Sage HR vs Access PeopleHR
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Sage HR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Australia
- South Africa
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Access PeopleHR
HR Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Australia
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.1 against 4.0. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | Sage HR | Access PeopleHR |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £5/user/month | £3/user/month |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 296 reviews | 236 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- Sage HR
- Access PeopleHR
| Dimension | Sage HR | Access PeopleHR | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 to Sage HR |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 to Sage HR |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 to Sage HR |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 to Sage HR |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage HR | 44% (131 reviews) | 34% (101 reviews) | 13% (39 reviews) | 5% (16 reviews) | 3% (9 reviews) |
| Access PeopleHR | 42% (99 reviews) | 32% (76 reviews) | 14% (32 reviews) | 9% (22 reviews) | 3% (7 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 638%
- Only Sage HR
- 638%
- Only Access PeopleHR
- 425%
16 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Sage HR
6- Connects to Sage Payroll
- Employee self service
- Expense claims
- Mobile app for managers and staff
+ 2 more in the table below
Access PeopleHR
4- Access ecosystem integration
- Document management
- Employee self serve
- Onboarding
Showing 16 of 16 features
| Detail | Sage HR | Access PeopleHR |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 10 | ||
| Connects to Sage Payroll | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee self service | YesYes | NoNo |
| Expense claims | YesYes | NoNo |
| Mobile app for managers and staff | YesYes | NoNo |
| Shift scheduling | YesYes | NoNo |
| Timesheets | YesYes | NoNo |
| Access ecosystem integration | NoNo | YesYes |
| Document management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee self serve | NoNo | YesYes |
| Onboarding | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 6 | ||
| Applicant tracking | YesYes | YesYes |
| Employee database | YesYes | YesYes |
| Leave and absence management | YesYes | YesYes |
| Org chart | YesYes | YesYes |
| Performance management | YesYes | YesYes |
| Reporting and analytics | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | Sage HR | Access PeopleHR |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| Pension auto-enrolment | NoNo | Not listedNot listed |
| Data residency | Not stated | United Kingdom |
| UK-based support | Telephone support from Sage UK | UK support team |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
Sage HR
Access PeopleHR
Core Sage HR and Leave Management
£5/user/month
- Leave management
- Employee database
- Mobile app
Starter
£3/user/monthLower
- Core HR records
- Leave management
- Employee self serve
Performance management
£2.50/user/monthLower
- Add on module
- Goals and reviews
- 1:1 feedback
Core
£5.50/user/month
- Performance management
- More reporting
- Everything in Starter
Timesheets
£2.50/user/monthLower
- Add on module
- Time tracking
- Approvals
Pro
£8/user/month
- Applicant tracking
- Advanced reporting
- Everything in Core
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose Sage HR if
- It lists 6 features Access PeopleHR does not, including connects to sage payroll.
Choose Access PeopleHR if
- It costs less to get started — £3/user/month against £5/user/month.
- It lists 4 features Sage HR does not, including access ecosystem integration.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 2 of them against 1.
Sage HR and Access PeopleHR both suit growing UK businesses, with Sage HR modular and Access PeopleHR offering graduated per employee tiers with strong applicant tracking. Access PeopleHR connects to a wider finance ecosystem, Sage HR to Sage Payroll. Model the per employee cost against your headcount before deciding.
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