Breathe

breathehr.com
HR & Payroll
Weekend Project

Software That Puts People First

How to Replace Breathe

Overview

Breathe is an all-in-one HR software solution designed for UK SMEs with up to 250 employees. It streamlines HR workflows including leave management, recruitment, absence tracking, performance management, and shift scheduling. With 40+ features and flexible, commitment-free plans, Breathe helps businesses save time and costs while keeping employee data secure and GDPR compliant.

Features

20 features across 16 categories

Absence Tracking(1)

Absence Management

Monitor sickness trends and keep all absences in one convenient and secure place with pattern tracking

Also in: Breathe

Automation(1)

Automated Notifications

Built-in workflows and automated notifications for efficient HR case management

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Compliance(3)

Audit Trails

Comprehensive audit trails for compliance and security tracking

Health & Safety Module

Manage risk assessments, log incidents, and keep safety tasks on track in one clear place

Holiday Calculator

Free tool to calculate holiday entitlement for part-time employees and those who joined mid-year

Also in: Insider CDP, Airtable, 1Password

Configuration(1)

Customizable Workflows & Permissions

Fully configurable workflows and permissions to fit internal HR processes

Data Management(3)

Centralized Employee Records

Store everything from contracts to performance notes in one secure, accessible location

Employee Database

Purpose-built secure employee database with unlimited GDPR-compliant storage for all HR documents and records

Payroll-Ready Data Export

Export data in payroll-ready format for seamless integration with payroll systems

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Expense Management(1)

Expenses Add-onPremium

Input and track claims, upload receipts, and submit for approval with ease

Integration(1)

API Integration

Breathe API ensures all employee data is kept up to date across multiple applications

Also in: monday.com, Notion, Airtable

Learning & Development(1)

Learn Add-onPremium

Engaging training courses designed to build soft-skills with progress tracking and completion rate monitoring

Mobile(1)

People Portal App

Mobile app allowing employees to view and request leave, log sickness, and give kudos from any device

Onboarding(1)

Employee Onboarding

Speed up onboarding with digital tools including contract e-signature and key document sharing

Organization(1)

Multi-Location Management

Manage multiple offices, departments, or regions within one account

Performance Management(1)

Performance Management

Track progress, recognize achievements, record objectives and goals, manage one-to-ones, and give team Kudos

Recruitment(1)

Recruitment ToolsPremium

Purpose-built recruitment tool for creating and sharing vacancies, collecting applications, sending interview invitations, and making job offers

Reporting(1)

Reporting & Analytics

Powerful reporting tools to spot trends, track engagement, support compliance, and turn HR data into informed decisions

Shift Management(1)

Rota ManagementPremium

Build templates, drag and drop shifts, and share rotas with team for shift scheduling and time and attendance

Time Off Management(1)

Leave Management

Streamline holiday processes with clear calendar views, instant approvals, and full team visibility of leave allowances

Pricing

Starter

From £24/month
  • For 1-10 people
  • Core HR features
  • Employee database
  • Leave management
  • Absence tracking

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Breathe

Monthly$24/mo
Yearly$288/yr
5-Year Total$1.4k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~2 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyVery Easy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $48
SaaS
$288
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $144
SaaS
$864
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $240
SaaS
$1.4k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 20 features at very easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Breathe alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 20 features.

Buy Breathe

Better Value
Monthly cost$240/mo
3-year total$8,640
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Buying Breathe saves ~$9,840 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 20 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

4 known integrations

Breathe MarketplaceHireful ATSMicrosoft OutlookXero Payroll