Payroll software cost calculator

Compare the annual cost of running payroll four ways – free tools, desktop software, cloud software and a fully managed outsourced service – for your headcount and pay frequency.

How the estimates are built

The models use verified 2026/27 market rates: desktop software around £95 a year flat (Moneysoft-style licences); cloud payroll software around £8 a month base plus £2.00 per employee; and fully managed outsourcing at your chosen rate within the typical £4.00 – £10.00 per employee per month band, with weekly pay runs adding roughly 40 percent and optional auto-enrolment administration at £2.00 per employee per month. Year-one setup fees and your own admin time (valued at the hours you enter) are included so the comparison is honest. Full market detail in the software costs guide and the outsourcing costs guide.