Best Accounting Software with Payroll (2026): 10 Compared

The products on this list all mention payroll on their own websites. What's easy to miss is whether payroll is part of the product, an extra you add, or a separate app made to connect to it.

This list sticks to what each maker's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. It's not tax or payroll advice: where a maker names a scheme or a report, I've used its own name for it and left the rules to your accountant.

Accounting and payroll software side by side

Tool	Type	Good for
AccountEdge	Desktop accounting software for small business	Desktop users who want payroll as an add-on
FreshBooks	Invoice and accounting software with payroll	Invoicing-led small businesses
KashFlow	Accounting, bookkeeping and payroll software	UK small businesses
MYOB	Business software with payroll, super and leave	Australian businesses, from sole traders up
Odoo	Payroll app inside a wider business suite	Payroll tied to attendance and time off
Reckon	Accounting, payroll and invoicing for small business	Australian wages, leave and super
Sage	Accounting with invoicing, tax, payments and payroll	Sole traders to growing UK firms
Wave	Small business accounting with a payroll product	Employee or contractor payroll
Xero	Accounting software with online payroll	Invoicing, VAT, payroll and reporting together
Zoho Payroll	Cloud payroll that connects to Zoho Books	Zoho users in several regions

Ten bookkeeping products that also run payroll

AccountEdge

Best for: Desktop accounting with invoicing, expenses, banking and inventory, where payroll processing is listed as an add-on.

FreshBooks

Best for: Paying yourself or your team from the same product you use for invoices, time tracking, expenses and bookkeeping.

KashFlow

Best for: Bookkeeping, VAT returns, invoicing and payroll under one name, with a managed payroll service listed beside the payroll features.

MYOB

Best for: Picking a plan from Lite for sole traders to Pro for multiple employees, or a payroll-only plan, with pay runs, superannuation, leave and Single Touch Payroll reporting.

Odoo

Best for: Running payroll as one app in a suite that also covers accounting, inventory and CRM, with attendance, expenses and time off synced into it.

Reckon

Best for: Managing wages, leave, super and Single Touch Payroll next to accounting and invoicing, with a payroll-only plan or payroll added to an accounting plan.

Sage

Best for: Starting with sole trader software or 50 Accounts, then adding cloud payroll for start-ups or a more advanced payroll product for your workforce.

Wave

Best for: Running payroll for employees or contractors from the same place you send invoices and track income and expenses.

Xero

Best for: Bringing invoicing, VAT, payroll and reporting together on its UK site, with inventory and expense claims on the same feature menu.

Zoho Payroll

Best for: Connecting payroll to Zoho Books and Zoho Expense, with editions for regions including the UK, Canada, India and the USA, and BACS-ready payment files on UK pages.

Built in, added on or linked?

Here's what the product pages don't make obvious: payroll sits in a different place in each one. KashFlow titles itself 'Accounting Software, Bookkeeping & Payroll'. AccountEdge lists payroll under its add-ons, beside its desktop accounting. Zoho Payroll calls itself 'payroll software built for businesses across regions' and asks you to connect it with Zoho Books. And Odoo's payroll is one app in a wider suite.

None of these is the wrong way to do it. But it changes what you're buying, so it's worth knowing which kind you're looking at before you compare anything else.

• Accounting and payroll together: one product name covering the books and the pay runs.
• Payroll as an add-on: the accounting comes first, and payroll is something you add.
• A linked payroll app: a separate payroll product made to connect with the accounting one.

Check the country before the features

The makers here build for different countries, so start with yours. Reckon and MYOB serve Australian businesses, and both talk about wages or pay runs, leave and super. Sage and Xero appear here through their UK sites, which name VAT and Making Tax Digital among their features.

If you're somewhere else, look for a product whose own page names your country. The linked payroll app on this list, for example, lists editions for the UK, Canada, India and the USA.

Invoicing-led products with a payroll page

Some products here lead with invoices and bring payroll in beside them. FreshBooks describes itself as invoice and accounting software and has a payroll page for paying yourself or your team. Wave runs payroll for employees or contractors next to its invoicing and accounting. If you send invoices every week and pay a small team, that pairing may be all you need.

Things to know before you add payroll to your books

1. Which country do I run payroll in, and does the product name it?
2. Do I want payroll inside my accounting software, or a separate app that connects?
3. Am I paying employees, contractors or just myself?
4. Is payroll part of the plan I'm looking at, or something I add?
5. Do I need time off, attendance or expenses to flow into payroll?
6. Will my accountant or bookkeeper use the same software?

Do you make accounting or payroll software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My advice on accounting software with payroll

Check the country first, then where payroll sits. If you're in Australia, start with the products built there. If you're in the UK, look at the UK pages. Then decide whether you want payroll inside your accounting software, as an add-on, or as a linked app, and ask your accountant to check the payroll side before your first pay run.

For more choice on the bookkeeping side, see my roundup of accounting software tools. If staff expenses are next on your list, here's my list of the best expense management software. And if you're still setting up your books, start with cash vs accrual accounting.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Which accounting software includes payroll?

On this list, several products put payroll alongside accounting. One titles itself accounting software, bookkeeping and payroll, and others list payroll on the same feature menu as invoicing and reporting. One desktop product lists payroll as an add-on.

Can I use a separate payroll app with my accounting software?

Some makers build it that way. One payroll product here asks you to connect it with its own accounting and expense apps, and one suite runs payroll as one app beside its accounting app.

Which of these are for Australian businesses?

Two products here serve Australia. Their pages talk about wages or pay runs, leave and super, and both name Single Touch Payroll as a feature.

Which of these are for UK businesses?

On this list, the UK pages name VAT returns or VAT among their features, and one payroll product's UK pages mention BACS-ready payment files. Check that a product's page is for the UK before you sign up.

Can I pay contractors as well as employees?

One product here says you can run payroll for employees or contractors, and another says you can pay yourself or your team. Check each maker's own page for the people you pay.

Can payroll pick up attendance and time off?

One suite here says its payroll syncs attendance, expenses and time off across its apps. Check whether the product you're looking at lists the same.