Breathe vs Notion
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of Breathe and Notion. We compare features, pricing, ease of use, and value for money to help you make the right choice in 2026.
Reviewed by the Ikaroa team · Last updated: March 2026
Quick Verdict
Notion edges ahead overall with a rating of 4.4/5. However, Breathe (4/5) may be the better fit if you prioritise UK SMEs wanting simple, affordable HR software for holiday and absence management. Read on for the full breakdown.
Breathe vs Notion at a Glance
Breathe
★ 4Breathe is a UK HR software platform designed for SMEs with up to 250 employees. It simplifies core HR tasks including holiday management, sickness tracking, document storage, and reporting. Known for its simplicity and focus on making people management less time-consuming for small business owners.
Starting from: From £13/month
Best for: UK SMEs wanting simple, affordable HR software for holiday and absence management
Read full review →Notion
★ 4.4Notion is a flexible workspace for notes, wikis, and databases. While not a traditional CRM, many teams build custom CRM systems using its database features.
Starting from: £0/month
Best for: Teams wanting a flexible workspace that can be moulded into a custom CRM
Read full review →Breathe vs Notion Feature Comparison
Here is how Breathe and Notion compare across the features that matter most. We have tested both platforms extensively across client implementations.
| Feature | Breathe | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Available | No | Yes |
| Starting Price | From £13/month | £0/month |
| Best For | UK SMEs wanting simple, affordable HR software for holiday and absence management | Teams wanting a flexible workspace that can be moulded into a custom CRM |
| Our Rating | 4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Mobile App | Limited | Yes |
| Email Marketing | No | No |
| Automation | Limited | Limited |
| Reporting | Yes | Basic |
| Integrations | Limited | Extensive |
| API Access | Limited | Yes |
| Ikaroa Exclusive Discount | N/A | N/A |
Breathe vs Notion Pricing
Pricing is often the deciding factor. Here is a full breakdown of what each platform charges at every tier:
Breathe Pricing
Breathe HR
From £13/month
- ✓Holiday management
- ✓Sickness tracking
- ✓Employee database
- ✓Document storage
- ✓Reporting
Breathe HR + Payroll
Custom
- ✓Everything in HR
- ✓Payroll processing
- ✓HMRC submissions
- ✓Auto-enrolment
Notion Pricing
Free
£0/month
- ✓Unlimited pages
- ✓7-day page history
- ✓10 guests
Plus
£7/user/month
- ✓Everything in Free
- ✓Unlimited file uploads
- ✓30-day page history
- ✓100 guests
Business
£12/user/month
- ✓Everything in Plus
- ✓SAML SSO
- ✓90-day page history
- ✓250 guests
Enterprise
Custom
- ✓Everything in Business
- ✓Advanced security
- ✓Audit log
- ✓Unlimited page history
Not sure which to pick?
Our team has implemented both Breathe and Notion for clients. We can help you decide based on your specific needs.
Breathe Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Designed specifically for UK SMEs
- •Very simple and quick to set up
- •Affordable pricing
- •Good holiday and absence management
- •UK-based support team
✗Cons
- •Limited features beyond core HR
- •No recruitment tools
- •Reporting is basic
- •Mobile app is limited
- •Not suitable for companies over 250 employees
Notion Pros and Cons
✓Pros
- •Extremely flexible and customisable
- •Beautiful, clean interface
- •Combine docs, databases, and wikis
- •Active template community
- •Good free plan
✗Cons
- •Not a dedicated CRM (requires building your own)
- •No automation without third-party tools
- •No email integration by default
- •Can become slow with large databases
- •Learning curve for advanced features
Our Verdict: Breathe vs Notion
Both Breathe and Notion are solid options, but they serve different needs. Having implemented both for multiple clients, here is our recommendation:
Choose Breathe if you need UK SMEs wanting simple, affordable HR software for holiday and absence management. With a starting price of From £13/month and a rating of 4/5, it offers designed specifically for uk smes.
Choose Notion if you need Teams wanting a flexible workspace that can be moulded into a custom CRM. Starting at £0/month with a 4.4/5 rating, it excels at extremely flexible and customisable.
Still not sure? Talk to the Ikaroa team. We have helped hundreds of businesses make this exact decision, and we are happy to point you in the right direction.
🎁 Get either product at a discount through Ikaroa Partners
Consider Open Doors Instead
Why choose between Breathe and Notion? Open Doors gives you the best features of both in one platform, for less. It is an all-in-one CRM with email marketing, SMS, funnels, booking, invoicing, automation, and more, starting at just £97/month with unlimited contacts.
Need implementation help?
Ikaroa can set up Breathe or Notion for your business, migrate your data, and train your team. We have done it dozens of times.
Free consultation. No obligation.