Softwr

HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs Paycom

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Paycom logo

Paycom

Payroll

HR and payroll technology led by employees

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; Paycom no public API and no transparent integration capabilities
  • They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Paycom covers Payroll.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Breathe HR and Paycom differ
AttributeBreathe HRPaycom
Starting price£13/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryHRPayroll
Founded20121998

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

Only in Paycom

  • Payroll
  • Time and Attendance
  • HR Management
  • Talent Acquisition
  • Talent Management
  • Learning Management
  • Indeed
  • LinkedIn

Both cover

  • 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 Paycom
  • Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot Paycom
  • Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot Paycom

Paycom

  • Payroll processing with employee self-verification through Betinot Breathe HR
  • Time and attendance tracking with schedulingnot Breathe HR
  • Talent acquisition and onboardingnot Breathe HR
  • Benefits and compliance administrationnot Breathe HR
  • Automated time-off decisions through GONEnot 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

Paycom

  • No public API and no transparent integration capabilities
  • Limited integrations with third-party ATS, LMS, or performance tools
  • Custom pricing makes cost forecasting difficult
  • Proprietary system philosophy limits flexibility compared to more open platforms
  • Does not support global payroll and benefits

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

Paycom

On request
  • Standard$undefined/month
    • Payroll
    • Time and Labor
    • HR Management

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 Paycom if

  • You need payroll.
  • You also want time and attendance.
Paycom review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or Paycom better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Paycom at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or Paycom?
Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Paycom at On request.
Does Breathe HR or Paycom run on more platforms?
Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android. Paycom runs on Web.
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 Paycom is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that Paycom cannot?
Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Paycom covers Payroll, Time and Attendance, HR Management, Talent Acquisition. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, 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
Paycom: Does Paycom offer a free trial?

No. Paycom does not offer a free trial. Pricing depends on company size and modules and requires 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
Paycom: Can Paycom integrate with third-party tools?

Paycom has no public API and fewer than 50 integrations. Paycom's philosophy is that you should use their built-in modules for everything. Custom integrations require commercial partnership approval.

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
Paycom: What are Paycom's core features?

Paycom is a single-database payroll and HR platform featuring custom reporting tools, org chart visualization, employee self-service portal, and a tax center dashboard for compliance management.

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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