Shape Payroll vs Sage 50 Payroll
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Shape Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
Sage 50 Payroll
Payroll Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Shape Payroll leads on verified reviews by 0.1 of a point — 4.2 against 4.1 for Sage 50 Payroll.
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 | Shape Payroll | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | Free | £41/mo |
| Free version | YesYes | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 250 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 — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- Shape Payroll
- Sage 50 Payroll
| Dimension | Shape Payroll | Sage 50 Payroll | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.1 | 4.0 | 0.1 to Shape Payroll |
| Value for money | 4.1 | 3.9 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Customer support | 4.1 | 3.9 | 0.2 to Shape Payroll |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape Payroll | 47% (118 reviews) | 33% (83 reviews) | 11% (27 reviews) | 7% (17 reviews) | 2% (5 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
- 213%
- Only Shape Payroll
- 638%
- Only Sage 50 Payroll
- 850%
16 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Shape Payroll
6- Automatic legislative updates
- Cloud based
- Employee records
- Free Basic tier
+ 2 more in the table below
Sage 50 Payroll
8- Attachment of earnings orders
- Cloud connectivity
- Detailed payroll reporting
- Employee self service payslips
+ 4 more in the table below
Showing 16 of 16 features
| Detail | Shape Payroll | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 14 | ||
| Automatic legislative updates | YesYes | NoNo |
| Cloud based | YesYes | NoNo |
| Employee records | YesYes | NoNo |
| Free Basic tier | YesYes | NoNo |
| Payslips | YesYes | NoNo |
| Pension auto enrolment | 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 |
| Where they match · 2 | ||
| RTI submissions to HMRC | YesYes | YesYes |
| 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 | Shape Payroll | Sage 50 Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| RTI-compliant payroll | YesYes | YesYes |
| Pension auto-enrolment | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK-based support | UK support team | 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.
Shape Payroll
Sage 50 Payroll
Basic
FreeLower
- Free payroll
- RTI submissions
- Auto enrolment
Up to 15 employees
£41/mo
- RTI submissions
- Pension auto enrolment
- Statutory payments
Pro
£5/moLower
- Up to 5 employees paid
- £1 per additional employee
- Priority support
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 Shape Payroll if
- It costs less to get started — Free against £41/mo.
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which Sage 50 Payroll does not offer.
- It lists 6 features Sage 50 Payroll does not, including automatic legislative updates.
Choose Sage 50 Payroll if
- It lists 8 features Shape Payroll does not, including attachment of earnings orders.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Shape Payroll currently rates 4.2 against 4.1 for Sage 50 Payroll. That gap is not the whole story: Shape Payroll starts at Free 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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