HMRC Basic PAYE Tools vs e@syFile Employer

HMRC Basic PAYE Tools8.5Visit e@syFile Employer7.9Visit

Higher score HMRC Basic PAYE Tools #3 in Payroll Tax Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit HMRC

vs

e@syFile Employer #6 in Payroll Tax Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit SARS e@syFile

• HMRC Basic PAYE Tools fits best

  UK employers with fewer than 10 employees

• e@syFile Employer fits best

  South African employers handling EMP501 reconciliations

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Side by side

Feature	HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 8.5/10 Visit ↗	e@syFile Employer 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	7.9
Ranking	#3 in Payroll Tax Software	#6 in Payroll Tax Software
Best for	UK employers with fewer than 10 employees	South African employers handling EMP501 reconciliations
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Support	Docs	Phone, Docs
Built for	Small business	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 5/5 · e@syFile Employer 4/5
Tax filing	✓	✓
Tax payment support	✓ (best)	—
Tax form preparation	✓	✓
Tax reconciliation	✓	✓
Year-end forms	✓	✓
Specs
Jurisdiction coverage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
States covered	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free payroll software for UK employers with fewer than 10 employees Calculates PAYE, National Insurance and statutory payments Submits FPS and EPS information to HMRC	Free plan includes PAYE, EMP501 and employee tax certificate processing Imports payroll tax files and processes IRP5/IT3(a) certificates Supports employer accounts, ITREG and SARS eFiling reconciliation
Cons	Not designed for agents or bookkeepers UK-specific rather than multi-jurisdiction payroll software Employers make HMRC payments separately	Available on Windows rather than across multiple platforms Does not support tax payments Focused on South African PAYE and SARS processes
Our verdict	HMRC Basic PAYE Tools is free desktop payroll software for UK businesses with fewer than 10 employees. It covers core PAYE administration, including employee PAYE tax and National Insurance calculations, student and postgraduate loan… Read the review →	e@syFile Employer is desktop software from the South African Revenue Service for employers and payroll administrators handling South African PAYE obligations. It is especially relevant to employers managing EMP501 employer reconciliation… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• HMRC Basic PAYE Tools — where it wins

  • Free payroll software for UK employers with fewer than 10 employees
  • Calculates PAYE, National Insurance and statutory payments
  • Submits FPS and EPS information to HMRC

  Where it doesn't

  • Not designed for agents or bookkeepers
  • UK-specific rather than multi-jurisdiction payroll software
  • Employers make HMRC payments separately

• e@syFile Employer — where it wins

  • Free plan includes PAYE, EMP501 and employee tax certificate processing
  • Imports payroll tax files and processes IRP5/IT3(a) certificates
  • Supports employer accounts, ITREG and SARS eFiling reconciliation

  Where it doesn't

  • Available on Windows rather than across multiple platforms
  • Does not support tax payments
  • Focused on South African PAYE and SARS processes

• HMRC Basic PAYE Tools8.5/10 · Free plan

  A focused free option for UK PAYE calculations, filings, payslips and year-end records.

  Visit HMRCFull verdict →
• e@syFile Employer7.9/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows tool for PAYE reconciliations, tax certificates and SARS submissions.

  Visit SARS e@syFileFull verdict →