# Bright Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Bright the right Payroll solution for you? Explore 347 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 (347) [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 15th, 2026 # Reviews of Bright Ease of use 4.8 Customer Service 4.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews 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 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 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 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 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 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 LV LESLEY ANN V AccountantAccounting, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The support is excellent and quick and the employee management is very easy to keep up to date.“ April 20, 2026 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 347 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 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 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. 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 AM Adil M. Senior Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best Practice Management Software" August 27, 2019 5.0 Whenever we needed help from the team, they were utmost courteous. If issue was not resolved at the point of first contact, they ensured that call back was made as soon as possible. Pros Ease of use and ease of implementation. Great customer services especially from Customer Support Team. Our clients found it easier to use as well in terms of uploading/downloading documents and e-signing paperwork Cons I would love to see in future time management chart implemented whereby staff diary can be created and seen by the senior team Switched from [Capium](https://www.capterra.com/p/179882/Capium/) Not a user friendly interface Not impressed with the customer service Slow software At times overly complicated Review Source MD Michael D. Director Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "BrightPay brightens up the payroll process!" February 9, 2021 5.0 Overall I'm really pleased with the software and they are always brining out new functionality. Pros The user interface is great and very intuitive, the help/support section is very good in helping you get up to speed with the software. Cons The way you have to download and install a new version each year - other providers keep all of your data in one place. Reason for choosing Bright The licence fee for Sage put us off and we chose BrightPay for it's good value for money whilst providing some great features. Switched from [Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Better meets our needs + we operate a payroll bureau which BrighPay has a package for. Review Source LW Lauren W. Business Support Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great software!" August 27, 2019 5.0 Excellent. Brilliant service and it has made processes simpler and easier to use. Pros Software is very useful for our company. Cons There is nothing negative to report on Accountancy Manager, it is a great system to use. Every time there has been issues they have been resolved in an instant. Alternatives considered [Xero](https://www.capterra.com/p/120109/Xero/) Reason for choosing Bright Accountancy Manager stood out for us. We wanted something more modern and that is what they have given us. 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 KB Kellie B. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Outstanding Software" August 27, 2019 5.0 I am so glad I found this piece of software, my life is so much simpler now and I have everything in once place. The support team are quick to answer any queries, I couldn't recommend this piece of software enough Pros This software is very easy to use, saves time, tracks tasks, emails clients for missing records, free document portal. Most of my administration is now automated thanks to Accountancy Manager Cons You can't have more than 1 email address associated with Accountancy Manager. Ie: The accountant uses Accountancy Manager so my client cannot use Accountancy Manager with me for his payroll reports as his email address is already been used. Review Source WB Wendy B. Director/Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Must have for busy accountancy practice" August 13, 2019 5.0 Brilliant software for a buy accountant practice - keeps all tasks in order and makes managing deadlines easy. Getting proposals to potential clients is a dream once you have everything configured/customised to your ways or working - 5 minutes after talking to a prospect you can have a full proposal with T&C's in their inbox. Pros Ease of use, support, regular software upgrades, never miss a deadline, client on-boarding, proposal management, customisation Cons Nothing major - perhaps the only minor item is cut and paste functionality can be a bit erratic when using templates. But this is minor.... Review Source MA Malek A. Semi-Senior Accountant Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Accountants review" August 27, 2019 5.0 Pros The ease if use. Automations invoicing section is great Very professional Cons emails, when you copy and paste to the email box in AM, it does not do a great job at it. Creating tables is not as easy and clean as others. Review Source KS Kandarp S. Manager Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent Software" August 27, 2019 5.0 It saves a lot of my time. Pros 1\. Connection with Companies house 2. Automatic emails 3. Ease of creating engagement letters Cons Template customisation. You can't simply copy and paste directly to the software due to the HTML issues. I had to copy the contents first to notepad and then to the software. However, the support team was brilliant. They did a lot of work for many of my templates. Review Source SB Sharon B. Practice Manager Accounting Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best thing we ever did" August 27, 2019 5.0 The time saved with automatic chasing means that we have more time available for our clients. Pros Easy to use, excellent fro chasing for information automatically which saves us so much time. Cons The implementation process, the import from digita database was not straightforward. Alternatives considered [Iris Works](https://www.capterra.com/p/149597/Iris-Works/) Reason for choosing Bright Much better overall product Review Source SC Simona C. Bookkeeper Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best helper!" August 28, 2019 5.0 Using this software is helping me save time, it brings to my attention tasks that need sorting out daily, monthly and overall I do not see myself working without AM in the future. Pros The fact that I have everything in one place and helps me organize my workload. Cons Can not think of anything, or at least I have not encountered so far any fault. 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 PB Philip B. director Accounting Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Review" August 27, 2019 5.0 Very good Pros Organisation of clients information and task organsistion Cons Some additional auto emails would be useful Review Source Similar Products Featured ## 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.