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If you’re a growing business in the UK, you’re probably looking for HR software that does more than just tick boxes. You want something that supports your culture, keeps you compliant, and makes life easier for everyone.
This guide will walk you through how Sage HR and Breathe HR compare – and help you decide which one really gets what small businesses and medium-sized businesses need.
What makes great HR software?
The best HR platforms don’t just store employee data. They help you build a stronger team. That means:
- Cutting down repetitive admin
- Making it easy for employees to manage their own records
- Keeping sensitive data safe
- Giving managers tools to lead and support people effectively
It should also feel simple. If your HR software feels like hard work, it’s probably not the right fit.
Skip to:
How do they support everyday HR
How do Breathe HR and Sage HR compare for setup?
Customer support and resources: Who's there for you?
Sage HR at-a-glance
Sage HR is part of Sage’s wider suite of finance and payroll tools. Sage HR manages core HR tasks like employee data, leave tracking, timesheets, onboarding, and performance reviews.
It integrates well with Sage Payroll and suits companies already using Sage tools. Sage HR also supports HR teams by automating onboarding processes and giving mobile access to HR functions, improving efficiency and accessibility for HR staff. But it wasn’t built with HR as its main focus.
Breathe HR at-a-glance
Breathe HR is built for UK SMEs. Everything about the platform is designed to simplify HR, reduce admin and support a positive workplace culture.
It’s intuitive, flexible, and puts people first. From onboarding checklists to performance reviews and peer recognition tools, Breathe HR helps businesses like yours build better workplaces.
Feature comparison table
How do they support everyday HR?
Learning and development
Most HR software leaves training out of the picture. Sage HR provides training for learning the Sage system with Sage University, however Sage HR doesn’t offer any built-in employee soft skill or business compliance training courses. So, businesses need to look for external providers for this.
Breathe HR takes a different approach. Every account includes 4 CPD-certified e-learning courses at no extra cost.
For teams that want to go further, the optional Breathe Learn add-on unlocks access to 40+ courses covering vital topics such as leadership, mental health, workplace harassment, sexual harassment training for employees and managers and more centered around compliance.
All courses are hosted directly within the Breathe platform – no extra systems, passwords, or admin required.
Breathe HR added value: New courses are added regularly, helping you upskill your people, strengthen compliance, and keep your team future-ready.
Performance and goal tracking
Performance reviews are vital for staff development and retention. While Sage HR does offer performance features, these come at an extra cost.
With Breathe HR, performance is already included as part of the essentials, meaning no hidden fees.
You can run structured 1-2-1s, set goals, track OKRs, and support continuous development all from one place.
Performance tracking tools help new starters settle in faster, supporting their onboarding and early growth so they can thrive from day one.
Security: Built with HR in mind
When you’re managing sensitive employee data, security isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s business critical.
Breathe HR is built with security at its core, helping protect your people and your organisation through:
- Built-in two-factor authentication (2FA) for extra login protection
- Smart permissions, with documents set to private by default
- Secure data handling, aligned with UK HR best practices
- ISO 27001 accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to the highest standards of information security
Sage HR is also ISO 27001 accredited and offers 2FA. Sage HR relies on Cloudflare Ray ID technology and a third-party security service to protect its platform from online attacks. This system is designed to detect and block suspicious activity before it can cause harm.
However, there are several actions that can trigger a security block, including submitting specific words or phrases, malformed data, or attempting a SQL command.
Breathe HR: Built-in 2FA, private-by-default document settings, and ISO 27001-accredited security, helping you stay protected without the hassle.
Culture and employee engagement tools
Engagement goes beyond surveys, it’s about creating a culture of transparency, recognition, and two-way communication.
Breathe HR helps you build a stronger culture with tools designed to boost morale and trust, including:
- Kudos, a peer-to-peer recognition feature that empowers employees to celebrate each other’s wins.
- Company Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), enabling anonymous feedback to leadership and encouraging open dialogue.
- Company announcements, allowing for easy communication of business-wide messages.
While Sage HR offers surveys, the employee recognition tools are included in the performance module, which come at an extra cost.
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Mobile app experience
Your team won’t always be at a desk, so your HR software needs to work wherever they work.
The Sage HR mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices, allowing users to access HR functions remotely via their smartphones or tablets.
It also supports self-service features like performance management and shift scheduling. Sage HR’s mobile app has some missing core features like a team calendar.
Breathe’s mobile app is built for flexibility, giving employees and managers the ability to;
- Update personal records
- Stay up to date with company announcements
- Check their rotas and timesheets
- Clock in and out for shifts
- Shift swap
- Book holiday
- Log sickness
- Check the company calendar for when your colleagues are off
Whether it’s managing shifts or approving time off, your team stays connected and in control.
Pro tip: Always test the mobile app during your free trial, because a great user experience shouldn’t stop at desktop.
HR mobile app onboarding: Self-service for teams on the go
Sage HR’s mobile app, available on iOS and Android, offers flexibility for HR managers and employees on the move. It enables users to submit time-off requests, check payslips, access announcements, and update personal records.
Managers can track attendance, schedule shifts, and manage basic workforce operations remotely.
From day one, employees can manage leave requests, see their shifts, swap with a colleague and more, right from their phone.
The mobile interface mirrors the desktop experience, ensuring a seamless HR onboarding process for everyone.
For HR professionals and managers, the app supports quick adoption and efficient management of everything from job postings and performance reviews to employee information and company announcements.
Breathe HR: A user-friendly mobile experience with fast adoption and no steep learning curve.
System accessibility: HR for everyone, everywhere
Today’s teams are mobile, flexible, and always connected, which means your HR software needs to be just as accessible.
Sage HR delivers with a cloud-based platform and a user-friendly design that makes HR processes accessible to everyone, whether you’re at your desk, working remotely, or on the move.
The Sage HR app puts key features at your fingertips, allowing employees to request leave, download payslips, and access company policies quickly and easily.
Breathe HR offers the same flexibility, with a cloud-based system and intuitive mobile access that supports your people from any device.
From day one, employees can view holiday balances, submit requests, and access documents, without any tech barriers.
Managers can approve leave, track absences, and share key updates in just a few clicks. And with Breathe HR’s ISO 27001-certified security and private-by-default settings, businesses can manage sensitive HR data with complete confidence.
How do Breathe HR and Sage HR compare for setup?
When evaluating HR software setup, implementation is often a dealbreaker, especially for time-strapped SMEs and organisations that need to get started fast.
Sage HR promotes a smooth onboarding experience for growing and mid-sized businesses.
The cloud-based HR software lets users manage core tasks, like employee data, performance management, and payroll processing, with relatively minimal setup.
It’s a convenient option if you're already in the Sage ecosystem, particularly when paired with Sage Payroll.
Breathe HR, however, is built with SMEs in mind. Its HR software implementation process is refreshingly straightforward.
There’s no complex IT setup required – just simple steps to import employee data and configure permissions, and you can go live within hours.
With a UK-based support team, real-time chat, and an extensive knowledge base, getting started is smooth, supported, and stress-free.
Breathe HR advantage: Faster, simpler setup, no technical expertise or third-party consultants required.
Customer support and resources: Who’s there for you?
When it comes to HR software, accessible support and airtight security aren’t optional - they're essential. Let’s see how Sage HR and Breathe HR compare when it really matters: keeping your people, data, and processes supported.
Customer Support
Breathe HR offers 5-star customer support that users consistently praise, “The Helpdesk Team consistently provides outstanding support... It's clear that they are committed to delivering excellent service and truly value the people they support.” Trustpilot review 2025.
You’ll get fast access to a responsive UK-based team via live chat, plus a comprehensive knowledge base packed with guides, webinars, and FAQs, ideal for busy HR individuals and teams that need quick, practical answers.
Sage HR also provides multichannel support by phone, email, and live chat, along with a global knowledge base.
Sometimes there are longer response times, especially outside of standard working hours. While Sage also offers Sage Global Services for additional consultancy, this comes at an extra cost.
Breathe HR: Fast, human-first support without hidden costs.
Payroll and HR integration
Sage HR integrates natively with Sage Payroll, allowing HR and finance teams to manage payroll, expenses, time tracking, and performance management in one ecosystem.
However, this setup can be limiting for businesses using non-Sage systems or seeking more flexibility. A ‘one system to do it all’ approval can be distracting for a business.
Read this article about why keeping your HR software and Payroll software separate just makes sense.
Breathe HR integrates with popular UK tools like Xero, giving you the freedom to choose the best-in-class solutions for payroll, accounting, and more. This separation of systems provides flexibility without compromising connectivity.
Breathe HR: Seamless integrations without platform lock-in.
Price comparison (2025)
Let’s break it down.
And it doesn’t stop there. Sage HR charges approx. £170/month* for recruitment, no matter your company size. Breathe's recruitment add-on starts from just £21/month* - an approximate difference of £149* every month.
*Prices correct at time of writing and subject to change.
What’s holding you back when it comes to Sage HR vs Breathe HR?
“But Sage has better reporting dashboards…”
That might be partly true, for now. Breathe HR has launched brand new dashboards in 2025, with more to come, including:
- Headcount
- Turnover
- Retention
- Absenteeism
- Employee record changes for audits
These new features will give you all the insights you need, without the enterprise-level cost or complexity.
“I need onboarding automation”
Breathe HR allows you to build a sequence of tasks called ‘workflows’ to support important employee experiences like onboarding and offboarding. Sage HR can support in this areas also as it offers more granular, trigger-based workflows.
“Sage has e-signatures”
Yes. While Breathe HR doesn’t offer e-signatures yet, the feature is in our 2025 roadmap, and in the meantime, you can track read acknowledgments and run reports on compliance.
“We need Sage payroll software integration”
If you're already using Sage Payroll, then Sage HR does offer direct integration.
This means some key data like employee details, leave, and payslips can sync automatically between the two platforms - useful if you want to keep everything in one ecosystem.
Breathe HR doesn’t offer a direct Sage Payroll integration, but it’s still a great fit. Many of our customers use Breathe HR alongside Sage Payroll by using our Payroll Export tool, a simple way to download all the data you need to process pay accurately.
And if you don’t yet have a payroll system in place, Breathe HR offers free integration with Xero Payroll. It’s a great option for small businesses looking to keep things simple and connected from the start.
Final Verdict: People-first or product-add-on?
Sage HR is a good option if you’re already using Sage Payroll and need a simple bolt-on HR tool. But it wasn’t necessarily built for people-first HR.
Breathe HR, on the other hand, is purpose-built for SMEs. It helps your business stay compliant, streamline HR admin, and build a culture your team will thrive in, without the hidden costs.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between Sage HR and Breathe HR?
A: Breathe HR is built specifically for UK small and medium businesses, focusing on ease of use, employee engagement, and affordability. Sage HR is part of Sage’s wider finance suite, designed to complement Sage Payroll – but it charges extra for many features that Breathe includes as standard.
Q: Is Breathe HR better than Sage HR for SMEs?
A: Yes. Breathe HR is purpose-built for SMEs and includes key HR tools like performance management and employee recognition as part of the essentials.
Q: Does Breathe HR integrate with Sage Payroll?
A: Breathe HR doesn't offer a direct Sage Payroll integration, but it supports Sage Payroll through its Payroll Export tool. This lets you download all the necessary data to process payroll accurately.
Breathe HR also offers free integration with Xero Payroll for businesses without existing payroll software.
Q: Which HR software has better performance management features?
A: Breathe HR includes performance management tools as standard, including 1-2-1s, goal tracking, and onboarding support. Sage HR offers performance features, but they come at an additional cost.
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