Payroll Software Options: Features and Pricing Guide

Managing payroll in South Africa means staying compliant with laws like BCEA, LRA, and POPIA, while ensuring accurate tax calculations and timely payments to avoid penalties. Payroll software simplifies this process by automating calculations, ensuring compliance, and reducing errors.

Key Options:

• SimplePay:
  • Automates tax deductions (PAYE, UIF, SDL), leave management, and payslip generation.
  • Cloud-based with employee self-service and integration with Xero/QuickBooks.
  • Pricing starts at R65.00 + R18.25 per employee after a 30-day free trial.
• Ready Accounting Payroll Services (Ready Pay):
  • Combines automation with expert payroll consultants.
  • Offers mobile self-service and compliance-focused reporting.
  • Custom pricing based on business size and needs.
• WebHR:
  • Handles payroll and HR tasks, including time tracking and statutory compliance.
  • Pricing starts at $2 per employee per month.

Quick Comparison:

Choose a solution that fits your business size, budget, and compliance needs. SimplePay stands out for ease of use, compliance, and transparent pricing.

CPA Shares: The Best Payroll Softwares in 2025

1. SimplePay

SimplePay is an online payroll tool designed specifically for South African businesses, ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Key Features

SimplePay automates payroll processes, including:

• Calculating tax deductions, benefits, PAYE, UIF, and SDL
• Keeping tax rates updated in real time
• Managing employee leave
• Generating digital payslips
• Providing an employee self-service portal for payslips, tax certificates, and leave balances

Integration and Compliance

The platform works seamlessly with Xero and QuickBooks, simplifying accounting workflows. It also ensures compliance by automatically updating tax rates and regulatory requirements.

Pricing Details

SimplePay uses a straightforward pricing structure, starting at R0 per month (excluding VAT). Here’s what you get:

Why Choose SimplePay?

• Saves Time: Automates repetitive payroll tasks, giving HR teams more time to focus on other priorities.
• Reduces Errors: Automated calculations minimize mistakes.
• Ensures Compliance: Regular updates keep you aligned with local laws.
• Anywhere Access: Cloud-based system offers secure access anytime, anywhere.

With its user-friendly design, SimplePay doesn’t require advanced accounting skills to operate.

Up next, we’ll cover Ready Accounting Payroll Services to give you more payroll options.

2. Ready Accounting Payroll Services

Ready Accounting Payroll Services (Ready Pay) simplifies payroll management with automated tools designed to ensure compliance and provide thorough reporting.

Key Features

• Automated payroll processing with built-in award interpretation for compliance
• Mobile self-service options for managing leave and accessing electronic payslips
• Comprehensive reporting to support financial tracking and compliance needs

Service Delivery Model

Ready Accounting combines automation with expert assistance. Their payroll consultants are available to handle complex issues and ensure your business stays compliant.

Flexibility and Support

Ready Pay is designed to work for businesses of all sizes, from small operations to multi-location companies. Its adaptable framework handles varying payroll requirements with ease.

Pricing

Pricing is tailored to your business, taking into account its size and specific needs.

Up next, we’ll compare these services to explore their strengths and differences.

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3. Additional Payroll Solutions

There are other payroll management tools worth considering beyond the major players. For example, WebHR is a top-rated Payroll and HR Software in South Africa. It offers a wide range of features at a competitive price, starting at just $2 per employee per month.

Integration Capabilities

WebHR works effortlessly with popular accounting systems, making it easy to sync data and stay compliant with regulations.

Key Features

WebHR provides tools to handle both compliance and day-to-day operations efficiently. Some of its standout features include:

• Employee Self-Service (ESS) Portals: Employees can view personal details, attendance records, and electronic payslips directly.
• Statutory Compliance: Automatically calculates tax deductions and handles other regulatory requirements based on South African labor laws.
• Time Management: Includes tools for tracking hours worked, managing leave, and calculating overtime.

Cost and Feature Analysis

When comparing payroll solutions, focus on these critical areas to ensure they meet your needs and comply with South African laws:

The goal is to choose a system that combines functionality with affordability while keeping up with South Africa’s tax and labor law updates. Regular updates and strong local support should be high on your priority list.

Software Comparison

Here’s a breakdown of the features and compliance capabilities of SimplePay and Ready Accounting Payroll Services:

Compliance and Integration

SimplePay excels in compliance with its SARS e@syFile integration and precise calculation of mandatory contributions like PAYE, UIF, and SDL. For instance, during South Africa’s 2025 Budget Speech, it was confirmed that no changes were made to personal income tax tables, reaffirming the system’s alignment with regulatory updates.

Cost Considerations

Both platforms provide custom pricing, making them flexible for businesses of varying sizes and needs.

Technical Capabilities

SimplePay’s integration with Xero enhances workflow efficiency and ensures responsive support. This feature complements its ability to meet the compliance standards required for payroll management in South Africa.

Statutory Requirements

Key statutory contributions include:

• UIF contributions: 1% from both employer and employee.
• SDL registration: Mandatory for employers with annual remuneration above R500,000, calculated at 1% of total compensation.

These requirements emphasize the importance of choosing a payroll system that reliably adheres to legal obligations.

Summary and Recommendations

After a detailed comparison of payroll solutions for South African businesses, SimplePay stands out as the top choice.

SimplePay offers compliance-focused features that help businesses follow local laws while cutting down on administrative tasks. Its straightforward ‘One Plan’ pricing starts at R65.00 plus R18.25 per employee for small teams.

The platform combines ease of use with powerful features and is working toward ISO 27001 certification to ensure strong data protection. SimplePay excels in these four areas:

• Automated Compliance: Automatically manages statutory calculations and submissions.
• Cloud Accessibility: A reliable, always-available system with employee self-service options.
• Integration Capabilities: Connects effortlessly with popular accounting tools like Xero.
• Support Quality: Offers free customer support with fast response times.

These strengths make SimplePay a standout payroll solution for South African businesses, balancing compliance, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness.

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