CharlieHR vs Sage HR
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
CharlieHR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Sage HR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Australia
- South Africa
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.1 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 | CharlieHR | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £20/mo | £5/user/month |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 229 reviews | 296 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.
- CharlieHR
- Sage HR
| Dimension | CharlieHR | Sage HR | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CharlieHR | 41% (95 reviews) | 35% (81 reviews) | 15% (34 reviews) | 6% (13 reviews) | 3% (6 reviews) |
| Sage HR | 44% (131 reviews) | 34% (101 reviews) | 13% (39 reviews) | 5% (16 reviews) | 3% (9 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 210%
- Only CharlieHR
- 840%
- Only Sage HR
- 1050%
20 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
CharlieHR
8- Company announcements
- Employee self serve
- HR advice add on
- Onboarding workflows
+ 4 more in the table below
Sage HR
10- Applicant tracking
- Connects to Sage Payroll
- Employee self service
- Expense claims
+ 6 more in the table below
Showing 20 of 20 features
| Detail | CharlieHR | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 18 | ||
| Company announcements | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee self serve | YesYes | NoNo |
| HR advice add on | YesYes | NoNo |
| Onboarding workflows | YesYes | NoNo |
| Recruitment add on | YesYes | NoNo |
| Reporting | YesYes | NoNo |
| Simple performance reviews | YesYes | NoNo |
| UK statutory leave handling | YesYes | NoNo |
| Applicant tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Connects to Sage Payroll | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee self service | NoNo | YesYes |
| Expense claims | NoNo | YesYes |
| Mobile app for managers and staff | NoNo | YesYes |
| Org chart | NoNo | YesYes |
| Performance management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Reporting and analytics | NoNo | YesYes |
| Shift scheduling | NoNo | YesYes |
| Timesheets | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 2 | ||
| Employee database | YesYes | YesYes |
| Leave and absence management | 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 | CharlieHR | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| Pension auto-enrolment | Not listedNot listed | NoNo |
| Data residency | United Kingdom | Not stated |
| UK-based support | UK support team | Telephone support from Sage UK |
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.
CharlieHR
Sage HR
Core (1 to 4)
£20/mo
- Leave and records
- Onboarding
- Simple reviews
Core Sage HR and Leave Management
£5/user/monthLower
- Leave management
- Employee database
- Mobile app
Core (5 to 14)
£45/mo
- Headcount band pricing
- Everything in the smaller band
Performance management
£2.50/user/monthLower
- Add on module
- Goals and reviews
- 1:1 feedback
HR Advice add on
£179/mo
- Unlimited HR advice by phone and email
- Handbook and policy creation
- Compliance checks
Timesheets
£2.50/user/monthLower
- Add on module
- Time tracking
- Approvals
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 CharlieHR if
- It lists 8 features Sage HR does not, including company announcements.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 2 of them against 1.
Choose Sage HR if
- It costs less to get started — £5/user/month against £20/mo.
- It lists 10 features CharlieHR does not, including applicant tracking.
CharlieHR brings a polished startup focused experience and an optional HR advice line, while Sage HR offers modular capability and a link to Sage Payroll. Startups often prefer CharlieHR for its feel and advice, while Sage users value keeping HR and payroll with one supplier.
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