# Bright Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - 2026 > Review of Bright Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs. Source: https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile --- [Home](https://www.softwareadvice.com/) / [Payroll Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/payroll-software-comparison/) / Bright Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee. Overview [Reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/reviews/)[Alternatives](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/alternatives/) # Bright 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing Wondering if Bright is right for your organization? Our Payroll Software selection experts can help you in 15 minutes or less. On this page - Overview - User Interface - Popular Alternatives - Pricing and Plans - Features - Integrations - User Reviews - Popular Comparisons ## Overview Bright 4.9 [(349)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/reviews/) Pricing Starting at £279.00 per year ### About Bright BRIGHT SOFTWARE GROUP — G2 PRODUCT LISTING The complete practice and business software suite for accountants, bookkeepers & SMEs across the UK and Ireland. Bright helps accounting and payroll professionals do more of what matters — serving clients brilliantly and running a profitable, efficient practice — with software that's powerful enough for the most demanding workflows yet genuinely easy to use. Trusted by thousands of businesses and accountancy practices, with a customer satisfaction rate consistently above 99%. Awards & Recognition: ICB LUCA Payroll Software of the Year — 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 — ranked 29th (2024) AccountingWeb Software Excellence Awards Try before you buy. Most Bright products come with a free trial period so you can explore the full feature set and experience the difference before committing — no risk, no pressure. END-TO-END ACCOUNTANCY SOLUTION Bright's integrated product suite covers the entire accounting lifecycle — from bookkeeping and accounts production through to tax filing, audit working papers, and beyond. Combine products to build a seamless, paperless practice with no gaps in your workflow. Key prod... ucts in this combined solution: BrightBooks · BrightAccountsProduction · BrightTax · BrightWorkpapers KEY BENEFITS: Trusted at scale — 1000's of businesses and practices rely on Bright Software every day across the UK and Ireland. Customer satisfaction consistently above 99% — one of the highest in the industry. Seamlessly integrated — Products connect with each other and with leading platforms like Xero, Sage, and QuickBooks. Cloud-first — Work from anywhere with real-time multi-user access, enterprise-grade security, and automatic updates. Always compliant — Bright keeps pace with HMRC, Revenue, and Companies House requirements so you never fall behind. Exceptional support — Real experts who know your software and your profession — available when you need them most. PRODUCT SUITE Core practice & payroll The essentials for running a modern, efficient practice. BrightPay — UK & Ireland Five-time award-winning payroll software built for bureaus, accountants, and employers of all sizes. BrightManager — UK & Ireland Practice management that keeps your team, clients, and deadlines all in one place. BrightPropose — UK & Ireland Proposal and pricing software to win clients faster and price your services with confidence. TimeKeeper — UK & Ireland Time and attendance tracking that makes workforce management simple and accurate. Compliance & accounts Keep clients compliant and filings on time, every time. BrightTax — UK only Comprehensive tax and accounts software designed for UK compliance. InformDirectCosec — UK only Award-winning company secretarial software to manage Companies House obligations with ease. BrightCIS — UK only Construction Industry Scheme software to manage subcontractors, submissions, and payments accurately. BrightMTD — UK only Making Tax Digital for Income Tax software helping sole traders and landlords meet HMRC's MTD for IT obligations with ease. BrightAccountsProduction — UK & Ireland Accounts production software built to handle statutory compliance requirements with ease. BrightBooks — UK & Ireland Simple, smart bookkeeping software built for businesses and practices. BrightExpenses — Ireland only Effortless expense management software that keeps teams and practices in control of every claim. Wondering if Bright is right for your organization? Our Payroll Software selection experts can help you in 15 minutes or less. ## Bright User Interface ## Popular Bright Alternatives Main Product Bright 4.9 [(349)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.78Ease of use - 4.80Value for money - 4.78Customer support - 4.71Functionality Pricing Starting at £279.00 per year Get Price Alternative Product [Deel](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/deel-profile/) 4.9 [(4279)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/deel-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.84Ease of use - 4.69Value for money - 4.70Customer support - 4.78Functionality Pricing Starting at $5.00 per month Get Price Alternative Product [RUN Powered by ADP](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-run-profile/) 4.6 [(1421)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-run-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.59Ease of use - 4.33Value for money - 4.45Customer support - 4.51Functionality Pricing Available upon request Get Price Alternative Product [Rippling](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/rippling-profile/) 4.9 [(4806)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/rippling-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.85Ease of use - 4.75Value for money - 4.72Customer support - 4.82Functionality Pricing Starting at $8.00 per month Get Price Alternative Product [Paylocity](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/web-pay-profile/) 4.3 [(1846)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/web-pay-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.33Ease of use - 4.22Value for money - 4.06Customer support - 4.26Functionality Pricing Available upon request Get Price Alternative Product [ADP Workforce Now](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-workforce-now-profile/) 4.4 [(7218)](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-workforce-now-profile/reviews/) Ratings Breakdown - 4.31Ease of use - 4.22Value for money - 4.19Customer support - 4.35Functionality Pricing Available upon request Get Price ## Bright Pricing and Plans Starting price: £279.00 per year Free Trial Free Version Bureau £279.00 per year Plan includes: - Automatic Enrolment in Brightpay - Batch Processing Payroll - CIS in Brightpay - Integration With Accounting Software - Ip35/ Off-Payroll With Brightpay Copy of Bureau 1 £279.00 per year Plan includes: - Automatic Enrolment in Brightpay - Batch Processing Payroll - CIS in Brightpay - Integration With Accounting Software - Ip35/ Off-Payroll With Brightpay Confused about pricing? We've got you covered. Get a personalized pricing breakdown tailored to your specific needs—no guesswork, no generic estimates. ## Bright Features - Popular features found in Payroll 401(k) Tracking Benefits Management Check Printing Compensation Management Compliance Management Direct Deposit Employee Database Self Service Portal Third-Party Integrations W-2 Preparation Wage Garnishment - More features of Bright Access Controls/Permissions Accounting Accounting Integration Accounts Receivable Activity Dashboard Alerts/Notifications API Approval Process Control Approval Workflow Audit Management Audit Trail Bank Reconciliation Billing & Invoicing Budgeting/Forecasting Cash Flow Management Client Management Client Portal Customizable Branding Customizable Reports Customizable Templates Dashboard Data Import/Export Document Management Document Storage Due Date Tracking Email Management Employee Management Employee Portal Employee Profiles Employee Self Service Expense Management Expense Tracking Financial Analysis Financial Consolidation & Close Management Financial Management Financial Reporting For Accountants For Small Businesses General Ledger HR Management Income & Balance Sheet Invoice Management Invoice Processing Messaging Mobile App Onboarding Payment Reconciliation Payroll Management Payroll Reporting Profit/Loss Statement Progress Tracking Project Accounting Project Management Receipt Management Recurring/Subscription Billing Reminders Reporting/Analytics Reporting & Statistics Search/Filter Sick Leave Tracking Status Tracking Task Management Tax Compliance Tax Management Time & Expense Tracking Time Off Management Timer Transaction History Vacation/Leave Tracking Workflow Management ## Bright Integrations FreeAgent Integration rated undefined from -1 review Clear Books Integration rated undefined from -1 review AccountsIQ Integration rated undefined from -1 review Xero Integration rated undefined from -1 review QuickBooks Online Advanced Integration rated undefined from -1 review FreshBooks Integration rated undefined from -1 review ## Bright User Reviews Overall Rating 4.9 Ratings Breakdown 5 88% 4 10% 3 2% 2 0% 1 0% Secondary Ratings Ease of Use 4.8 Value for money 4.8 Customer support 4.8 Functionality 4.7 Claire R. Verified reviewer Accounting 2-10 employees Used weekly for less than 6 months Review source Reviewed January 2023 Brightpay - employee portal winner 4 Ratings Breakdown 4 Ease of use 4 Value for money 4 Functionality Pros: That employees can access their own payroll portal Cons: Hasn't yet adapted for the recent ruling relating to holiday pay Reasons for switching to Bright As wanted software that had an employee portal. Vendor Response Hi Claire, thank you for your review and we are delighted to hear that you are using the BrightPay Connect employee portal. Please ensure you have ran the latest upgrade, which will be prompted on the main BrightPay screen. Replied January 2023 Read More LV LESLEY ANN V. Verified reviewer Accounting Self-Employed Used weekly for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed April 2026 Second to None, simply the best. 5 It's made the management of running the payroll for all my clients so much easier. I love the layout, it's not complicated and so easy to navigate. I wouldn't change to anyone else. Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: I've used Bright Payroll and CIS software for quite a few years now and it is trouble free, easy to use, easy to navigate and the help section is second to none. The support is excellent and quick and the employee management is very easy to keep up to date. It's excellent value and I qould recommend this software without hesitation. I love the layout, which makes so easy to use. Cons: I've just moved over to the cloud and I didn't think I would like it but I love it. I was dreading it thinking it would be so different but they have made it so easy to change over and the support was second to none. Reasons for switching to Bright Sage backup was becoming tiresome and lengthy. The product was overpriced and much more complicated to navigate. Pricing structure was rediculous for a very small company. Read More CB Calum B. Verified reviewer Professional Training & Coaching 2-10 employees Used unspecified for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed July 2019 Comprehensive but simple to use payroll software 5 I've been using this for several years. Support when needed has been quick and efficient. Ratings Breakdown 4 Ease of use Previously 4 4 Value for money Previously 5 5 Customer support 4 Functionality Previously 5 Pros: Straightforward to use. Provides a basic employee overview as well. Cons: Not automatically backed up. Have to pay extra for cloud option. Read More EG Emily G. Verified reviewer Accounting 2-10 employees Used monthly for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed April 2026 Best payroll software 5 Always happy to use Bright and when we get new payroll clients we will put them on Bright for ease. Client support is also quick and readily available. Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: Brightpay is so simple to use and figure out where features are. The navigation is clear, and takes some of the stress out of payroll. Staff also like the ease of the employee portal, as well as being able to see their holiday allowance. The ability to link to HMRC and Nest is helpful too. Cons: I like the new cloud software but it seems to have a lot of bugs. They look to be resolved quickly but when submitting time sensitive information it can add to the pressure. Reasons for switching to Bright Xero payroll is not as developed as Bright and it's more difficult to make changes to payroll. We mostly use Brightpay now but are trying to switch Xero payroll customers to bright Read More FS Faizan S. Verified reviewer Accounting 51-200 employees Used daily for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed August 2025 10/10 amazing software 5 Amazing software, the best payroll software i have ever used and i have numerous clients who also love the employer portal side of things too. Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: Very easy to use and user-friendly, can be utilised by novices or experienced professionals relatively easily. Cons: The change to a cloud version - i preferred the desktop version, however this isn't a deal breaker at all. Reasons for choosing Bright Seemed more user friendly during our demo Reasons for switching to Bright We were not enjoying our experience as a firm with sage, luckily this was recommended to me by a friend. Read More DF Darren F. Verified reviewer Hospital & Health Care 51-200 employees Used weekly for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed February 2025 BrightPay - Best Payroll software we have used 5 We have been using BrightPay for the last 4 years. We moved over from Sage due to them increasing their prices. We are so glad we made the move, not only have we saved money, but the software is excellent. We have never had any issues and it integrates faultlessly with Xero accounts. We use it for 2 payrolls and have the bureau version. We would not hesitate to recommend BrightPay and have already done so to many of our business friends. We also take advantabe of BrightPay connect to allow our staff to view their payslips on the BrightPay app. We also use the app for bookig and monitoriin of holidays. Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: Simple, easy to use and has all the features you need plus more Cons: The only thning we don't like is when sick leave spans 2 tax years. You have to do a manual adjustment. Only happened to us a couple of times over 4 years and they may have solved/addressed this quirk Reasons for choosing Bright WE took advantage of the trial period and ran one of our payrolls side by side to get an idea of what it could do, didn't let the trial expire and purchase the full version the follwing month Reasons for switching to Bright Sage pricing is ridiculous, the price kept increasing year on year and every thing is an added extra or was when we left. Read More SM Samantha M. Verified reviewer Leisure, Travel & Tourism 11-50 employees Used monthly for more than 2 years Review source Reviewed September 2024 Incredible company 5 excellent great company great customer service Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: very helpful clear instructions in a friendly way Cons: N/A nothing to complain about product and service always outstanding Reasons for switching to Bright cost and how simple your system was , sage so complicated Read More RM Rasa M. Verified reviewer Accounting Self-Employed Used daily for more than 2 years Reviewed August 2022 Superb product for accountants 5 Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: I have tried and tested quite a few software before I came across Accountancy manager. One had a client database but required extensive work to set up tasks, especially those that are requiring, preset specific templates, another had some features that were required in Practice (i.e. Letters of engagement), but not others, so in fact, my practice and tasks were managed across 3-4 CMR's and client management software, that in combination served my practice management needs. AM was revolutionary, for it had all of the features I wanted and needed in one software. Cons: I find filters bit cumbersome. Guess it's a very low price to pay. Reasons for choosing Bright Because the Accountancy manager had everything I needed and wanted in one place. Reasons for switching to Bright Because the Accountancy manager had everything I needed and wanted in one place. Read More LM Lisa M. Verified reviewer Accounting Self-Employed Used daily for less than 6 months Reviewed August 2022 Best software for my practice 5 Its been an amazing experience with AM. Its only been about 8 weeks since I started the trial so I am relatively new and still working my way through all what it can do. AM has saved me so much time, its connectivity with HMRC was super easy and I got the information within a week. Being able to access all the information without relying on spreadsheets is a bonus. Ratings Breakdown 4 Ease of use 5 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: I signed up to a trial with Accountancy Manager after a failed attempt to get another practice management software sorted for my practice. I had a 1on1 meeting to go through the software and for me to ask questions. They send you weekly tasks with short videos to complete. There are software setups and short videos in the actual software that you can rewatch if not sure and their amazing support team and my account manager have been brilliant helping me with any questions. It has saved me so much time, I am able to apply for authorisation from HMRC from within the software, I can get documents signed, clients can send me documents through a more secure means than just emails. Being able to email multiple clients at a time with news or information is a time saver. Tracking if the client has seen an email is a great addition too. Cons: The worse bit for me was setting up the templates or adjusting them. As i am with ICB, there are certain paragraphs that I needed in there and i had to do it manually and check each template which took its time. Reasons for choosing Bright I took out the trial and tested it over the 30 day period, used the support team and watched the videos. After a failed attempt with another software, I needed to make sure that it was a good fit with my practice. Reasons for switching to Bright I was missold the package based on information i gave them as it could'nt do what I needed it to. I got zero support from the sales team which is were it all started going wrong. 6 months later and I am still not sure that it has all been cancelled. Read More MO Margaret O. Verified reviewer Retail 11-50 employees Used weekly for less than 2 years Review source Reviewed April 2026 Payrol 10/10 5 Very Good using a long time no issues fing them competitive with pricings & straight forward to use with good Help notes Ratings Breakdown 5 Ease of use 4 Value for money 5 Customer support 5 Functionality Pros: Bright Thesaurus works very well from a payroll point of view very easy to use & great support, always helpful & knowledgeable Cons: None- I dont have any issues with the passage the support team are always quick to solve any problems you might have Read More Showing 1 - 10 of 349 Reviews [See All Reviews](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/reviews/) ## Bright Popular Comparisons [Deel vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/deel-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/)[RUN Powered by ADP vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-run-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/)[Rippling vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/rippling-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/)[Paylocity vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/vs/web-pay/)[ADP Workforce Now vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/adp-workforce-now-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/)[Patriot Software vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/compare/3746-Patriot-Software/vs/445008-thesaurus-brightpay/)[QuickBooks Payroll vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/quickbooks-full-service-payroll-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/)[Xero vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/vs/xero/)[BambooHR vs Bright](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/bamboohr-profile/vs/thesaurus-brightpay/) [Compare All Alternatives](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/thesaurus-brightpay-profile/alternatives/) ## Other Top Recommended Payroll Software [BambooHR](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/bamboohr-profile/) **4.6** (3433) Recently recommended **497** times [Paycom](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/paycom-profile/) **4.4** (1281) Recently recommended **490** times [Rippling](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/rippling-profile/) **4.9** (4806) Recently recommended **478** times [Paylocity](https://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/web-pay-profile/) **4.3** (1846) Recently recommended **398** times Stuck Between Options? 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