Beagle HR vs BrightHR: which is right for your small business?
Quick answer: These two are not really the same purchase. BrightHR is HR software, holiday booking, rotas, absence tracking and document storage, with an optional 24-hour advice line on top. Beagle HR is a person who deals with the situation for you. BrightHR is part of the Peninsula Group and is the most transparent of the national providers on price: published tiers from £16.67 per employee per month, with a minimum of £83.35 a month excluding tax. If your problem is that holiday requests live in a spreadsheet, buy BrightHR. If your problem is a grievance, a dismissal or a contract that would not survive a tribunal, buy a consultant. Plenty of businesses sensibly have both.
Side by side
| What to compare | BrightHR | Beagle HR |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | HR software, with advice bundled on the higher tiers | An outsourced HR function, with software set up for you |
| Best for | Getting holiday, absence, rotas and documents off spreadsheets | Handling the situations that software cannot decide for you |
| Published pricing | Yes. From £16.67 per employee per month, minimum £83.35 per month, excluding tax | Yes. Retained support from £249 per month |
| Contract length | 24, 36 or 60 months. 36 months is the option sold online. | Initial 12-month term, then rolling 30-day notice |
| Auto-renewal | Renews automatically for the same period unless 90 days’ written notice is given (clause 16(d)) | Rolls monthly after the first year |
| Annual increases | May rise by up to 7% at each renewal (clause 16(e)) | Fee fixed for the initial term |
| Who handles a disciplinary | You do, using templates, with a phone line for advice on the higher tiers | We do, with you, including the paperwork and the meeting |
| Ownership | Part of the Peninsula Group, alongside Croner | Independent, founder-owned |
When BrightHR may suit you better
- Your actual problem is administrative: holiday requests on email, sickness in a notebook, contracts in a filing cabinet.
- You have someone in-house who is confident handling people issues and just needs a system and a phone number.
- Budget is tight and you want a low monthly cost. BrightHR has the lowest realistic entry point of the national providers, and publishes it openly, which most of its competitors do not.
When Beagle HR is the better fit
- You are facing something specific and you want it handled, not templated. Software cannot decide whether to dismiss someone.
- You want to commit for twelve months rather than two to five years.
- You want the person advising you to have read your contracts and met your managers.
Frequently asked questions
Is BrightHR cheaper than Beagle HR?
At the entry level, yes: BrightHR’s Core tier starts at £16.67 per employee per month with a minimum of £83.35 a month excluding tax, and the price per head falls as your headcount rises. But you are buying different things. BrightHR gives you a system. Beagle HR gives you someone to run the process. Compare on what you actually need, and check the total over the full contract term rather than the monthly figure.
How long is a BrightHR contract?
BrightHR publishes this openly, which is to its credit. Its pricing page offers 24, 36 and 60-month fixed terms, with 36 months available to buy online. Its terms of service state at clause 16(d) that the agreement renews automatically for the same period unless either party gives at least 90 days’ written notice to expire at the end of the term, and at clause 16(e) that fees may rise by up to 7% at each renewal. So a 60-month contract renews into another 60 months.
Do I need both software and a consultant?
Often, yes, and that is not a sales line. A system to hold the records and a person to handle the judgement calls are different jobs. Beagle HR sets up Breathe HR for clients who want the admin side sorted. The subscription is paid direct to Breathe and stays yours, so you are not tied to us to keep your own records.
Is BrightHR any good?
Its Trustpilot score was 4.7 from 6,495 reviews when we checked on 4th August 2026, and as with Citation and Croner, Trustpilot labels it a business that asks customers to review. The core software is well regarded and it is the only one of the big national providers that publishes both its prices and its contract lengths. The recurring criticism in the negative reviews is about cancellation and contract length. Note that BrightHR shortened its notice period from six months to 90 days in mid-2024, so older reviews complaining about six months’ notice are out of date.
Both are legitimate choices, and they are not mutually exclusive. Details, pricing and terms change, so confirm current terms with each provider before you decide.
Accuracy note: information about BrightHR is taken from its published pricing page, its terms of service, and Trustpilot, all checked on 4th August 2026.