Payroll software · Ireland
BrightPay Ireland
Irish payroll software from Bright; desktop ends 31 December 2026, cloud continues
Market position
BrightPay is payroll software from Bright Software Group (Thesaurus Software Ltd), based in Co. Meath. Bright says 674,000 Irish employees are paid through Bright each month, across 91,000 businesses. BrightPay Desktop is supported until 31 December 2026; from 1 January 2027 BrightPay Cloud is the only version.
Ireland-specific note
Bright says BrightPay is Revenue compliant for PAYE Modernisation: it retrieves Revenue Payroll Notifications and sends payroll submissions, and calculates PAYE, USC and PRSI. Bright also says BrightPay Cloud handles My Future Fund auto-enrolment contributions and submissions.
Pros
- + Built for Irish payroll: PAYE Modernisation, USC and PRSI
- + Free desktop employer licence for single-employee companies
- + Supports My Future Fund auto-enrolment on the cloud version
- + Published desktop prices; 60-day free trial
Cons
- − Desktop version unsupported from 1 January 2027; desktop users must move to BrightPay Cloud
- − Cloud prices are shown only through an online calculator
- − Payroll only: pair it with separate job-management and accounting tools
Typical Ireland pricing
Desktop licence per tax year, excl. VAT: free for single-employee companies; €229 up to 10 employees; €349 up to 25; €459 unlimited. Cloud: monthly or annual plans priced by number of employers and employees in Bright's online calculator, excl. VAT
Why this matters for Ireland trades
Since 1 September 2026 it is illegal for anyone who is not a Registered Gas Installer to carry out domestic or non-domestic gas works (S.I. No. 106/2026), and the CRU says Safe Electric registration for electrical contractors is the law; Safe Energy Ireland runs both schemes for the CRU. Principal contractors deduct RCT at 0%, 20% or 35% from subcontractors’ payments and file through ROS. The Irish payroll tools listed here say they send payroll submissions to Revenue and handle My Future Fund auto-enrolment. The statutory Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) is not yet mandatory: the CIF says applications open during 2027, and its Voluntary Construction Register runs until then.
Irish trades vendor selection is shaped by statutory registration (RGI for gas, Safe Electric for electrical contractors), Revenue payroll reporting under PAYE Modernisation, the My Future Fund auto-enrolment pension scheme that started on 1 January 2026, Relevant Contracts Tax (RCT) on payments to construction subcontractors, and SEAI’s Registered Contractor List for grant-funded home energy upgrades.
Frequently asked
Is BrightPay Ireland a good fit for Ireland trades?
BrightPay is payroll software from Bright Software Group (Thesaurus Software Ltd), based in Co. Meath. Bright says 674,000 Irish employees are paid through Bright each month, across 91,000 businesses. BrightPay Desktop is supported until 31 December 2026; from 1 January 2027 BrightPay Cloud is the only version. Bright says BrightPay is Revenue compliant for PAYE Modernisation: it retrieves Revenue Payroll Notifications and sends payroll submissions, and calculates PAYE, USC and PRSI. Bright also says BrightPay Cloud handles My Future Fund auto-enrolment contributions and submissions.
What does BrightPay Ireland cost in Ireland?
Desktop licence per tax year, excl. VAT: free for single-employee companies; €229 up to 10 employees; €349 up to 25; €459 unlimited. Cloud: monthly or annual plans priced by number of employers and employees in Bright's online calculator, excl. VAT. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current Ireland pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Does BrightPay Ireland publish its prices?
Yes. BrightPay Ireland is Tier S in our Ireland directory, which means our check found its prices published on its own website (see the typical pricing above). The tier is not a quality ranking, so compare it against the alternatives for your trade and region.