HollyHR vs Breathe HR
Breathe is one of the most established HR tools for UK small businesses. Here's an honest look at how HollyHR compares — including where Breathe is still the right choice.
Key takeaways
Free where Breathe charges £24
For invited teams, Free is £0 up to 10 active people. Standard is £2 for every active person — no bands, no cap.
Your export includes eligible files
One action bundles broad organisation data, eligible files and manifests. Breathe's help centre documents individual file downloads.
Governed developer routes
Approved API reads are on every plan; signed webhooks are Standard and hosted MCP is a developer preview.
Breathe wins on track record
17,000+ customers since 2012, plus add-on modules like Learn and Recruitment today.
Both cover the UK small-business HR core: time off, people records, documents and a shared who's-away calendar. For invited early-access teams, HollyHR Free is £0 for up to 10 active people; Standard is £2 per active person per month before tax when offered, with every active person counting. Breathe prices in headcount bands from £24/month, with paid add-ons on top. Breathe has native paid add-ons such as Expenses; HollyHR competes on per-person pricing, a bounded self-service archive and governed developer routes.
The structural difference is focus and openness. HollyHR documents a governed beta REST API with approved reads on every plan, signed-webhook management on Standard and a developer-preview hosted MCP route. Its organisation archive bundles 14 named CSV areas, eligible uploaded files and manifests within stated limits; it is not a full backup or lossless round trip. Breathe brings the longer operating record, a native mobile app, performance management, integrations and native e-signatures with tracking and reminders.
Breathe HR facts checked 18 July 2026Spotted a change? Tell us
At a glance
The whole comparison in thirty seconds — details in the sections below.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓Invited Free ≤ 10 | ✗14-day trial only |
| Pricing model | ✓£2 per active person | ±Headcount bands from £24 |
| Core HR (leave, records, documents) | ✓Included | ✓Included |
| Leave approval controls | ✓Included | ✓Requests + automation |
| Working patterns | ✓1–12-week patterns | ✓Supported |
| Self-serve export incl. eligible files | ✓One action | ✗Files one at a time |
| Public API | ±Approved reads, every plan | ±Narrower surface |
| Native webhooks | ±Signed, on Standard | ±No public docs found |
| AI-assistant access (MCP) | ±Hosted developer preview | ±No public MCP docs found |
| Recruitment / Learn / H&S modules | ±Plus tiercoming soon | ✓Paid add-ons today |
| Expenses | ±Specialist-tool handoff | ✓Paid add-on today |
| Track record | ±New in 2026 | ✓Since 2012, 17,000+ customers |
What does each one cost?
HollyHR bills per active person; Breathe bills in headcount bands with add-ons per module. Worked examples below, monthly, ex VAT.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | £2 per active person (Standard)Every active person counts, from your first. Free is a separate plan for up to 10. | Headcount bands1–10: £24 · 11–20: £44 · 21–50: £99 · 51–100: £175 · 101–150: £419. |
| Free option | ✓Invited teams: £0 ≤ 10 activeControlled early access; joining the list creates no account or trial. | ✗14-day free trialNo card. No free tier. |
| A team of 10 | ✓£0 on FreeOr £20 on Standard, if you want its extras. | £24 |
| A team of 11 | £22 on Standard | £44Crossing a band boundary doubles the bill. |
| A team of 25 | £50 | £99 |
| A team of 100 | £200 | ✓£175At the very top of a band, Breathe is cheaper per head. |
| A team of 101 | £202 | £419One more hire moves you up a band. |
| Extra modules | One price for core HRWorkforce modules such as rota and recruitment arrive through Plus. Expenses are handled through specialist finance/spend tools. | Priced per add-onRota £11 · Learn £15 · Recruitment £16 · Expenses £14 · H&S £12 per month. |
| Leavers | ✓Never count towards your bill | Band set by headcount range |
How do they compare day to day?
Both products handle the core well — Breathe's ease of use is real, and HollyHR treats it as the bar, not the target.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Time off & approvals | ✓Full flow, plus bulk approvalRequests, overlap detection, live balances — and approve a backlog in one go. | ✓Leave requests + automationBreathe publishes requests, approvals and allowances, with threshold-based auto-approval on eligible tiers. |
| Working patterns | ✓1–12-week effective patternsContracted hours set current FTE and allowance; the effective pattern sets request duration. | ✓Working patterns supportedTest the configured part-time allowance calculation with your own policy during evaluation. |
| Who's away | ✓Shared calendar + iCal feedLeave and sickness with UK public holidays; subscribe from any calendar app. | ✓Shared absence calendarA strong, well-liked feature. |
| Documents | ±Private files + policy acknowledgementsProfile files and linked-policy requirements are separate; eligible files join the organisation export. | ✓Native e-signatures + trackingE-signatures, status tracking, audit trail and reminders are included on every Breathe plan. |
| Onboarding | ±Manually launched packsNo automatic enrolment, reminders or escalation delivery; future starters default invited/non-default and hidden from ordinary-member shared projections. | ✓Onboarding workflows included |
| Reporting | ±Fixed reports + bounded exportBuilt-in fixed reports ship; the organisation archive names its exclusions. | ±Built-in reportsDepth and customisation are the most common functional criticism in reviews. |
Which is easier to leave?
We think you should judge HR software by how it treats you on the way out — it's the honest test of how it treats you while you stay.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Broad organisation export | ✓Bounded archive, one action14 named CSV areas, eligible uploaded files and manifests within published limits. | ±Data exports availableBreathe's help centre says company and employee documents are downloaded individually. |
| Getting data in | ✓CSV import with smart mappingBring your export from Breathe or a spreadsheet. | ✓Import supported during onboarding |
| Contract & cancelling | ✓Monthly/yearly; period-endStripe-billed customers cancel in-app; export before workspace closure. | ✓No long-term contract |
Which works with your other tools — and with AI?
This is the widest gap between the two products, and it compounds: every year, more of your tools will want to talk to your HR system.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Public API | ±Documented REST + OpenAPI + SDKGoverned beta; approved organisation-scoped reads are on every plan. | ±Developer API existsNarrower surface, partner-oriented docs. |
| Webhooks | ±Signed, on StandardSigned-webhook management is a Standard entitlement; event scope is documented. | ±No public native docs foundNo public native webhook documentation found on 18 July 2026. |
| AI assistants | ±Hosted MCP developer previewApproved projected reads; writes need Standard, explicit approval and confirmation and are off by default. | ±No public MCP docs foundNo public first-party MCP documentation found on 18 July 2026. |
| Expenses | ±Use specialist spend toolsNo native connector catalogue. Approved API reads or Standard webhooks can support a customer-built handoff. | ✓Native paid add-onBreathe has an Expenses add-on today. |
| Payroll | ✓Clean payroll exportFor your bureau or payroll software. | ✓Xero payroll integration |
| Calendars | ✓Subscribe via iCalGoogle, Outlook or Apple Calendar. | ✓Calendar feeds supported |
Who's behind it, and what happens when you need help?
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Founder-ledQuestions go to the small team actually building the product. | Knowledge base + chat supportBreathe publishes a self-service knowledge base, chat and webinars. |
| Track record | ±New in 2026This page distinguishes shipped from coming-soon capability. | ✓Founded 201217,000+ UK organisations; ISO 27001 certified. |
| Sign-in & security | ✓Magic links, Google sign-in, MFAThe first-login journey is tested automatically on every release. | ✓Standard sign-in with 2FA |
| Your data's home | ✓UK/EU hostingDurable records in the UK/EU; sub-processor list published. | ✓UK-based, GDPR compliant |
Which one fits your team?
An honest read of where each product is the better choice today.
Choose HollyHR if…
- You have 10 or fewer people and are invited into controlled early access — Free is £0 and is not a time-limited trial.
- You want pricing that scales exactly with your team, with no band cliff when you make one more hire.
- You want a bounded self-service archive with eligible document files, manifests and published exclusions.
- You want governed API reads on every plan, signed-webhook management on Standard and optional developer-preview MCP access.
- You already use a finance/spend tool such as Xero Expenses, FreeAgent, Dext, Pleo or Soldo, and want HR to feed it clean people and cost-centre context instead of replacing it.
- You employ part-timers and want allowances pro-rated automatically.
Choose Breathe HR if…
- You want a supplier with a long track record — Breathe has been doing this since 2012 for 17,000+ UK organisations.
- You need Recruitment, Learn, Health & Safety or native expense claims inside the HR product today and don't mind paying per add-on.
- You value an established support operation with a knowledge base, chat and getting-started webinars.
- Your headcount sits at the very top of a Breathe band (say, exactly 100 people), where the band price beats per-person pricing.
Don't take our word for it — check the sources: Breathe's current feature and plan table · Breathe's API and integrations page · Breathe's native e-signature guide · Breathe's data and document export guide · Breathe's working-pattern guide · Breathe's pricing page · Trustpilot reviews · G2 reviews · Capterra reviews
Continue the decision: Compare more Breathe HR alternatives · inspect the HollyHR export boundary
Switching from Breathe?
Use HollyHR's supported Breathe path to import core people data from a compatible export. Leave, balances, history, managers, working patterns, documents and configuration need separate reconciliation; there is no universal migration time.
HollyHR is in controlled early access. Joining the list creates no account or trial. Invited teams of up to 10 active people can use Free; the bounded self-service organisation archive remains available if the fit is wrong.
Questions people ask
Is HollyHR a good alternative to Breathe HR?
It can be for invited UK teams that want focused core HR, per-person pricing, a bounded self-service archive and governed developer routes. HollyHR covers time off, people records, documents, onboarding and who's away; Free is £0 up to 10 active people and Standard is £2 per active person per month before tax when offered. Breathe remains a strong choice if you want a long-established supplier or add-ons such as Learn and Recruitment today.
Is HollyHR cheaper than Breathe HR?
Usually. Breathe starts at £24/month for 1–10 employees; for invited early-access teams, HollyHR's Free plan covers that size at £0. When Standard is offered, its £2-per-active-person price (everyone counts) is £20 for the same 10 people. A 25-person team pays £50/month on HollyHR Standard versus £99 on Breathe, before Breathe's per-module add-ons. The exception is the very top of a Breathe band — at exactly 100 people Breathe's £175 beats HollyHR's £200 — but one more hire moves Breathe to £419 while HollyHR moves to £202.
How do I move my data from Breathe HR to HollyHR?
Export a compatible people file from Breathe and use HollyHR's supported Breathe import path for core people data. Then reconcile leave, balances, history, managers, working patterns, documents and configuration separately. HollyHR is controlled early access, so joining the list does not create a workspace or start a trial, and no universal migration time is promised.
Can I export my data from HollyHR if I leave?
A System Admin can prepare a self-service organisation archive after a fresh security check. It includes 14 named CSV areas, eligible uploaded files and included-or-skipped manifests within published limits. It is not a full backup or lossless round trip and excludes areas including working-pattern history, onboarding journeys, policy and balance ledgers, custom fields, compliance workflow state and audit history. No support ticket or separate export fee is required.
Does Breathe HR have an API or webhooks?
Breathe publishes an open-source API, sandbox and integration library. We found no public Breathe native-webhook documentation on 18 July 2026, which is not proof that no private or partner route exists. HollyHR documents a governed beta REST API with generated OpenAPI and a public-preview TypeScript SDK; approved organisation-scoped reads are on every plan. Signed-webhook management is Standard, while hosted MCP is a developer preview.
Does HollyHR have everything Breathe has?
No. Breathe's paid add-ons — Learn, Recruitment, Health & Safety and native Expenses — are broader than HollyHR's shipped product. Breathe also includes native e-signatures with status tracking, audit trails and reminders on every plan; HollyHR does not ship e-signatures. HollyHR's focused core covers time off with bulk approval, people records, private employee files, linked-policy acknowledgements, manually launched onboarding, effective-dated working patterns, sickness tracking and a bounded self-service archive.
Which is better for a company with under 10 employees?
It depends on breadth and maturity as well as price. For invited early-access teams, HollyHR Free is £0 for up to 10 active people and is not time-limited; joining the list itself creates no account or trial. Breathe's smallest published band is £24/month for 1–10 employees after a 14-day trial, and Breathe brings a longer track record plus paid add-ons HollyHR does not ship.