Comparing providers

What If HR or Peninsula? An honest comparison for small businesses

Based in Caterham, Surrey, and working across London, the South East and the UK.

The short answer. Peninsula is one of the largest HR and health and safety providers in the UK, with a 24/7 advice line and insurance-backed legal cover. What If HR is a small consultancy: one named consultant who knows your business, prices on the website and a three-month trial. If you want advice at 2am or insurance against tribunal awards, Peninsula may suit you better. If you want someone who knows your team and no long contract, we are built for that.

Book a free 20-minute call See the side by side

Side by side

What If HRPeninsula

PriceOn the website: from £150 a month + VAT, priced by team sizeNo prices on its website. The Pricing link opens a request-a-quote form

Who you speak toOne named consultant who knows your business and your teamA 24/7 advice line: "24/7 unlimited advice, day or night"

Contract length and renewalA three-month trial with no exit fee. Then Advisory runs monthly with one month's notice; the Outsourced HR team runs for 6 or 12 monthsNot published on its UK website. Ask for the initial term, how it renews and the notice period in writing before you sign

Price risesFees are fixed in your written specification. Our terms have no automatic yearly riseNot published on its UK website. Ask how and when the fee can rise

Insurance for tribunal awardsNo. We are HR specialists, not an insurer or a law firm, and we tell you when you need a solicitorOffers legal expenses insurance (Super Protect)

Size30+ businesses helped since 2020, based in Caterham, SurreyThe Peninsula Group says 150,000 businesses and organisations subscribe to its services worldwide

Peninsula's side is taken from its own website and published terms, checked on 30 September 2026. Terms change, so ask for the current version before you sign. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

BrightHR, the HR software, is part of the Peninsula Group, so comparing What If HR with BrightHR is largely the same comparison.

When Peninsula may suit you better

You want advice at any hour, including nights and weekends.
You want insurance that can pay tribunal awards and legal costs.
You want HR software, health and safety and wellbeing from one large supplier.

When What If HR is the better fit

You want the same named person every time, who knows your team.
You want to see the price before the first call.
You want to try it for three months before you commit.
You want help doing the work, not only advice on the phone: letters drafted, meetings attended, your HR inbox answered.

See the plans and prices

Six questions to ask any HR provider before you sign

Whoever you choose, get the answers in writing. They matter more than the monthly fee.

Ask us all six on a free 20-minute call

How long is the first term, and does it renew automatically?
How much notice do I need to give, and by when?
How and when can the price go up?
What does it cost to leave early?
Will I speak to the same person each time?
What is included, and what is charged on top?

Straight answers

Questions owners ask us

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Is What If HR cheaper than Peninsula?

It depends on your team size and what you need, and Peninsula does not publish prices to compare against. Ours are on the website: Advisory from £150 a month + VAT, priced by team size. Get a written quote from both and compare the total over the full contract term, including any renewal and price rises.

Can I switch to What If HR while I am still in a contract with Peninsula?

Yes, but check your notice date first. Some provider contracts need notice months before the end of the term. Send us the dates and we will plan the handover around them, so you are not paying twice for longer than you need to.

Do you offer a 24/7 advice line?

No. We work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and we reply the same working day. If you need advice at night or weekends as a matter of course, a national provider may suit you better.

Do you provide insurance for tribunal awards?

No. We are HR specialists, not an insurer or a law firm. We help you get the process right so claims are less likely, support you through Acas and a claim, and tell you when you need a solicitor.