Sage HR and People HR are two established UK HR platforms competing for the same mid-market sweet spot: growing businesses with 20-200 employees. Both offer modular pricing where you pay per employee and add features as needed. The difference is in what comes as standard and how much flexibility each platform gives you.
People HR starts cheaper at £3/employee/month on its Starter plan, but core features like onboarding and expenses only unlock at £5.50+. Sage HR starts at £5.00/employee/month with a cleaner base feature set and a strong mobile app. Both scale well – the question is which feature set matches your priorities.
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We checked all pricing against sage.com and peoplehr.com in October 2026. People HR quotes “from” prices, with an annual prepay discount available; Sage HR lists a fixed price for each module (ex VAT).
- People HR is cheaper at entry - Starter is £3/employee/month against Sage HR Core’s £5 (ex VAT); People HR Core at £5.50 adds onboarding, expenses and eSignatures
- Sage HR is modular - Core at £5/employee/month, with Timesheets, Performance and Shift Scheduling at £2.50 each and Expenses at £1.25 as add-ons
- People HR has four tiers - Starter £3, Core £5.50, Pro £8 and Elite+ £9.50 per employee/month, with HR-plus-payroll bundles from £7/employee
- Sage HR includes a 30-day free trial - and its price simulator quotes £6/employee/month including VAT for the entry configuration
- Pick by ecosystem - choose Sage HR if you already run Sage Payroll, since Sage lists a connected payroll link at no extra cost; choose People HR (Access Group) if you want built-in payroll and a four-tier feature ladder
Quick Comparison
People HR offers four pricing tiers from £3 to £9.50 per employee/month. Sage HR starts from £5.00/employee/month with a modular add-on approach. Both offer free trials and per-employee scaling.
| Sage HR | People HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From £5.00/employee/month | From £3/employee/month |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days (no credit card) |
| Employee database | Yes | Yes |
| Leave management | Yes (core) | Yes (Starter) |
| Onboarding | Not specified in core | Core plan (£5.50+) |
| Performance management | Add-on | Pro plan (£8+) |
| Timesheets | Add-on | Pro plan (£8+) |
| Expenses | Add-on | Core plan (£5.50+) |
| eSignatures | Included (core) | Core plan (£5.50+) |
| AI assistant | Not listed on pricing page | Included (all plans) |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Payroll integration | Connected payroll link, no extra cost | From £3/employee/month (add-on) |
Pricing at Different Team Sizes
Both platforms charge per employee, but the total cost depends heavily on which features you need. People HR’s tiered plans bundle features at fixed price points. Sage HR lets you pick and choose add-ons.
| Scenario (50 employees) | Sage HR | People HR |
|---|---|---|
| Basic HR only | ~£250/month (£5.00 x 50) | ~£150/month (£3 x 50, Starter) |
| HR + onboarding + expenses | ~£313/month (£5.00 + £1.25 expenses x 50; onboarding is not a separately priced module) | ~£275/month (£5.50 x 50, Core) |
| Full suite (performance, timesheets) | ~£500/month (£5.00 + £2.50 + £2.50 x 50) | ~£400/month (£8 x 50, Pro) |
| Enterprise (workflows, analytics) | Custom quote | ~£475/month (£9.50 x 50, Elite+) |
Both vendors publish their prices. People HR’s cost is one tier rate multiplied by headcount, though its prices are “from” figures. Sage HR’s total depends on which modules you select, but every module price is listed on its pricing page, so you can add them up yourself.
For basic HR admin (leave management, employee records, mobile app), Sage HR’s core plan at £5.00/employee is solid value. But if you need onboarding, expenses, and performance reviews, People HR’s Core or Pro plans bundle these more predictably.
For basic HR, Sage HR’s core (£5.00/employee) is competitive. For a full-featured suite, People HR’s tiered approach (£5.50-£9.50/employee) makes total costs easier to predict.
Core Features
Sage HR’s core plan focuses on leave management, employee database, eSignatures, and a mobile app. People HR’s Starter plan covers similar ground but adds an AI-powered HR assistant and a learning library.
Sage HR’s mobile app is part of the core plan. Employees can request leave, view team calendars, and access documents from their phone. For businesses with deskless workers (field teams, retail, hospitality), a good mobile experience matters more than dashboard sophistication.
People HR’s AI assistant is included on all plans – even the £3/employee Starter tier. People HR describes it as speeding up everyday HR tasks and retrieving policy facts and employee data. Whether this is genuinely useful or a marketing feature depends on execution, but it’s notable that it’s bundled rather than sold as a premium add-on.
eSignatures come as standard with Sage HR’s core. People HR includes them from the Core plan (£5.50+). For HR teams processing offer letters, contracts, and policy acknowledgements, built-in eSignatures save the cost of a separate tool like DocuSign.
Payroll Integration
Sage HR offers a connected payroll link, which can help if you already run Sage Payroll. People HR offers its own payroll module from £3/employee/month, or a managed payroll service from £5/employee/month.
If your business already uses Sage Payroll, Sage HR is a natural fit. Sage lists its connected payroll link at no extra cost with Sage HR, so there is no third-party connector fee. Check in a demo exactly which employee changes sync.
People HR’s payroll is self-contained. You don’t need another Sage product – everything lives in one platform. The managed payroll option (£5/employee/month) handles HMRC submissions, RTI filing, and payslip distribution for you. For businesses without a payroll specialist, this outsourced approach can save significant time.
If you don’t use Sage products and want an all-in-one HR and payroll platform, People HR’s bundled approach is simpler. If you already run Sage Payroll, Sage HR’s connected payroll link may avoid some of the cost and complexity of migrating.
Sage HR vs People HR: Strengths Compared
Sage HR wins on mobile experience and its connected payroll link. People HR wins on entry price, feature breadth at lower tiers, and built-in payroll.
Our Verdict
Sage HR is the smarter choice if you already use Sage products. People HR is better for businesses that want everything in one platform, including payroll, from a lower entry price.
Choose Sage HR if your business already runs Sage Payroll. Sage’s connected payroll link is included at no extra cost, which removes the cost of a separate connector. The mobile app is also a genuine differentiator for teams with remote or deskless workers.
Choose People HR if you want a standalone HR platform with a low entry price and room to grow. The four-tier structure (£3 to £9.50/employee) makes it easy to start small and add features as your needs evolve. The built-in payroll module means you won’t need to buy a second product for pay processing.
For small teams under 20, both platforms are comparable. The decision usually comes down to Sage Payroll fit (Sage) versus independence and a lower entry price (People HR).
Looking at other options? Best HR software for small business compares 10+ UK platforms. Our HR software costs guide breaks down typical pricing across the market.
