Natural HR (now part of Moorepay/Zellis) is a UK-built HR platform tightly integrated with Moorepay’s payroll bureau — but its quote-based pricing and payroll-centric focus leave many teams overpaying for features they do not use.
If your team uses Natural HR mainly for leave tracking, you are paying for a broader HR and payroll infrastructure that goes beyond what leave management requires. The most common reasons teams look for a Natural HR alternative are the opaque, quote-based pricing that makes budgeting difficult, the tight coupling to Moorepay payroll (less useful if you use Xero, Sage, or another provider), and the absence of Slack or Microsoft Teams integration for in-chat leave workflows.
This guide evaluates six alternatives to Natural HR’s leave management module. We compare each on pricing, UK compliance, integrations, and ease of use — so you can find the tool that matches what your team actually needs.
Key Takeaways
- Natural HR pricing is opaque — quote-based pricing makes it hard to budget or compare.
- Tightly coupled to Moorepay payroll — less useful if you use a different payroll provider.
- Leave Balance offers the best value — GBP £8/month flat rate with Slack and Teams integration.
- No Slack or Microsoft Teams integration — employees must use the Natural HR portal.
- Purpose-built beats general-purpose — for leave management, dedicated tools outperform broader HR suites.
Why Teams Look for Natural HR Alternatives for Leave Management
Natural HR covers core HR, absence management, time and attendance, performance reviews, and recruitment — all tightly integrated with Moorepay/Zellis payroll. That integration is genuinely useful if you are already a Moorepay client.
But leave management within Natural HR reflects its payroll-centric focus. Teams report several pain points:
- Opaque pricing — Natural HR uses quote-based pricing, making it impossible to compare costs without a sales conversation
- Moorepay dependency — the platform is best suited for businesses already using Moorepay/Zellis for payroll; if you use Xero, Sage, or another provider, much of the value is lost
- No Slack or Microsoft Teams integration — employees must use the Natural HR portal to manage leave
- Dated user interface — the UI shows its age compared with newer HR platforms
- Limited reporting customisation — reporting capabilities lag behind modern HRIS platforms
What to Look for in a Natural HR Alternative
Key criteria for UK businesses:
- Pricing transparency — published pricing you can evaluate before a sales conversation
- Payroll independence — does the tool work with your existing payroll provider?
- Integrations — does it work with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Xero, or Sage?
- Setup time — can you be operational in hours, or does it take weeks?
- UK compliance — support for Working Time Regulations, statutory leave, and SSP requirements
With that framework in mind, here are the six best alternatives to Natural HR for leave management in 2026.
1. Leave Balance — Best Overall Alternative for Leave-Only Teams
Leave Balance is a dedicated leave management tool built for teams that need leave tracking without the complexity of a full HR platform. It is the only flat-rate leave management tool with native Slack and Microsoft Teams integration.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly | GBP £8/month (flat) |
| Annual | GBP £80/year (£6.67/mo) |
That price covers unlimited employees and unlimited leave policies. No per-seat fees, no minimum spend, no hidden charges. A 50-person team pays GBP £8/month — the same as a 200-person team.
Key Features
- Slack and Microsoft Teams integration — employees request leave, managers approve, and balances update without leaving the chat app
- Unlimited custom leave policies — configure annual leave, sick leave, bank holidays, and any custom entitlements
- Team calendar — real-time visibility into who is off today, this week, or any date range
- Analytics and reporting — leave trends, utilisation rates, and exportable data for payroll
- Multi-country support — manage leave across the UK, EU, and other regions from one account
- 15-minute setup — connect Slack or Teams, add employees, configure policies, and go
UK Compliance
Leave Balance supports configurable leave policies that align with Working Time Regulations 1998, including statutory annual leave entitlements (5.6 weeks / 28 days for full-time workers), bank holiday management, and pro-rata calculations for part-time employees.
Limitations
Leave Balance is not a full HR platform. It does not include payroll processing, onboarding, performance management, or document storage. If you need those capabilities, a broader tool is more appropriate.
Why It Is the Top Pick
For UK SMEs that already have payroll sorted and primarily need leave tracking, Leave Balance covers the core requirement at a fraction of Natural HR’s cost — with transparent pricing and no sales conversation required.
Best for: Office-based teams of 10 to 200 employees that use Slack or Microsoft Teams and want dedicated leave management without paying for a full HR suite.
2. People HR — Best for UK Teams Wanting Affordable HR with Payroll
People HR (formerly Access People HR) is a UK-focused HR platform with four pricing tiers covering absence management, performance, and payroll.
Pricing
| Plan | Price (GBP) |
|---|---|
| Starter | £3/employee/mo |
| Core | £5.50/employee/mo |
| Pro | £8/employee/mo |
| Elite+ | £9.50/employee/mo |
For a 30-person team on the Starter plan, approximately GBP £90 per month.
Key Features
- Absence management with statutory leave calculations
- Employee self-service portal
- HMRC-compliant reporting
- Performance management and 1:1 tracking
- Mobile app
Limitations
People HR uses per-employee pricing, so costs scale with headcount. No Slack or Microsoft Teams integration for leave requests. Reporting is basic compared with enterprise HRIS platforms.
Best for: UK SMEs that want an affordable all-in-one HR platform with absence management and HMRC compliance.
3. Charlie HR — Best for UK Teams Wanting a Simple HR Platform
Charlie HR is a UK-built HR platform designed for small businesses. It covers employee records, leave management, onboarding, and performance in a clean interface.
Pricing
| Team Size | Estimated Cost (GBP) |
|---|---|
| 1–5 employees | ~GBP £50/mo |
| 10 employees | ~GBP £70/mo |
| 25 employees | ~GBP £120/mo |
Key Features
- Leave management with custom policies and accrual rules
- Employee records and document management
- Onboarding checklists
- Performance review tools
Limitations
No Slack or Microsoft Teams integration. Pricing scales with employee count. Leave management is secondary to the broader HR platform.
Best for: Very small UK businesses (under 25 employees) that want a simple, affordable HR platform.
4. Timetastic — Best Budget Option for Simple Leave Tracking
Timetastic is a UK-based leave tracker known for simplicity and low per-user pricing.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | GBP £1.30/user/mo |
For a 30-person team, approximately GBP £39 per month.
Key Features
- Simple leave request and approval workflow
- Wall chart calendar for team absence visibility
- Allowance management and basic reporting
Limitations
No Slack or Teams integration. Reporting is basic. No multi-country support.
Best for: Very small UK teams (under 6 employees) that need basic leave tracking.
5. Calamari — Best for Teams Needing Time Tracking Integration
Calamari offers leave tracking and clock-in/clock-out time tracking with UK compliance support.
Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Leave Management | GBP £2.50/user/mo |
| Leave + Time | GBP £4.15/user/mo |
For a 30-person team, approximately GBP £75–125 per month.
Key Features
- Leave request and approval workflows
- Time tracking with clock-in/clock-out
- Slack and Google Workspace integration
- Team calendar and absence reports
Limitations
Slack integration handles notifications but not full in-chat workflows. Per-user pricing scales with headcount.
Best for: Teams that need both leave management and time tracking.
6. Personio — Best for Growing UK Companies Needing a Full HRIS
Personio is a European HR platform popular with UK and EU companies.
Pricing
Per-employee pricing, approximately GBP £120–240 per month for a 30-person team.
Key Features
- Leave management with configurable policies
- Recruiting and applicant tracking
- Onboarding automation
- Performance reviews
- Payroll preparation
Limitations
Full HRIS means leave-only teams overpay. No Slack or Teams integration for leave workflows.
Best for: Growing UK and EU companies (50–500 employees) that need a comprehensive HRIS.
Pricing Comparison at a Glance
| Tool | 30-Person Monthly Cost (GBP) | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|
| Leave Balance | GBP £8/mo | Flat rate, unlimited users |
| Timetastic | GBP £39/mo | Per user |
| People HR | ~GBP £90/mo | Per employee |
| Calamari | ~GBP £75–125/mo | Per user, 10-user min |
| Charlie HR | ~GBP £120/mo | Per business, thresholds |
| Personio | ~GBP £120–240/mo | Per employee, custom |
| Natural HR | Quote-based (opaque) | Per employee, quote |
Leave Balance’s flat-rate pricing is the most affordable option at every team size. At 50 employees, the gap widens — Leave Balance remains GBP £8/month while Natural HR and Personio reach GBP £200+/month.
How to Choose the Right Natural HR Alternative
You mainly used Natural HR for leave tracking
Choose Leave Balance. You will save significantly and get a better leave management experience with Slack and Teams integration. Setup takes 15 minutes.
You need an affordable HR platform with payroll
Choose People HR. If you want absence management, HMRC compliance, and payroll in one platform, People HR offers transparent per-employee pricing from GBP £3/employee/mo.
You need a simple HR platform with leave management
Choose Charlie HR. If you want employee records, onboarding, and performance management alongside leave, Charlie offers a clean UK-focused experience.
You want the cheapest per-user option for a very small team
Consider Timetastic for teams under 6 employees. Above that, Leave Balance’s flat-rate pricing becomes cheaper.
You need leave tracking plus time tracking
Evaluate Calamari. If clock-in/clock-out is a requirement alongside leave management, Calamari covers both.
You need a comprehensive HRIS with recruiting
Evaluate Personio. If recruiting and onboarding are equally important as leave management, Personio covers the full employee lifecycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate my leave data from Natural HR?
Most teams export their current leave balances from Natural HR and set starting balances in the new tool. Leave Balance supports bulk employee onboarding via CSV upload, which makes migration straightforward.
Do I still need payroll software if I switch to a leave-only tool?
Yes. Leave Balance handles leave tracking, not payroll processing. You would continue using Xero, Sage, or your existing payroll provider. Leave Balance exports leave data for payroll integration.
Is Leave Balance compliant with Working Time Regulations?
Leave Balance supports configurable leave policies that align with the Working Time Regulations 1998, including statutory annual leave (5.6 weeks), bank holidays, and pro-rata calculations for part-time employees.
How does flat-rate pricing work as my team grows?
Leave Balance costs GBP £8 per month regardless of whether you have 10 or 200 employees. There are no tier thresholds, no per-seat charges, and no minimum spend requirements.
The Bottom Line
Natural HR is a capable UK HR platform with genuine strengths in payroll integration — particularly if you are already a Moorepay/Zellis client. But for teams that primarily need leave management, the opaque pricing and payroll coupling make it an expensive, complicated choice.
The UK market now has strong alternatives that cover leave management at a fraction of the cost. For most office-based SMEs, Leave Balance offers the best combination of pricing, features, and daily usability — GBP £8/month flat, Slack and Teams integration, and a setup that takes 15 minutes.
Try Leave Balance free for 14 days — no credit card required — and see whether it covers what your team actually needs.
This article is general information, not legal advice.