Collsoft Payroll Review Ireland 2026 — A Reliable Alternative to BrightPay

Collsoft Payroll sits alongside BrightPay and Thesaurus Payroll as one of Ireland’s three main desktop payroll packages. While BrightPay has the highest market profile, Collsoft has a loyal following — particularly among smaller Irish employers and accountancy practices that have used it for years and have no reason to switch.

This review covers what Collsoft offers, how it prices, and whether it’s the right payroll software for your Irish business.

What Is Collsoft Payroll?

Collsoft is an Irish payroll software package developed specifically for the Irish market. It’s a desktop application (running on Windows) that handles the full range of Irish payroll obligations: PAYE Modernisation real-time reporting, PRSI calculations, USC deductions, ROS submissions, and SEPA XML payment file generation.

Like BrightPay and Thesaurus, Collsoft is updated each tax year for any changes to Revenue requirements, rates, and legislation — including auto-enrolment from 2025.

Collsoft Features

PAYE Modernisation

Collsoft is fully PAYE Modernisation compliant. It submits Payroll Submission Requests (PSRs) to Revenue’s ROS in real time after every payroll run, imports employee tax credit certificates automatically, and handles Revenue notifications within the software.

Payroll Calculations

Collsoft handles:

• Income tax (PAYE) on a cumulative basis using Revenue-issued credits and cut-off points
• PRSI at the correct class and rate for each employee
• USC at the current tiered rates
• Employee and employer PRSI at all classes including A, S, M, J, K
• BIK (Benefit in Kind) on company cars, health insurance, and other taxable benefits
• Holiday pay and statutory entitlements

Auto-Enrolment

Collsoft was updated for the 2025 auto-enrolment rollout. The software:

• Identifies eligible employees (age 23–60, earning €20,000+)
• Calculates Phase 1 contributions (1.5% employee, 1.5% employer)
• Deducts employee contributions from net pay
• Generates NTMA submission files for contribution remittance

SEPA XML Payments

Collsoft generates SEPA XML payment files for bulk employee payments through Irish banks. Upload the file to AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB, or Ulster Bank business banking portals to process all employee payments in a single transaction.

Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR)

From 2024, employers must report certain non-taxable payments to Revenue. Collsoft handles ERR submissions for travel and subsistence, small benefit exemptions, and remote working daily allowances.

Employee Documents

Collsoft produces:

• Payslips for email or print
• P60s at year end
• P45s for leavers

Bureau Version

Collsoft offers a bureau version for accountancy practices managing payroll for multiple employer clients. All employer payrolls are managed within a single installation.

Reporting

Reports cover payroll summaries, PRSI liability, nominal ledger entries for accounting software import, and period comparisons. Reports export to PDF and CSV.

Collsoft Pricing 2026

Collsoft uses annual licencing similar to BrightPay and Thesaurus:

Prices are approximate — check directly with Collsoft for current year pricing. Collsoft is typically the lowest-priced of the three main Irish payroll packages at comparable employee tiers.

Collsoft vs BrightPay

The key difference is BrightPay Connect — if you want a cloud backup of your payroll data and an employee self-service portal (employees accessing their own payslips, submitting leave requests), BrightPay is the only desktop payroll product that offers this. Collsoft is desktop-only.

If you don’t need Connect, Collsoft offers equivalent core functionality at a lower annual cost.

Collsoft vs Thesaurus

Both Collsoft and Thesaurus are desktop-only payroll packages without a cloud layer. Core payroll functionality is equivalent. Thesaurus is made by the same company as BrightPay and has a slightly higher profile. Collsoft is modestly cheaper at most tiers. The choice between them usually comes down to interface preference or which product the practice or employer already knows.

Who Is Collsoft Best For?

Collsoft is a strong fit for:

• Small Irish employers (1–50 employees) who want reliable, fully compliant Irish payroll at the lowest annual licence cost
• Accountancy practices using the bureau version to manage multiple client payrolls
• Existing Collsoft users — there’s no compelling reason to switch if the product is doing the job
• Businesses that don’t need employee self-service — if payslips are distributed by email from the HR or payroll person, the absence of a self-service portal isn’t a limitation

It’s less suited to:

• Businesses that want cloud backup and employee self-service — BrightPay Connect is the better choice here
• Businesses wanting a fully cloud-based solution — Collsoft is desktop-only; cloud payroll options like Paysuite or Sage Payroll may be worth evaluating

Verdict

Collsoft Payroll does exactly what Irish employers need from payroll software — correct calculations, PAYE Modernisation compliance, auto-enrolment support, SEPA payments — at the lowest annual cost of the three main Irish desktop payroll products.

It won’t win awards for its interface design, and it lacks the cloud features of BrightPay Connect. But for cost-conscious Irish employers and accountancy practices that want reliable, locally built payroll software without paying for features they don’t need, Collsoft is a credible choice.

Compare it against BrightPay and Thesaurus Payroll before deciding — all three are worth a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Collsoft PAYE Modernisation compliant? Yes. Collsoft submits real-time Payroll Submission Requests to Revenue ROS after every payroll run.

Does Collsoft support auto-enrolment? Yes. Collsoft was updated for the 2025 auto-enrolment rollout, including eligibility checks, contribution calculations, and NTMA submission file generation.

How much does Collsoft Payroll cost? Annual licences start from approximately €149 for up to 10 employees. A single-employee licence is free. Check directly with Collsoft for current pricing.

What’s the difference between Collsoft and BrightPay? Core payroll functionality is equivalent. BrightPay adds the Connect cloud layer (cloud backup + employee self-service portal). Collsoft is desktop-only and typically cheaper.

Can Collsoft be used by an accountancy practice? Yes. The Collsoft bureau version handles multiple employer payrolls within a single installation.

Does Collsoft generate SEPA payment files? Yes. Collsoft generates SEPA XML files for bulk employee payments through Irish banks.