HR Software providers across the UK

What hr software covers, and what it does not

What hr software costs

How it is priced: Subscription per employee per month, usually annual, often with an onboarding fee. UK small-business systems are typically low single-figure pounds per employee per month, with setup or data-migration fees quoted separately.

What moves the price

• Modules included: core records versus performance, recruitment or payroll
• Implementation and data migration charges
• Minimum user counts and annual commitment
• Integrations with payroll and pension providers

Ranges are indicative of what UK employers commonly pay and are not quotes. City pages carry local bands where they differ.

Who hr software suits

Questions to ask before you sign

1. 1Can I export all my data, in a usable format, at any point?
2. 2What is included in implementation and what is billed extra?
3. 3Does it integrate with my payroll provider, and who supports the link?
4. 4Is UK statutory absence and holiday accrual handled natively?
5. 5What is the contract term and the renewal uplift?

Key terms

HRIS

Human resource information system: the record-keeping core of a people system.

Self-service

Staff and managers updating records and approving requests without HR keying it in.

Data migration

Moving existing records into the new system, and the usual source of hidden setup cost.

All HR software providers

• Peninsula Business Services

  UK provider of outsourced HR, employment law and health & safety services for employers.

• Croner

  Outsourced HR, employment law and health & safety advice for UK employers.

• Moorepay

  Payroll and HR software and outsourced services for UK businesses.

• BrightHR

  HR management software for UK small and medium-sized businesses.

• Breathe

  Cloud-based HR software for small and medium-sized UK businesses.

• CharlieHR

  HR software designed for small businesses and startups.

• Ciphr

  HR, payroll, recruitment and learning software platform for UK organisations.

• Cezanne HR

  Cloud HRIS and payroll software for UK and global organisations.

• Natural HR

  Cloud-based HR and payroll software for small to mid-market businesses.

• Sage People

  Cloud HR and talent management system for mid-sized and multinational organisations.

• Clover HR

  Outsourced HR consultancy serving multiple UK regions.

• Nuvo HR

  HR software and consultancy provider based in Aberdeen with an office in Derby.

• Personology

  Swansea-based HR consultancy combining advisory services with HR software.

HR Software questions employers ask

What is hr software?

HR software, often called an HRIS or people system, holds your employee records, absence and holiday booking, documents and reporting in one place. It replaces spreadsheets and shared drives. It is a tool, not advice, and it does not tell you whether a dismissal is fair. This page is about choosing a supplier and what it costs; the feature-by-feature comparison method sits in our guide to shortlisting UK HR systems.

How much does hr software cost in the UK?

Subscription per employee per month, usually annual, often with an onboarding fee. UK small-business systems are typically low single-figure pounds per employee per month, with setup or data-migration fees quoted separately. The figures move most on: modules included: core records versus performance, recruitment or payroll; implementation and data migration charges; minimum user counts and annual commitment. Always compare quotes on what is inside the fee rather than the headline number.

What is included in hr software, and what is not?

Normally included: employee records, documents and right-to-work storage; holiday and absence booking with approval flows; onboarding checklists and e-signature; reporting on headcount, turnover and absence. Normally excluded or charged separately: employment law advice on what to do with what the data shows; casework handling and hearing support; payroll processing, unless you licence a payroll module.

Who should buy hr software?

Employers past roughly 20 staff where holiday requests and records have outgrown email, and anyone who needs an audit trail for right-to-work or absence management. It is a poor fit for the opposite case: employers whose real problem is a live dispute or an unfair dismissal risk. Software will not fix that; advice will.

What should I ask before signing?

Five questions worth asking every provider on your shortlist: Can I export all my data, in a usable format, at any point? What is included in implementation and what is billed extra? Does it integrate with my payroll provider, and who supports the link? Is UK statutory absence and holiday accrual handled natively? What is the contract term and the renewal uplift?

How many HR software providers are in this directory?

13 of the 96 providers we researched offer hr software: 11 operate UK-wide, 2 cover a region, and 0 work mainly around one city. National firms are easier to buy from anywhere; local firms are usually easier to get into the room for a hearing.

Do UK employers legally have to have HR?

No. There is no legal requirement to employ an HR person or buy HR support. The duties themselves are not optional: written particulars of employment, statutory pay, working time records, pension auto-enrolment and a fair process before dismissal all apply from the first employee. Most small employers buy support because the cost of one badly handled dismissal exceeds the annual fee.