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HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs Paychex Flex

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paychex Flex logo

Paychex Flex

Payroll

Payroll and HR solutions that grow with you

From
$39/month
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; Paychex Flex no published pricing rates available
  • They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Breathe HR and Paychex Flex actually diverge.

Attributes where Breathe HR and Paychex Flex differ
AttributeBreathe HRPaychex Flex
Starting price£13/month$39/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
CategoryHRPayroll
Founded20121971

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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
  • Slack

Only in Paychex Flex

  • Payroll Processing
  • Tax Administration
  • HR Services
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Attendance
  • Retirement Services
  • Sage

Both cover

  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • Xero
  • 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 Paychex Flex
  • Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot Paychex Flex
  • Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot Paychex Flex

Paychex Flex

  • Running payroll and filing payroll taxes for small and mid sized US businessesnot Breathe HR
  • Combining payroll with benefits administration and HR services from one vendornot Breathe HR
  • Handling multi state payroll compliance and year end tax formsnot 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

Paychex Flex

  • No published pricing rates available
  • Pricing varies significantly based on employee count and business needs
  • All pricing requires direct contact with sales team

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

Paychex Flex

$39/month
  • Essentials$39/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Select$undefined/month
    • All Essentials features
    • HR Administration
    • Onboarding

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 Paychex Flex if

  • You need payroll processing.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tax administration.
Paychex Flex review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or Paychex Flex better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Paychex Flex at $39/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or Paychex Flex?
Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Paychex Flex at $39/month.
Does Breathe HR or Paychex Flex run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Paychex Flex is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that Paychex Flex cannot?
Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Paychex Flex covers Payroll Processing, Tax Administration, HR Services, Benefits Administration. Both handle Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Xero, 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.

Source
Paychex Flex: How much does Paychex Flex cost?

Paychex does not publish specific pricing rates. Pricing depends on your employee count and specific business needs. Customers must contact the sales team at 833-729-8200 or use the Request Pricing option for a custom quote.

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
Paychex Flex: What Paychex Flex packages are available?

Three main payroll packages are offered: Paychex Flex Select, Paychex Flex Pro, and Paychex Flex Enterprise. There is also an Express package for specific scenarios like one-employee payroll.

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
Paychex Flex: Does Paychex offer promotional pricing?

Paychex offers a promotion providing three months of free payroll services for new clients who process their first payroll by June 18, 2027, and maintain continuous payroll processing for 12 consecutive months. Eligible companies have 1-250 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
Paychex Flex: What factors affect Paychex Flex pricing?

Pricing is based on employee count, specific features needed including HR, benefits, time tracking, insurance, and your chosen service tier.

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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