Relentify HR vs BreatheHR: HR Software for Growing Teams Compared

BreatheHR (now simply Breathe) is one of the UK's most established HR software platforms for small and medium businesses. It focuses on making people management simpler — with modules covering holiday management, sickness tracking, document storage, performance reviews, and employee onboarding.

Breathe has built a strong reputation in the UK SME market, and it is often the first HR platform that growing businesses consider. But its pricing structure — based on employee count tiers rather than per-employee pricing — and some feature limitations may mean you pay more than necessary or find gaps in what is included.

Relentify HR offers a competitive alternative with per-employee pricing, a broader feature set, and native integration with timesheet and accounting tools.

Pricing

Breathe uses tiered pricing based on employee count ranges, while Relentify uses straightforward per-employee pricing.

| Employees | Relentify HR | Breathe | |-----------|-------------|---------| | 1-10 | From £3/employee/month (£30 max) | From £13/month (flat) | | 11-25 | From £3/employee/month (£75 max) | From £18/month (flat) | | 26-50 | From £3/employee/month (£150 max) | From £72/month (flat) | | 51-100 | From £3/employee/month (£300 max) | From £144/month (flat) | | 100+ | From £3/employee/month | Custom |

At very small team sizes (under 10), Breathe's flat tier pricing can be competitive. But as you grow into the mid-range (25-100 employees), the comparison shifts. And importantly, Breathe's pricing above covers only the core module — add-on modules cost extra.

Relentify HR includes all features in the per-employee price. No modules to add, no features to unlock.

Feature comparison

| Feature | Relentify HR | Breathe | |---------|-------------|---------| | Employee records | Yes | Yes | | Holiday management | Yes | Yes | | Sickness tracking | Yes | Yes | | Document storage | Yes | Yes | | Employee self-service | Yes | Yes | | Onboarding | Yes (included) | Add-on module | | Performance reviews | Yes (included) | Add-on module | | Expense management | Yes (included) | Add-on module | | Shift scheduling | Yes | No | | Timesheet integration | Yes (native) | No | | Custom fields | Yes (unlimited) | Yes | | Compliance alerts | Yes | Yes | | Employee timeline | Yes | Yes | | Org chart | Yes | Yes | | Reporting | Full (all plans) | Yes | | API access | Yes | Yes | | E-signatures | Yes (via eSign) | No |

The pattern is clear: Breathe's core module covers the basics (records, holidays, sickness, documents), and everything else — onboarding, performance, expenses — is an additional purchase.

Relentify HR includes all of these in the standard plan.

Holiday and absence management

This is the feature that drives most HR software purchases, and both platforms handle it well.

| Absence feature | Relentify HR | Breathe | |-----------------|-------------|---------| | Holiday requests | Self-service | Self-service | | Manager approval | Workflow | Yes | | Team calendar | Yes | Yes | | Sickness recording | Yes | Yes | | Bradford Factor | Yes | Yes | | Carry-over rules | Configurable | Configurable | | Public holidays | Auto-populated | Auto-populated | | Custom leave types | Unlimited | Yes | | TOIL tracking | Yes | Yes | | Entitlement calculator | Yes (pro-rata auto) | Yes | | Return-to-work | Prompted | Prompted | | Absence reports | Detailed | Yes |

Both platforms are strong here. The experience is comparable, with both offering self-service requests, manager approval, and reporting. Neither has a significant advantage in core absence management.

Onboarding

Breathe offers an onboarding module as an add-on. It allows you to set up pre-boarding tasks, send welcome information, and track new starter progress. It is well-designed and fits naturally into the Breathe workflow.

Relentify HR includes onboarding in the standard plan:

Pre-start checklists with automatic reminders
Document collection and e-signatures
Welcome information and first-day guides
Task assignment for managers and IT
Progress tracking dashboard
Automatic employee record creation

The functionality is comparable, but Relentify includes it without an extra charge.

Performance management

Breathe's performance module is also an add-on. It covers one-to-ones, objectives, and appraisals. The module is straightforward — set objectives, schedule reviews, and record outcomes.

Relentify HR includes performance management:

Scheduled review cycles
Objective setting and tracking
Review templates and forms
Manager notes and feedback
Performance timeline per employee
360-degree feedback (Professional plan)

Again, comparable functionality included in the base price versus an add-on charge.

Document management

Both platforms provide document storage with employee-specific and company-wide document management.

| Document feature | Relentify HR | Breathe | |------------------|-------------|---------| | Employee documents | Yes | Yes | | Company policies | Yes | Yes | | Document categories | Yes | Yes | | Expiry tracking | Yes (automatic alerts) | Yes | | Document acknowledgement | Yes | Yes | | E-signatures | Yes (via eSign) | No | | Template library | Yes | Yes | | Storage limit | Generous | Plan-dependent |

Relentify's e-signature integration is a practical advantage. Employment contracts, policy acknowledgements, and handbook sign-offs can all be handled electronically within the platform.

Shift scheduling and timesheets

Breathe does not include shift scheduling or timesheet functionality. If you manage shift workers, you need a separate tool.

Relentify HR integrates natively with Relentify Timesheets, meaning:

Shifts created in HR are visible in Timesheets
Clock-in data flows back to employee records
Attendance is tracked automatically
Timesheet approval connects to payroll export
No duplicate data entry between systems

For businesses with hourly or shift-based workers, this integration eliminates the need to manage separate HR and timesheet systems.

Employee experience

Breathe is known for a clean, modern interface. The employee self-service portal is intuitive, and the mobile app allows employees to request holidays, view payslips (if integrated), and update their details. The design is one of Breathe's strongest points.

Relentify HR provides a comparable self-service experience with a modern interface. Employees can manage their own records, request leave, view schedules, submit expenses, and access company documents from the web or mobile app.

Both platforms prioritise ease of use for employees, which drives adoption and reduces the administrative burden on managers.

Reporting

| Report type | Relentify HR | Breathe | |-------------|-------------|---------| | Headcount | Yes | Yes | | Absence analytics | Detailed | Yes | | Bradford Factor | Yes | Yes | | Turnover | Yes | Yes | | Length of service | Yes | Yes | | Diversity and equality | Yes | Limited | | Custom reports | Yes | Yes | | Scheduled reports | Yes | No | | Export | CSV, PDF | CSV, PDF | | Dashboard | Yes | Yes |

Both platforms provide solid reporting. Relentify adds scheduled report delivery and more customisation options, but both cover the essential HR metrics.

Compliance

UK employment law creates ongoing compliance obligations — right to work checks, document renewals, visa expiries, and training requirements.

| Compliance feature | Relentify HR | Breathe | |--------------------|-------------|---------| | Right to work tracking | Yes | Yes | | Document expiry alerts | Yes | Yes | | Training records | Yes | Yes (add-on) | | Compliance dashboard | Yes | Limited | | Audit trail | Yes | Yes | | GDPR tools | Yes | Yes |

Both platforms help manage compliance, though Relentify includes training records in the base plan while Breathe may require an add-on for the training module.

Integration

Breathe integrates with popular payroll providers (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks) and has an API for custom connections. The integration ecosystem is mature.

Relentify HR integrates natively with Relentify's full ecosystem — timesheets, accounting, eSign, and CRM. For businesses already using (or considering) Relentify for other functions, the native integration provides a seamless experience. API access is available for connecting to external tools.

Who should choose which?

Choose Relentify HR if:

You want onboarding, performance, and expenses included without add-on charges
Native timesheet and accounting integration matters
E-signatures for contracts and policies are valuable
Per-employee pricing gives you more cost control
Shift scheduling should be part of your HR platform

Choose Breathe if:

You specifically value Breathe's interface design
You have a very small team (under 10) where Breathe's flat pricing is attractive
You are already using Breathe and migration would be disruptive
You need integrations with specific payroll providers that Breathe supports

The bottom line

Breathe is a well-designed HR platform that has earned its place in the UK SME market. Its core module is solid, and the interface is a pleasure to use.

But the add-on pricing model means that the features most growing businesses need — onboarding, performance management, expenses — come at extra cost. Relentify HR includes all of these in the standard plan, alongside native timesheet integration and e-signatures that Breathe does not offer.

For growing teams that want comprehensive HR software without the module-by-module cost escalation, Relentify HR delivers more value per pound.

Try Relentify HR free and get every feature from day one.