BrightHR vs Collage (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BrightHR grades higher than Collage: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BrightHR grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BrightHR
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines
Collage
Canadian HR and payroll software with a built-in HR advice line
Which one is for you
Pick BrightHR if
- Fits if you run a small UK firm and want an employment-law advice line with the software
- Works for shift-based teams that need rotas and holiday cover on one screen
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are in the US, as no US edition was found
- Pricey if you add support: £21.20 for the advice line, £31.30 with health and safety
- Watch out: prices exclude tax, and insurance is quoted separately
- Watch out: contract length isn't stated beyond 'fixed-term', and the FAQ says quotes come from a demo
Pick Collage if
- Fits if you run a Canadian company and want HR and payroll in one
- Works for small teams that want an HR advice line
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you're outside Canada, as it's built around CRA remittances and T4s
- Pricey if you want payroll, which needs the CA$18 tier
- Watch out: the page doesn't say if the per-employee price is monthly or yearly
- Watch out: no free plan or trial
How we grade them
| 2.0GPABrightHRFair | 1.8GPACollageWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C£16.67 per employee a month excluding tax, about $22, near the top quarter of the category. £83.35 a month at 5 employees; advice lines and safety tools push it to £31.30. | CCA$14 an employee a month, about US$10, which sits in the dearer quarter of this category, so C. Payroll takes CA$18. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. | FNo free plan and no trial is listed. It offers a free demo only. |
| Features | BHoliday, absence, rotas, overtime, expenses, documents and reporting, plus a payroll navigator. The listing names no gap in the core HR work; payroll itself is not run. | CHR records and Canadian payroll, but the listing says payroll is on the higher tier and the pages are built around CRA remittances and T4s. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Holiday rules, rotas and documents need setting up. | CNo store rating on record, and you'd set it up with your own people data first, so it's an ordinary C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps, with an integrations page (5 on record). No desktop app. | BWeb only, with six listed integrations. No mobile or desktop app named. |
| Best for | UK small firms wanting HR software with advice lines | Canadian HR and payroll |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BrightHR and Collage. How we grade
Where they differ
- BrightHR also covers shift scheduling.
- Collage also covers expense tracking and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| BrightHR | Collage | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown) | CA$14 per employee / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | BrightHR | Collage |
| Price read from | brighthr.com | collage.co |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BrightHR
- Prices are in pounds, excluding tax, and the site is aimed at UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; no US edition was found.
- The FAQ says prices start from £3.00 per person depending on business size and that quotes come from a demo.
- The pricing page does not state the contract length beyond calling them fixed-term contracts.
- Insurance is not in the online prices; it is quoted separately.
Collage
- Built for Canada: the pricing page lists CRA remittances and T4s, and prices are in Canadian dollars.
- The page does not state a free plan or a free trial; it offers a free demo.
- Payroll is only on the higher HR and Payroll tier.
- The pricing page does not say whether per-employee prices are for monthly or yearly billing.
Key features
BrightHR
- Holiday and absence management
- A staff holiday planner with booking and approvals, plus tools for recording sick leave and lateness across the team.
- Shifts and rotas
- Create and edit shifts across any working pattern, including an open shifts feature, and let staff clock in and out from the Blip app.
- Expenses, documents and reporting
- Expense tracking, HR document storage and a custom reporting system sit in the core package.
- Advice lines and templates
- Higher packages add a 24/7 HR and employment law advice line and a library of HR document templates.
- Health and safety software
- Accident and near-miss reporting, 600+ risk assessment templates, task reminders and hazardous substances management.
- Payroll navigator and payroll service
- A payroll navigator is in the core package, and a separate payroll software and managed payroll service is sold on its own pages.
Collage
- Employee records and onboarding
- Stores employment history and documents with e-signatures, and runs onboarding and offboarding task lists.
- Time off and timesheets
- Custom leave policies, approvals and balances, with timesheets and geofenced clock-in that feed payroll.
- Recruiting
- An applicant tracking system with a job board, a resume screener and offer letters.
- Payroll
- On the HR and Payroll tier, payroll runs with CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s.
- HR on Call
- Phone and email access to HR advisers, plus a library of 100+ policy and document templates.
- Performance and surveys
- Review templates, manager and self reviews, engagement surveys and HR analytics.
Plans
BrightHR
Core HR software£16.67
per employee / month, excluding tax
Holiday planner, rotas, absence, performance, overtime and expense tools, reporting, and a payroll navigator. £83.35 a month at 5 employees.
Enhanced HR support£21.20
per employee / month, excluding tax
Core package plus a 24/7 HR and employment law advice line and document templates. Insurance is quoted separately. £106 a month at 5 employees.
Full HR, health and safety support£31.30
per employee / month, excluding tax
Enhanced package plus health and safety software and advice and a wellbeing portal. £156.50 a month at 5 employees.
Collage
HR PremiumCA$14
per employee / month
Onboarding, employee records, training, engagement surveys, HR analytics, time off, AI recruiting, time tracking, clock-in, performance reviews and expert HR advice.
HR and PayrollCA$18
per employee / month
Everything in HR Premium plus payroll, CRA remittances, pay stubs and T4s, and expense management.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom packages and pricing, quoted on request.
Ways to pay less
BrightHR
No public discounts listed.
Collage
- Other savings
10% off to switch or buy Canadian
The pricing page mentions a 10% discount for businesses that switch or buy Canadian, and says volume and nonprofit discounts are available.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BrightHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BrightHR starts at £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown), and Collage starts at CA$14 per employee / month.
Which has a free plan, BrightHR or Collage?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BrightHR nor Collage has a free plan.
Which platforms do BrightHR and Collage run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BrightHR lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.