Best HRIS for UK Businesses in 2026
UK companies need an HRIS that handles employee records, absence management, and UK employment compliance. We compared 10+ systems to find the 5 best HRIS platforms for UK organisations.
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What UK Businesses Need in an HRIS
Centralised Employee Records
A single source of truth for employee data, contracts, documents, and employment history. Paper files and spreadsheets create GDPR risks and data silos.
UK Absence Management
Annual leave (28+ days), bank holidays, sick leave, maternity/paternity, and shared parental leave need UK-specific calculations and Bradford Factor tracking.
GDPR-Compliant Data Management
Employee data processing requires consent management, data retention policies, DSAR handling, and the ability to fully delete data on request.
Employee Self-Service Portal
Employees should be able to request leave, update personal details, access payslips, and download P60s without HR intervention.
Top 5 HRIS Platforms for UK Businesses
BreatheHR
Best HRIS Purpose-Built for UK
Why It's Best for UK Businesses
BreatheHR is the UK's most popular HRIS, designed from the ground up for UK employment law. Holiday entitlement, Bradford Factor absence tracking, and GDPR compliance are all built in.
Key Features
- Employee database & records
- UK holiday management
- Bradford Factor tracking
- Sickness & absence management
Additional Capabilities
- Document management
- Performance reviews
- Expense management
- Employee self-service
✓ Pros
- Purpose-built for UK law
- Most popular UK HRIS
- Bradford Factor included
- Affordable pricing
- Very easy to use
✗ Cons
- No built-in payroll
- Limited international capabilities
- Basic performance features
- Not for large enterprises
UK SMEs (10-250 employees) wanting the most UK-focused HRIS
Personio
Best HRIS for UK Companies with European Operations
Why It's Best for UK Businesses
Personio is Europe's fastest-growing HR platform with strong UK localisation. GDPR-native design, multilingual support, and UK absence management make it ideal for UK companies with European presence.
Key Features
- Employee records management
- Absence management (UK rules)
- Payroll preparation
- Recruitment & ATS
Additional Capabilities
- Onboarding workflows
- Performance management
- Compensation management
- GDPR-native architecture
✓ Pros
- Best for UK + Europe
- GDPR by design
- Comprehensive feature set
- Strong recruitment module
- Growing fast
✗ Cons
- Payroll is prep only (not processing)
- Newer UK presence
- Custom pricing on higher tiers
- Less proven than BreatheHR in UK
UK companies (25-500 employees) with operations across Europe
HiBob
Best Modern HRIS for UK Tech & Creative
Why It's Best for UK Businesses
HiBob's social-media-inspired design creates the most engaging employee experience. UK tech companies and creative firms love its modern interface and culture-building features.
Key Features
- Modern social HRIS
- People analytics
- Compensation management
- Time & attendance
Additional Capabilities
- Onboarding
- Performance cycles
- International support
- Workflow automation
✓ Pros
- Most engaging employee experience
- Strong people analytics
- Good international capabilities
- Culture-building features
- Modern design
✗ Cons
- Premium pricing
- Payroll requires integration
- Less UK-specific than BreatheHR
- Custom pricing
Modern UK companies (50-1,000 employees) wanting the best employee experience
Sage People
Best for Mid-to-Large UK Organisations
Why It's Best for UK Businesses
Sage People (built on Salesforce) offers enterprise-grade HR for larger UK organisations. Integration with Sage payroll and Sage Business Cloud creates a comprehensive UK business platform.
Key Features
- Global HRIS on Salesforce
- Workforce analytics
- Absence management
- Talent management
Additional Capabilities
- Succession planning
- Compliance management
- Sage payroll integration
- Custom reporting
✓ Pros
- Enterprise-grade platform
- Sage ecosystem integration
- Good workforce analytics
- Salesforce foundation
- UK company and support
✗ Cons
- More expensive
- Salesforce knowledge helpful
- Complex for small businesses
- Longer implementation
Mid-to-large UK organisations (200-5,000 employees) in the Sage ecosystem
CharlieHR
Best Budget UK HRIS for Small Teams
Why It's Best for UK Businesses
CharlieHR is a UK startup building affordable HR software for small teams. Clean design, simple onboarding, and UK-specific features at the lowest price point.
Key Features
- Employee database
- Time off management
- Onboarding checklists
- Performance reviews
Additional Capabilities
- Team directory
- Document storage
- Employee self-service
- Engagement tools
✓ Pros
- Most affordable UK HRIS
- Clean modern design
- Simple to use
- UK-focused features
- Good for small teams
✗ Cons
- Very basic feature set
- Limited reporting
- No payroll
- Not scalable past 200 employees
Small UK teams (5-100 employees) wanting affordable, modern HRIS
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Pricing | UK Absence | GDPR | International | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BreatheHR | £4.50/user | Excellent | Built-in | Limited | 10-250 |
| Personio | ~£5/user | Good | Native | Europe | 25-500 |
| HiBob | ~£7/user | Good | Good | Global | 50-1,000 |
| Sage People | ~£10/user | Good | Built-in | Good | 200-5,000 |
| CharlieHR | £4/user | Good | Built-in | None | 5-100 |
Ready to Choose?
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