Relentify HR vs BreatheHR: HR Software for Growing Teams Compared
If you're a growing team evaluating HR software, you've probably come across BreatheHR. It's been the de facto choice for UK SMBs for years — well-designed, solid core features, and a name that feels safe on a shortlist. But Relentify HR vs BreatheHR is an increasingly interesting comparison as your team scales past 15 or 20 people, because the pricing models diverge sharply, and Relentify includes features BreatheHR charges as add-ons.
This guide breaks down what you actually get for your money, and whether the extra cost of Breathe's modular add-ons is worth it.
Pricing: where the models diverge
Here's the headline: Breathe charges flat rates per employee count tier. Relentify charges per employee, the same way across all tiers.
| Team size | Relentify HR | Breathe |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 employees | From £30/month | From £13/month (flat) |
| 11–25 employees | From £75/month | From £18/month (flat) |
| 26–50 employees | From £150/month | From £72/month (flat) |
| 51–100 employees | From £300/month | From £144/month (flat) |
| 100+ employees | From £300/month | Custom |
At first glance, Breathe looks cheaper. At second glance, things get fuzzier.
The Breathe pricing above is core module only. Add onboarding, performance reviews, or expense tracking (spoiler: your growing team will want all three), and you're layering on extra charges. Relentify's per-employee pricing includes everything. No modules. No hidden tiers.
For a team of 30, the math looks like this: Breathe's core module is around £40/month, plus onboarding (typically £20–30/month), plus performance management (another £20–30/month). You're at £80–100/month before you've added shift scheduling or e-signatures. Relentify HR is £90/month for the same 30 people, with every feature included.
For teams smaller than 10, Breathe's flat rate is genuinely competitive. But growth exposes the cost structure — module-by-module pricing compounds quickly.
The feature gap: what's included and what costs extra
Both platforms handle the core HR functions — employee records, holiday tracking, absence management, document storage. The difference is which extras are bundled in.
| Feature | Relentify HR | Breathe |
|---|---|---|
| Employee records | ✓ | ✓ |
| Holiday & absence management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Document storage & expiry alerts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-service portal | ✓ | ✓ |
| Onboarding | ✓ Included | ✗ Add-on |
| Performance reviews | ✓ Included | ✗ Add-on |
| Expense management | ✓ Included | ✗ Add-on |
| Shift scheduling | ✓ Included | ✗ Not offered |
| Timesheet integration | ✓ Native | ✗ Not offered |
| E-signatures | ✓ Native | ✗ Not offered |
| Org chart | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom fields | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Limited |
| Reporting & dashboards | ✓ Full | ✓ Limited |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Compliance alerts | ✓ | ✓ |
The pattern is consistent. Breathe gives you a solid foundation, then asks you to add on. Relentify includes the whole toolkit from the start. For teams building out their HR infrastructure, that's a meaningful difference — not just in cost, but in adoption and workflows.
Holiday and absence management — the core use case
This is why most teams buy HR software in the first place. Both platforms excel here.
Both offer self-service holiday requests with manager approval workflows, team calendars, sickness tracking, and Bradford Factor calculations (which track repeat absences to flag potential patterns). Both auto-populate UK public holidays, let you configure custom leave types (TOIL, study leave, compassionate, etc.), and handle entitlement calculations including pro-rata for new starters.
The day-to-day experience is nearly identical. If absence management were your only need, either platform would serve you well. But it's rarely your only need.
Onboarding, performance, and the hidden cost of add-ons
Here's where Breathe's modularity becomes friction.
Relentify HR bundles onboarding: pre-start checklists with automatic reminders, document collection and e-signatures, progress tracking, and automatic employee record creation. It's included in your per-employee fee.
Breathe offers the same features, but as a separate module. You buy it, set it up, and manage it alongside the core platform. For a growing team that hires regularly, this module becomes essential — but it's another line item.
The same applies to performance management. Breathe's performance module (add-on) covers objectives, review cycles, and feedback. Relentify includes this in the base plan, with scheduled review cycles, 360-degree feedback on higher tiers, and a performance timeline per employee.
The feature parity is close. But the cost structure means that by the time you've built out Breathe to match Relentify's capabilities, you're paying more per employee, not less.
Shift scheduling and timesheets — the gap Breathe doesn't fill
If you manage shift workers — hospitality, retail, delivery, care homes — Breathe has a limitation: no shift scheduling or timesheet functionality. You need a separate tool. That means duplicate data entry, no single source of truth for attendance, and the constant friction of syncing between systems.
Relentify HR integrates natively with Relentify Timesheets. Shifts created in HR flow to Timesheets. Clock-in data flows back to attendance records. No manual syncing. No "I'll add this to the spreadsheet and sync it tomorrow."
For hourly or shift-based teams, this is transformative. You're not paying for two separate systems; you're using one system that does both. (If you're using Relentify Timesheets, check how it compares to Deputy if you're considering alternatives.)
Integration and ecosystem fit
Breathe integrates with common payroll providers — Xero, Sage, QuickBooks. The integration ecosystem is mature and functional.
Relentify HR integrates natively with Relentify's broader platform: Timesheets, Accounting, E-Sign, CRM, Tasks. If you're already considering Relentify for other functions, the native integration is seamless. No Zapier, no API wrestling.
If you're staying with your current accounting software, both platforms work fine. But if you're open to consolidating, Relentify's integration story is simpler and tighter.
Document management and e-signatures
Both platforms store documents — policies, contracts, handbooks — with access control and expiry alerts.
Relentify's edge: native e-signatures. Contracts, policy acknowledgements, and handbook sign-offs happen inside the platform, with a full audit trail. No separate DocuSign subscription or manual email-signature chasing.
Breathe doesn't offer this. You'll still use email or an external e-sign tool for document sign-off. For teams processing 20+ new hires per year, e-signatures built in are valuable — one fewer tool, one simpler onboarding flow.
Employee experience and adoption
Breathe is known for a clean, modern interface. The employee portal is intuitive, and the mobile app lets staff request holidays, check schedules, and update details on the go.
Relentify HR provides a comparable self-service experience — modern design, mobile-first, with the same core functions employees care about: leave requests, document access, expense submission, schedule visibility.
Both platforms prioritise ease of use, which drives adoption. Employees actually use the portal instead of emailing requests to HR. That's where the real time saving lives.
Reporting and compliance
UK employment law creates ongoing obligations — right-to-work checks, document renewals, visa tracking, training records.
Both platforms cover the basics: headcount reports, absence analytics, Bradford Factor, turnover, and length of service. Both track right-to-work status and document expiry.
Relentify adds scheduled report delivery (reports land in your inbox weekly or monthly) and training record management as standard. Breathe may require an add-on for training modules.
For compliance, both are solid. Relentify's advantage is automation — you don't have to manually pull reports; they arrive on schedule.
Reporting to statutory bodies
If you need to file IR35 documentation, apprenticeship levy data, or other regulatory reports, you'll want to check current guidance from HMRC and your specific requirements. Both platforms can export the data you'll need, but the setup varies.
Real-world scenario: a 25-person design studio
Let's say you run a design studio with 25 employees. You hire 3–4 times per year. Half your team is freelance/remote.
Breathe: £40/month (core) + £25/month (onboarding) + £25/month (performance) = £90/month. You still need a separate tool for timesheets unless you're happy managing hours in a spreadsheet.
Relentify HR: £75/month (25 × £3/employee). Includes onboarding, performance, timesheets, e-signatures, compliance tracking, and expense management.
Same ballpark cost, but Relentify handles more of your workflow. One platform instead of two or three.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Breathe's interface really better than Relentify's? Breathe has earned its reputation for clean design — the UI is visually polished and intuitive. Relentify's interface is modern and functional, with no design debt, but it's not the design-focused love letter that Breathe is. If interface aesthetics are your top priority, Breathe wins. If you're optimising for features and cost, the difference is minor.
Can I import my data from Breathe to Relentify? Yes. Both platforms support CSV exports of employee records, documents, and historical data. The migration is straightforward — typically a weekend project for teams under 100 people.
Does Relentify integrate with my existing payroll software? Relentify has native integration with Relentify Accounting and API access for external systems. If you're using Xero, Sage, or QuickBooks, Relentify can export payroll-ready data that integrates with those systems. It's not as seamless as Breathe's direct connection, but it works.
What if I only need holiday management and don't care about onboarding or performance? For pure absence and leave management, Breathe's core module is solid and cheaper on smaller teams. But you're not saving much — and as your team grows, you'll likely want onboarding and performance features. Relentify's bundled approach is designed to grow with you without surprise costs.
Does Relentify offer shift scheduling for hourly workers? Yes, natively in Relentify HR with full integration to Relentify Timesheets. Breathe does not offer shift scheduling at all — you need a separate tool.
Can I trial both platforms before deciding? Both offer free trials. Breathe's trial is typically 14 days. Relentify offers a 14-day free trial of the full platform with all features unlocked. Use the trial to run a real onboarding cycle or a performance review process — that's where you'll feel the difference between bundled and modular features.
What's the learning curve for switching from Breathe? Breathe and Relentify use similar workflows — employee records, approval flows, templates, reporting. If you've been using Breathe, Relentify will feel familiar within a week. The main difference is that everything is in one place rather than scattered across modules.
Is Relentify UK-compliant for employment law? Yes. Relentify HR is built for UK employment law, with auto-populated public holidays, statutory leave entitlements, right-to-work tracking, and compliance alerts. The platform is maintained for UK legislation changes.
The verdict
Breathe is a well-designed, mature HR platform that has earned its place in the UK market. For small teams or companies that only need core absence management, it's a solid choice.
But for growing teams — anything that's hired more than twice in a year, manages shifts, or values onboarding and performance workflows — Relentify HR offers more capability without the module-by-module cost escalation. You get timesheet integration, e-signatures, expense tracking, and performance management included from day one.
The pricing advantage is real. The feature advantage is larger.
Start a free trial of Relentify HR and see how much friction disappears when every feature is already there.