HR Partner vs Breathe Comparison: Everything You Need to Know Before Choosing

HR Partner is a cloud-based human resources information system built for small and mid-sized businesses that need to manage employee administration without dedicated HR software specialists. Developed in Australia and used internationally, it aims to replace filing cabinets, spreadsheets and email-based processes with a single, structured system for employee records and routine HR tasks. The product focuses on simplicity and breadth: rather than offering deep functionality in a single area, it covers the everyday needs of a small HR team, including records, leave, onboarding, recruitment and performance, in one interface. The intended outcome is less administrative overhead and more reliable information for managers and business owners. Employee records hold personal details, employment history, qualifications, training, assets, documents and custom fields, with expiry alerts for licences and certifications. Leave management tracks balances, requests and approvals with configurable leave types, and a calendar view shows team availability. Onboarding and offboarding checklists ensure consistent processes, while the recruitment module provides job postings, an applicant portal and candidate tracking through hiring stages. Performance reviews, skills tracking and training records support development conversations, and an employee self-service portal lets staff request leave, view documents and update their own details. Reporting covers headcount, turnover, leave liability, training and other HR metrics, with export options for further analysis. Document templates and mail-merge capabilities help generate letters and contracts consistently. Integrations with accounting and payroll products such as Xero and QuickBooks, together with an API and automation connectors, allow data to flow into the wider business stack. HR Partner is used by businesses typically ranging from a handful of employees to a few hundred, across sectors such as professional services, hospitality, retail, construction and non-profit. Pricing starts from around USD 104, with a free trial available; there is no permanently free version.