Best Payroll Software Ireland 2026 — BrightPay, Collsoft & Thesaurus Compared

Choosing the wrong payroll software in Ireland doesn’t just cause admin headaches — it can land you with Revenue penalties. Since PAYE Modernisation became mandatory in January 2019, every Irish employer must submit payroll data to Revenue in real time, on or before each pay date. Generic UK or US payroll tools often fail at this, leaving Irish businesses to manually key figures into ROS. The best Irish payroll software automates all of it.

This guide covers the three specialist Irish payroll tools — BrightPay, Collsoft Payroll, and Thesaurus Payroll Manager — along with what to look for if you are evaluating payroll software for the first time.

What Payroll Software Must Do in Ireland

Before comparing options, here is what compliant Irish payroll software must handle in 2026:

• PAYE Modernisation — Submit a Payroll Submission Request (PSR) to Revenue on or before every pay date, pulling Revenue Payroll Notifications (RPNs) beforehand to get current tax credits and rate bands.
• PRSI calculations — Correctly calculate employer and employee PRSI across all classes (A, S, J, M, etc.) and subclasses.
• USC deductions — Apply the correct USC bands and exemptions for each employee type.
• SEPA XML payment files — Generate bank payment files in the format your Irish bank accepts (AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB) for bulk salary runs.
• Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) — Report non-taxable expenses and benefits (travel, subsistence, remote working allowances) to Revenue as they are paid.
• Auto-enrolment readiness — Ireland’s automatic pension enrolment scheme (My Future Fund) is rolling out from 2025. Your payroll software must be ready to handle employer and employee contributions.

Any payroll tool that cannot do all of the above is not suitable as your primary payroll solution for an Irish employer.

The Three Best Payroll Software Options for Ireland

1. BrightPay — Best Overall

Price: From €229/year (up to 10 employees); free for single-employee businesses
Free trial: 60 days
Best for: Businesses of all sizes, accountancy practices

BrightPay is developed in Dublin by Thesaurus Software and has won Payroll Software of the Year at the Irish Accountancy Awards multiple times. It is the most widely used payroll software among Irish accountancy practices, which means if you share access with your accountant, they almost certainly know it.

What sets BrightPay apart:

BrightPay handles all PAYE Modernisation submissions directly and automatically. It pulls RPNs before each pay run and submits PSRs to Revenue as part of the standard payroll process — no manual ROS logins required. It generates SEPA XML payment files compatible with AIB, Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB, and Ulster Bank, so bulk salary payments take seconds rather than minutes of re-keying.

BrightPay Connect extends the desktop software with cloud backup, an employee self-service portal (payslips, P60s, leave requests), and a bureau dashboard for accountants managing multiple clients. Connect is priced per active employee per month (~€0.71 for 1 employee, ~€5.56 for 10 employees).

Auto-enrolment: BrightPay has confirmed My Future Fund (auto-enrolment) support, making it one of the first Irish payroll tools ready for the rollout.

Pricing summary:

Verdict: BrightPay is the default recommendation for most Irish employers. The combination of strong Revenue compliance, SEPA XML support, accountant familiarity, and affordable annual pricing makes it the safest and best-value choice for businesses with 1–50 employees.

2. Collsoft Payroll — Best for Construction and Larger Teams

Price: From €250/year
Free trial: Available
Best for: Construction businesses, companies with 20–100 employees, businesses needing CSO reporting

Collsoft Payroll is an established Irish payroll software with a particular strength in the construction sector. If your business operates under RCT (Relevant Contracts Tax) rules — subcontractors, main contractors, and principal contractors in construction and forestry — Collsoft’s built-in RCT handling is a significant advantage over BrightPay, which requires workarounds.

What sets Collsoft apart:

Collsoft includes CSO (Central Statistics Office) statistical reporting, which is a legal requirement for larger Irish employers. It also handles multi-rate payroll, part-time and casual workers, and has strong reporting tools suited to businesses with 20+ employees where payroll complexity increases.

Like BrightPay, Collsoft generates SEPA XML files for AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Permanent TSB, handles full PAYE Modernisation, and includes direct Revenue integration.

Pricing summary:

Contact Collsoft directly for bureau and multi-company pricing.

Verdict: Collsoft is the better choice for Irish construction businesses needing RCT support, or for larger employers who need CSO reporting and more robust reporting tools. For businesses under 20 employees outside construction, BrightPay’s lower entry price and broader accountant network give it the edge.

3. Thesaurus Payroll Manager — Best Budget Option

Price: From €175/year
Free trial: Available
Best for: Micro-businesses, sole traders with staff, budget-conscious small employers

Thesaurus Payroll Manager is developed by the same company as BrightPay (Thesaurus Software in Dublin) and has been used by Irish businesses for over 20 years. At €175 per year, it is the most affordable fully compliant Irish payroll option on the market.

What sets Thesaurus apart:

Thesaurus handles all the essentials — PAYE Modernisation, PRSI, USC, Revenue submissions, and SEPA XML files for AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB. For a small business paying a handful of staff, it does everything it needs to at a price that is hard to argue with.

The trade-offs are a dated desktop interface and a smaller development team compared to BrightPay, which means fewer updates and a slower roadmap for new compliance requirements like auto-enrolment.

Pricing summary:

Verdict: Thesaurus is the right choice when budget is the primary constraint and your payroll is straightforward. For businesses expecting to grow beyond 10–15 employees, or those who need cloud features or strong accountant integration, investing in BrightPay now avoids a migration headache later.

Head-to-Head: BrightPay vs Collsoft vs Thesaurus

For a full side-by-side comparison, see our BrightPay vs Collsoft comparison and BrightPay vs Thesaurus comparison.

What About Cloud Payroll Options?

The three tools above are all primarily desktop-based with optional cloud extensions. Irish businesses that want a fully cloud-native payroll solution have fewer options, but some accounting platforms include payroll:

• Sage Ireland includes Irish payroll within its accounting suite, making it attractive for businesses that want accounts and payroll in one place. See our Sage Ireland review.
• Employment Hero is an Australian HR and payroll platform that has expanded to Ireland and includes cloud payroll with PAYE Modernisation support, though it is more expensive than the specialist tools above.
• Payroller is a simple cloud payroll app suitable for sole traders and micro-businesses (1-3 employees). It has a free tier and monthly pricing — no annual commitment. Less depth than BrightPay but easier for non-payroll specialists. Full Payroller review →

For most Irish SMEs, the combination of a specialist payroll tool (BrightPay or Collsoft) alongside cloud accounting (Xero or Sage) covers all bases at lower cost than an all-in-one platform.

How to Switch Payroll Software

Switching payroll software mid-year is possible but requires care. The safest approach:

1. Switch at the start of a new tax year (January) or at the start of a new pay period.
2. Export all employee records from your current software, including YTD figures for tax, PRSI, and USC.
3. Import employee records into the new system and verify cumulative figures match before running any submissions.
4. Test a live payroll run with one or two employees before processing your full payroll.
5. Notify Revenue of any changes to your payroll agent or registered employer details.

Your new payroll software provider should offer migration support — both BrightPay and Collsoft have Irish-based support teams who can walk you through the transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest payroll software for Irish businesses?

Thesaurus Payroll Manager is the most affordable option at €175/year. BrightPay offers a free licence for single-employee businesses. Both are fully Revenue-compliant and support PAYE Modernisation.

Does Irish payroll software need to support PAYE Modernisation?

Yes — PAYE Modernisation has been mandatory since January 2019. Every employer in Ireland must submit payroll data to Revenue on or before each pay date. Any payroll tool you use must automate this. BrightPay, Collsoft, and Thesaurus all support PAYE Modernisation natively.

What is auto-enrolment and will my payroll software support it?

Ireland’s auto-enrolment pension scheme (My Future Fund) will require employers to automatically enrol eligible employees and make pension contributions. BrightPay has confirmed support for auto-enrolment. Check with your payroll software provider about their readiness timeline before the scheme launches.

Can I use UK payroll software for an Irish business?

No. UK payroll software handles PAYE under the UK HMRC system, which is entirely different from Irish Revenue’s PAYE Modernisation system. UK tools do not generate Irish Revenue Payroll Notifications, handle Irish PRSI classes, or support SEPA XML for Irish banks. You must use Irish-specific payroll software.

How often does payroll software pricing change in Ireland?

Irish payroll software is typically priced per tax year (January–December) and pricing is reviewed annually. It is good practice to check the vendor’s website each January for updated pricing. All three tools reviewed here price in euro with no exchange rate risk.

What is SEPA XML and why does it matter for Irish payroll?

A SEPA XML payment file is a standardised European format for batch bank transfers. Irish payroll software generates these files so you can pay all employees in a single upload to your bank’s online portal, rather than manually entering each salary payment. All major Irish banks (AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB) accept SEPA XML files. Without this feature, processing payroll for more than a handful of staff becomes time-consuming.