This is for UK employers pricing Sage Payroll for a small team, and for anyone who mainly wants payslips and is wondering whether a monthly plan is the cheapest way to get them. All prices are from Sage's own payroll page and exclude VAT unless stated. Our post on Xero, Sage and QuickBooks payslips compares the accounting-led options side by side.
We haven't run payroll on these products. Everything here comes from each company's own public pages, read on 8 October 2026, and prices change: check the live page before you sign up.
How much is Sage Payroll in 2026/27?
Sage sells three monthly plans, each with 5 employees included and Sage Copilot in every plan. The subscription rolls monthly and Sage says you can cancel at any time.
| Plan | Price a month | With 20% VAT | Employees included | Sage's description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | £12 | £14.40 | 5 | Entry level payroll for a small business |
| Payroll Standard | £23 | £27.60 | 5 | Payroll with core HR |
| Payroll Premium | £34 | £40.80 | 5 | Comprehensive payroll and HR |
The offer on 8 October 2026 was 90% off for the first 3 months (£1.20, £2.30 or £3.40 a month), or a one-month free trial of Payroll Standard instead. After the offer the list price applies.
What you pay for more than 5 employees
Above 5 employees, Sage charges per extra employee each month, in bands that get cheaper as you add more, up to a maximum of 150 employees.
| Employees | Essentials | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | Included | Included | Included |
| 6 to 10 | £2.40 | £4.40 | £6.40 |
| 11 to 25 | £1.70 | £3.70 | £5.70 |
| 26 to 150 | £1.40 | £3.40 | £5.40 |
Example: 7 employees on Essentials is £12 plus 2 × £2.40, so £16.80 a month before VAT.
What a year of Sage Payroll costs
At list price, Essentials for up to 5 employees is £144 a year before VAT, or £172.80 with VAT. Standard is £276 (£331.20 with VAT) and Premium £408 (£489.60). In the first year with the 90% offer, Essentials comes to £111.60 before VAT: 3 months at £1.20 and 9 at £12.
If you can't reclaim VAT, budget on the with-VAT figure. Moneysoft's Payroll Manager 20 licence, by comparison, is £95 a year before VAT for one employer with up to 20 employees, and HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools is free.
Cheaper ways to produce payslips
If you run payroll yourself, GOV.UK points you to payroll software to report to HMRC, and every employee needs a payslip on or before payday. A monthly plan does both, but it isn't the only way to get them.
| Sage Payroll Essentials | Moneysoft Payroll Manager 20 | HMRC Basic PAYE Tools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £12 a month + VAT | £95 a year + VAT | Free |
| A year, before VAT | £144 | £95 | £0 |
| Who it's for | Up to 150 employees | 1 employer, up to 20 employees including leavers | Fewer than 10 employees |
| Payslips | Listed in Sage's payroll features | Printed or emailed | Yes, saved as a PDF |
| On HMRC's recognised software list | Yes (Sage Business Cloud Payroll) | Yes | Yes (HMRC's own) |
Checked 8 October 2026. Sage and Moneysoft prices from their own pages; Basic PAYE Tools from GOV.UK and its user guide (updated 21 July 2026), which describes creating a payslip and saving it as a PDF.
Basic PAYE Tools is the cheapest, and its user guide says you can create a payslip for each employee and save it as a PDF. It is plain, and GOV.UK says it has some limitations. Moneysoft is a desktop licence that renews yearly with updates and email support included.
What every payslip must show, whichever tool you use
- Earnings before and after deductions.
- Each deduction that changes from payday to payday, such as tax and National Insurance.
- Fixed deductions, or a separate written statement that explains them.
- Hours worked, if pay varies with the time worked.
GOV.UK says payslips must be given on or before payday, and employers can choose printed or electronic payslips.
Where PayDocs fits
PayDocs isn't payroll software and doesn't send anything to HMRC, so you still need a recognised tool for the real-time reports. If you want a clearer payslip than your tool produces, PayDocs makes it from your payroll figures. 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, less in packs of 4 or 12, with no subscription.
This is general information about the rules for employers in the UK for the 2026/27 tax year, as published on 8 October 2026. It is not tax or legal advice.
Questions
How much is Sage Payroll in 2026/27?
On 8 October 2026, £12 a month for Payroll Essentials, £23 for Standard and £34 for Premium, all excluding 20% VAT and each including 5 employees. Extra employees start at £2.40 each a month on Essentials.
Does Sage Payroll have a free trial?
On 8 October 2026 Sage offered either 90% off any plan for the first 3 months or a one-month free trial of Payroll Standard. After that, the monthly list price applies until you cancel.
How many employees can Sage Payroll handle?
Each plan includes 5 employees, and you can add more in the product up to a maximum of 150. Extra employees are charged per employee each month, in bands that get cheaper as you add more.
Is there a cheaper way to make payslips than Sage?
Yes. HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools is free for employers with fewer than 10 employees and can save payslips as PDFs. Moneysoft Payroll Manager 20 cost £95 a year plus VAT for up to 20 employees on 8 October 2026.
Sources
- Sage UK: Sage Payroll plans and prices (checked 8 October 2026)
- Moneysoft: Payroll Manager prices (checked 8 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Find payroll software that is recognised by HMRC
- GOV.UK: Basic PAYE Tools
- GOV.UK: Basic PAYE Tools user guide
- GOV.UK: Payslips
Sources checked 8 October 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
