{"id":858,"date":"2024-12-19T15:52:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T15:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/articles\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:04:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:04:20","slug":"best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Best payroll software for small businesses in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Running your own payroll is a popular choice among small businesses in the UK, especially when taking on your first few employees.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll software can make paying employees, keeping records, and reporting to HMRC much quicker and easier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this guide we look at some of the best payroll software for small businesses, and discuss what you need to think about when picking which to use.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#h-what-is-payroll-software\">What is payroll software?\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#whatshouldilookforinpayrollsoftwareforsmallbusinesses\">What do you need from payroll software?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#6ofthebestsmallbusinesspayrollsoftwareintheuk\">What is the best payroll software for small businesses?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#istherefreepayrollsoftwareintheuk\">Is there free payroll software in the UK?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-payroll-software\">What is payroll software?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll software is a program that helps you manage and even automate the payments you make to your employees.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s useful for small business owners because it will help you make sure employees get paid the right amount and on time. Employees can view their payment history and easily adjust their personal information and payment preferences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can also link with your accounting software (or be part of the same solution), helping you to get a better view of your personnel costs and budget for them. It makes internal reporting and reporting to HMRC easier too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"whatshouldilookforinpayrollsoftwareforsmallbusinesses\">What should I look for in payroll software for small businesses?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When looking for payroll software, whether it\u2019s paid-for or free, you need to make sure that it&#8217;s capable of reporting to HMRC in real-time. This is known as being RTI compliant. HMRC regularly checks payroll software to evaluate whether or not it&#8217;s RTI compliant, and it keeps a list of approved software programs.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-30c80bf8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:35px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-choose-the-right-payroll-software-for-you\">How to choose the right payroll software for you<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every business will have different requirements, but in general you\u2019ll need payroll software that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">records employee details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">calculates pay and deductions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">calculates statutory pay<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">reports in real-time to HMRC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">calculates how much you need to pay HMRC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some payroll software packages have comparatively limited feature sets, and this is particularly common for free options. For example, basic payroll software might not enable you to produce payslips, deal with pension deductions and payments, or calculate payments across different periods (when you pay some employees monthly and others weekly).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6ofthebestsmallbusinesspayrollsoftwareintheuk\">6 of the best small business payroll software in the UK<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every business is different, and you should make sure you properly evaluate your options before making a decision on payroll software. Here are some of the most notable payroll software choices for small businesses in the UK, at different price points.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#xero\">Xero Payroll<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#h-quickbooks\">Quickbooks <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#kashflow\">Kashflow Payroll <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#sage\">Sage Payroll <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#h-brightpay\">BrightPay<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#freeagent\">FreeAgent<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"xero\"><strong>Xero Payroll<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xero.com\/uk\/features-and-tools\/accounting-software\/payroll\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Xero<\/a> is an extremely popular cloud-based accounting solution offering a payroll plug-in if you choose them as your accounting software provider. It offers automated payroll and self-service for employees, and is HMRC-compliant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Xero plans are available from \u00a316 a month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-quickbooks\"><strong>Quickbooks&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/quickbooks.intuit.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Quickbooks<\/a> products are aimed mainly towards small and medium sized businesses. Their wider accounting software package lets you manage payslips, pensions, and statutory pay, and make real-time submissions to HMRC. Payroll is connected to your other accounting functions too, for good visibility of your overall finances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Packages start at \u00a35 a month for sole traders and \u00a38 a month for small businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"kashflow\"><strong>KashFlow Payroll<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kashflow.com\/payroll\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">KashFlow <\/a>allows you to carry out your payroll tasks in the cloud. You can automate payroll approval and update payroll in real-time, and offer employees self-service access to their data. It also integrates with Kashflow Bookkeeping.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kashflow\u2019s core offering starts at \u00a38.75 a month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sage\"><strong>Sage Payroll<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.sageone.com\/payroll\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sage<\/a> is one of the biggest players in the accounting and bookkeeping world. It\u2019s RTI-compliant and allows you to complete payslips and manage pension deductions and more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sage\u2019s simplest payroll offering lets you pay employees and do essential HR admin, and costs \u00a310 a month. You\u2019ll have to pay \u00a320 a month to manage payroll, people, and their timesheets, or \u00a330 a month for advanced HR like shift scheduling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-brightpay\"><strong>BrightPay<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightpay.co.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">BrightPay<\/a> is a prominent payroll software provider. They have a simple but attractive interface that will seem familiar if you\u2019re used to software like Excel, and are now fully cloud-based.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The product lets multiple users work on payroll at the same time, automates and streamlines auto-enrolment tasks, and more. Prices are on a sliding scale \u2013 \u00a310.35 a month, for example, for the cloud version run by one employer for a business with five employees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"freeagent\"><strong>FreeAgent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freeagent.com\/features\/payroll\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">FreeAgent <\/a>is a fully-fledged bookkeeping and accounting solution that also comes with a payroll add-on. It\u2019s cloud-based, and also includes a mobile app which can be useful if you\u2019re on the go.<br>Remember, though, that if you want to use FreeAgent\u2019s payroll solution, you\u2019ll need to move your accounting onto their platform too. Prices start at \u00a333 a month (half price at \u00a316.50 for the first six months) or free if you have a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, or Mettle business bank account.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"istherefreepayrollsoftwareintheuk\">Is there free payroll software in the UK?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for free payroll software for your UK small business, there are a few options. As well as offering the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/basic-paye-tools\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Basic PAYE Tools<\/a> suite, HMRC has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/find-payroll-software-that-is-recognised-by-hmrc\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">list of approved free payroll software<\/a> on their website, which is worth checking out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of these are feature-limited in their free versions. Others are free only for a limited time. As with paid payroll software, it\u2019s important that you consider the specific requirements of your business before making a decision.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hmrcbasicpayetools\">HMRC Basic PAYE Tools<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/basic-paye-tools\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Basic PAYE Tools<\/a> suite is developed by HMRC itself. It\u2019s a good option if you\u2019re on an extremely tight budget and only require the basics. Plus if your payroll software is missing some functions, you can use this tool alongside it to fill any gaps.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hmrcbasicpayetools-1\"><strong>FreeAgent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like the name might suggest, you can access FreeAgent\u2019s payroll software for free with certain business banking accounts. It supposedly offers fuss-free Self Assessment and VAT filing, directly to HMRC.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>BrightPay Free<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BrightPay offers a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightpay.co.uk\/get-free-licence\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">free licence<\/a> for very small businesses with up to three employees. Keep in mind that this free version doesn\u2019t include support for CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) or employee&#8217;s expenses and benefits (including P11D).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>EnrolPay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enrolpay.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EnrolPay<\/a> offers a free version of their SmallPay software for businesses with fewer than 10 employees. This might be particularly useful if you have temporary employees, as it lets you manage flexible workers and client bookings, but offers many of the basic payroll functions too.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do you use payroll software at your small business? Do you have any recommendations? Let us know in the comments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"isyourbusinessinsured\">Is your business insured?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">We have 800,000 UK policies plus a 9\/10 satisfaction score. Why not take a look at our expert <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\" >business insurance<\/a> options &#8211; including <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/public-liability-insurance\/\">public liability insurance<\/a> and <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/professional-indemnity-insurance\/\">professional indemnity<\/a> &#8211; and run a quick quote to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photo: lovelyday12\/stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s the best payroll software to use in your small business? Check out our list for the best free and paid options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,110,354],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[308],"class_list":["post-858","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structure","category-business-news","category-tech"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Small business payroll software \u2013 the UK&#039;s best<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What&#039;s the best payroll software to use in your small business? Check out our list for the best free and paid options.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small business payroll software \u2013 the UK&#039;s best\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What&#039;s the best payroll software to use in your small business? 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Initially working as a journalist covering tech startups, Lucy has extensive experience writing about insurance, fintech, tax and financial services for brands including Moneycorp and Muse Finance. Lucy has also supported a number of small businesses with their marketing, across industries as diverse as engineering and management consulting. <a href=\\\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lucyengland\/\u201c target=\\\">Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn.<\/a>\"},\"headline\":\"Best payroll software for small businesses in the UK\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T15:52:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-22T13:04:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/\"},\"wordCount\":1160,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/07\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Business structure\",\"Small business news\",\"Tech\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/\",\"name\":\"Small business payroll software \u2013 the UK's best\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/tech\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/07\/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses-uk.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-19T15:52:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-22T13:04:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"What's the best payroll software to use in your small business? 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