BrightPay - Payroll Software

What BrightPay - Payroll Software does

BrightPay is a UK-focused payroll software product operated by Thesaurus Software Ltd, trading as Bright Software Group. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in London (Hammersmith) with a support operations centre in Duleek, Ireland, the company serves UK payroll bureaus, accountancy practices, individual employers, and Construction Industry Scheme contractors. Its core offering, BrightPay, processes payroll for 3.5 million employees per month, with HMRC recognition for Real Time Information (RTI) reporting, automated pension auto-enrolment via direct API integrations with providers such as NEST, The People's Pension, Smart Pension, and Aviva, and statutory payment calculations across SMP, SSP, SPP, SAP, ShPP, SPBP and SNHP regimes.

The product portfolio comprises BrightPay Cloud (the flagship SaaS delivered via web browser, launched in 2015 and limited to 300 employees per employer), BrightPay Desktop (a per-tax-year Windows licence being discontinued after 5 April 2026), BrightPay Connect (a cloud self-service portal and backup add-on introduced around 2019 for desktop customers), and BrightCIS (a separate cloud solution for CIS subcontractor management). The technology stack centres on a compliance engine with RTI submission workflows (FPS, EPS, NVR), pension auto-enrolment automation, multi-user real-time collaboration, and an extensive integration footprint spanning 13+ accounting platforms (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, BrightBooks, etc.) and 17+ pension providers, plus a Modulr integration for employee and HMRC payments.

BrightPay monetises primarily through a flexible subscription on BrightPay Cloud (monthly Direct Debit on the 4th of the following month, or annually in advance with a discount, both scaled by active employer/employee count), a per-tax-year upfront desktop licence, an add-on subscription for BrightPay Connect billed on active employees, and free unlimited telephone and email support bundled with all licences. Distribution is direct via the brightpay.co.uk website with self-service free trials and inbound demo requests; the company reports 99% customer support satisfaction, processes 3.5 million employees monthly, and operates with a 11-50 employee headcount across UK and Ireland. The legal entity is a UK private limited company (Thesaurus Software Ltd T/A Bright Software Group) with a 2018 disclosed investment from HgCapital Trust plc.

Name

BrightPay - Payroll Software

Legal name

Thesaurus Software Ltd T/A Bright Software Group

Website

https://brightpay.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BrightPay is a UK-focused payroll software product that processes payroll for 3.5 million employees monthly, serving payroll bureaus, accountancy practices, individual employers, and CIS contractors with HMRC-recognised RTI compliance, auto-enrolment, and accounting/pension integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payroll Software

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services (BPACAGAD), Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise) (FSAMAKAA), Contractor / Freelancer Payments (FSAMAKAC)

Keywords

• Payroll software
• Auto enrolment
• HMRC RTI reporting
• Payroll bureau tools
• Cloud payroll SaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cloud Subscription (BrightPay Cloud): Flexible subscription pricing based on number of active employers and employees per month. Customers can pay monthly (by Direct Debit on the 4th of the following month) or annually (in advance with a discount). All-inclusive pricing includes employee and employer portals at no extra cost.
2. Desktop Software Licence (Legacy): Per-tax-year upfront licence purchase for BrightPay desktop (Windows/Mac). Banded pricing based on number of employers and employees. Standard licences range from 3 employees to unlimited; bureau licences include unlimited employees per employer. Valid only for the tax year purchased.
3. BrightPay Connect Add-on: Additional monthly subscription for BrightPay Connect feature (cloud backup, employer/employee portals) added to desktop licence. Billed at month-end based on total active employees.
4. Free Support (included): All licences include free telephone and email support. No expensive support packages or profit from help services. This drives customer satisfaction and reduces churn.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BrightPay is a UK payroll software platform that processes payroll for 3.5 million employees monthly, offering HMRC-recognised Real Time Information (RTI) reporting, automated pension auto enrolment, and multi-employer bureau workflows. It is delivered as a cloud-native SaaS (BrightPay Cloud) with a legacy per-tax-year desktop licence being discontinued after April 2026, and is complemented by a self-service portal add-on (BrightPay Connect) and a Construction Industry Scheme product (BrightCIS). The software targets payroll bureaus, accountants, and individual UK employers and integrates with 13+ accounting platforms and 17+ pension providers via API.

Product overview

BrightPay is an award-winning UK payroll software product used to process payroll for 3.5 million employees every month. The product portfolio consists of BrightPay as the core payroll engine (available as BrightPay Cloud cloud-based and BrightPay Desktop versions), BrightPay Connect as an optional employer/employee self-service portal add-on for desktop users, and BrightCIS as a dedicated Construction Industry Scheme management cloud tool. BrightPay Cloud is the flagship fully cloud-based solution accessible via web browser with real-time multi-user collaboration, while the desktop version for Windows/Mac is being phased out after 5th April 2026 and replaced by cloud. Both versions support RTI & HMRC recognised payroll processing, Auto Enrolment functionality, and integrate with accounting software via API and multiple pension providers. The portfolio also includes an Employee Self Service mobile app for iOS and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BrightPay Connect: Cloud-based employer and employee self-service portal with payroll approval workflows, document management, and automated cloud backup for BrightPay desktop users.
• BrightCIS
• Bright ID

Products and services

• BrightPay Cloud Fully cloud-based UK payroll software accessible from any device via web browser, supporting up to 300 employees per employer with real-time multi-user collaboration, RTI and HMRC submissions, auto enrolment, and API-based payroll journal exports to 13+ accounting platforms. Targets SMB employers and payroll bureaus replacing the legacy desktop product.
• BrightPay Connect Cloud-based employer and employee self-service portal and automated backup add-on for BrightPay Desktop users, providing employer dashboards, employee leave management, payroll entry/approval workflows for bureaus, and document management with two-factor authentication. Billed as an additional monthly subscription based on active employees.
• BrightCIS Separate cloud solution for managing Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) subcontractor payments, including subcontractor verification requests, deduction calculations, and monthly HMRC CIS return submissions. Targets UK CIS contractors and complements the main BrightPay payroll product.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.5 million employees paid monthly through the platform
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration31 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ModulrcoreTechnology or IntegrationModulr integration enables BrightPay users to make fast, secure payments to employees and HMRC directly within the payroll software, eliminating the need for separate payment processing.
• NEST (National Employment Savings Trust)coreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration for automatic enrolment pension contributions. BrightPay can assess employees, enrol them in NEST, and submit contribution data automatically.
• The People's PensioncoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration with The People's Pension for automatic enrolment processing and contribution submissions.
• Smart PensioncoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration for Smart Pension automatic enrolment support.
• AvivacoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration for Aviva pension automatic enrolment. Desktop version includes Aviva integration; cloud version integration coming soon.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration and CSV export for payroll journal syncing to Xero accounting software. Available in both desktop and cloud versions.
• SagecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Sage Business Cloud Accounting via API and CSV upload for payroll journal exports.
• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect API integration with QuickBooks Online and CSV upload for QuickBooks Desktop for payroll journal syncing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sage Payroll: Sage Group is the dominant UK SMB accounting-and-payroll software provider. Sage Payroll is one of BrightPay's most direct competitors in the UK payroll software market, often bundled with Sage Business Cloud Accounting.
• Xero Payroll: Xero offers a cloud-native payroll add-on for UK and global customers, directly overlapping with BrightPay Cloud's bureau and SMB employer segments and competing via the Xero accounting ecosystem.
• QuickBooks Payroll: Intuit's QuickBooks Payroll provides cloud payroll to UK SMBs and is tightly bundled with QuickBooks Online accounting — one of BrightPay's direct integration partners — making it a primary competitive threat.
• IRIS Software Group: IRIS is a long-established UK payroll and HR software provider serving accountants, payroll bureaus, and employers — directly comparable to BrightPay in target customer, regulatory coverage, and bureau-focused workflow.
• Cintra HR & Payroll: Cintra provides payroll and HR software to UK employers and bureaus with HMRC recognition, competing head-to-head with BrightPay in the mid-market and bureau segments.
• Paycircle: Paycircle is a UK cloud-native payroll and HR platform targeting SMB employers and accountants, with similar bureau-friendly workflow features and HMRC recognition as BrightPay.
• Moorepay: Moorepay (part of the Moore Global network) provides UK payroll, HR, and auto-enrolment software to SMB employers and accountants — a closely comparable product set, customer base, and regulatory coverage to BrightPay.

Broad incumbents

• PayFit: PayFit is a well-funded European cloud payroll and HR platform with a comparable SaaS model, UK presence, and SMB/bureau targeting, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• ADP UK: ADP is a global payroll and HR services incumbent with a substantial UK footprint (RUN Powered by ADP, ADP Workforce Now), competing in the same employer and bureau market as BrightPay but at enterprise scale.

Emerging players

• Employment Hero: Employment Hero is a fast-growing cloud payroll, HR, and employee benefits platform with UK operations, offering an integrated SMB employment stack that overlaps with BrightPay's payroll-plus-portal value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BrightPayUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BrightPay
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrightPayUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brightpay-uk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BrightPay - Payroll Software