Micro
24 pounds a month for up to 10 employees. Flat, not per person.
R565/mo
per month
- Employee records
- Leave and approvals
- Document storage
- Company calendar
Breathe vs Sage HR
Verified ratings, feature-by-feature comparison and rand pricing — everything a South African business needs to pick between these two.
We may earn a commission when you buy via this link — at no extra cost to you. It never affects our ratings. How we make money
Ratings
Every score, at a glance
Verified user ratings across every dimension — Breathe against Sage HR, nothing weighted.
Dimensions won
0 – 5
Breathe vs Sage HR, across 5 rating dimensions
Widest rating gap
+0,2
Sage HR leads on overall
Verified reviews
418
192 for Breathe, 226 for Sage HR
Breathe
3,9
192 verified reviews
Sage HR
4,1
226 verified reviews
Ratings by dimension
- Breathe
- Sage HR
Overall
3,9
4,1
Ease of use
3,9
4,1
Value for money
3,9
4,1
Customer service
3,9
4,1
Functionality
3,9
4,1
Share of verified reviews
Who South African reviewers actually write about.
- Breathe (192)
- Sage HR (226)
Cost to get started
Cheapest paid plan, shown per month.
Breathe
R565/mo
Sage HR
R28/mo
Sage HR is the cheaper way in. Lower isn't automatically better — weigh it against the ratings above.
Head to head
Where each one wins
Row by row, with the stronger score highlighted. Straight from verified reviews.
| Breathe | Sage HR | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Reviews | 192 | 226 |
| Ease of use | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Value for money | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Customer service | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Functionality | 3,9 | 4,1 |
| Starting price | R565/mo | R28/employee/month |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
Features
Feature by feature, checked off
Everything each product ships, side by side. No marketing gloss.
| Feature | Breathe | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Employee database | ||
| Leave requests and approvals | ||
| Sickness and absence tracking | ||
| Document storage with acknowledgement | ||
| Performance check ins | ||
| Company calendar | ||
| Org chart | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Employee self service | ||
| Mobile friendly | ||
| Employee records and documents | ||
| Leave management | ||
| Performance reviews and one on ones | ||
| Shift scheduling | ||
| Timesheets | ||
| Expense claims | ||
| Recruitment pipeline | ||
| Onboarding checklists | ||
| Reports and analytics |
Pricing
Both price lists, in rand
Every plan from both vendors, priced as South African teams actually pay.
Breathe plans
Try it free
Starter
44 pounds a month for up to 20 employees.
R1 035/mo
per month
- Everything in Micro
- Two HR users
- Performance check ins
Regular
99 pounds a month for up to 50 employees.
R2 330/mo
per month
- Everything in Starter
- More HR users
- Reporting
Pro
175 pounds a month for up to 100 employees.
R4 120/mo
per month
- Everything in Regular
- Expanded reporting
- Priority support
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Breathe (ELMO Software) for the figure you'll actually pay.
Sage HR plans
Core HR + Leave Management
The base module every plan starts with. Prices exclude VAT.
R28/mo
per employee, per month
- Employee database
- Leave management
- Approval workflows
- Mobile app
Timesheets
Added to the core module.
R14/mo
per employee, per month
- Overtime tracking
- Fast timesheet capture
Performance
Added to the core module.
R14/mo
per employee, per month
- Goals and OKRs
- 360 degree feedback
- Scheduled one on ones
- Surveys
Recruitment
Flat monthly price for the module, any headcount. Shift scheduling R14 and expenses R10 per employee also available.
R1 850/mo
per month
- Job ads
- Applicant pipeline
- Interview scheduling
Straight from the vendor
Get current pricing
These are list prices in rand and vendors adjust them from time to time. Check with Sage for the figure you'll actually pay.
Verdict
Our verdict
Sage HR edges this comparison on verified user ratings (4,1 vs 3,9), but the right choice depends on your workflows: Breathe remains a strong pick where its strengths — Flat per company pricing, not per seat and Leave and absence handled cleanly — match your priorities. Shortlist both, take the free trials where offered, and test against a real month of your own data.