A BrightHR alternative for teams that just need time and rotas

BrightHR bundles HR software, advice and its Blip clocking-in app on a per-employee subscription. If what you actually need day to day is clock-in, rotas, holiday and payroll-ready hours, WagePilot does that for a flat price per site, with unlimited staff.

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The bill, side by side

Here's what a clocking-in team of ten typically pays. WagePilot is flat per site with staff never charged per head. Hiring never moves the bill, so the price only changes if you open another venue.

WagePilot

Flat

£29 /site, per month

Unlimited staff · clock-in and payroll export included.

Hiring never moves it

BrightHR

quote, per employee

Per employee, HR suite bundle · team of 10.

Priced per their model above

Indicative entry-level figures for a clocking-in team of ten, as of June 2026. Tiers change. Always check current pricing. We compare on pricing model, not a "cheapest" claim.

See the full flat pricing

WagePilot vs BrightHR, line by line

The honest head-to-head: where WagePilot is the better fit, and where it isn't.

Feature	WagePilot	BrightHR
Pricing model	Flat per site, never per head	Per employee, minimum applies
Cost for a team of 10	£29 (1 site)	Quote-based, per employee
Geofenced / QR clock-in	Included	Blip app
Live labour-cost board	Live, ticking total	Reporting
Estimated gross pay and NMW checks	Built in	Not the focus
HR advice line, contracts, H&S	No	Yes, its core strength
Runs payroll	No, exports to yours	Separate product
Best for	Shift teams needing time + rotas	Firms wanting HR advice + software

Prices and features as of June 2026. Tiers change, so always check current figures. We compare on pricing model, not a "cheapest" claim.

Why teams pick WagePilot

Flat per-site pricing with unlimited staff, not a per-employee HR bundle
Live labour cost and estimated gross pay as shifts happen
UK holiday in hours, NMW checks and payroll-ready exports in one place

When BrightHR might suit you better

If you want an HR advice line, employment contracts and health and safety support in the same subscription, BrightHR is built for that and WagePilot is not. WagePilot is the better fit when the daily problem is who worked when, what it costs and what goes to payroll.

Worked cost example: a café that grows

The same business over a year: 10 staff on one site, then 25, then a second site and 40 staff. What WagePilot costs at each step, and how BrightHR’s bill moves.

Month 1: 10 staff, 1 site: WagePilot £29 a month
Month 6: 25 staff, 1 site: WagePilot £29 a month
Month 12: 40 staff, 2 sites: WagePilot £58 a month
BrightHR over the same year: Per employee as an HR suite, so it rises with headcount
Clock-in (GPS, QR, kiosk) on WagePilot: Included on every plan

WagePilot figures are its published October 2026 prices. The rival line describes its pricing model only, not a quote: tiers and add-ons change, so check their current pricing for your team. WagePilot estimates pay for your payroll; it does not run payroll.

The cost as you grow

Per-seat pricing means every hire nudges the bill up. With WagePilot it stays flat. Here's the gap as the team grows.

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What you'd pay as your team grows: a typical per-seat tool vs WagePilot's flat price
Your team	Typical per-seat tool	WagePilot
3 staff	~£12/mo	Free · 1 site
25 staff	~£100/mo	£29 · 1 site
50 staff	~£200/mo	£29 · 1 site
80 staff	~£320/mo	£58 · 2 sites
150 staff	~£600/mo	£87 · 3 sites
200 staff	~£800/mo	£145 · 5 sites

Per-seat figures assume a typical ~£4/user/month all-in rate (many tools sit £3–£6/user). Indicative, for illustration.

Compare with other tools

vs Deputy vs RotaCloud vs When I Work vs Planday vs Connecteam vs Findmyshift vs 7shifts vs Homebase vs Bizimply vs Sling vs Rotaready

WagePilot vs BrightHR: your questions

Is WagePilot cheaper than BrightHR?

For shift teams that mainly need clock-in and rotas, usually yes. BrightHR is priced per employee as an HR suite, so cost grows with headcount. WagePilot is a flat £29 a month per site on Core with unlimited staff, and one small site is free. BrightHR includes HR advice WagePilot does not offer, so compare like for like.

Does WagePilot replace the Blip clocking-in app?

Yes for clocking in: WagePilot has geofenced GPS, QR poster and shared-tablet kiosk clock-in, with approvals and an audit trail. It also turns those hours into estimated gross pay and holiday for your payroll.

Can I keep BrightHR for HR and use WagePilot for time?

Yes. Plenty of owners keep an HR provider for contracts and advice and use WagePilot for rotas, clock-in and payroll-ready hours. WagePilot exports CSV for your payroll software or accountant.

Does WagePilot run payroll, tax or payslips?

No. WagePilot is pre-payroll: it records hours, holiday and breaks and produces estimated gross pay with minimum wage checks, then exports approved hours as a CSV for Xero, Sage, BrightPay, QuickBooks or your accountant. Tax, NI and payslips stay in your payroll software.

Does WagePilot track staff location all day?

No. Location is checked once at clock-in and once at clock-out against the site geofence, never continuously or in the background. A QR poster or a kiosk tablet works with no location at all.

Does WagePilot give HR or employment law advice?

No. WagePilot is a time clock, rota and pre-payroll tool. It flags working time and minimum wage issues from the hours, and links to GOV.UK guidance, but it is not an advice line. If you need one, keep an HR provider alongside it.

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