What is the best payroll software for UK accountants and payroll bureaus?

BrightPay by Bright is the payroll software of choice for thousands of UK accounting practices and payroll bureaus. It has won the ICB LUCA Award for Payroll & HR Software of the Year for five consecutive years — voted for by the bookkeepers and accountants who use it every day. Purpose-built for bureau workflows, BrightPay by Bright automates the most time-consuming tasks in multi-client payroll: data collection, pension submissions, payslip distribution, payroll reporting, and payment processing. Our own research, based on surveys and interviews with bureau customers, shows it can save a practice over £25,000 a year.

This bureau-scale case builds on the general efficiency argument for moving off desktop software in the first place. See how cloud payroll software improves payroll efficiency in 2026/27 for that starting point.

This blog is part of our series on Payroll Management Systems: Connecting Cloud Payroll Software with Other Tools.

Why do UK payroll bureaus choose BrightPay by Bright over other software?

Most payroll software is built for a single employer. BrightPay by Bright is built for bureaus — practices that manage payroll for dozens or hundreds of clients simultaneously, each with different pay schedules, pension providers, and accounting packages. The features that matter most to bureaus are built in as standard, not sold as add-ons.

In a customer satisfaction survey, 87% of BrightPay users said they save time by using the software. Our own research, conducted with 22 bureau customers who had used BrightPay for an average of three years, calculated total annual savings of 760 hours when using BrightPay’s key features. At a conservative hourly rate of £35 for payroll services, and accounting for software costs, that translates to over £25,000 saved per year. Read more in our full guide to how BrightPay saves your practice money.

How much time can BrightPay by Bright save a UK payroll bureau each year?

The table below is drawn from bureau customer research. The figures are based on an average bureau processing payroll for 25 clients across 700 payroll runs a year. For more on the methodology, read our guide to how cloud payroll software improves payroll efficiency. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Time saved with BrightPay

Figures based bureau customer research. Individual savings will vary by practice size and workflow.

What bureau-specific features does BrightPay by Bright include?

BrightPay Cloud is built on Microsoft Azure — payroll data is securely backed up in real time with no manual effort required. Our research found bureaus can waste up to seven hours a year on manual data backups alone. Beyond cloud storage, the features that make the biggest difference for bureaus are:

• Client payroll entry — rather than chasing clients by email for hours and additions each pay period, bureaus send a structured request through BrightPay. Clients enter their data directly into the system, which flows automatically into the payroll software. Our research shows this gets information back 75 minutes faster than a standard email request.

• Batch finalising — bureaus can finalise open pay periods for multiple clients simultaneously. This is particularly valuable for single director companies whose payroll rarely changes month to month — our research shows it saves 1.5 hours a month and 2.5 working days a year.

• Employer dashboard — each client has their own dashboard where they can view payslips, run reports, and approve payroll entries. This replaces email chains with a structured, auditable workflow and reduces inbound queries to the bureau.

• Automated payroll reports — clients run their own reports from their dashboard at any time. What typically takes a bureau 30 minutes per client report is reduced to under a minute. Across 25 clients, our research shows this saves 12 hours a month and 18.5 working days a year.

• Automatic payslip distribution — payslips are shared with employees through the BrightPay self-service portal the moment a payroll run is finalised. No manual emails, no password-protected PDFs. Our research shows this saves two hours a month and three working days a year for a bureau running 58 payroll runs a month.

• Multi-user access — multiple team members can work on the same employer file simultaneously, in real time, from any location. No file locking, no waiting for colleagues to finish.

For businesses with hourly-paid teams specifically, that same principle extends to time capture. See what TimeKeeper is and how it can help businesses with hourly paid employees for how verified hours flow straight into payroll.

What integrations does BrightPay by Bright offer for accountants and bureaus?

Accounting software integration

BrightPay by Bright integrates directly with Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, BrightBooks, and a range of other accounting packages. Payroll journals are sent from within BrightPay in a few clicks — no CSV exports, no manual re-entry. Our own research shows this saves a bureau with 25 clients an average of 16 hours a month and 24 working days a year. Learn more about BrightPay’s bureau features.

Pension provider integration

BrightPay by Bright offers direct API integration with NEST, The People’s Pension, Smart Pension, and more. Pension data is sent directly from within BrightPay to the provider — no CSV files, no portal uploads. Our research shows this saves an average of eight hours a month and 11.5 working days per year.

Payment platform integration (Modulr)

BrightPay by Bright integrates with Modulr, allowing bureaus to pay employees, subcontractors, and HMRC directly through BrightPay — 24/7, 365 days a year. This eliminates the need to create bank files and upload them to online banking. According to our own research, this single feature saves a bureau running 58 payroll runs a month 23.5 hours a month and 35.5 working days a year — the largest single time saving in BrightPay’s feature set. Find out more about scaling your bureau with cloud payroll.

Is BrightPay by Bright a multi-award-winning solution?

Yes. BrightPay by Bright has won the ICB LUCA Award for Payroll & HR Software of the Year for five consecutive years — most recently in 2025. The LUCA Awards are widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of the bookkeeping profession’ and are voted for entirely by ICB members and students. Bright also won Silver at the 2024 Global Business Tech Awards.

Did you know: Bright has over 30 years of industry experience and supports more than 400,000 businesses across the UK and Ireland.

What do accountants and bureaus say about BrightPay?

“I’ve worked in payroll for 35+ years and used many, many different payroll systems. I’ve just switched to BrightPay for all my bureau payrolls and wish I’d done it years ago. It’s the best system I’ve used, without a doubt.”

— Clare, Ryefield Accountants

“Joel has amazing customer service skills, he listened had patience. Checked in regularly. Communication skills were brilliant, made the conversations relatable so we didn’t just feel like we were talking to a sales person. He understood our business and what we were aiming to achieve, we did not feel like a number. In short we felt looked after. Thank you.”

— Tracy via Trustpilot

“As a recent user of BrightPay Payroll Online, I’ve been genuinely impressed with how user-friendly and intuitive the system is. Although I initially had a few questions about some of the features I wasn’t familiar with, the support team stepped in quickly and professionally every time. Their staff have been consistently helpful, but what stood out most was how swiftly and efficiently my queries were resolved, without any delays or back-and-forth. This level of service makes all the difference, especially when you’re still finding your feet with new software.BrightPay has made the payroll process smooth and stress-free, and I’m glad I chose them. Highly recommend!.”

— Sandra via Trustpilot

How does BrightPay by Bright compare to other payroll software for bureaus?

BrightPay by Bright is a strong alternative to Sage Payroll, IRIS Earnie, Moneysoft Payroll Manager, and Xero Payroll for UK bureaus and accounting practices. See our full payroll software comparison guide for a detailed breakdown.

• Compared to Sage Payroll — Multiple BrightPay customers have cited moving from Sage due to rising costs.

• Compared to Moneysoft — BrightPay offers a more comprehensive cloud offering with direct pension integrations, payment platform connectivity via Modulr, and employer-facing dashboards.

• Compared to Xero Payroll — BrightPay is a dedicated payroll solution with considerably deeper bureau functionality.

If your firm is planning this move around year end specifically, see a cleaner break, moving your payroll to the cloud at year end for why that timing tends to work best.

To see how BrightPay by Bright handles your specific bureau workflows, book a demo with the team.

This content may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. Content is reviewed by a member of the Bright team before publication. Guidance on legislation can be obtained from your industry body.