Payroll software for small businesses in the UK
Make paying employees simple, not stressful. Our easy-to-use payroll software for small businesses takes care of everything, from pay runs to pensions and savings to salary advances. Perfect for small UK businesses, PayCaptain takes the hassle out of payroll, while keeping employers compliant with HMRC. Discover how the best payroll software for small businesses saves time, avoids mistakes and makes your life easier.
See how easy small business payroll can be:
Payroll made easy for your small business
Save hours every month and cut down on payroll errors with PayCaptain’s cloud-based payroll software for small businesses. Handling wages, pensions and taxes automatically, there’s no chasing numbers or fixing errors. And because it’s cloud-based, payroll can be run anytime from anywhere. No paperwork, no stress.
PayCaptain’s outsourced payroll leaves you more time for customers, more time to grow the business and less time worrying about payday.
See how other small businesses are making payday simple:
Essential payroll features for small businesses
PayCaptain’s small business payroll software comes packed with everything needed to stay on track and stress-free:
Automatic tax calculations
Reduce errors and stay compliant. Tax and National Insurance are automatically calculated for every pay run, so nothing gets missed
RTI compliance
Keep payroll on track and avoid HMRC penalties with automated, on-time submissions every pay run
Pension management
Stay compliant and save time by managing auto-enrolment, contributions and reporting all in one place
Employee self-service
Reduce payroll queries by letting staff view payslips, update details and manage their info through our mobile payroll app
Clear reports
Get a better view of labour costs with simple, custom payroll reports that make planning and decision-making easier
With PayCaptain’s cloud-based payroll software for small businesses, everything’s built to save time, stay compliant and make payroll one less thing to worry about.
Affordable payroll software for small business
Save time, cut costs and take the stress out of payday. PayCaptain’s easy-to-use payroll software for small businesses gives all the tools needed to stay compliant, organised and in control, without the high price tag.
Simple, transparent pricing
Pay per employee, per pay run
Free faster payments
Send same-day payments at no extra cost. We don’t charge extra to pay your staff faster
Fee-free salary advances
Early access to wages, including emergency cash, initially funded by PayCaptain and free to use for both your business and your employees
Built-in financial wellbeing tools
Help your employees build savings, manage budgets and feel more in control of their money
No long contracts. Affordable set up fees. No hidden costs. With PayCaptain you’ll have flexible payroll software that grows with your business and more time to focus on what really matters.
Why small businesses choose PayCaptain for their payroll software
Small businesses need software for payroll that works, without stress, jargon or a hefty price tag.Here’s why so many small businesses choose PayCaptain.
Easy to set up and even easier to use
Run payroll in a few clicks with clear steps and no confusion
Support that feels personal
Friendly, expert customer support from people who understand small business needs
Built to work with favourite tools
Connects easily with popular accounting and HRIS software
Helps small businesses grow
Everything’s designed to save time, reduce admin and make life simpler
Real small business payroll success stories
Highly recommended! Outstanding service…
We have been working with PayCaptain for over a year, and the service has been outstanding. They are professional, customer-oriented, and truly care about the businesses they support.
One of the standout features of PayCaptain is their innovative app, which has significantly improved our payroll experience. Payslips are easy to understand, and employees have access to financial tools that enhance their well-being.
We are incredibly grateful to PayCaptain for their ongoing support and look forward to continuing our collaboration for years to come.
Kasia Kurek
New to PayCaptain a few years ago
We transferred to Pay Captain a few years ago. The transmission went really well. The employees loved the modern and easy to use app. The chatbot is a nice feature to take simple queries off our hands.
They never stop wanting to help and we have a great working relationship.
Alexis Huffer
Payroll Rockstars
We transferred our payrolls to PayCaptain in April this year and quite literally, haven't looked back since. With our dedicated Payroll Manager, Paulina Lis, and the support and tech team behind her who have supported with integrations with the time and attendance platform Deputy and our HRIS system, BOB, we have been able to reduce payroll processing time by 60%. User experience has also improved, with significantly less corrections to be processed due to changes and the ability to submit updates right up until the day before processing. Thank you PayCaptain, you are indeed Payroll Rockstars
Natalie Trumper
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best payroll software for small business in the UK?
The best payroll software for a small business is simple to use, quick to set up and takes the stress out of payday. It should handle wages, taxes, pensions and reporting without needing lots of manual work or specialist knowledge. The best payroll software is cloud-based and is easy to run from anywhere. It offers great employee support when help is needed.
That’s exactly what PayCaptain is built for. It’s easy to get started, automates all the tricky bits like tax and pensions, and gives small businesses everything needed to stay compliant and organised, without any headaches. Friendly, expert support is always there when it’s needed too.
That’s why we believe PayCaptain is the best payroll software for small businesses in the UK.
What are the key compliance requirements for small business payroll in the UK?
There are several important payroll tasks small businesses must stay on top of to remain compliant with HMRC payroll regulations in the UK:
- RTI (Real Time Information) submissions. Every time staff are paid, a Full Payment Submission (FPS) must be sent to HMRC with pay and deduction details
- Employer Payment Summary (EPS). If reclaiming things like statutory pay, or reporting no payments made, an EPS needs to be submitted
- Automatic Pension Enrollment. Eligible employees need to be enrolled automatically into a workplace pension scheme, and contributions managed correctly
- Payslips and P60s. Employees must get a payslip every payday and a P60 at the end of each tax year showing total pay and deductions
- National Minimum Wage. It’s vital to make sure all staff are paid the legal minimum for their age
- Correct holiday entitlement. Staff must receive the right amount of paid holiday leave based on their hours and working pattern
PayCaptain takes care of all of this — from FPS and EPS submissions to pensions, holiday pay and year-end reporting. Our small business payroll software is automated and powered by AI. It helps small businesses stay compliant, spot issues early and avoid costly mistakes.
How do I choose the right payroll software for my small business?
Start by thinking about what matters most to the business. For many small businesses, the right payroll software is:
- Easy to use: You shouldn’t need payroll experience to get it right
- Feature-rich: Look for software that handles tax, pensions, payslips and HMRC submissions automatically
- Affordable: Costs should be clear, with no hidden fees or expensive add-ons
- Well supported: A responsive, friendly support team make all the difference when questions come up
- Scalable: It should grow with the business, whether you’re paying three people, 30 or 300
Cloud-based payroll software is often a smart choice. It’s flexible, always up to date and easy to access from anywhere. Look for features like employee self-service, online payslips and built-in reporting, which saves time and cuts down on errors.
The best payroll software for small businesses does all of this. It makes payday simpler and frees up time to focus on the business.
Click here for our ultimate payroll provider selection checklist
What are common payroll challenges faced by small businesses?
Payroll can be tough to manage, especially without a full finance team. Some of the biggest challenges small businesses face include:
- Time pressures: Running payroll takes time, which small teams often don’t have
- Keying errors and double entry: Manually entering data in multiple places increases the risk of mistakes
- Staying accurate: Errors in pay, tax or pensions can lead to unhappy staff or HMRC penalties
- Keeping up with rules: Staying on top of RTI submissions, auto-enrolment and minimum wage changes takes time and effort
- Managing costs: Fixing errors can quickly get expensive
The good news? These problems are fixable. The best payroll software for small business can handle calculations, automate reports and reduce manual entry - saving time, money and stress.
How much does payroll software typically cost for a small business?
Pricing for payroll software can vary, but most small businesses pay either a flat monthly fee or a per-employee per pay run rate.
- Number of employees. Many providers charge per employee. Costs rise as the business grows but you’re not being charged for employees you don’t have
- Features included. Some payroll service providers charge more for certain features like salary advances, Faster Payments or payroll savings schemes. It’s important to know what’s included and what’s not
- Level of support. Some providers include full support, while others charge extra for help or setup
- Extras. Things like year-end reports, employee self-service or integrations may be bundled in or priced separately
The best payroll software for small businesses is the one that’s transparent about pricing and helps small businesses manage their costs and stay within budget.
What kind of support should I expect from a payroll software provider?
Good payroll support makes a big difference — especially when time is short or something goes wrong. At a minimum, the provider should offer:
- Email support: for general questions and help with features
- Phone support: for urgent issues or more complex queries
- Online help centre: with guides, FAQs and how-to articles
- Help with setup and onboarding, so things run smoothly from day one
- Regular updates: to keep the software in line with HMRC changes
PayCaptain goes further and offers dedicated account management support and personalised help. Extra help is available via WhatsApp and Chatbot to answer queries as quickly and effectively as possible.
At PayCaptain, the support team understands the needs of small businesses and takes a hands-on approach. Whether it’s getting started, fixing a payroll error or just checking something, help’s always on hand.
Start making payroll a breeze
We'd love to talk about how PayCaptain can add value to your company and your employees. Click the button below to arrange a demo and see PayCaptain in action!
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