices, so confirm the checkout total.
Sage HR alternatives
Alternatives to Sage HR for UK employers.
Sage HR starts with Core HR and Leave, then adds performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses and recruitment as separate modules. Compare alternatives when the module mix, price or Sage payroll connection no longer matches the work you use.
What needs to change?
Keep Sage HR
Its mobile, signing, workforce modules or Sage payroll connections are used week to week.
Choose HollyHR
A focused HR core covers the work, and you want a lower public per-person price.
Choose another route
You need a different mix of mobile access, workforce tools or professional support.
The short answer
What is a good alternative to Sage HR?
HollyHR is a sensible alternative for teams of roughly 5 to 100 when people records, leave, sickness, documents and onboarding cover the job.
Free covers up to 10 active employees. Standard is £2 per active employee each month, and Plus is coming soon at £4.
Keep Sage HR when your team uses its native apps, e-signatures, performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses, recruitment, custom reports or API, or when connected Sage payroll payslips are part of the weekly routine. Breathe adds an established UK HR core and optional workforce tools, CharlieHR adds performance, engagement and paid advice, and Sense HR adds recruitment, workflow and attendance depth.
Price and commitment
Compare the total cost and the contract.
Use your current team, the next hire and the term you are actually signing.
Standard has no employee bands. Plus is coming soon at £4 per active employee and is not available to buy yet.
Monthly prices before VAT. Sage says standalone Sage HR has no long-term contract and can be cancelled or upgraded at any time. Confirm the billing and cancellation terms in the order you accept.
Your routes
Four alternatives to Sage HR, plus staying.
Compare the best fit, current price, strongest reason to choose it and the point at which it stops fitting.
Mobile and modular HR
Sage HR
Price
Core and Leave is £5 per employee each month on the product page, while the linked calculator currently displays £4.60.
Best fit
Teams using Sage HR's native apps, e-signatures, workforce modules or connections with Sage payroll products.
Strong when
Core records, leave, onboarding, documents and mobile access can be extended with performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses and recruitment.
Look elsewhere when
Price the exact module combination and confirm the current checkout total before renewing or switching.
Focused small-team HR
HollyHR
Price
£0 for up to 10 active employees. Standard is £2 per active employee each month.
Best fit
Teams of roughly 5 to 100 that need a clear HR core and public pricing.
Strong when
People records, leave, sickness, documents, onboarding, reports and export in one focused product.
Look elsewhere when
Not the right route when you need a native mobile app, a payroll engine, HR advice or broad workforce modules today.
Established UK-SME core
Breathe HR
Price
£24 per month for 1-10 employees, before VAT.
Best fit
Teams that value a longer operating record, mobile access and optional workforce add-ons.
Strong when
Core HR includes absence, documents, reporting and performance, with rota, learning, recruitment, expenses and safety sold separately.
Look elsewhere when
Price moves through employee bands, and the add-ons increase the monthly total.
Culture and support
CharlieHR
Price
£20 per month for 1-4 people after the current introductory offer.
Best fit
Employers that want performance reviews, engagement surveys, perks or optional HR advice alongside core HR.
Strong when
A small-team core with performance reviews, engagement surveys, perks, a REST API and optional support services.
Look elsewhere when
Recruitment and advice are separately priced, and their commitments differ from the core subscription.
Automation and workforce depth
Sense HR
Price
Team costs £20 per month for up to 10 employees.
Best fit
Teams that need an ATS, workflows, attendance or higher-tier developer access.
Strong when
Higher tiers add performance, recruitment, workflows, time and attendance, API access and webhooks.
Look elsewhere when
The broader automation and developer tools sit above the entry Team plan.
Inside HollyHR
See what HollyHR covers today.
HollyHR keeps employment details, documents, leave and sickness records together, so managers can handle onboarding, absences and routine reporting in one place.
- People records, employment details and documents
- Leave requests, sickness records and who's away
- Onboarding, reports, CSV import and organisation export
Before you choose
Give every route the same four tests.
Use your own records and roles. A prepared demo should not decide the shortlist.
Run one ordinary week
Add a starter, approve leave, record sickness and find the document a manager needs.
Try the awkward permission
Sign in as a manager and check what they can see about their team and everyone else.
Price the next headcount
Use today, your next hire and a realistic growth point. Include required modules and the signed term.
Take a usable export
Keep sample people, leave, sickness and document data, then list anything that needs a separate route.
If you decide to move
Plan the full move from Sage HR.
Keep a copy of the source, check the new records and assign an owner to anything that needs a separate move.
Map every module and Sage connection
List Core, Leave, Performance, Timesheets, Shift Scheduling, Expenses, Recruitment, mobile tasks, signatures, reports, API clients and connected Sage payroll products in use.
Take reports and files before cancelling
Export the people and time-off reports you need. Sage's documents report exports metadata only, excludes signable documents and time-off requests, and does not include the files themselves, so collect those separately while access remains.
Move the core and plan the modules
Test a supported people import, then reconcile leave, sickness, permissions and documents. Signing, performance, time, shifts, expenses, recruitment, payroll and integration data need a separate plan.
Primary sources
Prices and supplier capabilities can change. Check the live page before signing.
- Sage HR product and module pricing
- Sage HR pricing calculator and trial
- Sage HR linked pricing calculator
- Sage HR module billing guidance
- Sage HR mobile app functionality
- Sage HR API guidance
- Sage HR custom reports
- Sage HR time-off ledger export
- Sage HR documents report
- Sage HR document download guidance
- Breathe pricing
- CharlieHR pricing and add-ons
- Sense HR pricing and plan matrix
Questions
Questions about Sage HR alternatives.
What is a good alternative to Sage HR?
HollyHR fits employers with roughly 5 to 100 people when a focused HR core covers the work. Breathe adds established UK HR and optional workforce tools, CharlieHR adds performance, engagement and paid advice, and Sense HR adds recruitment, workflow and attendance depth. Keep Sage HR when your team uses its native apps, e-signatures, workforce modules, API or Sage payroll connections.
How much does Sage HR cost?
Sage's dedicated product page lists Core HR and Leave at £5 per employee each month, Performance, Timesheets and Shift Scheduling at £2.50 each, Expenses at £1.25 and Recruitment at £184.45. Its linked calculator currently displays £4.60, £2.30, £1.15 and £170 respectively. Prices are before VAT, so confirm the current checkout total for your headcount and modules.
Does Sage HR have a free plan?
Sage HR offers a 30-day standalone trial without a credit card, and says that trial ends automatically. It does not publish an ongoing free standalone plan. Existing subscribers can trial extra modules, but Sage says those modules are added to billing after 30 days unless removed before the trial ends. HollyHR Free covers up to 10 active employees without a trial clock.
Is HollyHR a complete replacement for Sage HR?
Not when you need Sage HR's native mobile apps, e-signatures, performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses, recruitment, custom reports, public REST API or connections with Sage payroll products today. HollyHR is a focused HR core, not a like-for-like replacement for the full Sage module stack.
Can we move from Sage HR to HollyHR?
Yes, when HollyHR's supported core fits, but there is no one-click Sage HR migration. Export suitable people and time-off reports, collect document files separately, test a small people import, and reconcile leave, sickness and permissions. Signatures, workforce modules, payroll connections and integrations need a separate retention or replacement plan.
Should we keep Sage HR instead?
Keep Sage HR when its mobile apps, e-signatures, workforce modules, custom reports, API or payroll connections are useful in everyday work and justify the full module cost. Changing supplier is worthwhile only when it solves a real mismatch.
Start free with up to 10 active employees.
Bring your team over from a spreadsheet. There is no card, no sales call and no lock-in. For up to 10 active employees, everyday HR is free.
Import your people data. Export your organisation's people records and uploaded files.