The BrightHR Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about BrightHR in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
BrightHR
The Insider’s Guide
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among HR software, read from BrightHR’s own pages.
Made by BrightHR · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from BrightHR’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on BrightHR’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 56 of the 101 other HR software we grade
BrightHR is HR software for small and mid-sized businesses in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It covers holiday and absence tracking, shifts and rotas, clocking in, expenses and document storage, with optional health and safety software, an employment-law advice line and payroll sold alongside it.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about BrightHR, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's aimed at the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with no US edition.
- 1
Best for UK small firms wanting HR software with advice lines
BrightHR covers holidays, rotas, absence, performance and expenses, and sells an HR and employment-law advice line on top.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $22.34 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown).
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 4
Holiday and absence management
A staff holiday planner with booking and approvals, plus tools for recording sick leave and lateness across the team.
- 5
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.
- 6
Expenses, documents and reporting
Expense tracking, HR document storage and a custom reporting system sit in the core package.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 56 of 101
That is against the other HR software we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace BrightHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
BrightHR at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- BrightHR
- Category
- HR Software
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for UK small firms wanting HR software with advice lines
BrightHR covers holidays, rotas, absence, performance and expenses, and sells an HR and employment-law advice line on top. Prices start at £16.67 per employee a month excluding tax, which is about $22, and the cheapest plan has no advice line. It's aimed at the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with no US edition.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page. |
| Features | B | Holiday, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Holiday rules, rotas and documents need setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web plus iOS and Android apps, with an integrations page (5 on record). No desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who BrightHR is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Small UK or Irish businesses that want HR tools and an advice line from one vendor
- Shift-based teams that need rotas and clocking in
- Businesses that also want health and safety software
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$22.34
A month to start, for each person
BrightHR is a paid product, starting at £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown).
No free plan and no trial is on record in the listing or on its pricing page.
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.
Read from brighthr.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
HR software with holiday, rota and absence tools and advice lines. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: reports, payroll, shift scheduling, time clock, employee records, time off.
Holiday, absence, rotas, overtime, expenses, documents and reporting, plus a payroll navigator.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Zapier
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Xero
- Slack
- HubSpot
BrightHR is made by BrightHR.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
56/101
Other HR software it is graded above
BrightHR's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 56 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on features (B, above 73 of 101) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $22.34 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 31 of the 40 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 HR software we grade, cut by the letter each got. BrightHR’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 6 of 101
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 101
- BFeaturesAbove 73 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 101
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 34 of 101
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 42 HR software. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. BrightHR is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace BrightHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $268.03 a year.
What you could make
- Employee records, time off and reports: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- A rota the whole staff sees on their phones, with swaps and alerts.
- Clocking in from a phone, checked against where and when.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- It plugs into other products, Zapier, Microsoft Entra ID and Xero among them.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. BrightHR’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Breathe, CharlieHR, Factorial, Personio and BambooHR
The 5 tools BrightHR is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Breathe
Free trial · from £24/mo
UK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person.
- BrightHR also covers payroll.
- Breathe also covers expense tracking and applicant tracking.
- 2.4GPA
CharlieHR
Free trial · from £21/mo
HR software for UK small businesses, priced by team-size bracket.
- Only BrightHR lists iOS and Android apps.
- BrightHR also covers reports, payroll, shift scheduling and time clock.
- CharlieHR also covers surveys and applicant tracking.
- 2.0GPA
Factorial
From $8/mo
HR, time, shifts, expenses and IT for small firms, quoted by module.
- BrightHR also covers reports, payroll and time clock.
- Factorial also covers time tracking, expense tracking and applicant tracking.
- 1.8GPA
Personio
Paid
European HR platform for records, absences, time and recruiting.
- BrightHR also covers reports, payroll, shift scheduling and time clock.
- Personio also covers time tracking and applicant tracking.
- 2.4GPA
BambooHR
Free trial · from $250/mo
HR records, hiring, time off and reviews, with US payroll as an add-on.
- BrightHR also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
- BambooHR also covers applicant tracking.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is BrightHR free?
No. BrightHR is a paid product, starting at £16.67 per employee / month (£83.35 a month at the smallest size shown).
How much does BrightHR cost?
BrightHR lists 3 plans. Core HR software: £16.67 per employee / month, excluding tax.
What platforms does BrightHR work on?
BrightHR is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does BrightHR have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. BrightHR is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does BrightHR have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. BrightHR is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is BrightHR open source?
BrightHR is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does BrightHR integrate with?
BrightHR's listing names Zapier, Microsoft Entra ID, Xero, Slack and HubSpot.
Who makes BrightHR?
BrightHR is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to BrightHR?
The closest alternatives to BrightHR in our directory are Breathe, CharlieHR, Factorial, Personio and BambooHR.
How does BrightHR compare with other HR software?
BrightHR's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 56 of the 101 other HR software we grade, and level with 15.
Is BrightHR good value for money?
ToolGPA grades BrightHR C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $22.34 a month for each person, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 31 of the 40 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of BrightHR?
To replace BrightHR you would be making payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from BrightHR’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Bright HR's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by BrightHR. Prices change, so check brighthr.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- BrightHR, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/brighthr
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "BrightHR: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/brighthr
Know someone choosing between HR software?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/brighthr/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded HR software after BrightHR, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- HR Software Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 HR software we grade, compared
- Breathe Insider's GuideUK HR software for small firms, priced per business, not per person2.6 GPA
- Buk Insider's GuideLatin American HR and payroll suite with a free tier for 20 people2.6 GPA
- Leave Dates Insider's GuideAnnual leave planner and absence tracker for small teams2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what BrightHR’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. BrightHR is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by BrightHR. Prices and plans change: check brighthr.com before you buy.