In short:
- Three payroll software solutions for small businesses in France are compared using the pages checked on 11 November 2026: PayFit, Sage Business Cloud Paie and EBP Paie.
- PayFit charges €20 per employee per month plus a flat fee of €49 excl. VAT per month for 1 to 3 employees (€109 per month for 3 employees), with no commitment, and its experts produce the payroll. A Starter plan at €26 per month targets businesses paying their first salary.
- Sage Business Cloud Paie costs €9.45 excl. VAT per month plus €15.75 excl. VAT per employee (€56.70 excl. VAT per month for 3 employees), for payroll run in-house.
- EBP Paie comes as a self-managed or outsourced solution, both on quotation.
Payroll software for small businesses: comparison table
| Criterion | PayFit | Sage Business Cloud Paie | EBP Paie |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Online software, payroll produced by PayFit experts | Online software, payroll run by the business or a Sage partner | Self-managed or outsourced solution |
| Price checked for 1 employee | Starter (first payroll): €26 per month | €25.20 excl. VAT per month (€9.45 + €15.75) | On quotation |
| Price checked for 3 employees | Paie plan: €109 per month (3 × €20 + €49 excl. VAT) | €56.70 excl. VAT per month | On quotation |
| Commitment | No commitment | Not stated on the page consulted | Not stated, on quotation |
| Monthly and event DSN | Included in every plan | DSN electronic filing included | DSN filing (self-managed), DSN and withholding tax (outsourced) |
| Set-up | Done by PayFit experts, free | Not checked | Custom configuration (self-managed) |
| Leave and absences | Included from the Paie plan | Absence, leave and RTT management included | Not checked |
| Verdict | The simplest delegated payroll, public prices | The cheapest way to run payroll yourself | For businesses that want to choose between self-managed and outsourced after a quote |
Method: prices and features come from the vendors’ plan pages, consulted on 11 November 2026. PayFit states that its flat fee excludes VAT. Sage shows prices excluding VAT. EBP does not publish prices. A “not checked” cell means the information did not appear on the page consulted.
Why the choice of payroll software matters for a small business
Choosing the best payroll software for a small business in France starts with deciding who runs payroll: someone in the business, a vendor that takes it over, or an outside payroll manager. The price follows that choice.
Payroll software produces payslips, calculates contributions, manages absences and prepares social security filings. The features to expect are detailed in the article Payroll software: the essential features.
The most exposed filing is the DSN: it must be submitted every month by the 5th or the 15th depending on headcount, and errors or delays lead to penalties. How it works is explained in the guide to the DSN for a small business in France.
The criteria used for the comparison
- How it works: payroll run in-house or delegated.
- The real price for 1 and 3 employees.
- The commitment required.
- Support for the DSN, monthly and event-based.
- Set-up support.
PayFit: the payroll software that delegates payslip production
PayFit presents itself as a payroll and HR service used by 22,000 businesses, according to its plans page. The distinctive point checked on 11 November 2026: payroll is “produced by our experts” and compliance is “guaranteed by Payfit”. Plan details are on PayFit’s plans page (in French).
The price combines a per-employee rate and a flat fee excluding VAT that depends on the company’s headcount: €29 per month with no employees, €49 for 1 to 3 employees, €79 for 4 to 9, €99 for 10 to 15 and €129 for 16 to 24, plus €29 per additional establishment.
| PayFit plan (established business) | Price per employee per month | Total shown for 3 employees |
|---|---|---|
| Paie | €20 | €109 per month |
| Paie avancée | €27 | €130 per month |
| RH+ | €30 | €139 per month |
For a business paying its first salary, the Starter plan costs €26 per month for one employee, all-inclusive, with no commitment and free set-up.
PayFit’s key features
- Payroll produced by PayFit experts, with set-up handled by a dedicated expert.
- Monthly DSN and event DSNs included in every plan, with a filing tracking module.
- Accounting entries and payroll ledger, accountant access and integrations with Pennylane, Qonto, Swile, Alan, Skello and Combo.
- Leave and absences from the Paie plan. Time tracking and requests from the employee space come with Paie avancée.
- No commitment on every plan shown.
- Add-ons: expense reports at €3 per employee per month, Premium services from €59 per month.
For a small business with no in-house payroll specialist, PayFit is the only one of the three solutions to show a public price for delegated payroll, with no commitment.
Comparative analysis: Sage Business Cloud Paie and EBP Paie against PayFit
Sage Business Cloud Paie, online software you run yourself
Sage Business Cloud Paie is online payroll software. Its price simulator, checked on 11 November 2026, shows a Payroll module at €9.45 excl. VAT per month plus €15.75 excl. VAT per employee per month: €25.20 excl. VAT for one employee, €56.70 excl. VAT for 3 employees.
The module includes staff administration, payroll and social security filings, absence, leave and RTT management, and DSN electronic filing. Add-ons are charged separately: payslip delivery to a digital vault from €0.66 excl. VAT per payslip, and scheduling from €1.70 excl. VAT per employee per month.
A banner announced a 25% “lifetime” discount on Sage payroll at the time of the check, without the simulator showing whether it was already applied. Sage states that payroll can be partly or fully delegated to a certified partner in its network.
EBP Paie, self-managed or outsourced on quotation
EBP offers two solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, both on quotation:
- EBP Paie Solution Autonome: custom configuration, collective agreement updates, payslips and social security filings, DSN electronic filing, automatic withholding tax management, dashboards.
- EBP Paie Solution Externalisée: full outsourcing, dedicated payroll manager, unlimited exchanges, payslips within 48 to 72 hours, DSN and withholding tax, online entry of variables.
The absence of public prices prevents a figure-based comparison. EBP suits a business that wants to meet an adviser and choose between the two options after a quote.
Summary of the differences
| Need | Best-placed solution according to the checks | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate payroll without hiring | PayFit | Payroll produced by its experts, public price, no commitment |
| Pay a first salary | PayFit Starter | €26 per month for one employee, free set-up |
| Run payroll yourself at the lowest price | Sage Business Cloud Paie | €25.20 excl. VAT per month for one employee |
| Choose between self-managed and outsourced after a quote | EBP Paie | Two solutions, sales support |
| Connect payroll to online accounting | PayFit | Pennylane integration and accounting entries included |
Who is each solution for? Recommendations by profile
Small business owner hiring a first employee
PayFit’s Starter plan, at €26 per month, covers payroll, the DSN, the pre-hiring declaration (DPAE) and contracts, with guided set-up. It avoids having to master payroll from the first hire.
Small business with a few employees and no payroll manager
PayFit remains the simplest solution: its experts produce the payslips and the price is known in advance. Sage is cheaper, but assumes someone in the business knows payroll rules.
Business with in-house payroll skills
Sage Business Cloud Paie offers the lowest entry price for payroll run in-house. EBP Paie Solution Autonome is an alternative on quotation.
How to choose payroll software in 5 steps
- Decide who runs payroll: someone in the business, the vendor or an outside manager.
- Calculate the real monthly cost for current and expected headcount, flat fee and add-ons included.
- Check DSN handling, monthly and event-based.
- Plan the link with accounting: export of entries, access for the accountant.
- Ask for a demo with a real case: collective agreement, variables, absences.
Payroll software feeds the accounts: the comparison of the best accounting software in France helps choose the tool that will receive these entries. Payroll data is among the most sensitive in a business, and small business cybersecurity best practices apply to every access.
Mistakes to avoid
- Comparing per-employee prices without adding the flat fee.
- Choosing self-managed software with no one trained in payroll.
- Forgetting add-ons charged separately: digital vault, scheduling, expense reports.
- Overlooking data migration when moving to new software.
- Relying on a promotion without checking the price that applies afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best payroll software in France?
It depends on how much the business wants to handle itself. According to the pages checked on 11 November 2026, PayFit charges €20 per employee per month plus a flat fee of €49 excl. VAT per month for 1 to 3 employees, with no commitment, and its experts produce the payroll. Sage Business Cloud Paie costs €9.45 excl. VAT per month plus €15.75 excl. VAT per employee, i.e. €25.20 excl. VAT for one employee, for payroll run by the business. EBP offers a self-managed solution and an outsourced solution, both on quotation.
How much does payroll software cost for a small business in France?
As of 11 November 2026, for 3 employees, PayFit shows €109 per month on its Paie plan, and Sage Business Cloud Paie €56.70 excl. VAT per month on its Payroll module. For a business paying its first salary, PayFit’s Starter plan costs €26 per month for one employee. EBP does not publish prices and works on quotation.
Does payroll software handle the DSN filing?
Yes, the three solutions compared mention the DSN on their pages. PayFit includes the monthly DSN and event DSNs in every plan. Sage Business Cloud Paie includes DSN electronic filing in its Payroll module. EBP Paie mentions DSN electronic filing in its self-managed solution.
Should you use payroll software or outsource payroll?
Self-managed software, such as Sage Business Cloud Paie or EBP Paie Solution Autonome, assumes someone in the business knows payroll. PayFit states that its experts produce the payroll and guarantee its compliance. EBP also offers an outsourced solution with a dedicated payroll manager.
Can you try payroll software without commitment?
PayFit shows its plans with no commitment and, at the time of the check on 11 November 2026, offered the first month free until 30 November. Sage and EBP offer a demo. The commitment for Sage Business Cloud Paie was not stated on the page consulted.