HMRC Basic PAYE Tools vs PaymentEvolution

HMRC Basic PAYE Tools8.5Visit PaymentEvolution8.4Visit

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

PaymentEvolution #4 in Payroll Tax Software 8.4/10 15-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Try PaymentEvolution

• HMRC Basic PAYE Tools fits best

  UK employers with fewer than 10 employees

• PaymentEvolution fits best

  Canadian employers needing complete payroll tax workflows

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Side by side

Feature	HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 8.5/10 Visit ↗	PaymentEvolution 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.4
Ranking	#3 in Payroll Tax Software	#4 in Payroll Tax Software
Best for	UK employers with fewer than 10 employees	Canadian employers needing complete payroll tax workflows
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	15 days
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Support	Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Docs
Built for	Small business	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 5/5 · PaymentEvolution 5/5
Tax filing	✓	✓
Tax payment support	✓	✓
Tax form preparation	✓	✓
Tax reconciliation	✓	✓
Year-end forms	✓	✓
Specs
Jurisdiction coverage	Not checked yet	Federal_state
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	Calculates federal, provincial, and territorial payroll deductions Generates and submits T4, T4A, and RL-1 forms Includes direct deposit, reconciliation, and employee self-service
Cons	Not designed for agents or bookkeepers UK-specific rather than multi-jurisdiction payroll software Employers make HMRC payments separately	No free plan is available Growth includes email support only CRA remittances are required on Growth and Business Basic
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 →	PaymentEvolution is a Canada-focused cloud payroll platform for small and growing businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers. It handles payroll calculations for Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial rules, supports tax remittance,… 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

• PaymentEvolution — where it wins

  • Calculates federal, provincial, and territorial payroll deductions
  • Generates and submits T4, T4A, and RL-1 forms
  • Includes direct deposit, reconciliation, and employee self-service

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Growth includes email support only
  • CRA remittances are required on Growth and Business Basic

• 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 →
• PaymentEvolution8.4/10 · 15-day trial

  A Canadian payroll platform covering tax calculations, filing, payments, and reconciliation.

  Try PaymentEvolutionFull verdict →