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HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs Homebase

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Homebase logo

Homebase

HR

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Homebase 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; Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Breathe HR and Homebase differ
AttributeBreathe HRHomebase
Starting price£13/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded2012Unknown

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

  • Employee Database
  • Absence Management
  • Document Storage
  • HR Reporting
  • Performance Management
  • Training
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

Only in Homebase

Nothing recorded that Breathe HR does not also cover.

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

Homebase

  • Managing shift schedules across restaurant locationsnot Breathe HR
  • Automating tip pool calculations and distributionnot Breathe HR
  • Processing payroll directly from time trackingnot Breathe HR
  • Onboarding and verifying hourly employeesnot 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

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

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

Homebase

Free
  • BasicFree
    • Up to 10 employees per location
    • Basic scheduling
    • Time tracking
  • Essentials$24/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • Advanced scheduling
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$56/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • AI-powered scheduling
    • PTO controls
  • All-in-One$96/month
    • Unlimited employees per location
    • Employee onboarding
    • Labor cost 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 Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.
Homebase review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or Homebase better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Homebase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or Homebase?
Homebase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at £13/month for Breathe HR and Free for Homebase.
Does Breathe HR or Homebase run on more platforms?
Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android. Homebase runs on Web.
Can I use Homebase for free?
Yes. Homebase 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 Homebase is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that Homebase cannot?
Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting.

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
Homebase: Does Homebase offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, Homebase annual billing offers savings: Essentials saves $72/year, Plus saves $168/year, All-in-One saves $288/year compared to monthly billing.

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
Homebase: Is there a free trial for Homebase?

Homebase offers a free 14-day trial of the All-in-One plan with no credit card required.

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
Homebase: What does Homebase Payroll cost?

Homebase Payroll costs $39 per month base plus $6 per employee per month, with add-ons available for Tip Manager ($25/month) and Background Checks ($30 each).

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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