Payroll software for accountants helps firms run payroll for several clients, calculate tax and National Insurance, send information to HMRC and produce payslips.
We compared UK payroll software using features for accounting firms, pricing, ease of use and independent customer reviews. Affiliate relationships do not affect Viaqo scores or rankings.
Quick answer
Best overall: BrightPay — 95/100
BrightPay is our top choice for accounting firms that run payroll for several clients. It is easy to use, has strong client tools and receives very good independent customer reviews.
Best for Sage users: Sage Payroll — 89/100
Sage Payroll is a good choice for firms already using Sage. It gives accountants one place to see their payroll clients and connects with other Sage accounting tools.
Low-cost desktop option: Moneysoft Payroll Manager — 80/100
Moneysoft is much cheaper than many alternatives and can handle payroll for many clients. However, it only works on Windows and independent customer feedback is mixed.
Compare our top picks
| Tool | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrightPay | Overall | 95/100 | Varies |
| Sage | Sage users | 89/100 | £6.50+/mo |
| Moneysoft | Low-cost | 80/100 | £190/yr |
BrightPay cloud pricing depends on the number of employers and employees you manage. Sage’s accountant price starts at £6.50 per client per month, with extra charges for larger payrolls. Moneysoft Payroll Manager 100 costs £190 + VAT per year and supports unlimited employers with up to 100 employees per employer. Prices checked October 2026.
BrightPay — Best overall
BrightPay is payroll software for UK employers, accountants and payroll firms. From the 2026/27 tax year, BrightPay is fully online rather than desktop software.
Accounting firms can manage several payroll clients and give clients access to payroll information through an online portal. Clients can view reports, HMRC amounts and employee details, and can send payroll information back to the accountant.
Why we like it
- Made for UK payroll
- Good tools for firms managing several clients
- Client portal
- Online payslips and payroll reports
- Free phone and email support
- Strong independent customer reviews
- Now fully online
What to watch
BrightPay’s pricing is less simple than Moneysoft’s. The current cloud price changes depending on how many employers and employees you manage, so firms need to use BrightPay’s calculator to see their own cost.
The move from the old desktop product to BrightPay Cloud is also important for existing users: desktop support ended after the 2025/26 tax year.
Customer reviews
Bright has a 4.0/5 Trustpilot score from more than 830 reviews. Many recent customers praise the support team and say BrightPay is easy to use.
However, some recent reviews mention problems with the move from desktop to cloud, higher prices and slower support in some cases. Because the Trustpilot profile covers the wider Bright business, we treat it as useful customer feedback rather than a BrightPay-only rating.
Viaqo score: 95/100
Sage Payroll — Best for Sage users
Sage Payroll is especially useful for firms already using Sage for accounting or client management.
The Payroll Bureau Dashboard lets firms see their payroll clients in one place. It also supports RTI submissions, pension auto-enrolment, HMRC notices and payroll reporting.
Why we like it
- Good fit for firms already using Sage
- Payroll clients shown in one dashboard
- RTI submissions
- Pension auto-enrolment
- Online payslips
- Client and employee self-service tools
- Clear accountant pricing
What to watch
The total price rises as you add clients and employees.
The accountant rate starts at £6.50 per client/month, but larger payrolls have extra employee charges.
Firms that do not already use Sage may also find that some of its main benefits matter less to them.
Customer reviews
Capterra currently shows 4.6/5 from 36 Sage Payroll reviews. Users often praise payroll calculations and HMRC/pension support, while some reviewers say the software can be difficult to learn or use.
Pricing
For accountants:
- Up to 5 employees: £6.50/client/month
- 6–10 employees: £6.50 + £1.40 per extra employee/month
- 11–25 employees: £6.50 + £1.00 per extra employee/month
- 26+ employees: £6.50 + £0.85 per extra employee/month
Prices exclude VAT.
Viaqo score: 89/100
Moneysoft Payroll Manager — Best low-cost desktop option
Moneysoft Payroll Manager is traditional Windows payroll software aimed at small businesses, accountants and payroll agents.
Its multi-company versions can run payroll for many clients, send RTI information to HMRC and handle workplace pensions.
Why we like it
- Very low annual price
- Unlimited employers on multi-company plans
- RTI filing
- Workplace pensions
- CIS tools
- Useful batch tools for accountants
- Clear pricing
What to watch
Moneysoft is Windows-only. It does not run on Mac and it is not a modern browser-based payroll system.
Customer feedback is also much more mixed than BrightPay’s. Trustpilot currently shows 2.9/5 from 37 reviews. Some recent customers praise the software and price, while others complain about customer support.
Pricing
For accounting firms, the most relevant plans are:
- Payroll Manager 100: £190 + VAT/year
- Payroll Manager 250: £285 + VAT/year
Both allow unlimited employers. Payroll Manager 100 supports up to 100 employees/subcontractors per employer; Payroll Manager 250 supports up to 250.
Viaqo score: 80/100
Also considered
Staffology Payroll
Staffology offers a specific Bureau product for accountants and payroll service providers. It includes multi-client management, a client portal, automation and accounting connections. Bureau pricing is available by quote.
The problem is independent review volume. Staffology Payroll currently has only 4 reviews on Capterra/Software Advice, with an average around 4/5. That is too small a sample for Viaqo to give it a confident score.
Staffology — Worth considering for larger payroll bureaus, but not scored because there are too few independent customer reviews.
What to look for in payroll software for accountants
Managing several clients
The software should make it easy to move between clients and see which payrolls still need work.
HMRC filing
Check that it can send the payroll information you need directly to HMRC.
Client access
A client portal can save time by letting clients send payroll details, check reports and approve payroll online.
Workplace pensions
Look for support for automatic enrolment and the pension providers your clients use.
Pricing as you grow
Check whether the price changes with the number of clients, employees or users. A cheap starting price can become much higher as your payroll service grows.
Support
Payroll has strict deadlines. Check what support is available if something goes wrong close to payday.
How Viaqo compares payroll software for accountants
We compare tools for managing several payroll clients, HMRC filing, client access, pricing, ease of use and independent customer reviews.
Rather than relying on the headline review score, we also look at how many reviews there are, how recent they are and where they come from.
Affiliate commissions never affect Viaqo scores or rankings.
Internal links
Need help managing the rest of your practice? Compare practice management software for UK accountants.
Need software for year-end accounts and tax returns? Compare tax and accounts software.
See all software for accountancy practices.
Sources
Official product and pricing information
- BrightPay — cloud, pricing and client portal
- Sage for Accountants — Payroll Bureau and pricing
- Moneysoft — Payroll Manager features and pricing
- Staffology — Payroll Bureau information
Independent customer reviews
- Trustpilot — Bright/BrightPay
- Capterra — Sage Payroll
- Trustpilot — Moneysoft
- Capterra / Software Advice — Staffology Payroll