Moneysoft is one of the longest-standing low-cost options for UK employers and bookkeepers who run payroll on their own PC. This review covers what you pay, what the software does according to Moneysoft's own pages, the limits worth knowing before you buy, and the alternatives for a micro employer. Our three-way post compares Moneysoft with BrightPay and Staffology; this one looks at Payroll Manager on its own.
We haven't run payroll on this product. Everything here comes from the company's own public pages, read on 8 October 2026, and prices change: check the live page before you sign up.
What does Moneysoft Payroll Manager cost?
Payroll Manager is sold as a 12-month licence from the date you buy it, not a monthly subscription. The price includes all updates and email support.
| Edition | Employers | Employees per employer | Price a year, ex VAT | With VAT at 20% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Manager 20 | 1 | Up to 20 | £95 | £114 |
| Payroll Manager 100 | No limit | Up to 100 | £190 | £228 |
| Payroll Manager 250 | No limit | Up to 250 | £285 | £342 |
The employee limit includes leavers during the tax year, and counts subcontractors too. A small business with 18 staff and a few leavers can outgrow the 20 edition partway through a year, so count everyone you'll pay before April.
What Payroll Manager does
Moneysoft's overview and FAQ pages list the jobs a UK employer's payroll has to cover. The software works out tax and National Insurance, sends RTI submissions to HMRC and produces the year-end and leaver forms.
- PAYE: automatic tax and National Insurance, RTI submissions online, and returns for the current and previous tax years.
- Forms: P45 for leavers, P60 at year end and P11D for expenses and benefits.
- Statutory pay: SSP, SMP, SPP and SAP, with the recovery and compensation figures.
- Pensions: auto-enrolment assessment and deductions, with data sent to providers such as NEST, NOW: Pensions and The People's Pension.
- CIS: subcontractor verification and monthly CIS300 returns.
- Payslips: several designs, printed, as PDF or emailed to employees (email needs an SMTP connection).
- Benefits in kind: Moneysoft says it already handles payrolling of benefits.
That last point matters from April 2027. GOV.UK says mandatory payrolling then applies to company cars, car fuel, vans and van fuel, and employer-provided medical benefits, extending to most other benefits from April 2028.
Is Moneysoft Payroll Manager HMRC-recognised?
Yes. GOV.UK's list of payroll software recognised by HMRC, read on 8 October 2026, includes Moneysoft Limited's Payroll Manager under paid-for software. Recognition means you can use it to report PAYE online; HMRC says it doesn't recommend one product over another.
Limits to know before you buy
- Windows only. Moneysoft says the software is designed to run on Windows only and is not designed to work on a Mac. It is compatible with Windows 11.
- Installed software. Payroll Manager runs on your own PC and includes a backup and restore facility, so keeping backups is your job.
- Email support. The price includes free email support; the pages we read don't describe phone support hours.
- Payslip delivery. Payslips go out by email or print; the pages we read don't mention a portal where staff log in for past payslips.
- Free trial length. Moneysoft offers a free trial download but doesn't state how long it runs.
Moneysoft or something else?
For a micro employer on Windows who wants to keep payroll in-house, £95 plus VAT a year is one of the lowest published prices for paid software. Free options exist too: GOV.UK lists free HMRC-recognised software for businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including HMRC's own Basic PAYE Tools.
| Your situation | Worth a look | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC, under 20 staff, want a full feature set | Moneysoft Payroll Manager 20 | Low annual price, statutory pay, pensions, P11D and CIS in one program |
| Fewer than 10 staff, simple pay, cost matters most | Free software on HMRC's list | No licence fee; check it does payslips and pension deductions |
| Mac, or payroll shared with a bookkeeper online | Cloud payroll software | Moneysoft won't run on a Mac |
| You'd rather not run payroll at all | A payroll bureau or accountant | They do the work, but you stay legally responsible |
GOV.UK's payroll software page also warns that some products can't record pension deductions, pay people on different schedules or send an EPS. Check those before choosing any free option.
Where PayDocs fits
PayDocs isn't payroll software and doesn't send RTI to HMRC. It makes payslips and P60 employee copies from your figures, which helps if your payroll tool can't produce payslips you're happy to hand out, or you need a single payslip for one period. PayDocs works out PAYE income tax, National Insurance and supported deductions for 2026/27 pay dates. Previewing is free; a PDF is £3.99 per payslip once checkout opens.
This is general information about the rules for employers in the UK, not tax or legal advice.
Questions
What does Moneysoft Payroll Manager cost?
On 8 October 2026: £95 a year plus VAT for one employer with up to 20 employees, £190 for up to 100 per employer and £285 for up to 250, each a 12-month licence including updates and email support.
Is Moneysoft Payroll Manager HMRC-recognised?
Yes. Moneysoft Limited's Payroll Manager is on GOV.UK's list of paid-for payroll software recognised by HMRC, which means you can use it to report PAYE online.
Does Moneysoft Payroll Manager work on a Mac?
No. Moneysoft says its software is designed only for Windows and is compatible with Windows 11. On a Mac, look at cloud payroll software instead.
Does Moneysoft handle auto enrolment and SSP?
Yes. Its pages list auto-enrolment assessment and deductions with data sent to providers such as NEST, plus automatic SSP, SMP, SPP and SAP calculations.
Sources
- Moneysoft: Payroll Manager prices (checked 8 October 2026)
- Moneysoft: Payroll Manager overview (checked 8 October 2026)
- Moneysoft: Payroll Manager FAQs (checked 8 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Find payroll software that is recognised by HMRC
- GOV.UK: Payroll software
- GOV.UK: Changes to reporting of benefits in kind from April 2027
Sources checked 8 October 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
