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HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs CharlieHR

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR

HR software built for small businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CharlieHR has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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; CharlieHR starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period
  • They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Absence Management, CharlieHR covers Time Off Management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Breathe HR and CharlieHR actually diverge.

Attributes where Breathe HR and CharlieHR differ
AttributeBreathe HRCharlieHR
Starting price£13/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)
Founded20122015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Breathe HR

  • Absence Management
  • Document Storage
  • HR Reporting
  • Performance Management
  • Training
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks

Only in CharlieHR

  • Time Off Management
  • Onboarding
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Employee Database
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Breathe HR

  • Holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a UK small businessnot CharlieHR
  • Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot CharlieHR
  • Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot CharlieHR

CharlieHR

  • HR management for small to large teamsnot Breathe HR
  • Employee onboarding and time off managementnot Breathe HR
  • Performance reviews and employee engagementnot Breathe HR

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

CharlieHR

  • Starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period
  • Pricing based on team headcount brackets, not per-user
  • Add-ons (Charlie Recruit, Charlie Advice) cannot be purchased standalone
  • Charlie Advice and Recruit require base Charlie subscription
  • Prices shown exclude 20% UK VAT

Pricing, plan by plan

Breathe HR

£13/month
  • Core$13/month
    • Employee Database
    • Absence Management
    • Documents
  • People Management$18/month
    • All Core features
    • Performance
    • Goals

CharlieHR

Free
  • Starter (1-4 team members)$5/month
    • Introductory rate for first 6 months
    • Then £20/month
  • Small (5-14 team members)$45/month
    • Covers 5-14 employees
  • Medium (15-29 team members)$105/month
    • Covers 15-29 employees
  • Large (30-99 team members)$180/month
    • Covers 30-99 employees

Which should you pick?

Choose Breathe HR if

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

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need time off management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want onboarding.
CharlieHR review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or CharlieHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and CharlieHR at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or CharlieHR?
CharlieHR has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £13/month for Breathe HR and Free for CharlieHR.
Does Breathe HR or CharlieHR run on more platforms?
Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android. CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
Can I use CharlieHR for free?
Yes. CharlieHR has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Breathe HR starts at £13/month.
What is Breathe HR best used for?
Breathe HR is most often used for holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a uk small business, storing hr documents, contracts and e-signatures, performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teams. Of those, holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a uk small business and storing hr documents, contracts and e-signatures are not what CharlieHR is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that CharlieHR cannot?
Breathe HR covers Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting, Performance Management. CharlieHR covers Time Off Management, Onboarding, Performance Reviews, Team Engagement. Both handle Employee Database, Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Breathe HR: Is there a free trial available?

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

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

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
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

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
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

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
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

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
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source
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