IRIS Payroll vs Zellis (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zellis grades higher than IRIS Payroll: 1.8 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zellis 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 Zellis if
- Fits if you run payroll for a large or complex UK or Irish workforce
- Works for organisations that want payroll, HR and scheduling from one supplier
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price first, because none is published
- Skip it if you are a small business, as the vendor says it is configured for large, high-volume workforces
- Skip it if you employ in the US, since the pages cover the UK and Ireland
- Not for you if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAIRIS PayrollWeak | 1.8GPAZellisWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published on the page, so it sits at C. | CNo price is published and buyers are invited to request a demo, so it sits at C. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. | FNothing is free: no free plan and no trial are listed, so the way in is paying. |
| 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. | BA real-time payroll engine, anomaly flags, payslips, workforce management, HR and talent. The listing shows no gap in the core job, though only for UK and Ireland. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record, and an HR system with a payroll module needs setting up. | CNo store rating is on record, and software for large, complex workforces comes with a set-up project. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. | CWeb only on the listing, with no apps and no integrations named. |
| Best for | UK payroll for people already on IRIS Cascade HR | payroll for large UK and Irish workforces |
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 Zellis. How we grade
Where they differ
- IRIS Payroll also covers reports.
- Zellis also covers shift scheduling and time off.
In commonWebPayrollEmployee records
At a glance
| IRIS Payroll | Zellis | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | IRIS | Zellis |
| 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.
Zellis
- No prices are published; buyers are invited to request a demo.
- Pages describe UK and Ireland customers; it does not present itself as a US payroll option.
- The vendor says its payroll is configurable for large, high-volume workforces, so it may be more than a small business needs.
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.
Zellis
- Real-time payroll engine
- Processes payroll continuously across the cycle rather than only at cut-off.
- AI anomaly detection
- Flags errors, missing data and compliance risks as they appear.
- Intelligent payslips
- Payslips explain each payroll change in plain terms.
- Workforce management
- Demand forecasting and automated scheduling across sites and shifts, with time feeding directly into pay.
- HR and talent
- Employee data, joiner-mover-leaver workflows, a 24/7 AI assistant for HR questions, and talent management.
Plans
IRIS Payroll
Pricing could not be confirmed. See iris.co.uk.
Zellis
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zellis.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IRIS Payroll or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IRIS Payroll has no price we could confirm, and Zellis has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, IRIS Payroll or Zellis?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither IRIS Payroll nor Zellis 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.