Payroll + HR · United Kingdom
Employment Hero pricing: what it actually costs per employee
On its cheapest published plan, Employment Hero costs £70 a month for 10 employees, which is £7.00 per employee per month.
Price status: Published list price · Last verified 2026-08-20 · Last recorded change none since we started tracking
What the vendor publishes
| Plan | Base / month | Per employee / month | Conditions as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Essentials | £0 | £4 | Minimum 10 employees. "£4/month" per user, minimum 10 users. "Billing is based on the higher of the two: the number of Users specified in your customer agreement, or the number of active Users." |
| HR Engage | £0 | £7 | Minimum 10 employees. "£7/month" per user, minimum 10 users. Same billing-basis condition as HR Essentials. |
| Core Payroll (add-on) | — | £3 | Charged on top of a HR Essentials or HR Engage plan, never on its own. "£3/employee", minimum £20/month per account. |
| Managed Payroll (add-on) | — | £12 | Charged on top of a HR Essentials or HR Engage plan, never on its own. "£12/employee", minimum £120/month per account. |
Hr elite / unlimited plan pricing ("speak to sales"): not stated in the vendor's published documentation (checked 2026-08-20).
What has to be bought together
Employment Hero does not sell payroll on its own, so a payroll price only exists in combination with one of its plans. The combinations below are what we rank and calculate with; the add-on on its own is not a price anyone can pay.
| Combination | Base / month | Per employee / month | Eligibility as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Essentials + Core Payroll | £0 | £7 | From 10 employees. Combined figure: HR Essentials at £0/month plus £4 per person and Core Payroll (add-on) at £0/month plus £3 per person. The vendor sells the payroll product only as an add-on, so the plan fee is charged as well. |
| HR Engage + Core Payroll | £0 | £10 | From 10 employees. Combined figure: HR Engage at £0/month plus £7 per person and Core Payroll (add-on) at £0/month plus £3 per person. The vendor sells the payroll product only as an add-on, so the plan fee is charged as well. |
| HR Essentials + Managed Payroll | £0 | £16 | From 10 employees. Combined figure: HR Essentials at £0/month plus £4 per person and Managed Payroll (add-on) at £0/month plus £12 per person. The vendor sells the payroll product only as an add-on, so the plan fee is charged as well. |
| HR Engage + Managed Payroll | £0 | £19 | From 10 employees. Combined figure: HR Engage at £0/month plus £7 per person and Managed Payroll (add-on) at £0/month plus £12 per person. The vendor sells the payroll product only as an add-on, so the plan fee is charged as well. |
What that works out at per employee
Vendors quote a per-employee fee and a base fee separately. What you actually pay per employee is both of them divided by your headcount, so the smaller your team, the further the real figure sits above the advertised one. This table is Employment Hero's published prices put through that division.
| Plan | 1 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 | 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR Essentials + Core Payroll | n/a | n/a | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7.00 | £7.00 |
| HR Engage + Core Payroll | n/a | n/a | £10.00 | £10.00 | £10.00 | £10.00 | £10.00 |
| HR Essentials + Managed Payroll | n/a | n/a | £16.00 | £16.00 | £16.00 | £16.00 | £16.00 |
| HR Engage + Managed Payroll | n/a | n/a | £19.00 | £19.00 | £19.00 | £19.00 | £19.00 |
Columns are employee counts. Scroll sideways on a phone.
No other adjustment is applied. We do not add estimated tax-filing fees, discounts, or promotional pricing. The full method is at Method.
Who this suits, and who it does not
- If price is the only thing you are deciding on, Breathe is cheaper at 10 employees (£24 against £70) — see its figures.
- If you are not ready to decide, wait. Published prices change without notice and the figures here are only as current as 2026-08-20. Confirm on the vendor's own page before you sign.
Where to check this yourself
Go to Employment Hero and open its pricing page. Everything above comes from https://employmenthero.com/uk/pricing/, read on 2026-08-20.
Related
- Employment Hero compared with Breathe
- Employment Hero compared with Onfolk
- Employment Hero compared with CharlieHR
- Alternatives to Employment Hero
- Work out your own cost with the calculator
- What payroll software costs, and where the money goes
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated: 2026-09-06. Sources: vendor pricing pages only. Figures checked between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-06. I have not used these products. Nothing here is a personal test result.
Ranking method and formulas: Method. Listing position on this site is not for sale.
Corrections: contact form.