Software · head to head
15Five vs Breathe HR
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; Breathe HR pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Breathe HR covers Employee Database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 15Five and Breathe HR actually diverge.
| Attribute | 15Five | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $4/month | £13/month |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Api | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2011 | 2012 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 15Five
- Weekly check-ins
- 1-on-1 meetings
- OKRs & goal tracking
- Performance reviews
- High fives recognition
- Engagement surveys
- Pulse surveys
- Manager effectiveness
Only in Breathe HR
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Document Storage
- HR Reporting
- Performance Management
- Training
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
Both cover
- Slack
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
15Five
- Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot Breathe HR
- Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Breathe HR
- Setting and tracking OKRsnot Breathe HR
- 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Breathe HR
- Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Breathe HR
Breathe HR
- Holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a UK small businessnot 15Five
- Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot 15Five
- Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot 15Five
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
15Five
- Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
- Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
- Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
- The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
- Advertised prices are the annual rates
Breathe HR
- Pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- Plans are capped by band up to 151 to 200 people, so it is not sold to organisations above that range on the published ladder
- The free trial is 14 days
- Health and safety, e-learning and other modules are sold as add-ons on top of the core HR plan
- Pricing is quoted in pounds and the product is marketed to UK SMEs
Pricing, plan by plan
15Five
$4/month- Engage$4/month
- Engagement surveys
- Pulse surveys
- Action planning
- Perform$10/month
- Weekly check-ins
- 1-on-1s
- Performance reviews
- Total Platform$16/month
- Everything in Engage & Perform
- Career paths
- Competencies
Breathe HR
£13/month- Core$13/month
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Documents
- People Management$18/month
- All Core features
- Performance
- Goals
Which should you pick?
Choose 15Five if
- You need weekly check-ins.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
- You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
Choose Breathe HR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want absence management.
Questions people ask
- Is 15Five or Breathe HR better?
- Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Breathe HR at £13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 15Five or Breathe HR?
- 15Five starts at $4/month and Breathe HR at £13/month.
- Does 15Five or Breathe HR run on more platforms?
- 15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- What is 15Five best used for?
- 15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what Breathe HR is typically brought in for.
- What can 15Five do that Breathe HR cannot?
- 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Both handle Slack.
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