Put the first reliable record in place
Bring people details, documents, leave, sickness and starter work into one dependable system.
HollyHR · CharlieHR · BreatheHR software for startups
Best HR software for UK startups.
Compare six products for the jobs that appear as a startup grows: keeping the first reliable record, onboarding regularly, giving managers access, connecting payroll and devices, and employing people internationally.
Which HR software fits a growing startup?
Start with the work that has become difficult. HollyHR, CharlieHR and Breathe cover different versions of the first dependable HR core. PeopleHR adds a tiered path into workflows and wider modules. Zelt and Humaans become more relevant when payroll, devices, integrations and detailed permissions need to work together.
Headcount is only a clue. Regular hiring, more managers, the first HR hire, connected payroll or devices, and the first international employee can each change the products worth considering.
Start with the job
Start with what you need the software to do.
A shorter list is easier to test properly.
Make repeat hiring easier to run
Standardise onboarding and decide whether recruitment, engagement or workflow depth belongs in the same product.
CharlieHR · PeopleHR · HumaansGive managers clear access
Test approvals, private records and permission roles as people decisions spread beyond the founders.
PeopleHR · Humaans · ZeltConnect HR, payroll and devices
Bring HR data closer to payroll, devices, apps and the integrations your operating model now depends on.
Zelt · Humaans · PeopleHRGrowth triggers
Six changes that should reopen your shortlist.
Headcount is only a proxy. Review the choice when responsibilities, systems or employment arrangements change.
First reliable people record
Replace scattered admin
Move people details, documents, leave and starter records into one system with clear ownership.
Hiring becomes regular
Make onboarding repeatable
Test tasks, reminders, documents and ownership across several starters, not only one polished demo.
Managers and permissions multiply
Set safe access boundaries
Check exactly what each manager can view, change and approve before responsibility spreads.
A People function forms
Support specialist work
When the first HR hire arrives, automation, analytics, performance and reliable integrations may justify a broader system.
Payroll, devices and integrations connect
Map the whole data flow
Decide which system owns each record and how corrections move between HR, payroll, finance and IT.
International employment changes the category
Compare employment infrastructure
An employer-of-record or global employment platform may become a separate decision from the domestic HR system.
Six startup options
Choose for the way your startup is growing.
Compare the work you need now with what regular hiring, more managers or connected systems will require next.
HollyHR
Free covers up to 10 active employees counted for billing. Standard costs £2 per active employee counted for billing per month or £20 per active employee counted for billing each year, before tax.
Worth a closer look when
A UK startup wants a focused HR core, clear public pricing, free access through 10 active employees, API and MCP access, and a documented export route.
Check before you choose
Choose a broader or longer-established product when native payroll, recruitment, devices, performance, mobile apps or an established customer history matter now.
Start Free without a card, a sales call or a trial clock. Billing follows current active employment. Profiles mapped as volunteers under the organisation's published engagement policy are excluded. Standard is available monthly or yearly and can be cancelled at the period end.
CharlieHR
Charlie costs £45 a month for 5 to 14 people, £105 for 15 to 29 and £180 for 30 to 49. Recruit and Advice are separate products.
Worth a closer look when
Founders or operations teams want onboarding, time off, engagement and performance together, with recruitment or HR advice available separately.
Check before you choose
Model the normal headcount band. If you need Recruit or Advice, confirm its current price and billing terms.
A 7-day trial is available without a credit card. Charlie is a monthly rolling subscription with no minimum contract.
Breathe
Core HR costs £24 for 1 to 10 people, £44 for 11 to 20, £99 for 21 to 50 and £175 for 51 to 100. Optional modules cost extra.
Worth a closer look when
A UK startup wants an established self-serve HR core with mobile access, performance and optional workforce modules.
Check before you choose
Price the next headcount band and every required add-on. A banded package can change sharply before the underlying work changes.
A 14-day trial is available without a credit card. Breathe advertises rolling monthly terms and cancellation at any time.
PeopleHR
Published prices start at £3 for Starter, £5.50 for Core, £8 for Pro and £9.50 for Elite+ per employee each month.
Worth a closer look when
A growing team wants a tiered route from records and absence into onboarding, performance, workflows, learning, analytics or UK payroll options.
Check before you choose
Confirm which tier contains each workflow shown in the demo, then price that tier and any optional module rather than Starter by default.
Starter and Core advertise a 14-day trial without a credit card. Monthly and yearly payment options are advertised.
Zelt
Pricing is quote-led. The public plan table shows a 20-seat minimum and separates People, Money, Tech, Growth, Attendance and Talent modules.
Worth a closer look when
A team of at least 20 wants People, Money and Tech modules in one connected platform, including payroll, devices and application access.
Check before you choose
Ask for the exact quote, module scope, implementation and subscription terms. The public plan table applies a 20-seat minimum.
The public route offers a demo and a sales-led start rather than a free trial. Zelt links to standard terms from its pricing page. Confirm the term, renewal, module scope and implementation in the order form.
Humaans
Pricing is quote-led. Growth and Enterprise have different permission, integration, security and support boundaries, with optional products shown separately as add-ons.
Worth a closer look when
An HR team wants workflow automation, analytics, integrations and API access around one employee database.
Check before you choose
Ask which permissions, integrations, security controls and support sit in Growth or Enterprise, then include every needed add-on in the quote.
The public pricing route leads to a sales conversation rather than a trial. Confirm the subscription term, implementation, support and every needed add-on in the written quote.
Before you choose
Five checks worth more than a long feature list.
Use the same people, workflows and questions with every supplier.
Import and update one real record
Use a starter, a working-pattern change and historic information. Check what imports cleanly and what must be rebuilt.
Repeat the same onboarding
Run one new starter through tasks, documents, reminders and ownership. Then do it again with a different manager.
Test manager permissions
Sign in with founder, manager and employee access. Check private files, unrelated teams and approval boundaries.
Map every connected system
Write down where payroll, recruitment, devices and identity data begin, who fixes errors and how updates travel.
Model the next 12 months
Include hiring, module changes, implementation, tax, contract terms and the trigger that would move you into another category.
Next steps
Compare prices, products and migration.
Use the pages that answer the next part of your decision.
Official sources
Where the provider facts came from.
Published by HollyHR. Provider facts updated 29 August 2026. Open the live provider page before you rely on a price, package or term.
Questions
Choosing HR software for a UK startup.
What is the best HR software for a UK startup?
There is no universal best product. HollyHR, CharlieHR and Breathe cover different versions of a dependable HR core. PeopleHR offers a broader tiered route. Zelt and Humaans are more relevant when payroll, devices, integrations and detailed permissions need to work together. Shortlist against the hiring, management or systems change you need to handle next, then run the same practical tests with each supplier.
When should a startup move HR off spreadsheets?
Move when one reliable people record, manager access, leave calculation, starter ownership or exit evidence is becoming difficult to maintain. The right moment is an operating problem, not a fixed employee number.
Should startup HR software include recruitment and onboarding?
Onboarding belongs in the same buying decision when starters arrive regularly and ownership is hard to coordinate. Recruitment only needs to be included when candidate workflow is an active problem. A separate applicant tracking system can be better than replacing a sound HR core.
What changes when managers start owning people decisions?
Permission design and approval workflow become more important. Test what each manager can view, change and approve, including private files and people outside their team. Product breadth does not make a weak access model safer.
Do payroll and device management need to be in the HR system?
Only when one connected platform solves a real operating problem. Compare a native module, an integration and an export-led handoff separately. Ask which system owns each record and who fixes discrepancies between HR, payroll, finance and IT.
What if the startup employs people in more than one country?
Local payroll, tax, employment law and benefits can change the buying category. Compare an employer-of-record or global employment platform for that work, then decide whether the domestic HR system should remain separate or connect to it.
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.