How does Mellow work?

Mellow is AI-native HR and payroll software built around a single record of each employee. It runs native payroll and local compliance across six countries — the UK, Ireland, the USA, the UAE, India and Australia — and handles absence, onboarding, pensions and documents in one place, with AI assistants that draft documents, answer questions and explain the figures Mellow computes from your data and the legislation. Accountants and payroll bureaus can use Mellow Practice to manage many client companies from one login. Pricing starts at £4 per employee per month, with a 14-day free trial.

Comparisons Global

Mellow vs Breathe HR: why payroll matters

Mellow HR Team·2 min read

Breathe HR is a popular UK HR platform aimed at businesses with up to around 250 employees. It handles core HR functions — employee records, leave management, performance reviews, and document storage — with a straightforward interface and UK-specific content. The question for businesses that need more than basic HR is whether Breathe's scope matches their requirements.

Breathe does not include payroll

This is the central comparison point. Breathe HR is an HR platform; payroll is a separate system. For businesses that have always run payroll separately, this feels normal. But consider what integration between HR and payroll actually delivers: auto-enrolment triggers that fire from a payroll change, not a manual update; SSP calculations that use the same absence record that HR is looking at; new starter records that flow into the payroll run without re-keying. When HR and payroll are separate, every change needs to happen twice.

Mellow includes UK PAYE payroll as a native feature in the Professional tier. RTI submissions, statutory payments, student loan plans, and year-end P60s all happen within the same system that holds your employee records.

ERA 2025 compliance

Breathe HR has been adding compliance content as ERA 2025 has rolled in. The platform offers guidance and template policies. Mellow's compliance hub takes a different approach: it tracks your specific obligations, monitors which are met, and flags gaps — rather than providing general guidance that requires interpretation and action separately.

Performance reviews

Breathe has a performance review module that works for structured annual reviews. Mellow's performance module includes continuous feedback, OKR tracking, and AI-generated development suggestions, which reflects how performance management is increasingly done in practice.

The honest view

For a business of 20 to 80 employees that has a separate payroll solution and is happy with that arrangement, Breathe HR is a functional choice. For a business that wants HR and payroll in one place, with ERA 2025 compliance built in rather than bolted on, Mellow is the stronger option.

See our HR software with built-in payroll guide for why payroll integration matters, and switching HR systems guide for the migration practicalities.

[Start a Mellow free trial →](https://mellowhr.com/register)

Mellow vs Breathe HRBreathe HR alternativeUK HR payrollHR software comparison

Mellow vs Breathe HR: why payroll matters

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