Breathe vs CharlieHR
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Breathe
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
CharlieHR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.0 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | Breathe | CharlieHR |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £24/mo | £20/mo |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 235 reviews | 229 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- Breathe
- CharlieHR
| Dimension | Breathe | CharlieHR | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Value for money | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to CharlieHR |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to CharlieHR |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breathe | 40% (93 reviews) | 34% (79 reviews) | 17% (41 reviews) | 8% (18 reviews) | 2% (4 reviews) |
| CharlieHR | 41% (95 reviews) | 35% (81 reviews) | 15% (34 reviews) | 6% (13 reviews) | 3% (6 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 643%
- Only Breathe
- 429%
- Only CharlieHR
- 429%
14 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Breathe
4- Document storage
- Health and safety add on
- Rota, time and attendance add on
- Simple performance tracking
CharlieHR
4- HR advice add on
- Onboarding workflows
- Recruitment add on
- Simple performance reviews
Showing 14 of 14 features
| Detail | Breathe | CharlieHR |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 8 | ||
| Document storage | YesYes | NoNo |
| Health and safety add on | YesYes | NoNo |
| Rota, time and attendance add on | YesYes | NoNo |
| Simple performance tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| HR advice add on | NoNo | YesYes |
| Onboarding workflows | NoNo | YesYes |
| Recruitment add on | NoNo | YesYes |
| Simple performance reviews | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 6 | ||
| Company announcements | YesYes | YesYes |
| Employee database | YesYes | YesYes |
| Employee self serve | YesYes | YesYes |
| Leave and absence management | YesYes | YesYes |
| Reporting | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK statutory leave handling | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | Breathe | CharlieHR |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| Data residency | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| UK-based support | UK support team | UK support team |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
Breathe
CharlieHR
Micro
£24/mo
- Up to 10 employees
- Leave management
- Employee records
Core (1 to 4)
£20/moLower
- Leave and records
- Onboarding
- Simple reviews
Starter
£44/moLower
- Up to 20 employees
- Everything in Micro
- Performance tracking
Core (5 to 14)
£45/mo
- Headcount band pricing
- Everything in the smaller band
Regular
£99/moLower
- Up to 50 employees
- Everything in Starter
- More storage
HR Advice add on
£179/mo
- Unlimited HR advice by phone and email
- Handbook and policy creation
- Compliance checks
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose Breathe if
- It lists 4 features CharlieHR does not, including document storage.
Choose CharlieHR if
- It costs less to get started — £20/mo against £24/mo.
- It lists 4 features Breathe does not, including hr advice add on.
The two leading UK small business HR tools. Breathe wins on flat per company pricing that does not climb as you hire, while CharlieHR brings a more polished experience and an optional HR advice line. Choose Breathe for predictable cost, CharlieHR for its feel and the advice option.
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