HollyHR vs Sense HR
Sense HR is a broad UK-built platform with strong pricing, native AI and workforce tools. This is a close comparison — and Sense is the better product for several common requirements today.
Key takeaways
Price the exact headcount
Ten people are £0 on HollyHR. Sense is cheaper at full published bands such as 25; between thresholds, calculate both.
Two genuinely different AI models
Sense includes AMI. HollyHR offers approved, organisation-scoped beta reads and controlled hosted MCP access to supported assistants.
Sense wins on shipped breadth
Native apps and performance ship on Team; Elite adds ATS, automation, time and attendance, hardware and more agents.
HollyHR publishes the boundary
Its broad 14-area archive documents manifests, eligible files and limits; API and MCP access remains approved and plan-controlled.
Both are UK-focused HR products with transparent entry pricing. HollyHR's current controlled early-access Free plan covers up to 10 active people and is not a time-limited trial; Standard is £2 per active person per month before tax. Sense Team uses bands: £20 up to 10 people, £45 up to 25, £85 up to 50, £150 up to 100 and £270 up to 200. HollyHR is cheaper at 10, while Sense Team is cheaper at the exact published sizes of 25, 50, 100 and 200. Between thresholds, model the actual headcount rather than assuming either always wins. Sense Team also includes performance, native mobile apps and its AMI HR assistant.
Sense Elite is the broader operational platform: from £8 per employee per month on an annual contract, it adds recruitment, custom screens, 100-plus workflows, time and attendance, hardware options, more AI agents, read/write API and webhooks. HollyHR does not match that breadth today. Choose HollyHR when its focused shipped core, simple price, bounded 14-area archive and controlled developer access fit; choose Sense when built-in AI, mobile, performance, recruitment, implementation or frontline time-and-attendance capability matters more.
Sense 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 | Sense HR |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓Current Free up to 10 | ✗14-day trial |
| 10-person paid price | ✓£20 on Standard | ✓£20 on Team |
| 25-person paid price | ±£50 on Standard | ✓£45 on Team |
| Core HR and leave | ✓Included | ✓Included |
| Native mobile apps | ✗Responsive web app | ✓iOS and Android |
| Performance reviews | ✗Not yet | ✓Included on Team |
| Built-in AI assistant | ✗No built-in AMI equivalent | ✓AMI included on Team |
| Recruitment and time tools | ±Coming with Pluscoming soon | ✓Included on Elite |
| API and webhooks | ±Beta reads; controlled writes | ±Elite only |
| AI-assistant protocol | ±Approved hosted MCP reads | ✗No official MCP listed |
Which one is cheaper?
HollyHR's current Free plan wins at 10; Sense Team undercuts Standard at its full published 25-, 50-, 100- and 200-person bands, but not at every headcount between them.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Sense HR |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ✓£2 per active personNo bands, minimum or top-end cap on Standard. | ✓Five Team bandsEffective per-person price falls as each band fills. |
| Free option | ✓Current Free up to 10Controlled early access; not a time-limited trial. | ±14-day trialNo card and no automatic paid conversion. |
| A team of 10 | ✓£0 on Free | £20 |
| A team of 25 | ±£50 | ✓£45 |
| A team of 50 | ±£100 | ✓£85 |
| A team of 100 | ±£200 | ✓£150 |
| A team of 200 | ±£400 | ✓£270 |
| Full platform | ±Plus price not publishedcoming soonWorkforce modules are not sold as shipped today. | ✓Elite from £8 per personAnnual contract; volume discount from 250+. |
How does the everyday HR compare?
Both cover records, documents, onboarding and time off, but Sense packages materially deeper sickness, signature, performance and mobile jobs around that core.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Sense HR |
|---|---|---|
| People records | ✓Structured records and history | ✓Records and custom HR data |
| Holiday and sickness | ±Current/future time offNo retrospective sickness, fit-note, return-to-work or SSP casework; aggregate reports are HR/System Admin-only because small-team totals can still enable inference. | ✓Deeper UK absence handlingIncludes TOIL, fit notes, return-to-work and SSP workflows. |
| Documents | ±Private files + policy acknowledgementExpiry applies only in Compliance; live electronic signatures remain roadmap. | ✓Documents and e-signaturesSend, sign and store documents in Sense. |
| Onboarding | ±Manual pack launch and tasksNo automatic reminders, provider provisioning or native e-sign. Future starters default to invited/non-default and are hidden from ordinary-member shared projections; selected-manager involvement and audited pre-start login are deliberate choices. | ✓Basic on Team; advanced on Elite |
| Performance | ✗Not yet | ✓Reviews, goals and 1-to-1s |
| Mobile | ±Responsive browser app | ✓Native apps on both plans |
What is the difference in AI and openness?
Sense builds shipped agents into the product. HollyHR offers approved, organisation-scoped beta reads and controlled assistant access; programmatic writes require Standard+, approval and confirmation controls.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Sense HR |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-plan AI | ✗No built-in HR assistantApproved hosted MCP reads can expose controlled context to supported assistants. | ✓AMI HR Assistant includedQueries, drafting, search and policy lookups on Team. |
| Advanced agents | ±Controlled external assistantsMCP writes are Standard+, approved and disabled by default in the environment. | ✓AMI agent stack on EliteDocuments, payroll, expenses, reports and interviewing. |
| Public API reads | ±Approved beta reads on FreeOrganisation-scoped REST, OpenAPI and TypeScript SDK access. | ±Elite onlyTeam's public comparison table marks Open API unavailable. |
| API writes and webhooks | ±Standard+ controlled writesApproval and confirmation controls apply; webhooks are scoped events. | ±Elite onlySense lists read/write API and outbound events on Elite. |
| Hosted MCP server | ±Approved controlled accessOrganisation-scoped reads; writes are Standard+, approved and default-off. | ✗No official endpoint listed |
Where is Sense HR substantially broader?
Sense Elite is already a workforce platform; HollyHR's comparable Plus modules are roadmap, not a shipped substitute.
| Comparison dimension | HollyHR | Sense HR |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment | ±Coming with Pluscoming soon | ✓ATS, careers and AI screening |
| Time and attendance | ±Coming with Pluscoming soon | ✓Timesheets, shifts and geofencing |
| Clocking hardware | ✗Not offered | ✓Own-brand and biometric options |
| Workflow automation | ±Focused built-in workflows | ✓100+ Elite workflow library |
| Integrations | ±Handoffs, API and webhooksNot a native first-party connector catalogue. | ✓Payroll and 50 connectors |
| Implementation | ±Self-serve early access | ✓Dedicated Elite implementationMigration and training included in the annual plan. |
Which one fits your team?
An honest read of where each product is the better choice today.
Choose HollyHR if…
- You have up to 10 active people and HollyHR's focused shipped core meets the need.
- You prefer a deliberately smaller product with one simple Standard price.
- Approved beta API reads and controlled hosted MCP access below an £8-per-person workforce tier suit your technical model.
- A bounded 14-area archive with manifests, eligible files and explicit limits matters to your buying decision.
Choose Sense HR if…
- You want a paid core plan that becomes cheaper per person as your team fills a band.
- Native mobile apps, performance reviews or a built-in AI assistant are day-one requirements.
- You need recruitment, time and attendance, hardware or extensive automation today.
- You value a dedicated implementation team and are comfortable with Elite's annual contract.
Don't take our word for it — check the sources: Sense HR pricing · Sense HR platform · Sense HR AI agents · Sense HR API and webhooks · Sense HR reporting · Sense HR sickness and absence · Sense HR documents · Sense HR security
Continue the decision: Compare more Sense HR alternatives · inspect the HollyHR export boundary
Thinking of moving from Sense HR?
Do not move for price alone. Sense Team is cheaper than HollyHR Standard at the exact published sizes of 25, 50, 100 and 200, but between thresholds the result changes. Move only when HollyHR's focused core, bounded archive and controlled developer access are more valuable than Sense's shipped breadth.
Before switching, obtain sample Sense report and offboarding exports, preserve files and signature evidence, and inventory every AMI workflow, connector, custom screen, report, applicant and attendance record. HollyHR's importer only maps a manually prepared 12-field people CSV or .xlsx file in batches of 1–500 mapped rows; managers, leave and sickness history, documents, balances, signatures, workflows and configurations require separate reconstruction and parallel reconciliation.
Questions people ask
Is HollyHR cheaper than Sense HR?
HollyHR's current controlled early-access Free plan is cheaper for up to 10 active people because it costs £0 while Sense Team costs £20. Sense Team is cheaper at the exact published sizes of 25, 50, 100 and 200, but not at every headcount between the band thresholds, so model the real team.
Does Sense HR offer more features than HollyHR?
Yes. Sense already ships native mobile apps, performance and AMI on Team. Elite adds recruitment, advanced AI agents, time and attendance, hardware, extensive automation, custom screens, API writes and webhooks. HollyHR does not claim those roadmap modules as shipped.
How is HollyHR's AI approach different from Sense AMI?
Sense builds its own AMI agents inside Sense HR, including an HR assistant on Team and a wider agent stack on Elite. HollyHR has no built-in AMI equivalent: approved hosted MCP reads can expose organisation-scoped context to supported assistants, while writes are Standard+, approved and disabled by default in the environment.
Do both Sense HR and HollyHR have an API?
Yes, but access is packaged differently. Sense's current plan table lists read/write API and webhooks on Elite, not Team. HollyHR offers approved, organisation-scoped beta API reads on Free; programmatic API/MCP writes are Standard+, approved and controlled, and its scoped webhooks are not a native connector catalogue.
Which is better for hospitality, retail or care teams?
Sense HR is the stronger choice today if you need shifts, timesheets, geofenced clock-in or physical and biometric time-and-attendance hardware. HollyHR's workforce modules are still coming with Plus and should not be bought as if they already ship.
Which is better for a small office team?
For 10 or fewer people, HollyHR's current controlled early-access Free plan can be compelling when its focused shipped core is enough. Sense Team combines competitive bands with mobile apps, performance and AMI, so test both products and calculate the exact headcount rather than assuming either is automatically cheaper above 10.
Is HollyHR a direct replacement for Sense HR?
Only when the team needs HollyHR's focused shipped core and accepts a manual, reconciled migration. HollyHR is not equivalent for Sense HR's native mobile and no-email frontline access, performance reviews, goals and 1-to-1s, built-in AMI, e-signature and document workflows, advanced onboarding and automation, custom screens, multi-entity administration, TrustID-style right-to-work identity verification and scheduled reporting, fit-note, return-to-work and SSP workflows, ATS, shifts, timesheets, geofencing or clock hardware, native integrations, or a complete migration of Sense records, histories, files, balances, signatures, workflows and configuration.
Can HollyHR import a Sense HR account?
No. HollyHR has no Sense HR adapter. Its generic importer accepts CSV or .xlsx with 1–500 mapped rows per apply and maps 12 people fields. Managers, working patterns, pay and bank data, leave balances and history, documents, signatures, custom screens, performance records, workflows and integration configuration require separate handling.
How does sickness handling compare?
Sense publishes fit-note, return-to-work, Bradford-trigger and SSP workflows. HollyHR records generic current or future Time Off but does not automate retrospective sickness entry, fit-note lifecycle, return-to-work, SSP or trigger casework. Its aggregate sickness reports are restricted to HR Admins and System Admins because category, month and department totals can still identify sickness in a small team.