Best payroll software in the UK (October 2026)
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We ranked payroll tools for businesses in the UK on PAYE, National Insurance, RTI coverage, BACS payments, and what you actually pay for a 10-person team.
The ranking
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1
Sage Payroll
by Sage · Payroll softwareBest free start for small teamsUK cloud payroll that sends RTI submissions to HMRC each pay run and manages workplace pension auto-enrolment.
Pros
- Covers PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, Auto-enrolment
- One-month free trial
- Local company with support in the UK
Cons
- No drawbacks found in our data
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2
Deel
by Deel · Employer of recordBest for hiring in the UK without a local companyGlobal employer of record: Deel legally employs your staff in the country and runs their payroll and statutory deductions, so you need no local company.
Pros
- Covers PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, Auto-enrolment as the legal employer
Cons
- Priced per employee in US dollars
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3
Remote
by Remote · Employer of recordBest for hiring in the UK without a local companyGlobal employer of record and contractor platform: Remote employs your staff in the country and handles payroll and statutory deductions.
Pros
- Covers PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, Auto-enrolment as the legal employer
Cons
- Priced per employee in US dollars
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4
BrightPay Cloud
by BrightPay · Payroll softwareBest for outsourced or multi-country payrollUK payroll moving fully to the cloud for 2026/27, with annual and monthly plans priced by a calculator.
PAYE: check on siteNational Insurance: check on siteRTI: check on siteAuto-enrolment: check on siteBACS payments: check on sitePros
- Free trial
- Desktop version discontinued after 5 April 2026
Cons
- PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, Auto-enrolment: check on BrightPay Cloud's site
- Prices on request only
Compare all in a table
| Rank | Product | Score | 10 staff (GBP/month) | Free plan or trial | Statutory (of 4) | BACS payments | Type | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sage Payroll | 86 | 24 | Yes | 4 | Not confirmed | Own payroll | Visit site |
| 2 | Deel | 48 | 4,527 | No | 4 | Not confirmed | Employer of record | Visit site |
| 3 | Remote | 48 | 5,282 | No | 4 | Not confirmed | Employer of record | Visit site |
| 4 | BrightPay Cloud | 24 | On request | Yes | 0 | Not confirmed | Own payroll | Visit site |
Tap a column heading to sort; the rank column keeps our order. Prices in other currencies converted at 0.7557 GBP per USD (2026-10-09).
Find my best match
Four questions, your top 3. We don't ask for your name, email or phone.
What a 10-person business would pay
A small business in the UK with 10 staff, paying salaries monthly. Employer-of-record prices are shown for comparison; they also take on the legal employment of your staff.
| Product | Plan used | Vendor price | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sage Payroll | Essentials: £12 + 5 extra employees at £2.40 | GBP 24 | GBP 24 | GBP 288 |
| Deel | Employer of Record, 10 employees | USD 5,990 | GBP 4,527 | GBP 54,320 |
| Remote | Employer of Record, 10 employees | USD 6,990 | GBP 5,282 | GBP 63,388 |
| BrightPay Cloud | Price on request | |||
How to choose payroll software in the UK
Check every statutory item. Payroll in the UK must handle PAYE, National Insurance, RTI, Auto-enrolment. 3 of the 4 ranked products confirm all of them. Check any payslip with our take-home pay calculator 2026/27.
Employer of record or your own payroll? With a registered company you run payroll yourself, from from gbp 12 per month, excl. vat with Sage Payroll. Without one, an employer of record such as Deel or Remote employs staff for you at USD 599–699 per employee per month.
How salaries are paid. 0 of 4 ranked products confirm BACS payments.
Published prices. 3 of 4 publish prices. For quote-only products, ask for the cost per employee in writing.
Score parts: Statutory coverage, BACS payments, Pricing transparency, Value for 10 staff, Free plan or trial, Local presence, Runs your own payroll. Commissions are never part of it. Full method.
Questions
What is the cheapest payroll software in the UK?
In our data, Sage Payroll costs the least for a 10-person team: GBP 24 a month (Essentials: £12 + 5 extra employees at £2.40).
Do I need an employer of record?
Only if you employ staff in the UK without your own registered company there. With a company, local payroll software is far cheaper.
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