Best Appraisal Software in the UK (2026 Buyer's Guide)

There is no single best appraisal software, only the best fit for your organisation's size, budget and how much of an HR system you actually need. This guide compares six options UK teams commonly shortlist, explains how each is priced, and helps you decide in an afternoon rather than a quarter.

The short answer

• You want appraisals and 360 feedback without buying an HR system: Appraisal Software.
• You want an all-in-one HR system for a small UK business, with basic reviews included: Breathe or CharlieHR.
• You're a mid-sized or public-sector organisation wanting a dedicated performance platform with continuous check-ins: Appraisd or Clear Review.
• You're a fast-growing, US-style tech company wanting performance, engagement and OKRs in one place: Lattice.

How we compared them

We looked at the things UK buyers ask about most:

1. Who it suits: team size and how much HR you need beyond appraisals
2. Pricing model: per user, per headcount band or per workspace, plus minimum spend
3. 360 feedback: whether anonymous multi-rater feedback is included and how anonymity is protected
4. Set-up effort: how quickly a small team can run its first review cycle
5. UK fit: GDPR, UK terminology and UK-based support

Comparison at a glance

Appraisal Software

Best for: UK organisations that want a proper appraisal and 360 process without buying or migrating to a full HR system.

Appraisal Software focuses on one job: running review cycles well. Employees complete a self-appraisal, managers complete theirs, and the results show both perspectives side by side — with a radar chart, the areas where views differ, and a PDF you can take into the meeting. Anonymous 360 feedback combines reviewers' answers and only releases results once at least five people have responded.

• Pricing: Free for up to 10 active employees. Pro is £39.99 a month per workspace (75 employees, anonymous 360), Organisation is £89.99 a month (250 employees). Prices exclude VAT; annual billing gives two months free.
• Strengths: Fast to set up, flat pricing that doesn't grow with every hire, ready-made templates, and results designed for the review conversation.
• Trade-offs: It isn't an HR system — no payroll, absence or document management. If you need those in one place, look at Breathe or CharlieHR.

Start free or see how it works.

Breathe

Best for: Small UK businesses that want core HR — employee records, holidays, absence and documents — with performance reviews as part of the package.

Breathe is a well-known UK HR system for small businesses. Performance features sit within its core HR plan, alongside its main strengths in holiday and absence management.

• Pricing: Monthly plans by employee headcount band, with add-ons such as recruitment and rota management sold separately.
• Strengths: A broad HR toolkit for the price, UK-focused, popular with small businesses.
• Trade-offs: Appraisals are one module among many, so the review experience is less specialised than a dedicated tool.

CharlieHR

Best for: Small, people-first UK teams that want a friendly all-in-one HR tool.

CharlieHR covers onboarding, time off and employee records, with performance and feedback features included.

• Pricing: Monthly subscription by team-size bracket, with optional recruitment and HR advice add-ons. Prices exclude VAT.
• Strengths: Simple and approachable, built for small UK companies.
• Trade-offs: As with Breathe, performance reviews aren't the core focus; teams wanting structured appraisal cycles and in-depth results may outgrow it.

Appraisd

Best for: Mid-sized and public-sector organisations that want a dedicated performance platform with regular check-ins.

Appraisd is a UK performance management platform supporting appraisals, check-ins, objectives and 360 feedback.

• Pricing: Its G-Cloud price list sets per-user annual fees starting at £72 per user per year for the first 100 users, falling at higher volumes, with a minimum order of £3,150.
• Strengths: Purpose-built for performance management, with UK public-sector procurement routes.
• Trade-offs: The minimum order makes it a significant commitment for a small team running a single annual cycle.

Clear Review

Best for: Larger organisations moving to continuous performance management.

Clear Review (now part of Advanced, sold as Performance & Talent) focuses on regular conversations, objectives and feedback rather than a once-a-year review.

• Pricing: Annual tiers by user count. Its G-Cloud price list starts at £5,470 a year for the Starter tier, which includes 85 users.
• Strengths: A mature continuous-performance approach, suited to organisations changing how they manage performance.
• Trade-offs: Priced and scoped for larger organisations; more than a small team needs for an annual appraisal.

Lattice

Best for: Fast-growing tech companies wanting performance, engagement surveys and goals in one platform.

Lattice is a popular US performance and engagement platform with reviews, 1:1s, goals and surveys.

• Pricing: Per seat per month, billed annually in US dollars, with modules sold separately and an annual minimum reported by third-party sources.
• Strengths: A rich feature set and polished product, strong for scaling companies.
• Trade-offs: US-centric, priced in dollars, and the annual minimum and modular pricing add up for small UK teams.

How to choose

Start with what you actually need

Write down the problem you're solving. "Our appraisals live in Word documents and nobody finishes them" needs a focused appraisal tool. "We have no HR system at all" needs an HR system. Buying an HR suite to fix appraisals often means paying for, and migrating to, far more than you need.

Check how the price grows

Per-user pricing is fair at small sizes but grows with every hire. Headcount bands jump at thresholds. Flat per-workspace pricing is easiest to budget. Model your price at today's headcount and at double it.

Test the review conversation, not just the forms

The value of an appraisal is the conversation it prepares. During a trial, run one real self-appraisal and manager review and look at the results: can you see where views differ? Would you take this into the meeting?

Be clear about 360 anonymity

If you plan to run 360 feedback, ask how anonymity works. Look for a minimum number of reviewers before results are shown, and results that combine reviewers rather than listing them individually.

Confirm UK GDPR basics

Appraisals contain personal data. Ask where data is hosted, who can access responses, and how long results are kept.

Frequently asked questions

What is appraisal software?

Appraisal software replaces paper or spreadsheet reviews with an online process: employees and managers complete structured forms, the system tracks who has finished, and the results are kept together for the review meeting and future cycles.

Is there free appraisal software in the UK?

Yes. Appraisal Software is free for up to 10 active employees, with no card required. Most HR systems offer free trials rather than a free plan.

Do I need an HR system to run appraisals?

No. If your main need is appraisals and 360 feedback, a focused tool is usually quicker to set up and cheaper. Choose an HR system if you also need absence, payroll integration and employee records in one place.

What's the difference between appraisal software and performance management software?

The terms overlap. Appraisal software usually centres on structured review cycles, such as annual or probation reviews. Performance management platforms add continuous check-ins, objectives and engagement tools.

Ready to try a calmer appraisal process? Start Free — free for up to 10 people, no card required — or browse ready-made templates.