Moorepay vs Sage 50 Payroll
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Moorepay
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
Sage 50 Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Sage 50 Payroll leads on verified reviews by 0.2 of a point — 4.1 against 3.9 for Moorepay.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | Moorepay | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | On request | £41/mo |
| Free version | NoNo | NoNo |
| Free trial | NoNo | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 3.9 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 225 reviews | 218 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about. The widest gap is functionality, at 0.2 of a point.
- Moorepay
- Sage 50 Payroll
| Dimension | Moorepay | Sage 50 Payroll | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to Sage 50 Payroll |
| Value for money | 3.8 | 3.9 | 0.1 to Sage 50 Payroll |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 3.9 | Level |
| Functionality | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.2 to Sage 50 Payroll |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorepay | 38% (86 reviews) | 33% (75 reviews) | 15% (34 reviews) | 10% (22 reviews) | 4% (8 reviews) |
| Sage 50 Payroll | 40% (87 reviews) | 38% (82 reviews) | 15% (32 reviews) | 6% (12 reviews) | 2% (5 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 16%
- Only Moorepay
- 741%
- Only Sage 50 Payroll
- 953%
17 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Moorepay
7- Automatic enrolment management
- Dedicated support
- HMRC liaison
- HR and employment law advice
+ 3 more in the table below
Sage 50 Payroll
9- Attachment of earnings orders
- Cloud connectivity
- Detailed payroll reporting
- Employee self service payslips
+ 5 more in the table below
Showing 17 of 17 features
| Detail | Moorepay | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 16 | ||
| Automatic enrolment management | YesYes | NoNo |
| Dedicated support | YesYes | NoNo |
| HMRC liaison | YesYes | NoNo |
| HR and employment law advice | YesYes | NoNo |
| Managed and part managed payroll | YesYes | NoNo |
| Payslip distribution | YesYes | NoNo |
| RTI submissions handled for you | YesYes | NoNo |
| Attachment of earnings orders | NoNo | YesYes |
| Cloud connectivity | NoNo | YesYes |
| Detailed payroll reporting | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee self service payslips | NoNo | YesYes |
| Multiple pay frequencies | NoNo | YesYes |
| No limit on employee numbers | NoNo | YesYes |
| Pay run rollback and corrections | NoNo | YesYes |
| Pension auto enrolment and assessment | NoNo | YesYes |
| RTI submissions to HMRC | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 1 | ||
| Statutory payments | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | Moorepay | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| RTI-compliant payroll | YesYes | YesYes |
| Pension auto-enrolment | YesYes | YesYes |
| Data residency | United Kingdom | Not stated |
| UK-based support | UK bureau and support | Telephone support from Sage UK |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
Moorepay
Sage 50 Payroll
Managed payroll
Contact vendor
- Fully managed pay run
- Quoted per headcount and service level
- RTI and auto enrolment handled for you
Up to 15 employees
£41/mo
- RTI submissions
- Pension auto enrolment
- Statutory payments
No comparable tier listed
Up to 25 employees
£56.50/mo
- Everything in the 15 employee band
- Higher headcount
No comparable tier listed
Up to 50 employees
£108.50/mo
- Everything in the 25 employee band
- Higher headcount
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose Moorepay if
- It lists 7 features Sage 50 Payroll does not, including automatic enrolment management.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 4 of them against 3.
Choose Sage 50 Payroll if
- You can trial it before paying — Moorepay lists no free trial.
- Reviewers score it higher on functionality — 4.0 against 3.8.
- It lists 9 features Moorepay does not, including attachment of earnings orders.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Sage 50 Payroll currently rates 4.1 against 3.9 for Moorepay. That gap is not the whole story: Moorepay starts at a quoted price and Sage 50 Payroll at £41/mo, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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