What PeopleHR does

PeopleHR is a UK-headquartered, cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. Operating since 2013 and now wholly owned by Access UK Ltd as part of The Access Group, the company consolidates HR, payroll (via its Paycircle product), learning (Access Learning), employee benefits (Engage), and recruitment into a single interconnected suite branded as the Access PeopleHR Suite and powered by the Access Evo AI backbone. The platform is modular, with a tiered subscription priced at £3-£9.50 per employee per month across Starter, Core, Pro, and Elite+ tiers, all of which include the Co-Pilot AI assistant; pricing is transparently published, a 14-day free trial is offered, and an inside-sales team handles mid-market conversions. Distribution is primarily direct and digital, supplemented by integration with The Access Group's broader ecosystem.

The technical architecture supports 680,000 users globally with 1,000+ pre-built integrations, 94 REST API endpoints across 19 integration categories, 99% API uptime, ISO27001:2013 certification, AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS1.2+ in transit, and dual-region data residency at Telehouse N2 (London, for UK/EU) and Equinix SYD (Sydney, for APAC). Proprietary components include the AI Co-Pilot assistant, the Navigator Screen role-based UX, the Ripple workflow automation engine, and People Analytics drag-and-drop reporting. Customers are predominantly UK-based SMBs and mid-market firms (50-500 employees) across charities, hospitality, food and beverage, financial services, energy, manufacturing, and retail, with named logos including Ella's Kitchen, Yü Energy, Saffron Building Society, Little Moons, Responsible Finance, and Westgate Global.

Commercially, PeopleHR runs a sales-led go-to-market with inside-sales specialist calls for the Pro tier, content-led demand generation via its blog and resource library, and a strong review-presence footprint (50+ G2 badges spanning 2023-2026, Trustpilot). The company is positioned as the SMB-segment brand within The Access Group portfolio, with Access PeopleXD handling the larger-enterprise HCM tier, and there is no disclosed venture funding, external investor base, or standalone revenue figure — PeopleHR functions as a strategic operating subsidiary of a privately-held conglomerate.

Name

PeopleHR

Legal name

PeopleHR (Access UK Ltd)

Website

https://peoplehr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PeopleHR is a UK-based, cloud-based HCM platform serving small and medium-sized businesses with an AI-powered suite unifying HR, payroll, benefits, learning, and recruitment. Built on Access Evo and priced transparently at £3-£9.50 per employee per month, it serves 680,000 users worldwide as a wholly-owned brand within The Access Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud HR Software / HRIS / HCM

akta.pro primary industry

Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Core HR & HRIS (BPACAPAA)

Keywords

• Cloud HR software
• HRIS platform
• Payroll software
• Employee benefits platform
• Workforce management

Headquarters

HQ city

Epworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Per Employee Per Month: PeopleHR generates revenue primarily through a per-employee-per-month SaaS subscription model. Four pricing tiers are offered: Starter at £3/employee/month, Core at £5.50/employee/month, Pro at £8/employee/month, and Elite+ at £9.50/employee/month. All tiers include a free 14-day trial. This is a recurring subscription model with monthly billing cadence and transparent pricing, targeting SMBs with scalable pricing as headcount grows.
2. Payroll Software Solutions: Separate payroll software and payroll outsourcing services are offered as part of the integrated suite, including standalone Paycircle payroll software, AI-powered payroll, and payroll bureau software. These represent additional revenue streams within the integrated HCM platform.
3. Employee Benefits Platform (Engage): PeopleHR operates the Engage employee benefits platform as a featured product, offering UK-wide employee benefits schemes. This is presented as a separate product within the suite, representing an additional revenue stream for benefits administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PeopleHR is a cloud-based, AI-powered HR software platform that unifies core HR, payroll, recruitment, learning, and employee benefits into a single interconnected system for UK small and medium-sized businesses. The platform is delivered as a per-employee-per-month SaaS subscription across four pricing tiers and is complemented by standalone payroll (Paycircle), employee benefits (Engage), and enterprise HCM (Access PeopleXD) offerings.

Product overview

PeopleHR is an all-in-one, cloud-based HR software platform that consolidates core HR functions into a unified AI-powered system. The platform is built on Access Evo AI and offers a modular architecture with the core PeopleHR platform as the central HCM system, supplemented by specialized add-on modules including Paycircle (payroll), Engage (employee benefits), Co-Pilot AI Assistant, Navigator Screen, Absence Management Software, Applicant Tracking System, Appraisal Software, HR App, Self-Service HR, HR Reporting Software, HR Task Management, Performance Review Software, Ripple Workflow Software, and Time and Attendance Software. The PeopleHR Suite unifies HR, Payroll, Learn, Employee Benefits, and Recruitment into one interconnected platform serving small to medium-sized businesses, while Access PeopleXD addresses enterprise needs for larger organizations. Pricing tiers (Starter, Core, Pro, Elite+) provide tiered access to features, with Co-Pilot AI included across all plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paycircle: Market leading payroll software solution for SMBs
• Engage
• Navigator Screen
• Ripple
• Access PeopleXD

Products and services

• PeopleHR Core Platform (HRIS) Cloud-based HRIS platform that consolidates employee records, absence management, performance, recruitment, learning, payroll and benefits for UK small and medium-sized businesses; trusted by 680,000 users worldwide.
• Access PeopleHR Suite Unified AI-powered HCM suite combining HR Software, Payroll, Talent, Learn and Employee Benefits in one interconnected system for UK SMBs, powered by Access Evo AI.
• Paycircle Payroll Software Market-leading cloud payroll software for SMBs that integrates with PeopleHR to deliver accurate, compliant payroll processing.
• Cloud Payroll Software Built-in automated payroll software integrated with PeopleHR core HR for error-free payroll processing, RTI submissions and HMRC compliance.
• Payroll Outsourcing Services Managed payroll service in which PeopleHR runs payroll end-to-end on behalf of businesses to ensure compliant, accurate and timely pay.
• Payroll Bureau Software Payroll bureau software for accountancy and payroll service providers to manage multiple client payrolls efficiently with automated processing.
• AI-Powered Payroll AI-enhanced payroll processing that uses artificial intelligence to improve accuracy, automate calculations and reduce payroll errors within the PeopleHR platform.
• Engage Employee Benefits Platform UK employee benefits platform offering personalised benefits schemes with simplicity, flexibility and scalability for engaging employees and managing perks.
• Employee Benefits Schemes Comprehensive employee benefits package platform supporting health, dental, vision and supplemental benefits schemes for UK workforces.
• Access PeopleXD (Enterprise HCM) Scalable end-to-end HCM software for larger enterprises with complex needs, spanning the entire employee lifecycle with seamless employee experience and joined-up data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by 680,000 users worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration42 records

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PaycirclecoreTechnology or IntegrationPaycircle is a featured payroll product integrated within the PeopleHR platform, offering market-leading payroll solutions for SMBs. It is presented as a flagship product within the payroll solutions section of PeopleHR's suite.
• Engage (Employee Benefits Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationEngage is PeopleHR's comprehensive employee benefits platform, positioned as a featured product. It offers UK's most comprehensive employee benefits platform with simplicity, flexibility, and scalability, having supported businesses for over 15 years.
• Microsoft Entra IDcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) integration provides single sign-on (SSO) capability for PeopleHR users, allowing seamless authentication and access management through Microsoft's identity platform.
• OktacoreTechnology or IntegrationOkta integration provides SSO and identity management capabilities for PeopleHR, enabling secure and streamlined user authentication.
• Access LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess Learning is a complementary learning management system from The Access Group, integrated with PeopleHR for seamless training management, compliance tracking, and employee development.
• Access SAAS PayrollcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess SAAS Payroll is a cloud-based payroll solution from The Access Group, integrated with PeopleHR for comprehensive payroll processing and HR management.
• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationZapier integration enables PeopleHR to connect with thousands of other applications through no-code automation workflows, extending integration capabilities beyond native integrations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CIPHR: UK-based HR, payroll, and benefits software provider for SMB and mid-market. Closest direct UK-headquartered competitor with overlapping customer base and product scope.
• Employment Hero: Australia-origin HCM/PEO platform expanding into UK SMB and mid-market. Comparable all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits positioning with PEPM pricing.
• HiBob: Modern HRIS platform for mid-market companies. Overlaps with PeopleHR's PeopleXD positioning and competes for the same UK/European mid-market buyers with strong modern UX.
• Sage HR: Sage's HRIS offering for SMBs, bundled within the Sage Business Cloud ecosystem. Targets the same UK SMB segment with similar core HR, absence, and payroll capabilities.
• Personio: European HRIS/HCM platform targeting SMB and mid-market companies with all-in-one HR, payroll, and recruiting. Most directly comparable competitor in the UK/EMEA SMB segment.
• BambooHR: US-based HRIS/HCM platform focused on SMBs. Directly comparable in target customer (SMB), core HRIS functionality, employee self-service, and per-employee pricing model.
• Cezanne HR: UK-based HR software for mid-market and SMB customers. Overlaps on core HRIS, self-service, and analytics functionality and competes for the same UK buyers.
• BrightHR: UK HR and workforce management software for SMBs with strong rota, absence, and HR documentation features. Comparable UK SMB focus and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• ADP: Global payroll and HR services incumbent with RUN and Workforce Now products targeting SMB and mid-market. Competes with PeopleHR on payroll, HR, and benefits at the lower end of the mid-market.
• Workday: Global enterprise HCM incumbent. Sits above PeopleHR in customer size but competes for the same mid-market accounts PeopleHR targets with its PeopleXD tier.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/peoplehrms
• Facebookfacebook.com/peoplehr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peoplehr-apps

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PeopleHR