Breathe HR alternative
The Breathe HR alternative for leave-only teams
Breathe HR is a popular UK SMB HR system — it bundles holiday tracking with employee records, document storage and e-signatures, light performance reviews and more, priced as a flat monthly fee by headcount band rather than per user. If what you actually need is leave and absence management — not a full HR suite — Absenca covers that core (calendar, approvals, accruals, TOIL, public holidays, Bradford Factor) on one flat $0.75/user plan, free for up to 15 people. Here's an honest, side-by-side comparison.
In short
If leave and absence tracking is your real need, Absenca is the cheaper, more focused fit — free for up to 15 people and a flat $0.75/user beyond that, with deeper leave-specific tooling like Slack + Teams bots, attachments and EU data residency. If you also want employee records, document management with e-signatures and performance reviews in one place, Breathe HR's wider suite is the stronger choice.
Breathe HR vs Absenca
| Breathe HR | Absenca | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 14-day trial only | Up to 15 users, full features |
| Pricing model | Flat fee by headcount band (~£24–£99/mo as of 2026) | $0.75 / user / mo, all-in |
| Leave calendar, wallchart & approvals | Yes | Yes |
| Public holidays (190+ countries) | UK-focused | 190+ countries, auto-import + .ics |
| Accruals, carry-over & seniority | Pro-rata + entitlement | Advanced (monthly/quarterly, tiers, pro-rata) |
| TOIL (time off in lieu) | Yes | Yes |
| Bradford Factor analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Chat bots (Slack / Teams / Google Chat) | Limited / via integrations | Slack + Teams + Google Chat bots |
| Google & Outlook calendar sync | Calendar feeds | Two-way Google + Outlook sync |
| Leave attachments (doctor's notes) | Via document store | Attached to the leave request |
| Multi-office (timezones, leave year) | Limited | Full multi-office |
| Data residency | UK / EU | EU data residency |
| Employee records & document management | Yes (+ e-signatures) | No — leave-focused |
| Performance reviews & 1:1s | Yes (light-touch module) | No — leave-focused |
Breathe HR (publicly available UK pricing, as of 2026): flat monthly fee by headcount band rather than per user — roughly £24/mo for the smallest band (around 1–10 employees) rising to ~£99/mo for ~21–50, plus paid add-on modules (e.g. Rota/Time & Attendance, Learn, Health & Safety); prices exclude VAT, ~10–15% off on annual billing. Absenca: free for up to 15 users, then $0.75/user/mo (Pro up to 50, Custom Pack beyond), leave management and integrations included.
Why teams pick Absenca
Pay for leave, not a whole HR suite
If you only need to track time off, a flat $0.75/user — free for up to 15 people — is far less than a banded HR-suite fee for features you may not use.
Deeper leave-specific tooling
Slack and Teams bots, two-way Google/Outlook sync, attachments on the request itself, blackout periods and full multi-office support — leave is the whole product, not one module.
A free tier you can run a team on
Up to 15 people with the full feature set and no credit card, where Breathe offers a 14-day trial before billing begins.
Switch without the heavy lift
Bring your people and balances across with a CSV bulk import, so moving the leave side over is straightforward.
Switch from Breathe HR in minutes
Absenca's built-in import wizard brings your people and leave balances across, so moving is painless. Try it free for up to 15 people — no credit card.
Start freeWhere Breathe HR might be the better fit
- A genuinely broader HR system: employee records, document management with e-signatures and policy acknowledgements, and light-touch performance reviews — well beyond leave tracking.
- Established, well-reviewed UK SMB brand used by thousands of small businesses, with strong UK-specific statutory holiday handling and a large HR-consultancy partner network.
- Flat banded pricing can work out predictable and cost-effective for the smallest teams, and add-on modules (Rota/Time & Attendance, Learn) extend it toward a fuller HR platform Absenca doesn't try to be.
We'd rather you pick the right tool than the loudest one. If the points above matter more to you than price and a free tier, Breathe HR is a perfectly good choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Absenca a good Breathe HR alternative?
It depends on what you need. For leave and absence tracking specifically — calendar, approvals, accruals, TOIL, public holidays and Bradford Factor — Absenca covers it at a lower price with a more generous free tier. If you also need employee records, document management with e-signatures and performance reviews, Breathe HR's wider suite is a better fit.
How does Absenca's pricing compare to Breathe HR?
Absenca is a flat $0.75 per user per month and free for up to 15 people. Breathe HR (as of 2026) charges a flat monthly fee by headcount band — roughly £24/mo at the smallest band rising to around £99/mo for larger small teams, plus paid add-on modules and VAT. For leave-only needs, Absenca is typically the cheaper option.
Does Absenca do documents, e-signatures and performance reviews like Breathe?
No. Absenca is focused on leave and absence management, not full HR records, document storage or performance reviews. If those matter to you, Breathe HR is the broader platform.
Can I move my leave data from Breathe HR to Absenca?
Yes — you can bulk-import your users and leave balances via CSV when you set up, so migrating the leave side is straightforward.
Does Absenca work with Slack and Microsoft Teams?
Yes — Absenca has both a Slack bot and a Microsoft Teams bot for requesting and approving leave and seeing who's off, plus two-way Google and Outlook calendar sync.
Other comparisons
Comparison based on publicly available information about Breathe HR as of 2026. Features and pricing change — please check Breathe HR's website for the latest details.