Compare / Basic PAYE Tools
AccountsOS vs Basic PAYE Tools
HMRC's Basic PAYE Tools is free and files payroll RTI directly, but it's payroll-only and makes you key every figure in by hand — it can't import a file from other software and keeps no books. AccountsOS runs your payroll, payslips and whole ledger in one place and generates the RTI-ready FPS today, with direct one-click submission of the FPS and EPS to HMRC coming soon (in HMRC recognition now). If you only ever need to file RTI for free, Basic PAYE Tools does that; if you want your books and payroll together, that's AccountsOS.
What is Basic PAYE Tools?
Basic PAYE Tools (BPT) is free payroll software from HMRC for employers with fewer than 10 employees. It calculates tax and National Insurance and submits your Real Time Information (RTI) — the Full Payment Submission (FPS) and Employer Payment Summary (EPS) — directly to HMRC. It does the job it's designed for well, and for a very small employer who needs nothing else, it's a reasonable free option.
Its limits are deliberate: it's payroll-only, every figure is entered by hand each period, it can't import an FPS produced by other software, and it keeps no bookkeeping records. So if you run your books anywhere else, you end up maintaining two systems and re-keying numbers between them.
Side by side
| Feature | Basic PAYE Tools | AccountsOS |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | 14-day trial, then £20/monthAccountsOS includes your whole books, not just payroll filing. |
| Files RTI (FPS/EPS) to HMRC | Yes — directly, today | Coming soon (in HMRC recognition); RTI-ready FPS generated todayIf filing RTI for free is all you need, Basic PAYE Tools does that. |
| How you enter figures | By hand, every period | Calculated automatically from your payroll runBasic PAYE Tools can't import a file from other software. |
| Bookkeeping & accounts | None | Full double-entry books, VAT, invoicing, expensesBasic PAYE Tools is payroll only — it keeps no ledger. |
| Payslips | Basic, manual | Branded PDFs, emailed automatically |
| Posts payroll to your ledger | No | Yes — wages, PAYE, NI and pension journals automatically |
| Employee limit | Designed for fewer than 10 | No fixed limit |
| VAT (Making Tax Digital) | Not supported | Files MTD VAT returns directly to HMRCRTI and MTD are separate HMRC systems; AccountsOS handles both. |
Stick with Basic PAYE Tools if
- You have a handful of employees and only need to file RTI
- You keep no other books, or your accountant does them
- Free, manual, payroll-only is genuinely all you want
Choose AccountsOS if
- You want payroll and your whole books in one place
- You'd rather not re-key figures between systems
- You want payroll posted to the ledger automatically
- You want direct RTI filing the moment it goes live (coming soon)
Common questions
Is AccountsOS a replacement for Basic PAYE Tools?
It's heading that way. Basic PAYE Tools only files payroll RTI and makes you key every figure in by hand. AccountsOS already runs your payroll, payslips, ledger and the rest of your books, and generates the RTI-ready FPS today. Direct one-click submission of the FPS and EPS to HMRC is coming soon — the submission engine is built and we're completing HMRC's RTI recognition process.
Can Basic PAYE Tools import a file from other software?
No. Basic PAYE Tools is data-entry software — it submits its own RTI and cannot import an FPS produced elsewhere. That's why, if you run payroll in another tool, you end up re-keying every figure. AccountsOS removes that step by filing from the payroll it already ran (coming soon).
Basic PAYE Tools is free — why pay for AccountsOS?
If filing RTI for a handful of employees is genuinely all you need, Basic PAYE Tools does that for free. AccountsOS is for directors who want their whole books in one place — bookkeeping, VAT, invoicing, expenses and payroll — with payroll posting straight to the ledger and direct RTI filing coming soon. You're buying the whole back office, not a single form.
Is RTI the same as Making Tax Digital (MTD)?
No. Real Time Information is HMRC's payroll reporting system. Making Tax Digital is a separate programme covering VAT (live) and Income Tax (from April 2026). Basic PAYE Tools handles RTI only. AccountsOS already files MTD VAT returns and is adding direct RTI payroll filing.
What does AccountsOS do for payroll today?
Add employees, run payroll with PAYE, National Insurance and pension calculated on current thresholds, email branded payslips, post the journals to your general ledger, and generate an RTI-ready FPS. Direct submission to HMRC is the next milestone.
Your payroll and your books, together
Run payroll, email payslips, keep the ledger straight and generate your RTI-ready FPS — with direct HMRC submission on the way.
Start free for 14 days