Payroo
Payroo is a UK cloud payroll and workplace pension provider serving small and medium businesses with an integrated Auto Enrolment platform, HMRC RTI recognition, tiered monthly subscriptions, and a bureau/API distribution layer.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Payroo does
Payroo, operated as Payroo Limited, is a UK-based cloud payroll and workplace pension provider headquartered in London. The company delivers a browser-based payroll platform that combines payroll processing with Auto Enrolment pension compliance in a single integrated workflow, targeted at UK small and medium-sized businesses with up to 5,000 employees per account. Its product portfolio comprises Payroo Star (for individual companies), Payroo Bureau (for pay bureaus and agents managing multiple clients), Payroo Multi-Office (for multi-site employers), Payroo P11D Professional (benefits and expenses e-filing), Payroo CIS (Construction Industry Scheme), Quick Pay Calculator, Payroo Internet Time & Claim (timesheets), and a Full UK Payroll API for third-party software integrations. The platform was the first cloud-based payroll product to gain HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) recognition in 2012 and the first to be recognised for CIS e-filing.
The platform is built on a Java-based architecture that supports Oracle, IBM DB2, PostgreSQL, and Sybase databases and runs across Linux, Windows, Mac, and Solaris environments via any modern browser, with no local software installation required. Payroo's cloud system has held UKAS ISO/IEC 27001 (information security, Certificate No. 10269) and ISO 9001 (quality) certifications continuously since 2010, and the company reports a 99.99% HMRC e-filing success rate and more than 1,000 HMRC accuracy and e-filing tests passed without deviation. The intellectual property and copyrights for the payroll engine, calculation logic, and e-filing system are held by INTERSOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED (Company No. 03306112), which licenses the software to Payroo Limited for service delivery.
The company monetises through monthly subscriptions tiered by employee count (£5/month for 1-2 employees up to £200/month for 301-500 employees, with £0.50/employee/month above 500), pay-as-you-use bureau billing (£10/month base plus £0.20/active employee), and usage-based charges for P11D and CIS processing. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the website, supplemented by a bureau/agent channel with white-label reselling, a third-party developer API, and email and phone support. Operating geography is exclusively the United Kingdom.
Payroo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Payroo
- Legal name
- Payroo Limited
- Website
- https://payroo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Payroo is a UK cloud payroll and workplace pension provider serving small and medium businesses with an integrated Auto Enrolment platform, HMRC RTI recognition, tiered monthly subscriptions, and a bureau/API distribution layer.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Payroo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payroll Software
- NAICS
- Payroll Services (541214)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS) (BPACAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise) (FSAMAKAA), Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ), Payroll Outsourcing & Pay Administration (Multi-country/Managed Payroll) (BPACAKAD)
Keywords
Where Payroo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Payroo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Company Payroll Subscription: Monthly subscription based on employee count ranging from £5/month (1-2 employees) to £200/month (301-500 employees). 500+ employees charged at £0.5 per employee per month. Pay-as-you-use model with no upfront payment.
- Pay Bureau/Agent Subscription: Base price of £10/month plus £0.20 per active employee per month. Minimum charge applies only when payroll is processed.
- P11D Processing: £5 per P11D employee per year for individual companies, £3.50 for bureau clients. £10 per company per year for P11D(b).
- CIS (Construction Industry Scheme): CIS usage cost mirrors RTI payroll pricing. Includes free sub-contractor verification requests and various reports.
- API Services: Full UK Payroll API for developers and software integrators. Business details and PAYE reference verified upon sign-up; API credentials (Client ID and Secret) provided for secure data submissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual Company RTI Payroll - 1 to 500+ employees |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pay Bureau/Agent RTI Payroll |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | P11D Returns - Individual Companies |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | P11D Returns - Bureau Clients |
| Usage-based | Monthly | CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Payroo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Payroo is a UK-based cloud payroll and workplace pension (Auto Enrolment) software platform that enables small and medium businesses, payroll bureaus, and multi-site employers to run RTI-compliant payroll, e-file returns to HMRC, and manage Auto Enrolment in a single integrated process. The company also provides P11D benefits processing, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) compliance, timesheet management, and a Full UK Payroll API for third-party software integration.
Product overview
Payroo is a cloud-based UK payroll and Auto Enrolment platform offering a unified product portfolio. The core offering consists of Payroo Star (for small companies), Payroo Bureau (for pay bureaus and agents), and Payroo Multi-Office (for multi-site companies), all combining payroll processing and workplace pension Auto Enrolment in a single integrated process. Additional modules include Payroo P11D Professional for benefits and expenses e-filing, Payroo CIS for Construction Industry Scheme compliance, and Payroo Internet Time & Claim for timesheet management. The platform also offers a Full UK Payroll API for third-party integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Payroo Star: Cloud-based payroll package suitable for small companies with up to 5000 employees, including Auto Enrolment functionality.
- Payroo Bureau
- Payroo Multi-Office
- Payroo P11D Professional
- Payroo CIS
Products and services
- Payroo Star A 100% web-based payroll solution with integrated Auto Enrolment. HMRC RTI PAYE recognised and suitable for small companies with up to 5,000 employees. No software installation required; accessible from any internet-connected device.
- Payroo Bureau A cloud-based payroll and Auto Enrolment solution for pay bureaus and agents managing unlimited clients with up to 5,000 aggregated employees. Allows clients to submit timesheets and view draft payslips online. White-label bureau option available.
- Payroo Multi-Office Multi-site payroll solution supporting up to 3 sites with an aggregated total of 5,000 employees. Enables independent timesheet processing at each office with head office approval workflow, payslip printing, and P45 management.
- Payroo P11D Professional Internet-based benefit and expenses processing and e-filing solution for P11D, P11D(b), and quarterly P46(car) returns. Suitable for companies with up to 5,000 employees.
- Payroo CIS Two HMRC-compliant payroll solutions for contractors and accountants in the Construction Industry Scheme. Solution 1 provides monthly CIS e-filing return service; Solution 2 is a complete CIS package including sub-contractor verification.
- Quick Pay Calculator Online tool for calculating payroll (Gross to Net or Net to Gross pay) supporting weekly and monthly pay frequencies with tax code and National Insurance category options.
- Payroo Internet Time & Claim Timesheet management system that records employee work hours accurately and monitors productivity, integrated with the payroll system.
- Full UK Payroll API Comprehensive API enabling end-to-end integration of payroll functionality including employee onboarding, payroll calculations, real-time FPS submissions, tax code updates, and payslip generation. Designed for payroll service providers, accounting software, HR systems, and time & attendance solutions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.99% e-filing success rate for End of Year tax returns to HMRC
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Payroo
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Payroo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature6 records
Payroo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- INTERSOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITEDcoreINTERSOFTWARE SOLUTIONS LIMITED (Company No. 03306112) is the copyright holder and intellectual property rights holder of the payroll software licensed to Payroo Limited. The software includes business workflow, business logic, source code, calculation engine, server hosting software, E-Filing system, and downloading system. Payroo Limited operates as the service provider using this licensed technology.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Payroo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- PayFit: PayFit is a European cloud-native payroll and HR platform operating in the UK, France, Spain, and Germany. It represents the modern cloud-native challenger model that competes with Payroo on UX and automation for UK SMBs.
- Pento: Pento is an API-first payroll platform targeting UK tech companies and modern employers. Its developer-first approach competes with Payroo's API offering and represents a more modern cloud-native payroll paradigm.
- Employment Hero: Employment Hero is an emerging cloud HR, payroll, and employee benefits platform expanding internationally from Australia into the UK. It competes with Payroo on bundled payroll + Auto Enrolment for SMBs, particularly via its embedded employment model.
Broad incumbents
- ADP: ADP is a global payroll and HCM incumbent with UK operations (ADP UK Payroll, ADP Streamline). It serves as a broad incumbent competing across SMB and mid-market segments, often as employers outgrow solutions like Payroo.
- Intuit QuickBooks Payroll: QuickBooks Payroll offers integrated payroll inside the QuickBooks accounting ecosystem. Customer testimonials indicate Payroo has actively won accounts switching away from QuickBooks, making it a directly comparable incumbent in the UK SMB segment.
Direct peers
- IRIS Software Group: IRIS is a UK-focused payroll and HR software provider serving bureaus, accountants, and employers. Its IRIS Payroll Bureau offering directly competes with Payroo Bureau and has a long-standing presence in the UK accountancy channel that Payroo also targets.
- Xero: Xero offers payroll as part of its cloud accounting platform with strong UK SMB adoption. Its Xero Payroll product competes head-to-head with Payroo Star on integrated payroll + accounting workflows for small UK businesses.
- Sage Payroll: Sage Payroll is a dominant UK SMB payroll solution bundled with Sage accounting software. It directly competes with Payroo Star on price, HMRC RTI compliance, and Auto Enrolment for the same UK SMB customer segment, with significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
- Moorepay: Moorepay is a UK payroll and HR provider serving SMBs and mid-market employers. It competes directly with Payroo on cloud payroll, Auto Enrolment, and bureau services for the UK market, with comparable regulatory positioning.
Regional players
- KeyPay: KeyPay is an Australian-founded cloud payroll platform that has expanded into the UK market. It competes with Payroo on cloud payroll for SMBs and bureau partners, particularly on pricing and integration depth.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Payroo social profiles
Digital presencePayroo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Payroo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Payroo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Payroo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Payroo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Payroo
What does Payroo do?
Payroo is a UK-based cloud payroll and workplace pension (Auto Enrolment) software platform that enables small and medium businesses, payroll bureaus, and multi-site employers to run RTI-compliant payroll, e-file returns to HMRC, and manage Auto Enrolment in a single integrated process. The company also provides P11D benefits processing, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) compliance, timesheet management, and a Full UK Payroll API for third-party software integration.
Is Payroo a public or private company?
Payroo is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Payroo founded?
Payroo was founded in 2015. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Payroo based?
Payroo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Payroo make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Company Payroll Subscription is the primary driver. The others are pay Bureau/Agent Subscription, P11D Processing, CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) and API Services.
Who are Payroo's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are PayFit, Pento and Employment Hero. Broad incumbents are ADP and Intuit QuickBooks Payroll. Direct peers are IRIS Software Group, Xero, Sage Payroll and Moorepay. KeyPay is listed as a regional player.
Does Payroo have an API?
Yes. Payroo offers a comprehensive Full UK Payroll API built on their HMRC-recognised payroll platform with over 15 years of trusted service. The API enables seamless, end-to-end integration of payroll functionality into software or platforms, supporting employee onboarding, payroll calculations, real-time FPS submissions, tax code updates, payslip generation, and more. It is ideal for payroll service providers, accounting software, HR systems, and time & attendance solutions. Businesses can sign up to integrate with Payroo's HMRC-recognised payroll system and receive API credentials (Client ID and Secret) upon approval. Developer documentation is at www.multiintegration.com/docs/full-uk-payroll-api/v9iexn8ni5pio-full-uk-payroll-api-integration-guide.
What industry is Payroo in?
Payroo's product category is Payroll Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAIAB, Payroll Software & Payroll-as-a-Service (SaaS), with a secondary code of FSAMAKAA, Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise). Its NAICS code is 541214 and its SIC code is 7372.