BrightHR vs HR Partner (2026): which should you pick?

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 HR Partner if

• Fits if you run a firm of 25 or so and want records and leave in one place
• Works for small teams that want recruitment and reviews on a Premium plan

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you have under 25 people and expect a lower price, as that is the smallest size shown
• Tight if you want recruitment, reviews or timesheets, which need Premium at $108
• Watch out: Core has up to 5 admin users, and extra admins cost a fee
• Watch out: yearly billing is 11 times the monthly price, a saving of about one month

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.

HR Partner

• Price is set by employee count; the figures here are for 25 employees, the smallest size in the page's price table, and rise with headcount.
• Yearly billing works out to 11 times the monthly price, so the saving is about one month.
• Applicant tracking, performance reviews and timesheets need Premium; Core has up to 5 admin users and extra admin users cost a fee.
• Prices can be shown in USD, GBP, AUD or EUR on the pricing page.

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.

HR Partner

Employee records

Contact details, position and salary history, training records, skills matrix, assets, dependents, file attachments and an org chart.

Leave and PTO

Requests, approvals, configurable policies, custom working-day schedules, balances and a leave calendar.

Onboarding checklists

Unlimited checklists with reminders, admin tasks, verification and optional e-signatures.

Recruitment

On Premium and above: an applicant tracking system with a job portal, application forms, stage pipeline and selection panels.

Performance reviews and goals

Custom review forms, reminders, individual goals and team goal templates, on Premium and above.

Expense claims and e-signatures

Online expense claims with approvals and reports, plus electronic signatures, appear in the plan comparison.

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.

HR Partner

• Core$86

  per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($946 billed yearly)

  Employee records, self-service portal, leave and accruals, onboarding checklists, up to 5 admin users. Price rises with headcount: $360 a month at 100 employees.

• Premium$108

  per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($1,188 billed yearly)

  Core plus applicant tracking, performance reviews and goals, timesheets and clock-in, e-signatures, 10 admin users. $450 a month at 100 employees.

• VIP$155

  per month for 25 employees, billed monthly ($1,705 billed yearly)

  Premium plus priority support, a dedicated account manager, a custom domain, unlimited admin users and 5 implementation sessions. $648 a month at 100 employees.

BrightHR

No public discounts listed.

HR Partner

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing at 11 times the monthly price

  The pricing page toggle shows a yearly price equal to 11 months of the monthly price, for example $946 against $86 a month for Core at 25 employees.