Sage HR is a modular suite with native mobile, e-signatures and optional workforce tools. HollyHR is designed for teams of roughly 5 to 100 employees that want a focused HR core with public pricing.
No card, no sales call and no trial clock.
The short answer
Choose HollyHR if your team needs people records, leave, sickness, documents and onboarding, with Free for up to 10 active employees or one public paid price. Choose Sage HR when native apps, e-signatures, performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses, recruitment or a closer connection to Sage payroll products are requirements today.
Sage lets you add modules and says there is no long-term contract. The important comparison is the total for the modules and employee count you will actually use, not the Core price in isolation.
Monthly prices before VAT. Volunteer-only profiles do not count towards HollyHR billing under the published policy. Sage examples use the dedicated UK product page's £5 Core HR and Leave price. Other Sage landing pages advertise from £4.60 without the same plan detail, so confirm the current checkout price. Optional modules increase the total.
HollyHR includes its current HR core in one paid price. Sage HR starts with Core and Leave, then adds tools one module at a time.
HollyHR
Free up to 10 active employees
No card and no trial clock.
Sage HR
30-day trial
No card, and the trial ends automatically.
HollyHR
£2 per active employee
One Standard price without employee bands.
Sage HR
£5 per employee
The dedicated UK Sage HR product page's current price.
HollyHR
Plus is coming soon
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Sage HR
£1.25 or £2.50 each
Expenses is £1.25; performance, timesheets and shifts are £2.50 each.
HollyHR
Coming with Plus
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Sage HR
£184.45 per month
Both cover people records and leave. Sage already sells more of the work around documents, mobile access and workforce operations.
HollyHR
Included
Sage HR
Included in Core
HollyHR
Responsive web and acknowledgements
There is no native app or ordered e-signature workflow today.
Sage HR
Native apps and signing
HollyHR
Coming with Plus
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Sage HR
Optional module
HollyHR
Coming with Plus
Coming soonPlus is not available to buy yet.
Sage HR
Three optional modules
Both products publish an API. Exporting document metadata and exporting the underlying files are separate jobs in Sage HR.
HollyHR
Reads on every plan
Standard adds governed writes with explicit scopes.
Sage HR
Admin-enabled per-user key
The key follows the API-enabled data available to that user.
HollyHR
MCP and bounded signed events
Events cover documented public API-origin changes, not every product action.
Sage HR
No parity claim made
No general public webhook or MCP catalogue is documented.
HollyHR
Included in organisation export
Eligible files are included within published limits.
Sage HR
Excel metadata report
Sage states that the report does not export the document files themselves.
HollyHR
Eligible files in one archive
Sage HR
Download separately
Plan and test the collection process before leaving.
Sage HR offers a broader established ecosystem. HollyHR offers a narrower product with a lower public starting price.
HollyHR
Monthly or annual billing
Sage HR
Cancel or upgrade anytime
Sage's product page says there is no long-term contract.
HollyHR
Payroll hand-off only
Sage HR
Sage payroll adjacency
Check the exact payroll product and integration needed.
HollyHR
New in 2026
Sage HR
Established Sage product
HollyHR
50% off Standard
Eligible charities and non-profits pay £1 per active employee.
Sage HR
No public Sage HR offer found
Do not assume discounts advertised for other Sage products apply to Sage HR.
List the Sage HR modules and connected Sage products your team uses before comparing subscriptions. Mobile, e-signatures, performance, time, shifts, expenses, recruitment and payroll all need an owner if you move.
Export the available reports, collect document files separately and test a small HollyHR import. Reconcile leave, permissions, documents and payroll hand-offs before ending the old service.
See more Sage HR alternativesPublic prices and product details were checked on 29 August 2026. Packages can change, so confirm the terms of any quote.
At the dedicated UK Sage HR product price, yes for the focused HR core. HollyHR Free covers up to 10 active employees. Standard costs £2 per active employee per month across the whole active team. Sage HR lists Core HR and Leave at £5 per employee per month, before adding optional modules. Sage HR is the broader shipped product.
Sage HR offers a 30-day trial with no credit card, and says the trial ends automatically. It does not publish an ongoing free Sage HR plan. HollyHR Free is ongoing for up to 10 active employees and has no trial clock or card requirement.
The dedicated UK Sage HR product page lists Core HR and Leave at £5 per employee per month. Some broader Sage landing pages advertise Sage HR from £4.60 without the same plan detail. The worked examples here use £5, and buyers should confirm the current plan, offer and checkout total with Sage.
Sage lists Performance, Timesheets and Shift Scheduling at £2.50 per employee per month each, Expenses at £1.25 per employee per month, and Recruitment at £184.45 per month. These sit on top of Core HR and Leave, so calculate the total using your employee count and selected modules.
Sage HR publishes a REST API that an administrator enables, with a per-user API key that follows the API-enabled data available to that user. HollyHR includes API and MCP reads on every plan, governed writes on Standard and signed events for documented public API-origin changes. Compare exact endpoints, permissions and event needs.
Sage HR's documents report exports an Excel inventory with file names, categories, dates, status and sharing details, but Sage explicitly says the report does not export the documents themselves. The files can be downloaded separately, so test the collection process and confirm it covers the documents you need before leaving.
You can move the records HollyHR supports, but there is no one-click Sage HR migration. Export the available reports, collect document files separately, test a small HollyHR import and reconcile leave and permissions. E-signatures, performance, timesheets, shifts, expenses, recruitment, payroll and integrations need a separate retention or replacement 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.
