HR · head to head
Breathe HR vs Factorial
The short version
- Only Factorial 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; Factorial no published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
- They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Factorial covers HR Management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Breathe HR and Factorial actually diverge.
| Attribute | Breathe HR | Factorial |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £13/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Category | HR | Recruitment |
| Founded | 2012 | 2016 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).
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
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Document Storage
- HR Reporting
- Performance Management
- Training
- Xero
Only in Factorial
- HR Management
- Time Off
- Time Tracking
- Documents
- Payroll
- Performance
- Recruiting
- Shift Management
Both cover
- Slack
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- QuickBooks
- 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 Factorial
- Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot Factorial
- Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot Factorial
Factorial
- Managing employee records, onboarding and offboardingnot Breathe HR
- Tracking time off, attendance and shiftsnot Breathe HR
- Running recruitment and performance reviews alongside HR datanot 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
Factorial
- No published tier names or feature-based pricing breakdown
- Pricing customization requires sales consultation
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
Factorial
Free- FreeFree
- Basic HR
- Time Off
- Documents
- Business$5/month
- All Free features
- Payroll
- Performance
Which should you pick?
Choose Breathe HR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want absence management.
Choose Factorial if
- You need hr management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want time off.
Questions people ask
- Is Breathe HR or Factorial better?
- Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Factorial at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or Factorial?
- Factorial has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £13/month for Breathe HR and Free for Factorial.
- Does Breathe HR or Factorial run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Factorial for free?
- Yes. Factorial 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 Factorial is typically brought in for.
- What can Breathe HR do that Factorial cannot?
- Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Factorial covers HR Management, Time Off, Time Tracking, Documents. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks.
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.
SourceFactorial: What is Factorial's starting price?
Factorial starts at $8 per month per user. The company offers modular pricing where customers select features across categories including time management, talent management, finance management, and IT management.
SourceBreathe 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.
SourceFactorial: Can I customize my Factorial plan?
Yes. Factorial offers customizable plans for all businesses and budgets. A specialist will design a plan based on specific business needs. All plans include the Factorial Core platform with employee directory, onboarding/offboarding, payslip distribution, legal e-signature, and custom notifications.
SourceBreathe 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.
SourceBreathe 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.
SourceBreathe 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.
SourceRelated pages
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- Factorial vs CharlieHR
- Factorial vs Zoho People
- Factorial vs Personio
- Factorial vs HiBob
- Factorial vs Nectar
- Factorial vs Recruiterbox
- Factorial vs Darwinbox
- Factorial vs Employment Hero
- Factorial vs greytHR
- Factorial vs Guild
- Factorial vs Homebase
- Factorial vs Humaans
- Factorial vs Rippling
- Factorial vs Lever
- Factorial vs Ashby
- Factorial vs SmartRecruiters
- Factorial vs Breezy HR
- Factorial vs JazzHR
- Factorial vs Deel
- Factorial vs Teamtailor
- Factorial vs Jobvite
- Factorial vs Occupop
- Factorial vs Workable
- Factorial vs SAP SuccessFactors
- Factorial vs Pilot
- Factorial vs BrightHire
- Factorial vs Bullhorn
- Factorial vs Checkr
- Factorial vs Comeet