Moneysoft Payroll Manager Review & Prices 2026

Moneysoft Payroll Manager is a Windows-only desktop payroll application used by thousands of UK small businesses and accountancy practices. Starting at £90 + VAT per year for up to 20 employees, it offers HMRC-recognised payroll processing without ongoing monthly subscriptions. In this 2026 review, we assess whether its low-cost, no-frills approach still holds up against cloud-based competitors.

For more on this, see our how to do payroll guide.

Moneysoft targets a specific niche: businesses that want reliable, compliant payroll on a fixed annual cost with no per-employee fees. It handles RTI submissions, auto-enrolment, CIS, statutory payments, and tax year-end processes. However, it lacks cloud access, integrations, and multi-user capabilities that modern payroll platforms offer as standard.

Use our free Payroll ROI Calculator to compare costs for your specific requirements.

For a closer look at this provider, read our full Able Internet Payroll review.

Important: Moneysoft does not run on Mac, iOS, or in the cloud. It is a downloadable Windows .exe application. If you need remote access, multi-device payroll, or cloud collaboration, consider Xero Payroll or Staffology instead – our payroll software for Mac guide covers options that run natively on macOS.

What Is Moneysoft Payroll Manager?

Moneysoft Payroll Manager is a Windows desktop payroll application starting at £90/year that handles HMRC RTI, auto-enrolment, and CIS for up to 250 employees.

Founded in 2000, Moneysoft develops payroll and bookkeeping software for UK small businesses. Their flagship product, Payroll Manager, is HMRC-recognised and processes Real Time Information (RTI) submissions directly to HMRC.

If you’re weighing up these two, our payroll bureau vs software comparison lays out the key differences.

Each licence runs for 12 months from the date of purchase and includes all software updates, tax year changes, and email support. Unlike SaaS payroll platforms, there are no monthly fees or per-employee charges – you pay one annual fee based on the employee tier you need.

Payroll Manager stores all data locally on your Windows PC, with manual and scheduled backup options. Security depends entirely on how your Windows system and backups are managed – there is no cloud backup, encryption at rest, or multi-factor authentication.

Current versions officially support Windows 11. Support for Windows 10 is being phased out and may become unreliable as HMRC technical requirements change.

Key Features

Moneysoft includes RTI submissions, auto-enrolment, CIS, statutory pay calculations, P45/P60 generation, and employee absence tracking in all licence tiers.

All three Moneysoft licence tiers include the same feature set – the only difference is the maximum number of employees and employers supported.

Core payroll processing: Calculate PAYE, National Insurance, student loan deductions, and pension contributions. Process weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, or monthly pay periods. Handle tax code changes, mid-year starters and leavers, and multiple pay elements including overtime, bonuses, and deductions.

HMRC compliance: Submit Full Payment Submissions (FPS) and Employer Payment Summaries (EPS) directly to HMRC via RTI. Generate P45s for leavers, P60s at year-end, and P11D forms for benefits in kind. All HMRC-mandated calculations update automatically when tax thresholds change each April.

Auto-enrolment: Manage workplace pension assessments, process opt-ins and opt-outs, and generate pension contribution files compatible with major providers including NEST, NOW: Pensions, and The People’s Pension.

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS): Verify subcontractors with HMRC, calculate CIS deductions, generate payment and deduction statements, and submit monthly CIS300 returns electronically.

Statutory payments: Calculate Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP).

Employee management: Store employee records, track absences and holidays via a built-in calendar, generate photo ID cards, and maintain contact details. Produce payslips in printed or PDF format.

What it lacks: No cloud access, no mobile app, no API or integrations with accounting software (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks), no automated pension provider syncing, no multi-user access, no automated bank payments (BACS), and no HR features beyond basic employee records.

Moneysoft Pricing 2026

Moneysoft Payroll Manager costs £90, £180, or £270 per year (plus VAT) depending on employee count – with no monthly fees or per-employee charges.

Moneysoft uses a simple tiered annual licence model. Unlike most modern payroll software that charges per employee per month, you pay a single annual fee regardless of how many payroll runs you process.

Cost comparison: At £90/year for 20 employees, Moneysoft works out to £4.50 per employee per year – or roughly £0.38 per employee per month. Compare this with Sage Payroll at £20/month (£240/year) or Xero Payroll at £1.50/employee/month (£360/year for 20 employees). On price alone, Moneysoft is significantly cheaper.

The trade-off is clear: you save money but give up cloud access, integrations, automation, and modern UX. For businesses that simply need to run payroll on a Windows PC without bells and whistles, this is an excellent deal.

A free trial is available from the Moneysoft website with no credit card required.

Moneysoft Pros and Cons

Moneysoft excels on price and HMRC compliance but falls short on cloud access, integrations, and modern user experience.

Customer Reviews and Reputation

Moneysoft has polarised reviews – long-term users praise reliability and value, while others criticise the dated interface and limited support options.

Moneysoft’s reputation among users is mixed. On Trustpilot, the brand has a below-average rating, with complaints typically focusing on the software’s dated interface, occasional data issues, and the email-only support model. However, loyal users – particularly accountants managing multiple small employer payrolls (our payroll software for accountants guide compares similar bureau-capable tools) – consistently praise its reliability, compliance accuracy, and value for money.

Common praise points include the straightforward annual pricing, automatic tax year updates, and the fact that the software “just works” for standard UK payroll. Several accountancy practices report running 50+ employer payrolls through Moneysoft for years without compliance issues.

Common criticisms include the Windows-only restriction, the lack of cloud backup (meaning data loss if the PC fails), the absence of modern features like automated bank payments, and a support team that some users find slow to respond.

The reality is that Moneysoft occupies a very specific niche. If your expectations align with what it offers – basic, affordable, compliant payroll for Windows users – it delivers well. If you expect a modern cloud platform with integrations and slick UX, you will be disappointed.

Who Is Moneysoft Right For?

Moneysoft suits Windows-based small businesses and accountancy practices that want cheap, compliant payroll without cloud features or integrations.

Good fit:

• Small businesses (1-20 employees) running payroll in-house on a Windows PC
• Accountancy and bookkeeping practices managing multiple employer payrolls (PM100/PM250 tiers support unlimited employers)
• Businesses in construction needing CIS compliance without expensive specialist software
• Budget-conscious organisations that want to avoid monthly SaaS fees
• Companies that prefer local data storage over cloud hosting

Not a good fit:

• Mac users or businesses needing browser-based access
• Remote or hybrid teams where multiple people need payroll access
• Businesses that want payroll integrated with Xero, Sage, or QuickBooks
• Growing companies expecting to exceed 250 employees
• Anyone wanting automated bank payments, pension sync, or HR features

Moneysoft vs Cloud Payroll Alternatives

Moneysoft is the cheapest option but lacks the cloud access, integrations, and automation that Sage, Xero, and Staffology offer as standard.

How does Moneysoft compare with the leading UK cloud payroll platforms? The table below shows the key differences.

The cost difference is stark: Moneysoft is 2-5x cheaper than cloud alternatives. But cloud platforms offer significant advantages in accessibility, automation, and integrations. The choice comes down to whether you value cost savings or modern workflow features.

For a broader comparison of all UK options, see our guide to the best payroll software or, if you prefer to outsource entirely, our review of the best outsourced payroll companies. Larger organisations needing enterprise HCM should look at Dayforce or managed bureaux like Cintra – both target mid-to-large businesses well outside Moneysoft’s sweet spot.

How to Contact Moneysoft

Moneysoft offers email support at [email protected] plus an online knowledge base – but there is no phone helpline or live chat.

If you need help with Moneysoft Payroll Manager, your options are:

• Email: [email protected] (primary support channel)
• Knowledge base: moneysoft.co.uk/support – FAQs and guides
• General enquiries: [email protected]

Moneysoft recommends checking the support section first before emailing. Response times are typically within one working day, though users report slower responses during peak periods (tax year-end in April and payroll software renewal season).

There is no phone helpline or live chat – email is the only direct support channel. This is a significant limitation if you encounter an urgent payroll issue close to a submission deadline.

Our Verdict

Moneysoft Payroll Manager scores 6/10 – excellent value and compliance, but the Windows-only restriction and lack of integrations limit its appeal in 2026.

Moneysoft Payroll Manager does exactly what it promises: affordable, compliant UK payroll processing on a Windows desktop. At £90/year for up to 20 employees, it is the cheapest HMRC-recognised payroll software we have reviewed. It handles RTI, auto-enrolment, CIS, and statutory payments reliably, and the annual licence model means no surprises on your bill.

However, in 2026, the trade-offs are increasingly hard to justify for most businesses. The Windows-only restriction, lack of cloud access, absence of integrations, and email-only support place it firmly behind cloud alternatives like Sage, Xero, and Staffology in terms of usability and flexibility. The interface is dated, and the local-only data storage creates a real business continuity risk.

For budget-conscious small businesses and accountancy practices that are happy running payroll on a Windows PC and do not need integrations or remote access, Moneysoft remains a solid, cost-effective choice. For everyone else, a cloud payroll platform will serve you better.

Clara Wenslow

Finance & Business Services Editor

Clara analyses SME finance and procurement markets, covering business loans, invoice finance, payroll, and related B2B services. She ensures each comparison and guide is transparent and data-driven.

Reviewed by

Sarah Mitchell

B2B Commerce & Finance Reviewer