Written by Robbie Mizzone Updated on 20 December 2024 On this page What Is IRIS Payroll Basics? How Much Does IRIS Payroll Basics Cost? IRIS Payroll Basics Features IRIS Payroll Basics Security IRIS Payroll Basics Support Resources IRIS Payroll Basics Scalability IRIS Payroll Basics Customer Support How We Reviewed IRIS Payroll Basics Verdict IRIS Payroll Basics FAQs Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. Tired of those ‘free’ payroll software providers that sneak in hidden fees wherever they can, hoping you won’t notice? IRIS Payroll Basics could change things for you.It’s a bare-bones, free payroll software solution for small businesses and startups, with a focus on standard features like HMRC and GDPR compliance and automatic reporting.While it’s ideal for small businesses that intend to keep their headcount below 10, fast-growing startups with complex payroll needs will likely see it as more of a stepping stone to paid software or an outsourced payroll service.If you’re not sure about IRIS Payroll Basics or you’re torn between it and another similar provider, below you’ll find everything you need to know to make a final decision. Iris Payroll Basics Overview Best forFree, straightforward payroll processing for small businessesCostFreeFeaturesAutomatic compliance calculations, report generation, free software updates, HMRC-recognised and RTI-compliantData securityGDPR-compliant, automatic data backupsSupport resourcesLarge support library, detailed problem-solving guides, general business resourcesScalabilityAccommodates up to nine employees, upgrade to IRIS Payroll Business availableCustomer supportLive chat and phone assistanceProsFree for businesses with fewer than 10 employeesHMRC-recognised and RTI-compliantAuto enrolment-compliantFree software updatesConsLimited to businesses with under 10 employeesAlthough GDPR-compliant, security protocols aren’t very thoroughLacks the advanced features of many of its paid competitorsNo email customer support channel What Is IRIS Payroll Basics?As its name suggests, IRIS Payroll Basics is a slim payroll software solution focused on providing the most basic payroll processing capabilities. It’s ideal for startups and small businesses looking to streamline payroll and save time without incurring any extra expenses. How Much Does IRIS Payroll Basics Cost?IRIS Payroll Basics is 100% free, although it’s only for businesses with less than 10 employees. IRIS Payroll Basics FeaturesLet’s take a look at the key features you can expect from the platform. Although pretty basic, these features pull their weight, saving time and reducing errors.Automatic compliance calculations: IRIS Payroll Basics automatically calculates tax and insurance withholdings like PAYE and NI contributions. It creates pension reports for each employee to ensure compliance with the automatic enrolment requirement for eligible employees.Report generation and printing: IRIS Payroll Basics can automatically generate nicely formatted employee reports at any time you need them. For the first 30 days after you download, it will even print these reports and any needed payslips for free.Free software updates: Whenever necessary updates become available, IRIS allows you to download and install them for free—whether they’re operations-related or compliance-related.HMRC-recognised and RTI-compliant: Not only is IRIS Payroll Basics compliant with HMRC, but it integrates directly with the HMRC government website via RTI (Real-Time Information) technology. This means you can submit tax forms and other documents to HMRC online, in real-time, with no communication issues.Although these features are undoubtedly helpful, they’re also just as undoubtedly expected from any payroll software provider in the modern age. As free software, IRIS Payroll Basics lacks many of the more innovative features—like customisable interfaces and HR software integrations—offered by paid competitors like MHR, ADP, and Frontier. IRIS Payroll Basics SecurityIRIS Payroll Basics is fully GDPR-compliant. This entails:Data minimisation: IRIS Payroll Basics collects and stores only the data necessary for payroll processing.Consent and transparency: The software ensures that clear consent is obtained before data is processed and that users are aware of how their data will be used.Secure data processing: Although encryption isn’t a must under GDPR, IRIS Payroll Basics takes all necessary security measures to protect user data from unauthorised access.Breach notification: If a breach happens, the software will automatically notify users, managers, and potentially even authorities, immediately. It also backs up any new data every time it’s used, which means breaches won’t result in any significant operational downtime.Of course, GDPR compliance is a commendable minimum standard for a payroll software solution. But if your employees’ personal data is especially sensitive and preventing a data leak is a top priority for you, we highly recommend you look through our other top payroll software solutions. ADP, for example, is compliant with GDPR and ISO 9001 and 27001 certifications, SOC 1 and 2 reports, PCI DSS, and Sarbanes-Oxley regulations – and if you’d like to find out more, check out our ADP review. IRIS Payroll Basics Support ResourcesAs a whole, IRIS offers a huge amount of support resources. For specific problem-solving help, its ‘knowledge base’ contains hundreds of detailed instructional guides for common roadblocks. For more general information, you can find blog posts, case studies, business guides, events webinars, and even four separate IRIS podcast channels with advice and insight from industry experts.All that said, we couldn’t find many other support resources dedicated to the Payroll Basics software. This means that you’ll need to directly contact customer support for help with any specific issues you encounter. IRIS Payroll Basics ScalabilityAs may seem obvious, IRIS Payroll Basics isn’t particularly scalable. After all, it’s a free payroll software solution for businesses with fewer than 10 employees.That said, it is scalable in two ways:If you’re just getting a startup off the ground, you might be paying just a single employee. In that scenario, Payroll Basics can assist you as you scale up from one employee to nine.IRIS enables the seamless transition of all your employee data and payment information from IRIS Payroll Basics up to the first tier of paid software—IRIS Payroll Business. This plan supports payroll for up to 100 employees, upgraded online and phone support, and much more in-depth reporting capabilities. IRIS Payroll Basics Customer SupportFor a slimmed-down, free payroll software, IRIS offers a surprisingly dense customer support network.The company provides a live chat option for all customers, regardless of the software they use. It also delineates separate, dedicated phone support numbers for each of the different software solutions—including IRIS Payroll Basics.The only concern we found is that IRIS doesn’t provide email support channels for all of its software products—and Payroll Basics is one of them.Still, this is a step up from a payroll software provider like MHR, which strangely offers no email help channels at all. How We Reviewed IRIS Payroll BasicsWe regularly research a wide range of market-leading payroll products and services to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, data security, and customer support so we can make the most useful recommendations for UK businesses.Our rigorous research process means these products have been scored and rated in five main categories of investigation and 10 subcategories – in fact, we covered 56 areas of investigation in total. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting' to ensure the product's final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers.Our main testing categories for payroll products and services are:Control: the level of customisation and flexibility provided by the payroll software in managing and processing payroll, such as the ability to define pay periods, set up tax withholding rules, and manage employee data.Data Security: the measures and protocols implemented by the payroll software to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive payroll information.Expertise: the level of knowledge and guidance provided by the payroll software vendor or support team. This can include resources such as documentation, tutorials, and training materials.Scalability: the ability of the payroll software to accommodate the growth and changing needs of a business, including the capacity to handle an increasing number of employees and support multiple locations or entities.Customer Support: the various channels and methods available for users to seek assistance and support from the payroll software vendor, such as email or ticket-based support, phone support, or live chat. Verdict IRIS Payroll Basics is a free payroll solution tailored to small UK businesses with less than 10 employees. It offers most features expected of payroll software, including automatic tax and pension calculations and RTI-compliant submissions to HMRC. Although it is GDPR-compliant, the software’s security protocols are not up to par with those of some of its paid competitors—nor is its scalability.Overall, IRIS Payroll Basics is a solid entry-level option for startups and very small businesses that need both payroll software and ultra-low overhead expenses. IRIS Payroll Basics FAQs Who is IRIS Payroll Basics for? IRIS Payroll Basics is a free payroll software solution that provides only the most basic and necessary payroll features. As such, it’s ideal for businesses with under 10 employees and relatively straightforward payroll requirements. Does IRIS Payroll Basics support RTI submissions to HMRC? Yes. Since IRIS Payroll Basics integrates directly with HMRC, you can submit forms and other information online using RTI (Real-Time Information) technology. This means your submissions to HMRC will happen more frequently, take less time, and contain only fully updated information. What does IRIS do? IRIS is a software company that provides solutions for businesses of all sizes. It specialises in accounting and financial management software, payroll software, HR and education management software, and biometric systems and technology. Written by: Robbie Mizzone Robbie holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance from Centenary University, New Jersey. He’s worked as a staff accountant at Unity Bank and Kering (Gucci, Balenciaga), focusing on financial reporting, account reconciliation, and complex accrual analysis. In addition to banks and private companies, Robbie also has experience working in the luxury hospitality and construction sectors, giving him a well-rounded understanding of each sector’s unique needs.