IRIS Payroll vs SD Worx (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SD Worx grades higher than IRIS Payroll: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SD Worx grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick IRIS Payroll if
- Fits if you are a UK employer already on IRIS Cascade HR
- Works for organisations that want software or outsourced payroll from the same vendor
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price, because none is published
- Skip it if you employ outside the UK, since it covers English, Scottish and Welsh tax rates
- Too light for a payroll bureau, schools or GPs, as IRIS sells separate products for those
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Pick SD Worx if
- Fits if you pay staff in several European countries
- Makes sense if you want payroll run for you
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price online, as none is published
- Not for you if you need US payroll, which the pages do not describe
- Watch out: much of the offering is advisor-led rather than self-serve
- Watch out: there is no free plan or trial on the pages read
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAIRIS PayrollWeak | 1.8GPASD WorxWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published on the page, so it sits at C. | CNo price is published; buyers are sent to an expert, so it sits in the middle of payroll tools. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. | FNo free plan or trial on the pages read. |
| Features | CHMRC RTI reports, payslips and P60s for staff, HR changes flowing into payroll, and reports including the Gender Pay Gap. It is a module of Cascade HRi, and IRIS sells other payroll products separately. | BLocal, managed and multi-country payroll, time and attendance, HR and expenses on the mysdworx platform. The listing names no gap in the job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record, and an HR system with a payroll module needs setting up. | CNo store rating on record. A service with local advisors means onboarding rather than sign-up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. | CWeb only on the listing, with no mobile app or integrations list. |
| Best for | UK payroll for people already on IRIS Cascade HR | payroll across several European countries |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: IRIS Payroll and SD Worx. How we grade
Where they differ
- IRIS Payroll also covers reports.
- SD Worx also covers expense tracking, shift scheduling, time clock and time off.
In commonWebPayrollEmployee records
At a glance
| IRIS Payroll | SD Worx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | IRIS | SD Worx |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
IRIS Payroll
- No prices are published on the page.
- Supports English, Scottish and Welsh tax rates, so it serves UK payroll.
- It is a module of IRIS Cascade HRi; IRIS sells separate payroll products for bureaus, schools and GPs.
SD Worx
- No prices are published and buyers are sent to talk to an expert, so pricing is unverified.
- Services are organized around European countries; the pages do not describe US payroll.
- Much of the offering is service-led, with local advisors alongside the software.
- The pages read give no free plan or self-serve trial.
Key features
IRIS Payroll
- HMRC reporting
- Sends RTI reports to HMRC and downloads coding and student or postgraduate loan notices.
- Employee self-service
- Employees see payslips and P60s in one place, with access rights controlled by the employer.
- Direct HR integration
- Changes employees make to their details in IRIS Cascade HRi flow into payroll automatically.
- Reports
- Pre-built reports include the Gender Pay Gap, plus real-time payroll data.
- Outsourced option
- Employers can have CIPP-qualified professionals run payroll instead of doing it themselves.
SD Worx
- Local and managed payroll
- Local payroll software, plus managed payroll services in which in-country specialists handle legislation and language.
- Multi-country payroll
- Payroll across several countries with local compliance, with payroll compliance guidance and reward and compensation advice.
- Time and attendance
- Time tracking, leave and absence management, workforce scheduling and planning, connected to payroll.
- HR and expenses
- Digital HR documents and workflows, performance and skills, learning and development, and expense and travel management.
- mysdworx platform
- One platform for HR, pay and time across Europe, with AI features highlighted on the site.
Plans
IRIS Payroll
Pricing could not be confirmed. See iris.co.uk.
SD Worx
Pricing could not be confirmed. See sdworx.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IRIS Payroll or SD Worx?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IRIS Payroll has no price we could confirm, and SD Worx has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, IRIS Payroll or SD Worx?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither IRIS Payroll nor SD Worx has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.