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HR · head to head

15Five vs Breathe HR

15Five logo

15Five

HR

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and Breathe HR actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and Breathe HR differ
Attribute15FiveBreathe HR
Starting price$4/month£13/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20112012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

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
    • Employee Engagement Surveys
    • Targeted Assessments
    • Action Planning
  • Perform$11/month
    • Engage features
    • AMAYA
    • Insights Dashboard
  • Total Platform$16/month
    • Perform features
    • Manager Training Microlearnings

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.
15Five review

Choose Breathe HR if

  • You need employee database.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want absence management.
Breathe HR review

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.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

15Five: What are 15Five's core plan tiers and pricing?

15Five offers Engage ($4/user/month), Perform ($11/user/month, marked Most Popular), and Total Platform ($16/user/month). All prices are billed annually. Perform adds AI-assisted performance reviews, OKRs, and 360-degree feedback compared to Engage.

Source
Breathe HR: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, Breathe HR offers a free trial with no credit card required to get started.

Source
15Five: What add-on products does 15Five offer?

Manager Content costs $49/manager/month (annually billed). Manager Coaching is $399 per credit (1-on-1 coaching = 1 credit; group coaching = 5 credits). Kona AI Meeting Assistant is $2/employee/month. Kona AI Coach is $19/manager/month. Compensation add-ons start at $9/user/month for base package or $11/user/month with salary benchmarking.

Source
Breathe HR: Are there long-term contracts required?

No. Breathe HR explicitly states there are no long-term contracts, no hidden costs, and you have the freedom to cancel anytime.

Source
15Five: Are 15Five contracts flexible?

All 15Five plans require annual billing and contracts. Support is included as dedicated human support with all plans.

Source
Breathe HR: What company sizes does Breathe HR support?

The software is designed to support businesses with up to 250 employees. Organization size options mentioned include 1-10, 11-50, and 51-250 employees.

Source
Breathe HR: Are there different features for different plans?

Yes, flexible subscription-based plans exist with some features like Polls & Surveys available only for regular and above plans. The page does not specify plan names or detailed feature breakdowns.

Source
Breathe HR: What happens if I want to cancel my subscription?

You can cancel anytime without worrying about hidden costs. Breathe HR emphasizes no long-term commitment and the freedom to leave whenever your needs change.

Source
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