HMRC Basic PAYE Tools vs Wagepoint

HMRC Basic PAYE Tools8.5Visit Wagepoint8.2Visit

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

Wagepoint #5 in Payroll Tax Software 8.2/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Wagepoint

• HMRC Basic PAYE Tools fits best

  UK employers with fewer than 10 employees

• Wagepoint fits best

  Canadian small businesses

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Side by side

Feature	HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 8.5/10 Visit ↗	Wagepoint 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.2
Ranking	#3 in Payroll Tax Software	#5 in Payroll Tax Software
Best for	UK employers with fewer than 10 employees	Canadian small businesses
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free	CA$20/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	14 days
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Docs	Email, Phone, Live chat, Docs
Built for	Small business	Small business, Mid-market
Features HMRC Basic PAYE Tools 5/5 · Wagepoint 4/5
Tax filing	✓	✓
Tax payment support	✓	✓
Tax form preparation	✓	✓
Tax reconciliation	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
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	Federal, provincial, and territorial tax calculations and remittances CRA filing, T4s, T4As, and Records of Employment submissions Integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and FreshBooks
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 Solo limits businesses to one payroll run and one pay group monthly Tax and remittance capabilities can vary by province or territory
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 →	Wagepoint is cloud-based Canadian payroll software for small businesses, bookkeepers, and accountants. It supports employee and contractor payroll, direct deposit, tax calculations and remittances, CRA payroll tax filing, Records of… 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

• Wagepoint — where it wins

  • Federal, provincial, and territorial tax calculations and remittances
  • CRA filing, T4s, T4As, and Records of Employment submissions
  • Integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and FreshBooks

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Solo limits businesses to one payroll run and one pay group monthly
  • Tax and remittance capabilities can vary by province or territory

• 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 →
• Wagepoint8.2/10 · 14-day trial

  Canadian payroll coverage with tax filing, direct deposit, and accounting integrations.

  Visit WagepointFull verdict →