Both organise everyday HR for UK employers. Compare their pricing models, available modules and supplier track records to see which better fits the work you need to do.
No card, no sales call and no trial clock.
The short answer
Choose HollyHR when its focused HR core covers the job and you value a free plan for up to 10 active employees, simple per-person pricing and developer access. Choose Breathe when its longer track record, performance tools or paid rota, learning, recruitment, expenses and health and safety add-ons matter more.
HollyHR Free covers up to 10 active employees. Standard is £2 per active employee each month, while Breathe uses price bands.
This is the top of Breathe's 51 to 100 employee band.
Breathe moves to its next published band at 101 employees.
Monthly prices before VAT. HollyHR examples use Free at 10 and Standard above 10. Volunteer-only profiles do not count towards billing under HollyHR's published policy. Breathe examples use its published core HR bands and exclude optional add-ons.
Both products cover the small-team HR core. Their pricing models behave differently as your headcount changes.
HollyHR
Free
No card and no trial clock.
Breathe HR
£24 per month
A 14-day trial is available without a card.
HollyHR
£2 per active employee each month
No employee bands or headcount cap on Standard.
Breathe HR
Six employee bands
Published prices run from £24 to £579 per business per month.
HollyHR
Included
Breathe HR
Included
Holiday and absence management is part of core HR.
HollyHR
Included
Breathe HR
Included
Document and policy management is part of core HR.
Breathe has more workforce tools available to buy today. HollyHR keeps its live plans focused while Plus modules are still being built.
HollyHR
Coming with Plus
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Breathe HR
Included in core HR
HollyHR
Coming with Plus
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Breathe HR
From £11 per month
Priced as an optional add-on.
HollyHR
Not included today
Breathe HR
Paid add-ons
Recruitment starts at £16 and Learn at £15 per month.
HollyHR
Use specialist tools
Breathe HR
Paid add-ons
Expenses starts at £14 and health and safety at £12 per month.
Both products can connect to other systems. The practical difference is the access model and what you can take with you.
HollyHR
Reads on every plan
Standard adds governed writes with explicit scopes.
Breathe HR
Published API and sandbox
HollyHR
Reads on every plan
Standard adds governed writes.
Breathe HR
No public claim used
This comparison does not infer capability from an absence of documentation.
HollyHR
Bounded signed events
Breathe HR
No public claim used
Confirm any required event flow directly with Breathe.
HollyHR
Organisation export
Includes supported datasets and eligible uploaded files within published limits.
Breathe HR
Documented export routes
Breathe publishes separate guidance for exporting data and documents.
The newer product is not automatically the better product. Supplier history and the shape of your working week both matter.
HollyHR
New in 2026
Breathe HR
17,000+ SMEs
Breathe's current site states this customer count.
HollyHR
Focused small-team HR
Breathe HR
Established small-business HR
HollyHR
Responsive web product
Breathe HR
Native mobile app
HollyHR
Start free without a call
Breathe HR
Start a 14-day trial
Breathe does not require a card for the trial.
Start with the features your team actually uses. If performance, rota, learning, recruitment, expenses or health and safety are part of your current setup, decide where that work will live before you move.
Export the records and documents you need to keep, then test a HollyHR import with a small sample. Leave balances, permissions and any add-on data deserve a manual check before you switch systems.
See more Breathe HR alternativesPublic prices and product details were checked on 28 August 2026. Packages can change, so confirm the terms of any quote.
HollyHR costs less for an organisation with up to 10 active employees because its Free plan is £0, while Breathe starts at £24 per business per month. Above 10, the answer depends on headcount because HollyHR Standard is £2 per active employee each month and Breathe uses employee bands. Volunteer-only profiles do not count towards billing under HollyHR's published policy. At 100 employees, for example, Breathe core HR is £175 and HollyHR Standard is £200 before VAT.
They overlap on people records, leave, sickness, documents and everyday HR administration. Breathe currently goes further with performance management in core HR and paid add-ons for rota and time, learning, recruitment, expenses, and health and safety. HollyHR's workforce modules are planned for Plus, which is not yet available to buy.
Breathe publishes a 14-day trial with no credit card required, but not an ongoing free plan. HollyHR Free is ongoing for up to 10 active employees and does not require a card or start a trial clock.
Both products publish developer routes. Breathe publishes an API and sandbox. HollyHR includes API and MCP reads on every plan, signed events for documented public API-origin changes, and governed writes on Standard. Check the exact endpoints, permissions and event coverage you need rather than choosing from the presence of an API label alone.
Yes, if HollyHR covers the work you rely on. Export your Breathe records and documents, test HollyHR's CSV import with a small sample, and reconcile leave balances and permissions. There is no one-click migration for add-on data, so performance, rota, learning, recruitment, expenses and safety records need their own plan.
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.
