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HR · head to head

Breathe HR vs Kudos

Breathe HR logo

Breathe HR

HR

Simple HR software for SMEs

From
£13/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kudos logo

Kudos

HR

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/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; Kudos no pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact
  • They diverge on capability: Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Breathe HR and Kudos differ
AttributeBreathe HRKudos
Starting price£13/month$5/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20122010

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365

Only in Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Both cover

  • Slack

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Breathe HR
  • Culture buildingnot Breathe HR
  • Employee engagementnot Breathe HR
  • Retention improvementnot Breathe HR
  • Values reinforcementnot 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

Kudos

  • No pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact

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

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

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 Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos review

Questions people ask

Is Breathe HR or Kudos better?
Neither clearly leads. Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Kudos at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Breathe HR or Kudos?
Breathe HR starts at £13/month and Kudos at $5/month.
Does Breathe HR or Kudos run on more platforms?
Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android. Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
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 Kudos is typically brought in for.
What can Breathe HR do that Kudos cannot?
Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Both handle Slack.

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
Kudos: How much does Kudos cost?

Kudos does not publish standard pricing on its website. To learn pricing, contact Kudos for a 30-minute demo or reach out directly at +1 (888) 915-8367 or [email protected].

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
Kudos: How can I get Kudos pricing information?

Contact Kudos through their website demo request form or directly at [email protected] to discuss pricing and setup for your organization.

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
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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