Payroll and accounts for a 5 to 50 person venue
Irish prices as published on 21 October 2026, ex VAT unless stated. Payroll must file to Revenue in real time, so stick to products built for Ireland.
Payroll
| BrightPay | Sage Payroll | Parolla | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | Per tax year: up to 10 employees €229, up to 25 €349, unlimited €459. Free licence for single-employee companies. BrightPay Connect (cloud portal) from €0.71 per active employee per month | €14 to €146 + VAT a month in eight tiers by headcount, up to 100 employees; 90% off for 3 months or 30-day trial | Starter €16.50 a month (5 employees), Standard €27.50 (20), Enterprise €35 (25); extra employees charged in bands (example: 30 employees about €41 a month) |
| Billing | Annual licence; Connect monthly | Monthly | Monthly, or 12 months for the price of 11 |
| Free trial | 60 days | 30 days | Ask |
| Best fit, in our view | Venues that want desktop software, a one-off yearly price and a bureau-grade product | Venues already on Sage accounts, or that want the accounting add-on (€37 + VAT a month after offer) | Small venues that want cloud payroll priced per head with expenses built in |
| Ask before you sign | Does it file to Revenue (PAYE Modernisation) automatically? Does it handle the €552 employer PRSI step, Sunday premiums and holiday accrual? Per employee or per band, and what happens in a busy month? Does it export to your accounts package? Notice period and what you can export if you leave? |
Accounts
| Big Red Cloud | Sage Accounting | Xero | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published price | €30 + VAT a month for the first 12 months, then €60 a month; multi-company by quote | €37 + VAT a month after a 3-month offer at €3.70 | Shown to us in US dollars: Starter $29, Standard $50, Premium $75 a month, with an 80% first-3-months offer; euro pricing not displayed, and prices rise from 1 November 2026 |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | 30 days | Ask |
| Irish VAT returns | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best fit, in our view | Irish owner-operators who want local phone support and unlimited users | Venues that want payroll and accounts from one supplier | Venues whose accountant already works in Xero |
| Ask before you sign | Does your accountant use it? Bank feeds for your Irish bank? Does it take your till's daily Z-read automatically? What does it cost to add a second venue? |
Sources: brightpay.ie/pricing, sage.com/en-ie, parolla.ie/pricing, bigredcloud.com/pricing, xero.com/ie/pricing-plans. Thesaurus Payroll Manager did not allow automated reading of its pricing page; ask them directly. Vendors: corrections to hello@tapandpass.ie.
Before you pick payroll software, know your real wage cost: check the €552 PRSI line free, or read why one extra hour can cost you three.