# Bright Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Bright the right Payroll solution for you? Explore 350 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/126242/BrightPay/reviews --- Bright 4.9 (350) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/126242/BrightPay/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated May 22nd, 2026 # Reviews of Bright Ease of use 4.8 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews PS Peter S DirectorAccounting, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Software does what I need it to do, it is generally intuitive and the system enables me to streamline my processes and ensures I don't miss important deadlines.“ June 17, 2026 Vincent C Project ManagerPrinting, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “A bit limited compared with bigger HR/payroll suites, setup and learning can take time, and a few features or integrations feel clunky or missing.“ February 2, 2026 EG Emily G BookkeeperAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Staff also like the ease of the employee portal, as well as being able to see their holiday allowance.“ April 28, 2026 EG Emily G BookkeeperAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I like the new cloud software but it seems to have a lot of bugs.“ April 28, 2026 LV LESLEY ANN V AccountantAccounting, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It's made the management of running the payroll for all my clients so much easier.“ April 20, 2026 FJ Fiona J DirectorAccounting, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I like the task template breakdowns but the fact they don't copy over when a new task is created can be frustrating, however, I'm hoping the new workflow functionality will sort this out.“ August 25, 2022 FS Faizan S Payroll ManagerAccounting, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Amazing software, the best payroll software i have ever used and i have numerous clients who also love the employer portal side of things too.“ August 20, 2025 Youssef b TeacherE-Learning, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Until you learn how to enter all the necessary information, setting up an employer in the middle of the year might be a bit difficult.“ November 15, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 350 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Vincent C. Project Manager Printing Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Great for smaller & simple businesses " February 2, 2026 5.0 Pros Easy to use with an intuitive interface, great customer support, affordable for small teams, and reliable payroll/HR features Cons A bit limited compared with bigger HR/payroll suites, setup and learning can take time, and a few features or integrations feel clunky or missing. Review Source RM Rasa M. Director Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Superb product for accountants" August 25, 2022 5.0 Pros I have tried and tested quite a few software before I came across Accountancy manager. One had a client database but required extensive work to set up tasks, especially those that are requiring, preset specific templates, another had some features that were required in Practice (i.e. Letters of engagement), but not others, so in fact, my practice and tasks were managed across 3-4 CMR's and client management software, that in combination served my practice management needs. AM was revolutionary, for it had all of the features I wanted and needed in one software. Cons I find filters bit cumbersome. Guess it's a very low price to pay. Reason for choosing Bright Because the Accountancy manager had everything I needed and wanted in one place. Switched from [Capsule](https://www.capterra.com/p/124041/Capsule/) Because the Accountancy manager had everything I needed and wanted in one place. Review Source Youssef B. Teacher E-Learning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "An easy way to payroll, with BrightPay!" November 15, 2022 3.0 Overall, I've tested a lot of payroll software, and BrightPay is the most user-friendly and addresses practically all payroll-related issues. Pros This program simplifies payroll processing. The UI is simple to use, and entering salary data is a breeze. The program automates regular payrolls by rolling over numbers month after month and generating variation indications. Cons Until you learn how to enter all the necessary information, setting up an employer in the middle of the year might be a bit difficult. Otherwise, it is good. Review Source Response from Bright November 17, 2022 Hi Youssef, thank you for your review of BrightPay. It's great to hear that you find the software so user-friendly, especially compared to our competitors. Take care. MO Margaret O. Payrol Retail Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Payrol 10/10" April 16, 2026 5.0 Very Good using a long time no issues fing them competitive with pricings & straight forward to use with good Help notes Pros Bright Thesaurus works very well from a payroll point of view very easy to use & great support, always helpful & knowledgeable Cons None- I dont have any issues with the passage the support team are always quick to solve any problems you might have Review Source LM Lisa M. Bookkeeper Accounting Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Best software for my practice" August 25, 2022 5.0 Its been an amazing experience with AM. Its only been about 8 weeks since I started the trial so I am relatively new and still working my way through all what it can do. AM has saved me so much time, its connectivity with HMRC was super easy and I got the information within a week. Being able to access all the information without relying on spreadsheets is a bonus. Pros I signed up to a trial with Accountancy Manager after a failed attempt to get another practice management software sorted for my practice. I had a 1on1 meeting to go through the software and for me to ask questions. They send you weekly tasks with short videos to complete. There are software setups and short videos in the actual software that you can rewatch if not sure and their amazing support team and my account manager have been brilliant helping me with any questions. It has saved me so much time, I am able to apply for authorisation from HMRC from within the software, I can get documents signed, clients can send me documents through a more secure means than just emails. Being able to email multiple clients at a time with news or information is a time saver. Tracking if the client has seen an email is a great addition too. Cons The worse bit for me was setting up the templates or adjusting them. As i am with ICB, there are certain paragraphs that I needed in there and i had to do it manually and check each template which took its time. Reason for choosing Bright I took out the trial and tested it over the 30 day period, used the support team and watched the videos. After a failed attempt with another software, I needed to make sure that it was a good fit with my practice. Switched from [Senta](https://www.capterra.com/p/206605/Senta/) I was missold the package based on information i gave them as it could'nt do what I needed it to. I got zero support from the sales team which is were it all started going wrong. 6 months later and I am still not sure that it has all been cancelled. Review Source FJ Fiona J. Director Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Fantastic product with brilliant support" August 25, 2022 5.0 Accountancy Manager has really helped me automate my task management and client onboarding processes. I've been using it less than a year but it's really helped transform the running of my business and having one piece of software that does all these different things is fantastic! If I'm ever stuck or have a problem the support is always really quick to respond and super helpful. Pros I love how straightforward it was to set up and get up and running. I really like the task management functions, how I can see what deadlines are coming up and what staff are working on. The proposal emails and e-signing of LOEs and T&Cs has been so helpful and the ability to perform AML ID checks from within the software has been brilliant. Cons I like the task template breakdowns but the fact they don't copy over when a new task is created can be frustrating, however, I'm hoping the new workflow functionality will sort this out. Alternatives considered [Senta](https://www.capterra.com/p/206605/Senta/) Reason for choosing Bright I found the other product too overwhelming and complicated and loved how Accountancy Manager worked in comparison. Review Source SW Sam W. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Wouldn't use anything else" September 6, 2022 5.0 It's been essential for me to build my payroll bureau Pros I love that the software is user friendly and intuitive, with a pleasant looking interface. The customer support has also been fantastic. Cons I would love it to be cloud based (which is in the pipeline), and also more batch processing features. Alternatives considered [Payroll Manager](https://www.capterra.com/p/235673/Payroll-Manager/)[Sage 50 Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/p/174753/Sage-50cloud/) Reason for choosing Bright It was recommended to me and I loved it when I downloaded the free trial Review Source Response from Bright November 17, 2022 Thank you for your review Sam. It's great to hear that you find the software so user-friendly and intuitive. Our fully cloud software is on the way! Thanks again. LC Leigh C. Co/Owner Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Im so glad we found AM" August 25, 2022 5.0 Before AM we used spreadsheets to keep track of tasks and clients. Deadlines are so very important that it used to keep us awake at night worring that we might miss something. These days we sleep like a baby.... Pros We love the the culture at AM, they are so full of personality. We feel valued and very much part of the family. We love the way AM tracks tasks and organises them in to "work to lists" giving us a clear jobs list for the day, week, month etc Cons Invoicing. We are looking forward to this developing. Alternatives considered [Senta](https://www.capterra.com/p/206605/Senta/) Reason for choosing Bright We much prefered the feel of the software and the sales experiance. It gave us confidence that we would be supported and valued. Review Source DJ Daniel J. Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software helping manage your practice" September 14, 2023 5.0 Very good software that saves lots of time. Pros It is online and linked to other software and HMRC Cons Pricing per user, it would be better to have pricing per number of clients. Also the invoicing is not linked properly with QuickBooks. Reason for choosing Bright Tailored to UK market, linked with HMRC and Companies House Switched from [Microsoft Excel](https://www.capterra.com/p/176574/Excel/) It was getting more difficult to manage and additional time saving features convinced to change over. Review Source DS Darren S. Director Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Accountancy Manager Review" August 27, 2019 5.0 Overall AM is the best around in our opinion and we will not be looking at any other software in this field. Pros AM is very simple to use and easily understood. I like the fact that all the invoices and statements can be emailed out and a copy kept for our records. The money laundering section is also very good to have on record and the HMRC authentication is handy to use and saves time. Cons The only thing about AM that I would love see changed is that you cannot print all statements at once as it only allows individually at the minute Alternatives considered [Capium](https://www.capterra.com/p/179882/Capium/) Reason for choosing Bright Easy understood and simple to navigate round. Review Source DS Daniel S. Chartered Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Does what it says on the tin…" August 25, 2022 5.0 Insanely positive. Took a punt on it a few years ago and never looked back! Pros Deadline management, client interaction through the portal and the ease of document approval is but a few of the things that make this piece of kit genuinely helpful. Cons Still have to use accountants and tax software to prepare accounts and tax returns etc - I can only imagine how epic this would be if they developed integrated software to do that too - literally a dream! Reason for choosing Bright Cloud based so access remotely very easily (and no software and updates to install). Offered far more features with a much easier user interface. Review Source EB Emma B. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Sole practitioners" August 27, 2019 5.0 As a single person practice, 2 days of my week was spent on practice management, Accountancy manager has reduced this to 1/2 a day, but more importantly it has freed up my brain to concentrate on accounting. Pros Because there is so many areas of Practice and client manager that this software offers, it is a one stop shop. The tasks part has eliminated 4 hours per year of spreadsheet manipulation to produce tasks list for self assessment etc. and the progress of each task can updated so i always know where i am up to. The recording of time on client tasks, that moves easily into invoicing is brilliant. The information that is held on the system, for each client, makes form filling in easy, and with this being a safe area to hold information on, i sleep better at night. The automatic email system frees up so much of my time, and ensures my client are bringing in their books in earlier than they used to. The other area i like is the way the software developers are open to new ideas, they develop and add areas to the software regally, the support is outstanding with extremely quick replies and well explained remedies. Cons I would like the cost of additional users to be lower Review Source WT Wendy T. Owner & Licensed Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Game changer for my practice" August 25, 2022 5.0 This software has drastically cut down on onboarding admin time. I can easily manage deadlines, see what WIP I have ongoing. It enables clients to securely send me documents. Pros This software is fabulous, it keeps me organised, enables secure signing of documents, and looks professional. The customer service is great, any issues are dealt with promptly. Cons All pretty straight forward to use, I like the new tasks beta. Reason for choosing Bright Price Review Source CW Chris W. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "This runs my business" September 2, 2022 5.0 This now does the majority of the day to day duties involved in running my business Pros Easy to use. Great support. Love the way it keeps sending emails until client responds Cons I would like all the "how to videos" to have a spoken instruction Review Source John J. Business Owner Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great value easy to use payroll package" September 6, 2022 5.0 Very happy to use and recommend the package Pros Good value and very easy to use software that meets all the requirements of a payroll bureau and standalone payroll Cons Not much that we can criticise on the package Review Source Response from Bright November 17, 2022 Hi John, thank you for taking the time to review BrightPay. It's great to hear that BrightPay meets all the requirements for your payroll bureau. Thanks for the 5-star ratings! MM Mark M. Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Cheap and easy to use. Could do with more customisation options" February 11, 2023 4.0 It does the job and is straightforward to use. Pros Inexpensive and talks directly to payroll software. Cons Lacking on customisation and some of the more advanced features available in other software Reason for choosing Bright Value for money and integration with payroll software Switched from [Sage HR Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/148336/Sage-HR-Online/) We changed our payroll software Review Source Response from Bright February 14, 2023 Hi Mark, thank you for your review and recommendation. It would be great to hear your customisation suggestions if you could email us at marketing@brightsg.com and we can add them to the development list. SM Simon M. Proprietor Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Helping to Develop Your Practice" September 2, 2019 5.0 This software has enabled me to grow from being a sole practitioner to a staff of 7. Pros I enjoy the fact that it is hosted as all of my staff are remote workers. This is a central point for the entire team to refer to. New features are coming out regularly Cons I have found no Cons in using this software, Review Source EC Elliot C. Director Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A helping hand..." August 27, 2019 4.0 Pros The functionality available is excellent and it is such a useful tool in the running of the business and the management of on-boarding clients and managing workflow. Cons Still quite obviously in development so at times the product is updated and this can cause a few issues. Lack of ability to make enough customized changes at the moment but hopeful that things will improve as it becomes more established. Review Source EM Eamonn M. Director Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Brightpay Auto Enrolment and RTI Ready Payroll software" October 25, 2016 5.0 I have never come accross such a user friendly software product. Every box and heading is self explanatory. Transfer from Basic PAYE Tools, set up and running has been so easy. The software is completely free for up to 3 employees. This suited us initially. Any small queries I have had have been dealt with in a timely and efficient manner demonstrating how utterly professional and committed to excellent customer service Brightpay are. Although Brightpay were already linked to about 10 Pension providers (including NEST, Peoples and NOW), we decided to use an Auto enrolment pension scheme which wasnt yet linked to the software but Brightpay developers worked like trojans to get it up and running in time for our staging date. There were a few teething problems with online pension contribution filing, but I just had to send a copy of my files by email so the developers could see what was going wrong. It was a simple password error. By the end of the day it was all sorted and has been running smoothly ever since. This was Excellent service above and beyond the call of duty, and considering we had not paid a penny for use of the software. Pros If an employee has a fixed salary each month this is shown automatically on each payroll day so no further entries need to be done. The HMRC and Pension Scheme id and passwords need to be entered only once in the set up. Then a simple click on the send button is done for all future submissions. Massive time savings. Each employee has a holiday and sick day calendar which recalculates holidays remaining or if SSP is entitled to automatically. Transferring mid year from another payroll product is simple. Review Source VU Victoria U. Administrator Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Not as good as expected" September 6, 2019 4.0 Overall, it is good that is a page, not a program. So you can use from home when you need it. Pros The really good thing is that they have tasks. The program generates deadlines and you can update progress and add a note. Cons Notes are so big and arranged uncomfortably. Sometimes you have to reload a few pages to find necessary information. Review Source JT Jonathan T. Payroll Analyst Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Bright day cause of brightpay" September 26, 2018 5.0 Pros I've tried a lot of payroll software and bright pay has the easiest software to navigate its a user friendly and covers almost all of the payroll concerns Cons what I wish brightpay must have is the capacity to trace back or correct some input of records foe example some alteration may have done but it is hard to trace back the records. Review Source MB Martin B. Director Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Game Changer" August 27, 2019 5.0 Solved admin and time constraints of chasing clients. Allowing me to keep on top of deadlines and onboard so effortlessly has been amazing. Pros The fact it makes my life so much easier and gives a really good impression to clients. Cons I cannot find a con about using this software. Review Source KC Kristian C. Director Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent product for modern accounting " September 2, 2019 5.0 Amazing product and excited to see it develop even further. Pros Cloud based, auto tasks. AML. Missing info checks. Client portal. Cons Timsheets are not up to scratch. Too slow. Review Source PV Paulino V. General manager Luxury Goods & Jewelry Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "In my point of view this is the best software when talking about payment methods" March 14, 2018 5.0 Pros It is a tool that loads all kinds of functions, with which it becomes very simple the payment processes, therefore you get higher sales Cons Definitely nobody likes to wait at the time of making a purchase, everything must be done quickly and efficiently and that is a small weak point as we have presented some reboots of the app at times when we need it most Review Source jB jamie B. Director Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent software - life changing for my small business" August 27, 2019 5.0 Pros Its very easy to use, simple to set up and has consolidated several spreadsheets into one place highlighting several errors in my schedules along the way. Cons I think it would be fantastic if the on boarding page of a client would also allow for the AML checks to be done at the same time. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Accounting Practice Management](https://www.capterra.com/accounting-practice-management-software/)[Accounting](https://www.capterra.com/accounting-software/)[Direct Deposit Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/direct-deposit-payroll-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.