HR software vendors don’t make pricing easy. Some quote per employee, others charge flat monthly fees, and a few won’t reveal a number until you sit through a demo. We’ve cut through the noise by verifying prices directly with all 10 major UK providers – here’s what you’ll actually pay.
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HR Software Pricing at a Glance
Skip ahead to the numbers if you want: our HR software cost calculator takes team size, primary need, payroll requirement and budget, and returns the three closest provider matches with verified monthly costs.
HR software in the UK costs between £4 and £10 per user per month for the SME tier (1 to 250 employees) in 2026, with most modern providers pricing per-employee rather than per-feature. Sage HR sits at the low end at around £5.00 per user, BambooHR’s UK pricing is quote-only at approximately £5 to £10 per employee, and BrightHR’s Core plan works out to roughly £3.33 per user based on its five-employee minimum (£16.67 monthly). Higher tiers with performance management, recruitment and analytics add £5 to £15 per user. Implementation and setup fees range from zero (BrightHR, Breathe HR) to over £1,000 for BambooHR’s UK onboarding. Annual contracts typically discount 10 to 15 per cent versus monthly billing. Add-ons for payroll integration, e-signature and benefits administration are usually charged separately. Companies above 250 staff move into enterprise HCM pricing (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) which is opaque and tender-based.
UK HR software costs between £3 and £10 per employee per month for published-price platforms. Flat-fee options like Breathe HR start at £24/month regardless of headcount.
Use our Staff Turnover Cost Calculator to see how much employee churn is really costing you. Open calculator ➔
| Provider | Pricing Model | Starting Price | Free Trial | Min. Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People HR | Per employee | £3/employee/mo | Not disclosed | None |
| Employment Hero | Per employee | From £4/employee/mo | Not disclosed | None |
| Sage HR | Per employee (modular) | £5.00/employee/mo | 30 days | None |
| CharlieHR | Per employee (core only) | £5/employee/mo | 7 days | None (free tier available) |
| BambooHR | Per employee | £5–£7/employee/mo (est.) | None | None |
| Rippling | Per user + platform fee | £7/user/mo + platform fee | Not disclosed | None |
| BrightHR | Per employee | £16.67/employee/mo | Not disclosed | None |
| Breathe HR | Flat fee (tiered) | £24/mo (up to 10 staff) | 30 days | None |
| Moorepay | Quote-based | Quote only | Not disclosed | Typically 50+ |
| HiBob | Quote-based | Quote only | None | Typically 50+ |
Prices verified February 2026. BambooHR pricing is estimated from industry reports — they don’t publish UK rates. For detailed feature comparisons, see our Best HR Software UK guide.
If you’re weighing up these two, our Rippling vs BambooHR comparison lays out the key differences.
How HR Software Pricing Actually Works
Most UK HR platforms charge per employee per month, but three distinct pricing models exist — and the one you choose affects your total cost more than the headline price.
Per-Employee Pricing (Most Common)
Seven of the ten providers we reviewed charge a fee per employee per month. This model scales linearly — add 10 staff, your bill goes up by 10× the per-head rate. It works well for growing businesses because you only pay for active headcount.
The catch: costs can creep up with add-on modules. Sage HR starts at £5.00/employee for core HR, but adding Performance Management, Timesheets, and Recruitment modules can push the effective rate past £10/employee. Similarly, CharlieHR‘s £5 core rate jumps when you add HR Essentials (£55/mo) or Premium (£99/mo) add-ons.
Who uses this model: Employment Hero, Sage HR, People HR, CharlieHR, BambooHR, Rippling, BrightHR
Flat-Fee / Tiered Pricing
Breathe HR is the only major UK provider using pure tiered pricing. You pay a fixed monthly fee based on a headcount band:
- Micro (1–10 employees): £24/month
- Starter (11–20 employees): £44/month
- Regular (21–50 employees): £99/month
- Pro (51–100 employees): £175/month
- Premium (101–150 employees): £419/month
- Plus (151–200 employees): £579/month
This model rewards growing teams — if you have 48 employees, you pay the same as someone with 11. The per-head cost drops dramatically as you approach the top of each band. For a 50-person team, Breathe works out at £1.98/employee — far cheaper than any per-employee platform.
Quote-Based Pricing
HiBob and Moorepay don’t publish prices at all. Both target larger organisations (typically 50+ employees) and negotiate pricing based on headcount, contract length, and which modules you need.
Quote-based pricing isn’t inherently more expensive — it often includes volume discounts that published-price platforms don’t offer. But it makes budgeting harder upfront and limits your ability to comparison-shop without investing time in demos.
What You’ll Actually Pay (By Business Size)
A 10-person business can expect £22–£70/month for basic HR software. A 50-person company typically spends £89–£500/month depending on features.
| Company Size | Basic HR (Leave, Docs, Database) | Standard (+ Performance, Timesheets) | Full Suite (+ Payroll, Recruitment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 employees | £24–£50/mo Breathe £24, People HR £30, EH ~£40 | £44–£100/mo Sage £44+, CharlieHR £50+ | £100–£200/mo EH bundled, Rippling £70+ |
| 25 employees | £75–£110/mo People HR £75, EH ~£100 | £110–£250/mo Sage £110+, BambooHR ~£150 | £250–£500/mo Rippling, Moorepay (quote) |
| 50 employees | £99–£220/mo Breathe £99, People HR £150 | £220–£500/mo Sage £220+, BambooHR ~£300 | £500–£1,000+/mo HiBob, Rippling, Moorepay |
| 200 employees | £579–£880/mo Breathe £579, People HR £600 | £880–£2,000/mo BambooHR, Sage full suite | £2,000–£4,000+/mo HiBob, Rippling enterprise |
Estimates based on verified pricing as of February 2026. Actual costs vary by contract length, payment frequency (annual vs monthly), and feature selections. Compare HR software features or get a tailored quote below.
The True Cost: Hidden Fees & Add-Ons
The advertised per-user price is rarely the full cost. Implementation, payroll add-ons, and premium support can add 20–50% to your first-year bill.
Implementation & Setup Fees
Budget platforms like Breathe HR and CharlieHR have zero setup costs — you sign up, add employees, and start using the system within hours. Enterprise-grade platforms are different:
- BambooHR: Estimated setup fee of £1,000+ for guided implementation
- HiBob: Custom onboarding included in annual contracts, but expect 4–8 weeks of implementation time
- Rippling: £500–£5,000 depending on integrations (IT device management, global payroll, etc.)
- Moorepay: Implementation fees are bundled into annual contracts but can extend the commitment
Payroll Add-On Costs (The Big One)
Many HR platforms advertise a low base price but charge separately for payroll. If you need integrated payroll (RTI-compliant HMRC submissions), factor in these additional costs:
- Sage HR + Sage Payroll: Estimated £6+/employee/month for the combined bundle
- People HR: £3–£5/employee/month for the payroll module on top of the £3 base
- CharlieHR: Integrates with third-party payroll only (additional subscription needed)
- Employment Hero: Built-in UK payroll included in higher tiers — one of few all-in-one options
Other Costs to Watch
- Data migration: Moving from spreadsheets or a legacy system often incurs a one-off charge (£200–£2,000)
- Training: On-site or bespoke training sessions are rarely free for enterprise platforms
- Premium support: Faster SLAs and dedicated account managers typically cost 10–20% extra
- Contract lock-in: BrightHR often requires 3–5 year contracts. Early exit penalties can cost thousands
- Breathe HR add-ons: Rota (£11/mo), Expenses (£14/mo), Recruitment (£16/mo), or Learn (£15/mo) are extra per feature
Always request a total first-year cost including setup, migration, training, and all modules you’ll actually need. The cheapest per-user rate often belongs to the platform with the most expensive add-ons.
How to Reduce Your HR Software Costs
The most effective cost-saving strategies are paying annually (10–20% discount), starting with core modules only, and choosing platforms where payroll is included rather than bolted on.
1. Pay Annually, Not Monthly
Most providers offer 10–20% discounts for annual billing. Breathe HR gives around 15% off on Micro-Pro plans (10% on Premium and Plus). On a £175/month Pro plan (51–100 employees), that’s roughly £315/year saved for paying upfront.
2. Start With Core HR, Expand Later
Modular platforms like Sage HR let you start with basic leave management and document storage, then add performance reviews or recruitment when you actually need them. Don’t pay for features your team won’t use in the first 6 months.
3. Bundle HR + Payroll Where Possible
Running HR and payroll on separate platforms means two subscriptions, double the data entry, and higher error risk. See our HR and payroll software comparison for all bundled options. Employment Hero and Moorepay both offer integrated HR + payroll bundles that typically cost less than two separate tools.
4. Use Free Tiers for Micro Teams
If you have fewer than 5 employees, you may not need to pay at all. Our small business HR software guide covers the best options for teams under 50. CharlieHR offers a free tier with basic HR features, and Zoho People has a free plan for up to 5 users. These are limited (no payroll, basic reporting), but they’ll save you £250–£600/year over a paid platform.
5. Negotiate Multi-Year Contracts
For quote-based providers (HiBob, Moorepay, BambooHR), committing to 2–3 years often unlocks 15–25% discounts. Just make sure you’ve tested the platform thoroughly before signing — early exit fees can wipe out any savings.
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Our Methodology
All pricing was verified directly from provider websites and sales teams in February 2026. We re-check every 90 days.
We verified pricing by checking each provider’s public pricing page, signing up for free trials where available, and requesting quotes from sales teams for platforms that don’t publish rates. Where providers don’t disclose UK pricing (BambooHR), we’ve used estimated ranges from verified industry sources and labelled them accordingly.
Our cost-by-business-size estimates account for the most common feature requirements at each tier. “Basic” assumes core HR only. “Standard” adds performance management and time tracking. If time and attendance is your primary need, a standalone T&A system may cost less than a full HR platform. “Full Suite” includes payroll, recruitment, and employee benefits.
Last verified: February 2026. Pricing and features may change. Read our individual reviews for the latest: Employment Hero | Breathe HR | Sage HR | BambooHR | HiBob | Moorepay | Rippling | BrightHR | CharlieHR | People HR
