Alternatives · HR
People HR alternatives
As of Nov 12, 2026, the highest-graded People HR alternative is Breathe (2.6 GPA).
People HR compared with 5 alternatives: Breathe, BrightHR, CharlieHR, Cezanne HR and Ciphr.
People HR is a paid product with a free trial, starting at £4 per employee / month (Starter). None of the alternatives has a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a People HR sale?
At a glance
Price against what you get
People HR starts at about $5.36 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Breathe, BrightHR and CharlieHR score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from People HR
Breathe
UK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person
- Breathe starts at £24 per month for up to 10 employees, billed monthly (pounds, excluding VAT).
- Breathe also covers expense tracking, shift scheduling, time clock and applicant tracking.
- Breathe does not cover workflow automation, which People HR does.
Suits: UK small businesses with up to 200 staff
BrightHR
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines
- BrightHR starts at £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown).
- BrightHR also covers payroll, shift scheduling and time clock.
- BrightHR does not cover workflow automation, which People HR does.
Suits: Small UK or Irish businesses that want HR tools and an advice line from one vendor
CharlieHR
HR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket
- CharlieHR starts at £21 per month for up to 4 team members (pounds, excluding VAT).
- CharlieHR lists no iOS and Android apps, which People HR has.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys and applicant tracking.
- CharlieHR does not cover workflow automation and reports, which People HR does.
Suits: UK small businesses hiring their first HR system
Cezanne HR
Modular HR system for mid-sized organisations, quoted by headcount
- Cezanne HR also covers time tracking, surveys, payroll and applicant tracking.
- Cezanne HR does not cover workflow automation and reports, which People HR does.
Suits: Mid-sized organisations of about 50 to 3,000 employees
Ciphr
UK HR and payroll suite for organisations of 200 to 2,000 staff
- Ciphr starts at £5 per employee / month and up (125 employees, three-year term).
- Ciphr lists no iOS and Android apps, which People HR has.
- Ciphr also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
- Ciphr does not cover workflow automation, which People HR does.
Suits: UK organisations with 200 to 2,000 employees
Limits worth knowing in People HR
- Prices are in pounds sterling and the pages are the UK edition.
- Payroll is a separate product, from £3 per employee per month for the Payroll SaaS Core tier.
- The free trial is offered on Starter and Core only; Pro and Elite+ show a contact-us button.
- Performance management and timesheets need Pro, and automated workflows need Elite+.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to People HR?
The alternatives to People HR in this directory are Breathe, BrightHR, CharlieHR, Cezanne HR and Ciphr. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with People HR.
Is there a free alternative to People HR?
None of the alternatives listed here has a free plan. Breathe and CharlieHR offer a free trial.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 18, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.