From HMRC Basic PAYE Tools to QuickBooks, payroll starting points with their use-case limits

There is no defensible "best payroll software" without a customer scenario. This list offers six research starting points whose current HMRC or supplier pages were checked on 5 September 2026. Inclusion is not endorsement, and no product was independently tested for this draft.

Inclusion method

Each entry appeared on HMRC's live recognised software directory or is HMRC's own tool, and had a current first-party page describing UK payroll capability. Buyers must verify the exact product, plan, price and tax-year status before purchase.

1. HMRC Basic PAYE Tools

The official Basic PAYE Tools page describes free software for employers with fewer than ten employees. It can calculate tax and National Insurance and send information to HMRC, but is not designed for agents or bookkeepers. HMRC also publishes current operating-system requirements and update information.

Investigate it for a very small employer with simple needs. Check pensions, payslips, collaboration, backup and the live service-issues page separately.

2. BrightPay

BrightPay's current product comparison distinguishes cloud and desktop configurations and lists PAYE submissions, automatic enrolment functions and named integrations. Verify which edition, operating model and pension connections apply to the employer.

This is a plausible research candidate for employer and bureau contexts, but supplier claims require testing and current contractual evidence.

3. Sage payroll products

Sage's UK payroll overview describes several products for different sizes and complexity, including employer, professional and higher-volume settings. Do not attribute a Sage 50, cloud or enterprise feature to every edition.

Shortlist only the product matching the scenario, then obtain its plan limits, migration process, support and full price.

4. Xero Payroll

Xero's payroll features page describes HMRC reporting, pay frequencies, workplace pensions, reporting, employee self-service and integration with Xero accounting. Some connections and plan allowances may be specific.

It may suit an employer already evaluating the wider accounting platform. Compare the whole subscription and required add-ons, not payroll in isolation.

5. QuickBooks Payroll

Intuit's UK payroll page describes HMRC submissions, statutory payments, accounting integration, pension options and employee self-service. Its plan comparison shows that some pension, time and user capabilities differ by tier.

Test the precise Core, Premium or Elite configuration against the scenario and capture the current price terms.

6. FreeAgent Payroll

FreeAgent's payroll feature page presents payroll integrated with its accounting product, including RTI submission, payslips, P60s, pension calculations and reports. Its support material records circumstances where payroll functionality is unavailable.

Check account type, pay frequency, pension workflow and every required employee situation before shortlisting.

The comparison should continue with controlled dummy data, parallel calculations, pension-file acceptance, support testing, privacy review and a complete export. A named product belongs on the final shortlist only when its current evidence fits the employer's real workflow.

How to narrow these six

Remove any entry that cannot support an essential pay frequency, employee case or pension workflow. For the remaining tools, choose the exact edition and build a twelve-month cost using identical employee and payroll assumptions. Keep promotional prices separate from normal renewal cost.

Run the same scripted demonstration with every supplier. Include a starter, variable pay, statutory case, leaver, corrected input and failed pension or submission response. Note which actions the presenter performs and which an ordinary operator can repeat without intervention.

Investigate data roles, sub-processors, administrator access, service incidents, restoration and contract exit. Test whether a complete export contains the history needed for another system. Check support at the times the employer actually runs payroll.

Publish the final result as "best for the tested scenario", with exclusions and unknowns beside the conclusion. A product page can change after research, while the employer can add a new pay group or pension provider. Set an evidence expiry date and rerun decisive checks before implementation.