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Sage 50 Payroll

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Powerful desktop payroll for UK businesses that run their own pay runs in house

3.9Based on 95 reviews

Verified reviews for Sage 50 Payroll

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3.9

95 reviews

  • 5 ★
    40
  • 4 ★
    32
  • 3 ★
    6
  • 2 ★
    9
  • 1 ★
    8
Positive 76%Neutral 6%Negative 18%
Write a Review
D

Denise NaylorVerified reviewer

Payroll Administrator

LinkedIn verified
Food Production51-200 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
4.0
Reviewed on 8 April 2026

A professional tool that delivers

The Sage 50 Accounts integration is the reason we stay, payroll journals posting straight into the books without rekeying. The rest is solid and dependable.

Ease of use
3.0
Customer service
4.0
Value for money
3.0
Functionality
4.0
Pros

Bureau friendly for multiple client payrolls.

Cons

Nothing new to add.

Was this helpful? · 8
K

Karen T.Verified reviewer

Director, Elmswell Foods

LinkedIn verified
Manufacturing201-500 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
3.0
Reviewed on 19 March 2026

Capable but heavier than we needed

A powerful tool that is right for a complex payroll and heavy for a simple one. We probably sit on the wrong side of that line for what we actually need.

Ease of use
3.0
Customer service
2.0
Value for money
3.0
Functionality
3.0
Pros

Statutory payments are correct.

Cons

Pricing not obviously worth it at our size.

Was this helpful? · 19
G

Gethin T.

Payroll Manager

Construction11-50 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
5.0
Reviewed on 18 March 2026

April tax changes just appear

Statutory sick, maternity and paternity pay calculated on the correct reference periods, which I have watched simpler tools get wrong, is exactly the kind of depth that matters.

Ease of use
5.0
Value for money
5.0
Functionality
5.0
Pros

The saving against a bureau was substantial.

Cons

The pricing band steps up as headcount grows.

Was this helpful? · 8
K

Kwame RamsbottomVerified reviewer

Practice Manager

LinkedIn verified
Building Materials201-500 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 1-2 years
1.0
Reviewed on 15 March 2026

Cannot recommend for a remote team

It may suit a dedicated in house payroll professional, but for our small, flexible team the learning curve and the desktop constraints created more work than the capability was worth.

Ease of use
1.0
Customer service
1.0
Value for money
1.0
Functionality
1.0
Pros

Compliance and RTI were reliable.

Cons

Support was slow on the issues that mattered.

Was this helpful? · 5
M

Michael Ferris

Company Accountant, Trellborough Foods

Food Production51-200 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 1-2 years
4.0
Reviewed on 12 March 2026

Deep, precise, and it never gets the numbers wrong

For a food business with shift workers and varying hours the depth of this product genuinely matters. It copes with complexity that lighter payroll tools simply cannot, and the numbers are always right.

Ease of use
3.0
Customer service
4.0
Value for money
4.0
Functionality
5.0
Pros

Handles complex pay elements and multiple frequencies properly. Statutory payments calculated on the correct reference periods, which I have seen simpler tools get wrong. Reporting satisfies our auditors as is.

Cons

There is a genuine learning curve, this is a professional tool. The desktop nature means backups and updates need managing. Worth it for the capability.

Was this helpful? · 13
M

Michelle B.

Practice Manager, Farndale Ltd

Real Estate51-200 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
5.0
Reviewed on 11 March 2026

Reliable every single pay run

It copes with complex pay elements, multiple frequencies and the awkward scenarios that lighter payroll tools simply cannot handle, and the numbers are always right.

Ease of use
5.0
Customer service
5.0
Pros

April tax changes land in the software automatically.

Cons

It is a desktop product, so remote working needs more setup.

Was this helpful? · 28
W

Wendy UtleyVerified reviewer

Accounts Manager, Whitby Group

LinkedIn verified
Food Production201-500 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
4.0
Reviewed on 10 March 2026

Reliable week after week

Weekly payroll runs reliably every week and RTI has never failed. The interface felt dated at first but you stop noticing once the workflow is second nature.

Ease of use
4.0
Customer service
4.0
Value for money
4.0
Pros

Fast once you know the workflow.

Cons

Backups are your own responsibility.

Was this helpful? · 7
B

Brian Gledhill

Payroll Specialist, Marsden Group

Transportation201-500 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 6-12 months
2.0
Reviewed on 3 March 2026

Good engine, poor fit

It does everything correctly but the experience of using it, dated interface, desktop backups, slow year end support, wore us down over a year.

Ease of use
2.0
Value for money
2.0
Functionality
3.0
Pros

The payroll engine itself is powerful and accurate.

Cons

Nothing new to add.

Was this helpful? · 15
P

Piotr P.

HR and Payroll Manager, Calder Retail

Manufacturing51-200 employeesUnited KingdomUsed: 2+ years
5.0
Reviewed on 2 March 2026

Trusted it for years without a hitch

As a bureau running a dozen client payrolls, the speed and reliability are everything, and no client scenario in years has ever caught this product out.

Ease of use
5.0
Customer service
5.0
Value for money
4.0
Functionality
5.0
Pros

Fast for an experienced operator, which matters for a busy payroll.

Cons

It is a desktop product, so remote working needs more setup.

Was this helpful? · 15
K

Kwame VerityVerified reviewer

HR and Payroll Manager, Brackenridge Retail

LinkedIn verified
Logistics & Supply Chain11-50 employeesIrelandUsed: 1-2 years
3.0
Reviewed on 1 March 2026

Powerful, steep to learn

The payroll engine is genuinely strong, but the desktop model is a friction for our partly remote finance team and remote access was harder to set up than expected.

Ease of use
2.0
Value for money
3.0
Functionality
3.0
Pros

Handles complexity when you need it.

Cons

Backups and updates need managing.

Was this helpful? · 28