Keep everyday HR focused
People records, leave, sickness and documents without buying a wide workforce suite.
Breathe · HollyHRHR software buying guide
Best HR software in the UK for small teams.
Compare eight credible options for UK employers. HollyHR is intended for teams with roughly 5 to 100 employees. Start with the work you need to do, then check the full price, contract and export route.
Which HR software belongs on your shortlist?
For a focused HR core, compare HollyHR and Breathe. CharlieHR suits startup teams that also want engagement or optional advice. PeopleHR, Sage HR and Sense HR offer broader routes into workflows, modules or attendance. BambooHR brings mature global-suite depth, while BrightHR combines software with advice and safety services.
Do not start with the longest feature list. Pick two or three products that fit the work you need to improve, then run the same workflows and commercial checks with each one.
Start with the job
Start with what you need the software to do.
A shorter list is easier to test properly.
Add more people tools
Onboarding, engagement, performance, learning or modular features in the same product family.
CharlieHR · PeopleHR · Sage HRAutomate more operations
Recruitment, attendance, integrations and workflow automation as the team grows.
Sense HRBuy service or global depth
A mature international suite, or employment and safety services alongside the software.
BambooHR · BrightHRAt 10 employees
The entry price ranges from £0 to £200.
Public monthly starting prices before tax. These plans are not feature-equivalent.
HollyHR£0Free · up to 10 active employees
Sense HR£20Team · up to 10
Breathe£24Core HR · 1 to 10
PeopleHRFrom £30Starter · £3 each
CharlieHR£45Charlie · 5 to 14
Sage HR£50Core HR + Leave · £5 each
BrightHR£107Core · 10 people · 36 months
BambooHRFrom £200Core floor · 25 or fewer
Eight credible options
Build a shortlist around fit, not familiarity.
Use the fit and price as a starting point, then test the product with your own team data.
BambooHR
Core starts at £200 a month for 25 employees or fewer. Above 25, published plans start at £8.10 per employee each month.
Worth a closer look when
A growing team that values mature hiring, onboarding, reporting, performance, compensation and a large integration ecosystem.
Check before you choose
Work out whether the £200 floor for 25 employees or fewer and suite implementation are proportionate to the modules you will use.
A free trial is advertised. The current public page does not promise a duration. Month-to-month and extended terms are available.
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 employer that wants an established HR core, mobile access, monthly terms and optional workforce modules.
Check before you choose
Price the next headcount band and every required add-on, not only the package that fits today.
A 14-day trial is available without a credit card. Breathe advertises rolling monthly terms and cancellation at any time.
BrightHR
Its Core calculator shows £83.35 a month for five employees, £107 for ten and £225 for 25 (£9 per employee) on the online 36-month term, before tax.
Worth a closer look when
An employer that wants HR software together with employment-law, health and safety, or wellbeing services.
Check before you choose
Compare the full service package and fixed term with a software-only option before signing.
The public calculator supports online purchase for the 36-month option. Fixed terms of 24, 36 and 60 months are advertised.
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
A startup that wants polished core HR, engagement and performance, with recruitment or advice available alongside it.
Check before you choose
Model the normal band price and the add-ons you expect to keep after the initial evaluation.
A 7-day trial is available without a credit card. Charlie is a monthly rolling subscription with no minimum contract.
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 team of roughly 5 to 100 employees that wants clear public pricing, a focused everyday HR core, API and MCP access, and a documented route to export its records.
Check before you choose
Choose a longer-established or broader product when native mobile apps, payroll, recruitment, rotas, performance 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.
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 team that wants a tiered route from records, absence and mobile access into onboarding, performance, workflows, learning and analytics.
Check before you choose
Confirm which tier contains each feature shown in the demo, then price that tier rather than Starter by default.
Starter and Core advertise a 14-day trial without a credit card. Monthly and yearly payment options are advertised.
Sage HR
Core HR plus Leave costs £5 per employee each month. Performance, Timesheets and Shifts cost £2.50 each, and Expenses costs £1.25.
Worth a closer look when
A team that values the Sage name, mobile HR and the ability to add performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses or recruitment separately.
Check before you choose
Add the relevant module prices and decide whether Sage adjacency changes any real workflow for your team.
A 30-day trial is available without a credit card and ends automatically. Sage advertises no long-term contract and says customers can cancel or upgrade.
Sense HR
Team costs £20 up to 10 employees, £45 up to 25 and £85 up to 50. Professional is £4, Elite £6 and Enterprise £8 per employee each month.
Worth a closer look when
A UK team that wants a route from core records into payroll integrations, recruitment, automation, attendance and open API access.
Check before you choose
Match your requirements to Team, Professional, Elite or Enterprise before comparing the headline price.
Team and Professional offer a 14-day trial without a credit card. Team and Professional are monthly rolling or annual. Elite and Enterprise are annual.
Before you choose
Five checks worth more than a long feature list.
Use the same people, workflows and questions with every supplier.
Run an ordinary week
Add a starter, approve leave, record sickness and change a working pattern using realistic data.
Check each permission
Sign in as an employee, manager and administrator. Make sure each role sees the right records.
Price the next two years
Include headcount changes, required modules, implementation, tax, discounts and renewal increases.
Read the commitment
Write down the initial term, renewal term, notice window and what happens when you cancel.
Take your records out
Export people, leave, sickness and documents before buying. Check that the result is useful without a support ticket.
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 team.
Which HR software is best for a UK small business?
Start with the work you need to improve. HollyHR and Breathe focus on everyday HR records, leave and documents. CharlieHR suits startup engagement and optional services. PeopleHR, Sage HR and Sense HR offer broader tier or module routes. BambooHR brings global-suite depth, while BrightHR combines software with advice and safety services.
How much does HR software cost for 10 employees?
In this eight-provider snapshot, public monthly starting prices for 10 employees range from £0 to £200 before tax. The plans are not feature-equivalent. Compare required add-ons, implementation and contract terms as well as the headline amount.
Is there free HR software for a UK team?
HollyHR is free for up to 10 active employees without a trial clock. Other free products may use different employee caps, feature limits or support models, so check what happens as your team grows and how you can export your records.
Should a small team buy HR software with payroll?
Only when payroll in the same product or supplier relationship solves a real problem. Ask whether payroll is native, integrated or export-led, which UK rules it covers and who owns corrections when data moves between systems.
What contract terms matter when comparing HR software?
Check the initial term, automatic renewal, notice window, cancellation route, price-rise wording and access to exports after notice. A monthly price does not always mean a monthly-cancellable agreement.
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.