--- title: "Sage Payroll Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra" description: "With the help of Capterra, learn about Sage Payroll Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Payroll products and more." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/215768/Sage-Business-Cloud-Payroll/" page_type: "product" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-29" --- # Sage Payroll Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on October 29, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[FAQs](#faqs)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Sage Payroll ## What is Sage Payroll? Sage Business Cloud payroll is an intuitive, cloud-based payroll solution that helps you manage everything payroll related in just a few clicks. Easy-to-use 4 step Do-It-Yourself payroll. Avoid mistakes with fully HMRC compliant software. Automated payroll calculations and submissions. Easily switch to Sage with a simple setup and data import. Expert support whenever you need, 24/7, 365 days a year. Share access with your accountant. Automatically track your payroll data in Sage Accounting ## What is Sage Payroll used for? [Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/payroll-software/) Recognitions Shortlist Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 36 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 89% Neutral 8% Negative 3% Starting price £7 Per User, Per Month Free trial available Free version not included Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... - Payroll / 2026 Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Sage Payroll?[Manage this product listing](https://www.g2.com/products/sage-payroll/claim_requests/new?auto=true) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Sage Payroll 4.6 (36) VS. [4.8 (4,322)](https://www.capterra.com/p/205015/Deel/reviews/) Starting Price £7 Per User, Per Month Starting Price $5 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.5 (36) Ease Of Use 4.8 (4,322) Value For Money 4.4 (33) Value For Money 4.7 (3,970) Customer Service 4.3 (30) Customer Service 4.7 (4,072) ## Sage Payroll alternatives Highest Rated [4.9 (4,886)](https://www.capterra.com/p/172127/Rippling/reviews/) Starting price $8.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 98% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (1,983)](https://www.capterra.com/p/86714/WebPay/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.8 (3,969)](https://www.capterra.com/p/116050/Patriot-Software/reviews/) Starting price $17.00 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 97% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [4.3 (3,081)](https://www.capterra.com/p/133745/Paycor-Perform/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 87% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/215768/Sage-Business-Cloud-Payroll/alternatives/) ## FAQs about Sage Payroll Overview ### Which roles and teams benefit most from Sage Payroll? Sage Payroll is most used by directors, business owners, and managing partners who need oversight of payroll costs and compliance. Payroll managers, specialists, clerks, and agents handle pay runs, deductions, and employee records, while finance managers and accountants support reporting, reconciliations, and payroll-related financial administration. HR teams manage employee changes and payroll information. Answer based on 36 reviews Overview ### What company size and industries is Sage Payroll built for? Sage Payroll is for small businesses with 1–50 employees, with 83% of reviewers from small businesses and Accounting the leading industry at 28%. It also serves Construction firms (17%) and Financial Services organizations (6%), while 11% of reviewers are midsize businesses. Its most common use case is payroll, reported by 62% of reviewers. Answer based on 36 reviews Features and Usability ### What are the key features of Sage Payroll? Sage Payroll includes payroll management and payroll reporting as its most-discussed features, supporting payroll processing, monthly and yearly analysis, and associated reports. It also provides cloud-based access, an easy-to-navigate interface, employee self-service, and real-time reporting. Sage Payroll also covers Tax Compliance. Answer based on 16 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What training and onboarding options does Sage Payroll offer? Sage Payroll provides in person training, live online sessions, webinars, documentation, and videos to help teams get started. In person and live online options support guided instruction, webinars offer scheduled learning sessions, documentation serves as written reference material, and videos provide self-paced viewing. Answer based on 2 reviews Getting Started and Support ### What customer support options does Sage Payroll offer? Sage Payroll offers email/help desk, FAQ/forum, knowledge base, phone support, 24/7 live rep, and chat. Users report that support can help with setup and payroll issues, but some say issue resolution takes too long and that technical support can struggle with basic problems. Answer based on 3 reviews Ease of use ### Is Sage Payroll easy to use? Sage Payroll makes routine payroll tasks manageable for small business teams, with straightforward employee changes, reports, and current tax information. Many users find monthly processing intuitive and appreciate shortcuts and help resources. However, some administrators find navigation across tabs clunky, need paid training, or struggle with editing prior payroll runs. Answer based on 18 reviews ## Features AI summary Based on 18,203 Payroll reviews Capterra data shows that buyers of payroll software rank the following features as their top priorities: - **Payroll Management** (**59%** of reviewers rated this feature as critical) - **Direct Deposit** (**58%**) - **Payroll Reporting** (**51%**) Sage Payroll supports **Payroll Management** and **Payroll Reporting**, giving businesses the tools to process pay accurately and review payroll data for better oversight. However, it does not offer **Direct Deposit**. Instead, it provides other features that reviewers also rate highly, including **W-2 Preparation** (**56%**) and **Tax Compliance** (**58%**), helping businesses handle year-end tax documents and stay aligned with payroll regulations while allowing teams to manage payroll tasks with more accuracy and confidence. Payroll Management 4.1 (23) 73.91% of 23 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently Payroll Reporting 4.4 (22) 81.82% of 22 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more W-2 Preparation 3.4 (5) 40.00% of 5 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Automatically create and distribute W-2/1099 tax forms to employees. Tax Compliance 4.7 (23) 73.91% of 23 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors Benefits Management 4.2 (10) 60.00% of 10 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Record employee's benefit plans and selections throughout career progression Employee Database 4.7 (10) 80.00% of 10 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository Sage Payroll 28 features ### All Features - Access Controls/Permissions: Define levels of authorization for access to specific files or systems - Accounting: Built-in accounting to manage ledger, accounts payable/receivable, financial reports, etc. - Activity Dashboard: Dashboard to view the status of ongoing processes, identify current incidents and track past activities - Alerts/Notifications: Alerts or notifications of various types such as pop-up messages, sounds, banners, or badges - API: Application programming interface that allows for integration with other systems/databases - Approval Process Control: Manage the process of evaluating documents or requests submitted for approval - Benefits Management: Record employee's benefit plans and selections throughout career progression - Calendar Management: Track and manage schedules and meetings via an integrated calendar - Check Printing: Print paychecks issued to confirm payment of wages or salary - Compensation Management: Manages compensation such as salary, bonus, and benefits processes, aligning with policies - Compliance Management: Track and manage adherence to policies for any service, product, process, or supplier - Customizable Reports: Alter the layout and content of reports - Data Import/Export: Import and export data to and from software applications - Document Management: Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location - Employee Database: Electronic storage of staff/employee contact information and job status in a centralized repository - Employee Management: Track employee schedules, availability, and performance across projects and tasks - Employee Portal: Online portal where employees can access and track their own information - Employee Profiles: Centralized storage for employee data, records, and performance metrics - Payroll Management: Manage employee salary processes, data, taxes, and records administration efficiently - Payroll Reporting: View and track payroll metrics including tax liabilities, pay rates, working hours, deductions and more - Reporting & Statistics: Collection, analysis, and representation of numerical data and generation of reports to understand various patterns - Self Service Portal: Online portal through which end users can access the system, manage tasks, or obtain information - Tax Compliance: Track tax-related transactions, tax remittance and tax reporting for various groups of employees and contractors - Third-Party Integrations: Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes - Time Tracking: Measure and track time including hours worked and paid time off (PTO) - Vacation/Leave Tracking: Request, track, and manage time off requests and vacation time - W-2 Preparation: Automatically create and distribute W-2/1099 tax forms to employees. - Wage Garnishment: Automatically subtract garnishments from wages --- Get Advice We can help you find the software with the features you need. Features 4.4 (36) 4.4 Based on 36 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.4 (33) Free Trial Basic £7.00 Per User,Per Month Value for money 4.4 (33) 4.4 Based on 33 reviews Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.3 (30) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.3 (30) 4.3 Based on 30 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.6 Based on 36 reviews Filter by rating Counts reflect reviews available in this feed. 5(27) 4(5) 3(3) 2(0) 1(1) Mentioned topic Recent reviews first, then most helpful AU Auditor Auditor Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Sage Payroll - Effective and Useful" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 March 10, 2026 Overall my experience with sage payroll has been very positive and has always helped generate accurate reports and information. Pros Sage payroll is an amazing tool to create and manage a companies payroll. It is easy to use and has a variety of reports which are helpful for reference. Cons My least favourite part about sage payroll is the formatting of reports when exported to excel, as they can become overwhelming. AC Accountant Accountant Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Sage Business Cloud Payroll Good for small businesses." 5.0 January 21, 2022 I have enjoyed my experience with Sage because it has made my work much easier with all the features that it offers. My month end close are smooth and quick. Pros The four step payroll process which increases my accuracy, Auto Adjustment which is also useful when you make an error on the payslip, the ability it has to produce various accounting reports. I highly recommend it for small businesses. Cons The only problem I have is that it is specifically for small businesses. HA HR Advisor HR Advisor Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Sage 50 payroll" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 April 28, 2025 Very good, used this system in conjunction with others for a long time, have got help when needed, would recommend. Pros easy to use, does send some updates, has good reports. able to input data easily and the process flow works Cons does not follow updates for pensions and other legislation, a lot has to be done manually and extra checks FA Finance and Support Manager Finance and Support Manager Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Decent software, bit outdated" 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 August 28, 2024 Each time I ran payroll it seemed it took me ages to do so, not the payroll itself but getting the reports out to link them with other financial software. Pros You could bespoke a lot of features within Sage Payroll. Cons Overly detailed, outdated look, quite clunky. OA Office Administrator Office Administrator Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "So far so good!" 5.0 March 3, 2025 Pros It seems like its good, only used it a short while and have not had any issues thus far. Cons There seem to be no glitches or issues i can report as of yet. PM Payroll Manager Payroll Manager Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Sage Payroll" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 May 10, 2024 Great system to use but the support aspect in SA is lacking management and we have to make use of a third party to assist with issues which costs us more money. Pros Reporting is great Main menu with employee details is super helpful Cons The support in SA is lacking. The Consultants are not able to assist with queries or does not come back to one. HM HR Manager HR Manager Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Sage business professional payroll " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 10, 2024 Pros The fact that I can save everything in the cloud Cons Sometimes the connection is slow and we struggle to work PR Paul R. Owner Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Reliable payroll software with great support." 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 15, 2024 Using Sage payroll has been a very positive experience. It has made Payroll easier and can I say, enjoyable. Pros Simple four-step payroll software, coupled with free HR software and first-class support. Cons It is difficult to find anything I don't like about Sage payroll, as it does everything I need it to and more. AM Accounts Manager Accounts Manager Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Excellent software " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 3/10 May 15, 2024 Fantastic, cant recommend enough! As a beginner it was so easy to navigate! Pros How easy it is to navigate and report a leaver or a new starter! Cons The enter payment settings don’t go back to zero so you have to take bank holidays or annual leave off. AA Accounts and Administration Accounts and Administration Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Efficient and User Friendly" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 1, 2024 It's simple to use and makes running payroll a breeze. I like the help guides, especially the year-end guide. Pros It was very simple to migrate from Instant Payroll to the Online version. Cons No cons found to date, I cannot fault the programme [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/215768/Sage-Business-Cloud-Payroll/reviews/) ## Top-rated software of 2026 ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Popular comparisons [Deel vs Sage Payroll](https://www.capterra.com/compare/205015-215768/Deel-vs-Sage-Business-Cloud-Payroll)