Softwr

HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs HiBob

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HiBob logo

HiBob

HR

Modern HR for modern businesses

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; HiBob pricing not publicly displayed; requires contacting sales for custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Employee Database, HiBob covers Core HR.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Breathe HR and HiBob differ
AttributeBreathe HRHiBob
Starting price£13/monthOn request
Founded20122015

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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

  • Employee Database
  • Absence Management
  • Document Storage
  • HR Reporting
  • Training
  • Microsoft 365
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks

Only in HiBob

  • Core HR
  • Onboarding
  • Time Off Management
  • Compensation
  • People Analytics
  • Engagement
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Greenhouse

Both cover

  • Performance Management
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • 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 HiBob
  • Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot HiBob
  • Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot HiBob

HiBob

  • Core HR system of record with automated workflowsnot Breathe HR
  • Performance management, learning and skills trackingnot Breathe HR
  • US and UK payroll, benefits and time trackingnot Breathe HR
  • Workforce planning and compensation review cyclesnot Breathe HR
  • Employee self-service for a distributed workforcenot 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

HiBob

  • Pricing not publicly displayed; requires contacting sales for custom quote
  • Limited payroll functionality compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • Smaller integration ecosystem compared to larger HR platforms

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

HiBob

On request
  • Bob$undefined/month
    • Core HR
    • Onboarding
    • Time Off

Which should you pick?

Choose Breathe HR if

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

Choose HiBob if

  • You need core hr.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want onboarding.
HiBob review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or HiBob better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and HiBob at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or HiBob?
Breathe HR starts at £13/month and HiBob at On request.
Does Breathe HR or HiBob run on more platforms?
Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android. HiBob runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 HiBob is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that HiBob cannot?
Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. HiBob covers Core HR, Onboarding, Time Off Management, Compensation. Both handle Performance Management, Slack, Google Workspace, Web support.

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
HiBob: What modules does HiBob include?

HiBob includes Core HR, Time & Attendance, Performance & Goals, Compensation Management, Global Operations, and Analytics modules that can be selected based on organizational needs.

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
HiBob: How is HiBob pricing calculated?

HiBob pricing is customized based on company size (1-49, 50-199, 200-999, or 1,000+ employees) and the specific modules selected. Pricing is on a per-employee basis.

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
HiBob: Does HiBob offer a mobile app?

Yes, HiBob includes mobile app access as part of all plans, allowing employees to manage their HR tasks on the go.

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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