Breathe Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

Breathe offers a wide array of HR software features designed to centralize and simplify HR tasks for businesses with up to 250 employees [https://breathehr.com/]. Key products and services include HR dashboards, recruitment tracking, onboarding and workflows, performance management, reporting and analytics, e-learning, and time and attendance features like staff holiday planners, absence management, rotas, and time tracking. Additionally, Breathe supports admin and compliance through document management with e-signatures, expense management, Xero payroll integration, and a dedicated HR mobile app. They also provide new health and safety solutions [https://breathehr.com/].

The primary target market for Breathe consists of over 17,000 UK SMEs [https://breathehr.com/]. This includes businesses of various sizes, from micros and startups (1-10 employees) to medium (11-50 employees) and larger SMEs (51-250 employees) [https://breathehr.com/].

Breathe's platform is designed to be user-friendly, with flexible, commitment-free plans that can be implemented within days, not weeks, offering unparalleled data protection and convenient self-serve features for employees [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/customer-reviews]. The company is ISO 27001 accredited, demonstrating its commitment to the highest level of data security and GDPR compliance for employee records [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/hr-software/security-reliability].

Breathe also offers a mobile app and supports custom fields and API access for enhanced customization and integration.

Breathe operates on a flexible, affordable monthly subscription model without set-up fees, making HR software accessible for businesses. While a free trial is available, pricing is tiered based on the number of employees. Monthly pricing starts at £24 for up to 5 employees, increasing to £44 for 6-10 employees, £99 for 11-25 employees, £175 for 26-50 employees, £419 for 51-100 employees, and £579 for 101-250 employees [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/hr-software/hr-whats-included].

Customers can save up to 15% by opting for an annual subscription. Annual pricing, reflecting this discount, ranges from £245 for up to 5 employees (down from £288) to £6,255 for 101-250 employees (down from £6,948) [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/hr-software/hr-whats-included].

Breathe also frequently partners with organizations like Enterprise Nation and Surrey Chambers to offer exclusive discounts, such as a 20% discount for members, and has offered significant promotions like 50% off the first six months through partnerships like Engage Health [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/enterprise-nation-offer][https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/surrey-chambers-offer][https://www.breathehr.com/hr-software-for-smes-engage-health-offer-breathe]. Optional add-on modules, such as Health and Safety Solutions, are available to further enhance the core HR offerings, alongside integrations with popular platforms like Xero Payroll.

Compared to competitors, Breathe emphasizes its suitability for UK SMEs across various industries and offers a no-long-term-contract policy, distinguishing itself from some rivals that may require minimum contract lengths of one or two years [https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/best-hr-software-uk]. This flexible pricing and contract structure, combined with a comprehensive feature set for people and performance management, time and attendance, and admin and compliance, positions Breathe as a competitive choice in the HR software market for small and growing businesses.

Breathe specializes in providing HR software with robust recruitment tools for SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises). Their platform enables businesses to manage the entire recruitment process, from creating and sharing unlimited vacancies to tracking applicants, shortlisting, and onboarding [breathehr.com/en-gb/hr-software/recruitment]. This emphasis on recruitment as a core feature of their product suite highlights the importance of talent acquisition in the current business landscape, and likely influences their own staffing needs to support product development and customer success.

The company’s strategic focus on simplifying hiring for its clients, especially during times of "record numbers of vacancies & top talent still in high demand" [breathehr.com/en-gb/blog/topic/breathe-news/5-ways-breathes-recruitment-tool-can-simplify-hiring], aligns with a hiring strategy aimed at strengthening its own capabilities. By offering solutions like applicant tracking systems (ATS) and comprehensive onboarding workflows, Breathe positions itself as a vital partner for SMEs undergoing their own hiring phases [breathehr.com/en-gb]. This continuous development and support for their HR software would necessitate ongoing recruitment for roles in product development, sales, and customer service, reflecting a positive outlook on company expansion and market demand.

Breathe operates on a flexible, subscription-based model, which allows customers to pay monthly or annually with no long-term contracts, avoiding hidden costs and offering the freedom to cancel anytime. This approach makes HR software more accessible and affordable for SMEs, a key differentiator from traditional, often cost-prohibitive desktop HR solutions. According to a 2025 customer survey, 82% of Breathe users agree that the software offers exceptional value for money due to its cost-efficiency and time-saving HR management capabilities. The company is owned by ELMO Software, a leading cloud-based solution provider, integrating Breathe into a broader ecosystem of cloud solutions.

While specific revenue figures or fundraising rounds for Breathe itself are not explicitly detailed on its homepage or the provided sources, its ownership by ELMO Software indicates a strategic acquisition or integration into a larger entity. This positioning suggests that Breathe benefits from the financial backing and operational synergies of a larger technology group. The company's robust customer base of over 17,000 UK SMEs and over 1,000 HR partners, along with winning 60 "Best HR Software" awards, demonstrate its strong market reputation and operational health within the competitive HR tech landscape.

Breathe also maintains a robust webinar program, covering crucial topics for HR and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Recent and upcoming webinars have addressed significant changes in Employment Law 2026 [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/employment-law-2026-april-changes], navigating change as an SME and HR disrupter [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/navigating-change-the-biggest-sme-and-hr-disrupter], and providing post-budget updates for SMEs and HR professionals [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/october-post-budget-update-live-q-a]. These sessions often feature panels of HR and employment law specialists, offering actionable insights and expert advice.

Further demonstrating their commitment to supporting businesses, Breathe hosts webinars on a wide range of practical subjects. These include discussions on Health and Safety in 2026 for SMEs [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/health-and-safety-in-2026-the-hidden-gaps-smes-still-miss], a post-election HR Q&A to help SMEs navigate political changes [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/uk-general-election], and live Q&A sessions regarding employment tribunals for business owners [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars/employment-tribunals-live-q-and-a]. Additionally, Breathe conducts specific partner demos for consultants interested in their free Partner Programme, detailing benefits and providing a comprehensive tour of the program [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/partners/partner-webinars]. The company also offers on-demand webinars for flexible viewing, though currently, there are no on-demand webinars found for selected filters [Source: https://www.breathehr.com/en-gb/resources/webinars].

These event participations and webinar offerings underscore Breathe's dedication to providing valuable resources and engagement opportunities for their clients and the broader HR and SME community. By addressing timely and relevant topics, Breathe positions itself as a knowledgeable and supportive partner in the ever-evolving business landscape.