Payroll · United Kingdom
Sage Payroll pricing: what it actually costs per employee
On its cheapest published plan, Sage Payroll costs £24 a month for 10 employees, which is £2.40 per employee per month.
Price status: Published formula or tiers · Last verified 2026-08-20 · Last recorded change none since we started tracking
What the vendor publishes
| Plan | Base / month | Per employee / month | Conditions as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | £12 | — | Up to 150 employees. Includes 5 employees. "£12.00 per month", includes 5 employees; additional employees £2.40 (6-10), £1.70 (11-25), £1.40 (26-150) each. "These prices exclude VAT." Standard price recorded; promo is "90% off for 3 months". |
| Payroll Standard | £23 | — | Up to 150 employees. Includes 5 employees. "£23.00 per month" (Most Popular), includes 5 employees; additional £4.40 (6-10), £3.70 (11-25), £3.40 (26-150) each. Ex VAT. Standard price recorded; promo is "90% off for 3 months". |
| Payroll Premium | £34 | — | Up to 150 employees. Includes 5 employees. "£34.00 per month", includes 5 employees; additional £6.40 (6-10), £5.70 (11-25), £5.40 (26-150) each. Ex VAT. Standard price recorded; promo is "90% off for 3 months". |
Per employee monthly (tiered by band, not a flat rate): not stated in the vendor's published documentation (checked 2026-08-20).
What that works out at per employee
Vendors quote a per-employee fee and a base fee separately. What you actually pay per employee is both of them divided by your headcount, so the smaller your team, the further the real figure sits above the advertised one. This table is Sage Payroll's published prices put through that division.
| Plan | 1 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 | 250 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Essentials | £12.00 | £2.40 | £2.40 | £1.98 | £1.69 | £1.54 | n/a |
| Payroll Standard | £23.00 | £4.60 | £4.50 | £4.02 | £3.71 | £3.56 | n/a |
| Payroll Premium | £34.00 | £6.80 | £6.60 | £6.06 | £5.73 | £5.57 | n/a |
Columns are employee counts. Scroll sideways on a phone.
No other adjustment is applied. We do not add estimated tax-filing fees, discounts, or promotional pricing. The full method is at Method.
Who this suits, and who it does not
- If price is the only thing you are deciding on, Sage Payroll is the cheapest published option we hold for payroll in this market at 10 employees.
- If your headcount is under 5, the base fee of £12 dominates the bill. Check the per-employee column at your actual size before comparing anything.
- If you are not ready to decide, wait. Published prices change without notice and the figures here are only as current as 2026-08-20. Confirm on the vendor's own page before you sign.
Where to check this yourself
Go to Sage Payroll and open its pricing page. Everything above comes from https://www.sage.com/en-gb/sage-business-cloud/payroll/pricing/, read on 2026-08-20.
Related
- Sage Payroll compared with Xero
- Sage Payroll compared with Staffology
- Alternatives to Sage Payroll
- Work out your own cost with the calculator
- What payroll software costs, and where the money goes
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the companies named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated: 2026-09-06. Sources: vendor pricing pages only. Figures checked between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-06. I have not used these products. Nothing here is a personal test result.
Ranking method and formulas: Method. Listing position on this site is not for sale.
Corrections: contact form.