BrightPay Review UK 2026: Cloud Payroll, Pricing & Features Quick answer
BrightPay is UK payroll software for employers, accountants and payroll bureaux and the most important thing to know in 2026 is that BrightPay is now cloud-based.
From the 2026/27 tax year, BrightPay moved away from its traditional Windows desktop model and its separate BrightPay Connect add-on and payroll can now be processed through BrightPay Cloud using a web browser.
BrightPay supports core UK payroll requirements including:
PAYE payroll
RTI submissions
National Insurance
Statutory payments
Workplace pension auto-enrolment
Payslips
P45s and P60s
Payroll reporting
Employee self-service
Multiple payroll users
Accountant and payroll bureau use
Pricing is now based on the number of employers and employees using the cloud platform, with monthly and annual payment options.
Our view: BrightPay’s move to the cloud removes what had become one of the biggest weaknesses of the old product.
Historically, we liked BrightPay’s payroll functionality but thought desktop software + separate Connect subscription felt increasingly dated.
The 2026 cloud model makes the proposition considerably cleaner established UK payroll functionality + browser access + collaboration + employee self-service in one cloud environment.
For small and medium-sized employers that want to run payroll themselves, we think BrightPay deserves a strong shortlist position.
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Key Takeaways
BrightPay is now a fully cloud-based payroll platform.
The Windows desktop version was discontinued after the 2025/26 tax year.
BrightPay Connect is no longer required for the current cloud product.
Payroll processing happens directly within the browser-based BrightPay platform.
Multiple users can work on the same employer within BrightPay Cloud.
Changes can be viewed by other users in real time.
BrightPay supports PAYE, RTI, statutory payments and workplace pensions.
Employee self-service functionality is available within the cloud environment.
Pricing depends on the number of employers and employees.
Monthly and discounted annual payment options are available.
Free phone and email product support is included for BrightPay Cloud customers.
BrightCIS is now available separately for Construction Industry Scheme requirements.
The old claim that BrightPay is free for businesses with fewer than three employees is no longer applicable to the current cloud product. We think the move from Desktop + Connect to a proper cloud platform materially improves BrightPay’s proposition.
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How do we work?
Our comparisons are researched and reviewed by the Compare Your Business Costs editorial team using provider information, official UK guidance and business buying criteria. See how Compare Your Business Costs works .
Authored by: Ally Cox – Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist, 10+ years’ experience
Last updated: October 2026
Contents
What Is BrightPay? BrightPay is payroll software designed for businesses, accountants and payroll bureaux.
For many years, BrightPay was primarily known as Windows desktop payroll software.
Customers wanting cloud backups and employee self-service could add BrightPay Connect.
That distinction is important historically, but it no longer accurately describes the current product.
From the 2026/27 tax year BrightPay moved exclusively to its cloud payroll platform.
The current BrightPay product therefore runs through a web browser rather than requiring payroll to be processed on a specific Windows installation.
Our take: this is probably the biggest BrightPay product change in years – a lot of older BrightPay reviews still focus on whether businesses are comfortable using desktop payroll software.
That is no longer the right buying question.
The better question is “How does BrightPay Cloud compare with other UK cloud payroll platforms?”
Is BrightPay Cloud-Based? Yes! BrightPay’s current payroll platform is cloud-based and users can access the system through a web browser rather than relying on payroll software installed on one computer.
The cloud platform also allows:
Multiple users
Multiple users working on the same employer
Real-time visibility of changes made by other users
Access from different devices through a web browser
Employee self-service functionality
What happened to BrightPay Desktop?
BrightPay for Windows was supported through the 2025/26 tax year so from 2026/27, the desktop product no longer receives software updates + support + legislative compliance updates.
BrightPay for Mac had already been discontinued.
What happened to BrightPay Connect?
BrightPay Connect was an add-on for the old desktop software.
It provided functionality including cloud backup + employee self-service + document sharing. BrightPay Cloud is different – it is a standalone cloud payroll system where payroll itself is processed online.
Our view: this is an improvement.
The old product structure could be confusing because BrightPay Desktop + BrightPay Connect looked partly cloud-based while the actual payroll engine still ran locally but the current model is much easier to understand.
How Much Does BrightPay Cost? BrightPay Cloud uses usage-based pricing and your price depends on the highest recorded number of employers + employees.
That means the exact subscription varies according to the size and structure of your payroll.
BrightPay currently offers two payment approaches.
Monthly subscription
Payments are made monthly in arrears and reflect the relevant employer and employee usage.
Annual payment
Businesses can pay annually in advance, with a discount applying to the annual option so if usage exceeds the amount covered by the annual plan, additional usage can be charged separately.
Important: The old BrightPay pricing model you may find in older reviews doesn’t describe the current cloud platform.
For example, BrightPay previously sold desktop licences by tax year with bands for 3 employees + 10 employees + 25 employees + unlimited employees.
Those prices relate to the discontinued desktop model.
Our view: the cloud pricing structure makes more sense for the current product, but we’d like buyers to compare the actual annual figure rather than focusing on a headline monthly rate.
Ask “What will BrightPay cost for our current employee count, and what would it cost if we grew by 25%?”
That shows whether the pricing still works as your business grows.
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Is BrightPay Still Free for Small Businesses? BrightPay historically offered different desktop pricing arrangements for micro-employers but the current BrightPay Cloud product uses its employer-and-employee subscription model.
Our take: this is an important correction because “BrightPay is free for fewer than three employees” is exactly the type of old pricing claim that can remain in search results long after a product has changed.
Micro-businesses should compare the current BrightPay Cloud quote with other small-business payroll options rather than assuming BrightPay will be free.
What Does BrightPay Payroll Do? BrightPay is designed to manage the main processes involved in running UK payroll and functionality includes areas such as:
Employee payroll records
Gross-to-net calculations
PAYE
National Insurance
Tax codes
Statutory payments
Deductions
Payroll schedules
Payslips
P45s
P60s
RTI
Workplace pensions
Payroll reporting
Our view: BrightPay’s strength isn’t that it has PAYE or payslips.
Any serious UK payroll platform should and the attraction is that BrightPay has spent years focusing specifically on UK payroll workflows.
For businesses wanting to retain payroll internally, that focus can be more useful than choosing a much broader HR platform where payroll is only one module among dozens.
BrightPay PAYE & RTI BrightPay supports UK PAYE payroll and Real Time Information reporting.
That includes the payroll processes required to report employee payments and deductions to HMRC.
BrightPay can support relevant FPS + EPS workflows as part of payroll processing.
It also supports statutory payroll calculations and year-end payroll requirements.
Our take: RTI isn’t a differentiator anymore.
It is a basic requirement of UK payroll software.
What we’d test in a demonstration is how easy BrightPay makes it to identify an issue, correct payroll and submit the right information.
The everyday workflow matters more than the presence of an RTI tick box.
BrightPay Workplace Pensions & Auto-Enrolment BrightPay supports workplace pension auto-enrolment and Payroll administrators can manage relevant pension duties alongside payroll, including employee assessment and pension contributions.
Why does this matter?
Pension administration is repetitive.
Every payroll period, relevant employee information and contributions need to be handled correctly.
Keeping pension processes close to payroll can reduce manual administration.
Our recommendation: check BrightPay against your actual pension provider and workflow before buying.
Ask “Exactly what will BrightPay automate for our pension scheme, and what will our team still need to upload or submit?”
That’s more useful than simply confirming that auto-enrolment exists.
BrightPay Employee Self-Service One benefit of the move to BrightPay Cloud is that cloud functionality is no longer simply an optional layer around desktop payroll.
Employee self-service can provide workers with access to relevant payroll information without HR or payroll teams having to distribute every document manually.
This can help with recurring requests for information such as payslips and payroll documents.
Our view: self-service has a simple but measurable benefit.
Ask your payroll team “How many employee payroll questions are really document requests?” If the answer is substantial, giving employees direct access can remove repetitive administration.
BrightPay for Multiple Payroll Users This is another area where the cloud version improves on the old desktop architecture.
BrightPay Cloud allows multiple users to work on the same employer and users can also see other users and relevant changes in real time, which can matter for:
Payroll teams
Finance departments
Accountancy practices
Payroll bureaux
Our take: this is more important than it initially sounds.
Payroll shouldn’t depend unnecessarily on one employee + one computer + one local software installation.
Cloud collaboration reduces that dependency.
Does BrightPay Support CIS? Yes, but the current setup is different from the old desktop product.
BrightPay has developed BrightCIS as a separate Construction Industry Scheme solution.
BrightCIS can integrate with BrightPay so the relevant CIS deductions feed into the tax-liability information.
Our view: construction businesses shouldn’t assume CIS functionality works exactly as it did in historical BrightPay Desktop versions.
If CIS is important to your business, compare BrightPay Cloud + BrightCIS as the complete solution.
Ask for the combined cost and a demonstration of the workflow before buying.
BrightPay for Employers vs Accountants & Payroll Bureaux BrightPay serves two quite different types of customer.
Employers
Businesses can use BrightPay to run their own payroll internally.
This is likely to suit companies that want to retain payroll control + have somebody internally responsible for payroll + don’t want to outsource the process.
Accountants and payroll bureaux
BrightPay can also support organisations managing payroll for multiple employer clients and the cloud environment allows multiple employers and users to be managed centrally.
Our view: this is one reason BrightPay has a slightly different position from some SME payroll products, it isn’t only designed for a business owner running one simple payroll, rather, their history with accountants and bureaux means the product is also built around people who run payroll repeatedly and professionally.
That’s useful credibility for the underlying payroll workflow.
BrightPay Software vs Outsourced Payroll This distinction is important.
BrightPay gives your business software for running payroll but itdoesn’t automatically mean BrightPay’s team takes responsibility for running your payroll every month.
Your business still needs somebody to maintain employee information + enter payroll changes + review payroll + investigate issues + approve submissions.
If your objective is “we want better payroll software” then BrightPay is highly relevant.
If your objective is “we don’t want our team running payroll anymore” you should compare managed or outsourced payroll instead.
Our take: don’t accidentally buy software to solve a staffing problem.
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Who Is BrightPay Best For? We think BrightPay deserves particular consideration from Small and medium-sized UK employers
Especially businesses that want to keep payroll processing in-house.
Businesses moving away from desktop payroll
BrightPay now provides a browser-based cloud environment.
Accountants and payroll bureaux
The platform supports multiple employers and payroll users.
Businesses wanting established UK payroll functionality
BrightPay is heavily focused on payroll rather than being primarily an HR suite.
Teams needing collaborative payroll access
Multiple users can work within the cloud environment.
Construction businesses
BrightCIS can be considered alongside BrightPay where CIS functionality is required.
Who might prefer something else?
A company that wants somebody else to run payroll should compare outsourced payroll providers.
A business wanting HR + recruitment + performance + workforce management + payroll might prefer a broader HR platform.
And organisations with substantial international payroll requirements should compare global payroll providers.
BrightPay Pros & Cons Advantages
Fully cloud-based from the 2026/27 tax year
Accessible through a web browser
Strong focus on UK payroll
PAYE and RTI functionality
Workplace pension auto-enrolment
Employee self-service
Multiple payroll users
Multiple users can work on the same employer
Real-time visibility of changes
Monthly and annual payment options
Free phone and email product support for cloud customers
Suitable for employers, accountants and payroll bureaux
BrightCIS available for construction payroll requirements
Potential Disadvantages
The old free micro-employer proposition no longer describes the current cloud product
Pricing varies according to employer and employee numbers
Businesses need to calculate their specific cloud subscription
Moving from historic BrightPay Desktop requires migration to the new cloud environment
BrightPay is payroll software rather than a fully outsourced payroll service
Businesses wanting a broad all-in-one HR platform may prefer a wider HR/payroll suite
CIS uses the separate BrightCIS solution rather than simply being part of the historical desktop workflow
What Should You Compare Before Choosing BrightPay? Give BrightPay and competing payroll providers the same scenario so include:
Employee numbers
Expected employee growth
Number of employers
Payroll frequency
Number of payroll users
Variable pay
Pension requirements
CIS requirements
Reporting requirements
Employee self-service requirements
Current payroll software
Then ask “What is our complete annual cost at today’s headcount?”
We’d also ask:
“What would the price be if our employee count increased by 25%?” “Which pension tasks will BrightPay automate?” “Do we need BrightCIS as well?” “How will our existing payroll data be migrated?” “Which reports can we generate?” “What can employees access themselves?” “What support is included?”
And “Which payroll tasks will still need to be completed manually by our team?”
That final question helps establish whether you actually need better software or managed payroll.
Our View: Is BrightPay Worth It? We think BrightPay is a stronger proposition in 2026 than the old Desktop + Connect model.
Historically, our biggest reservation was straightforward the underlying payroll software was good, but the architecture was increasingly old-fashioned.
Payroll happened on Windows. Cloud functionality came through BrightPay Connect – that created an awkward comparison against payroll products built entirely around the browser.
That objection has largely disappeared and BrightPay Cloud brings payroll processing itself online and adds the collaboration we’d expect from modern business software.
At the same time, BrightPay retains what made it attractive in the first place a strong focus on UK payroll.
We think that combination works particularly well for SMEs + accountants + payroll bureaux that want to operate payroll themselves.
There are still trade-offs.
The old micro-employer pricing shouldn’t be used to judge today’s product so businesses need to check their actual cloud subscription and CIS users need to understand the separate BrightCIS setup. And BrightPay doesn’t remove the need for somebody in your organisation to actually run payroll.
If you’re trying to solve:“our payroll software is frustrating”
BrightPay deserves a strong shortlist position.
If you’re trying to solve:“we spend too much time running payroll” compare BrightPay against managed payroll as well.
Our key buying question would therefore be “Do we want better tools for running payroll ourselves, or do we want somebody else to take payroll off our hands?”
Compare BrightPay & Other Payroll Solutions →
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK payroll software and services
BrightPay Payroll FAQs What is BrightPay?
BrightPay is UK payroll software for employers, accountants and payroll bureaux. Its current product is a cloud-based payroll platform accessed through a web browser.
Is BrightPay cloud-based?
Yes. From the 2026/27 tax year, BrightPay moved exclusively to its cloud platform.
Has BrightPay Desktop been discontinued?
Yes. BrightPay for Windows was supported through the 2025/26 tax year but no longer receives updates, support or legislative compliance updates from 2026/27.
What happened to BrightPay Connect?
BrightPay Connect was the cloud add-on for the old desktop product. The current BrightPay Cloud platform is a separate standalone system where payroll processing itself happens online.
Is BrightPay free for fewer than three employees?
No. That is an outdated claim relating to older BrightPay arrangements. Current BrightPay Cloud pricing is based on employer and employee usage.
How much does BrightPay cost?
BrightPay Cloud pricing depends on the number of employers and employees. Monthly and discounted annual payment options are available.
Can BrightPay handle PAYE?
Yes. BrightPay is designed for UK PAYE payroll processing.
Does BrightPay submit RTI?
Yes. BrightPay supports the RTI processes required for UK payroll, including relevant FPS and EPS workflows.
Does BrightPay handle workplace pensions?
Yes. BrightPay supports workplace pension and auto-enrolment processes.
Can employees access their own payroll information?
Yes. Employee self-service functionality is available within BrightPay’s cloud environment.
Can several people use BrightPay?
Yes. BrightPay Cloud supports multiple users, including multiple users working on the same employer.
Does BrightPay support CIS?
Bright Software Group now provides BrightCIS as a separate CIS solution. It integrates with BrightPay so relevant CIS deductions can feed into payroll tax-liability information.
Is BrightPay suitable for accountants?
Yes. BrightPay supports accountants and payroll bureaux managing payroll for multiple employers.
Does BrightPay run payroll for me?
BrightPay is primarily payroll software. Your business or accountant still operates the payroll process. If you want the payroll itself outsourced, compare managed payroll services.
Is BrightPay suitable for small businesses?
Yes. BrightPay can suit small employers that want to run payroll internally, although micro-businesses should compare current pricing with other payroll software and outsourced options.
Is BrightPay suitable for larger businesses?
Potentially, but suitability depends on employee numbers, payroll complexity, integrations and wider HR requirements. Businesses with more complex enterprise or international requirements should compare broader payroll platforms too.
Compare BrightPay With Other Payroll Providers Don’t compare BrightPay purely on software price.
Compare subscription + payroll functionality + pensions + employee self-service + collaboration + support + internal payroll time.
Then compare that with the cost of having payroll managed externally.
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Related Payroll Guides Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
