Moorepay vs Shape 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
Shape Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Shape Payroll leads on verified reviews by 0.3 of a point — 4.2 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 | Shape Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | On request | Free |
| Free version | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free trial | NoNo | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 225 reviews | 250 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 value for money, at 0.3 of a point.
- Moorepay
- Shape Payroll
| Dimension | Moorepay | Shape Payroll | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Value for money | 3.8 | 4.1 | 0.3 to Shape Payroll |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Functionality | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0.2 to Shape 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) |
| Shape Payroll | 47% (118 reviews) | 33% (83 reviews) | 11% (27 reviews) | 7% (17 reviews) | 2% (5 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 17%
- Only Moorepay
- 747%
- Only Shape Payroll
- 747%
15 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
Shape Payroll
7- Automatic legislative updates
- Cloud based
- Employee records
- Free Basic tier
+ 3 more in the table below
Showing 15 of 15 features
| Detail | Moorepay | Shape Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 14 | ||
| 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 |
| Automatic legislative updates | NoNo | YesYes |
| Cloud based | NoNo | YesYes |
| Employee records | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free Basic tier | NoNo | YesYes |
| Payslips | NoNo | YesYes |
| Pension auto enrolment | 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 | Shape 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 | UK support team |
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
Shape Payroll
Managed payroll
Contact vendor
- Fully managed pay run
- Quoted per headcount and service level
- RTI and auto enrolment handled for you
Basic
Free
- Free payroll
- RTI submissions
- Auto enrolment
No comparable tier listed
Pro
£5/mo
- Up to 5 employees paid
- £1 per additional employee
- Priority support
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 Shape Payroll does not, including automatic enrolment management.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 4 of them against 3.
Choose Shape Payroll if
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which Moorepay does not offer.
- Reviewers score it higher on value for money — 4.1 against 3.8.
- It lists 7 features Moorepay does not, including automatic legislative updates.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Shape Payroll currently rates 4.2 against 3.9 for Moorepay. That gap is not the whole story: Moorepay starts at a quoted price and Shape Payroll at Free, 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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