The best payroll software in Nigeria depends on what you need it to do. For founder-led teams of up to 50 who are hiring as well as paying people: WadataHR (ours, free for up to 5 staff). For software that pays staff and remits PAYE and pension for you: Eazipay or Salario. For 20 or more staff with an HR team: PaidHR. For medium and large organisations: SeamlessHR.
On price, HRPayHub (from ₦499 per user a month, billed yearly) and PrimePayroll (₦5,000 a month for up to 10 staff) publish the lowest figures we found.
A word before the list: we make WadataHR, so we're not neutral. We've tried to be fair anyway. Each tool gets the situation it's genuinely best for, every fact links to the vendor's own site, and where another tool does something better than ours, we say so. If we've got anything wrong, email hello@wadatahr.com and we'll fix it.
Our view: the best payroll software is the one that gets every person paid right on payday and every remittance in on time. Everything after that is preference.
How we compared them
We read each vendor's own website, pricing page and help pages on 20 October 2026. We didn't sign up for or test competitors' products, so this is what each vendor says, not what we measured. Review sites had almost no reviews for Nigerian payroll tools, so we didn't use ratings. We looked at six things:
- The 2026 tax rules: does the vendor show it uses the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 (the ₦800,000 tax-free band, rent relief, no more CRA)?
- Statutory cover: PAYE by state, pension, NHF, NSITF and ITF.
- Paying staff: does the software send salaries, or do you pay from your bank?
- Remitting for you: does it file and pay PAYE and pension, or prepare the schedules for you to?
- Price: published in naira, or quote only?
- Fit for 6 to 50 staff, and whether it helps you hire.
1. At a glance
"Yes" means the vendor's own site says so. "Not stated" means we couldn't find it, not that it's missing.
| Tool | Best for | Published price | Free plan | 2026 tax rules | Pays staff | Remits for you | Hiring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WadataHR | Founder-led teams up to 50 that are hiring | ₦2,000 per staff a month, min ₦12,000 | Yes, 5 staff | Yes, in payroll | Coming | Coming (prepares schedules now) | Yes |
| Eazipay | Paying and remitting done for you | Shown after sign-up | Depends; 30-day trial | Yes, in the app | Yes | Yes | Listed |
| Salario | Payroll plus payouts and finance tools | ₦1,500 per employee a month | Yes, 5 employees | In its calculator | Yes | Growth plan and up | Not found |
| HRPayHub | Low per-user price, plus accounting | ₦499 per user a month, billed yearly | Trial | In its calculator | Gold plan | PAYE on Gold, pension on Platinum | Silver and up |
| PaidHR | 20 to 100+ staff | Quote | No | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SeamlessHR | Medium and large organisations | Quote | No | Yes, switch on | Yes | Pension | Yes |
| NotchHR | Up to 10 staff under ₦150,000 net | Quote | Yes, with limits | Not stated | Yes, from a wallet | Listed on free plan | Paid add-on |
| SoftSUITE | Compliance-heavy teams, SME to public sector | ₦3,000 per employee | Terms not stated | In its calculator | Not stated | Pension | Yes |
| PrimePayroll | Lowest flat monthly price | ₦5,000 a month for 1–10 staff | 30-day trial | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Workpay | Staff in several African countries | Quote, in USD | No | Not stated | Yes | Outsourced filing | No |
2. What it costs for 10 and 30 staff
Only five of the ten publish prices. Here's what each would cost a month, from their own pricing pages:
| Tool and plan | 10 staff | 30 staff | What that price includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimePayroll (flat by headcount) | ₦5,000 | ₦10,000 | All modules; paying and remitting not stated |
| HRPayHub Bronze (billed yearly) | ₦4,990 | ₦14,970 | Payroll, taxes and deductions; no remitting |
| Salario Starter | ₦15,000 | ₦45,000 | Payroll and payouts, expenses, earned wage access |
| WadataHR Payroll | ₦20,000 | ₦60,000 | Hiring, onboarding, payroll, schedules; you pay from your bank |
| HRPayHub Gold (billed yearly) | ₦29,990 | ₦89,970 | Adds salary remittance and monthly PAYE returns |
| Salario Growth | ₦30,000 | ₦90,000 | Adds tax and pension remittance, leave, attendance |
We're not the cheapest, and we'd rather you hear it from us. At 6 to 50 staff, the price gap between these tools is small next to your payroll itself. Choose on the job you need done: paying staff for you, remitting for you, or helping you hire.
Free for up to 5 staff, at any salary, with no time limit and no card. Run a real payroll and judge it on your own numbers.
3. The ten tools, one by one
WadataHR
Best for: founder-led teams of up to 50 that are hiring as well as paying people.
What stands out
- Hiring, onboarding and payroll in one place: an accepted offer becomes a staff record, and the new hire fills in their own bank and pension details.
- PAYE under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 by each person's state of residence, plus pension, NHF, NSITF and ITF.
- Checks before you approve: changed bank details, pay to someone else's account, missing staff, sharp salary changes.
- Published prices, and free for up to 5 staff.
Watch out for
- It doesn't pay staff yet. You get a bank file and pay from your own bank. Paying staff from WadataHR is coming.
- It prepares the PAYE, pension, NHF and NSITF schedules, but you file and pay. Filing for you is coming.
- It focuses on hiring, onboarding and payroll rather than being a full HR suite. No mobile app; it works in a phone browser.
Price: free for up to 5 active staff, then ₦2,000 per active staff a month, minimum ₦12,000. Pricing
Eazipay
Best for: small businesses that want the software to pay staff and remit PAYE, pension, NHF and NSITF.
What stands out
- The clearest proof of the 2026 rules among the small-business tools: the app tells users it has updated payroll for the Nigeria Tax Act, with the first ₦800,000 at 0%, CRA removed and rent relief added.
- Runs payroll and tax remittance, with remittance pages for PAYE, pension and NHF.
- Salary advances and employee loans, and a business app on iOS and Android.
- Backed by Y Combinator; says it serves over 10,000 businesses.
Watch out for
- Prices show only after you sign up, so you can't compare costs up front.
- Its loans need 3 consecutive months of use.
Price: after sign-up; 30-day free trial; its FAQ mentions a free plan "depending on your payroll needs". myeazipay.com · Y Combinator profile
Salario
Best for: SMEs that want payroll, payouts and finance tools (earned wage access, expenses) in one place, with published naira prices.
What stands out
- A genuinely free plan for up to 5 employees, with payslips and a staff app.
- Pays staff, and from the Growth plan remits tax and pension for you.
- Covers PAYE, NHF, pension and NSITF, plus earned wage access, expenses and pay advances.
- Clear per-employee prices: ₦1,500, ₦3,000 and ₦4,500 a month.
Watch out for
- On the free plan, staff are paid into Salario employee wallets, not their own bank accounts.
- Tax and pension remittance start at ₦3,000 per employee.
- We found no hiring (applicant tracking) tools.
- Its PAYE calculator uses the 2026 rules; its site doesn't say the same of the payroll itself.
Price: Free (5 employees), Starter ₦1,500, Growth ₦3,000, Scale ₦4,500 per employee a month. salariopay.com/pricing
HRPayHub
Best for: the lowest published per-user price, with HR and basic accounting in one tool.
What stands out
- Bronze from ₦499 per user a month, billed yearly.
- Works out PAYE, NHF, NSITF, ITF and pension; its tax calculator uses the 2026 bands and rent relief.
- Gold adds salary remittance, a bank upload file and monthly PAYE returns; Platinum adds pension remittance.
- Applicant tracking, leave and appraisals from the Silver plan, plus accounting and invoicing.
Watch out for
- Minimums: 5 users on Bronze and Silver, 9 on Gold and Platinum. Monthly billing costs 20% more.
- Paying staff and remitting need the higher plans (₦2,999 and ₦4,999 per user).
- It also serves UK healthcare businesses, so not all of its content is about Nigeria. Its Nigerian office is in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Price: Bronze ₦499, Silver ₦999, Gold ₦2,999, Platinum ₦4,999 per user a month, billed yearly; free trial, no card. hrpayhub.com
PaidHR
Best for: companies with 20 to 100+ staff that want remittance done for them and pay-related benefits for staff.
What stands out
- Automated NHF, NSITF and pension remittance and payroll tax filing.
- Pays staff, including split disbursement, with a payroll API and an employee wallet.
- Earned wage access up to 50% of earned salary, at no cost to the employer, plus a loan marketplace.
- Hiring and onboarding (PaidHiring), self-service and mobile apps. Raised a $1.8 million seed round in 2025.
Watch out for
- Its Standard plan is for 20 to 100 employees, so smaller teams fall outside its published plans.
- Quote only, through sales.
- Its site doesn't say whether payroll uses the 2026 rules.
Price: quote only. paidhr.com/pricing · Funding (Techeconomy)
SeamlessHR
Best for: medium and large organisations, including groups operating in several countries.
What stands out
- Documents the 2026 rules clearly in its help centre, with a "Tax Reform 2025" tax mode.
- Direct salary disbursement and pension remittance.
- A full HR suite: applicant tracking, attendance, performance reviews and exit management, plus earned wage access, loans and an AI assistant.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android; says it serves 1,000+ companies.
Watch out for
- The 2026 tax mode has to be switched on in payroll settings.
- Quote only, by demo; built for bigger teams than most founders run.
- Its parent company was renamed Seamless Technologies in July 2026; SeamlessHR remains its HR product.
Price: quote only (Lite, Core, Advantage, Custom). seamlesshr.com/pricing · Tax reform FAQ
NotchHR
Best for: up to 10 staff all earning under ₦150,000 net a month, who want free payroll with wide HR modules.
What stands out
- Free payroll for up to 10 employees under ₦150,000 net, with tax and pension remittances listed on the free plan.
- Pays salaries from a company wallet; salary advances for staff.
- Leave, attendance, performance and learning modules on paid plans; applicant tracking as an add-on.
Watch out for
- One raise past ₦150,000 net can take you beyond the free plan.
- Paid plans are quote only.
- Its site doesn't say whether payroll uses the 2026 rules.
Price: free with limits; paid plans by demo. notchhr.io/pricing
SoftSUITE
Best for: growing companies through to public-sector bodies that want a compliance-focused HR and payroll suite.
What stands out
- Works out PAYE, deducts and remits pension, and handles NHF.
- Recruitment, onboarding, leave, attendance and, on Enterprise, performance.
- Published naira prices, and a free calculator for the 2026 tax law.
- Lagos-based; says it serves 500+ companies.
Watch out for
- Its pricing page doesn't say whether prices are monthly or yearly.
- Paying staff and PAYE filing aren't stated.
Price: Business Lite ₦3,000, Business Enterprise ₦5,000 per employee. softsuite.com/pricing
PrimePayroll
Best for: the lowest flat monthly price, if you're comfortable checking the tax rules yourself.
What stands out
- Flat prices by headcount with every module included: ₦5,000 a month for 1 to 10 staff, ₦10,000 for 11 to 40.
- PAYE, pension and health insurance, leave and loans, self-service and emailed payslips.
- A 30-day trial with every feature.
Watch out for
- We saw no 2026 updates on its site, and it doesn't say whether it uses the new tax rules.
- NHF, NSITF, paying staff and remitting aren't stated.
Price: ₦5,000 (1–10 staff), ₦10,000 (11–40), ₦20,000 (41–100) a month. primepayroll.com.ng/pricing
Workpay
Best for: companies with staff in several African countries, paid by bank or mobile wallet.
What stands out
- Payroll and employer of record across many African countries, run from Nairobi.
- Multi-currency disbursement to banks and mobile wallets, and outsourced statutory filing.
- Earned wage access, loans and expense claims.
Watch out for
- Priced in US dollars, by quote.
- Its site doesn't detail Nigerian PAYE, pension, NHF or NSITF, or the 2026 rules.
- No hiring tools; performance is "coming soon".
Price: quote only, in USD. myworkpay.com/pricing
4. What about global tools?
None of the big global names offers simple, self-serve Nigerian payroll for a local team of 6 to 50:
- Deel and Remote: run payroll in Nigeria through their global payroll or employer-of-record services. Remote's global payroll starts at $29 per employee a month; employer of record from $599 a month. Good for foreign companies hiring in Nigeria. (Remote, Deel)
- Zoho: Zoho People is free for up to 5 users, but it's HR only, and Zoho Payroll isn't offered in Nigeria. (Zoho Payroll)
- QuickBooks: doesn't run Nigerian payroll itself; its Nigeria page points to a separate payroll service with its own fees. (QuickBooks)
- Odoo: its core product has no Nigerian payroll rules; third-party add-ons fill the gap. (Odoo)
5. Who we left out, and why
- Bento Africa: still on several 2026 lists, but it halted operations in February 2025 amid investigations into unremitted tax and pension (TechCabal).
- Talentbase: its domain no longer hosts the product.
- PayDayNG: its website was unavailable when we checked.
- Sage: its Nigeria pages didn't load for us, so we couldn't confirm current features or prices.
- LeadstackHR, CynegieHR, Cloudenly and Accur8HR: they publish too little about Nigerian payroll or pricing to compare fairly. Accur8HR also offers outsourced payroll from ₦100,000 a month.
We'll add tools as they publish enough to compare. Vendors can email us.
6. How to choose, in five questions
- How many staff will you have in a year? Choose for the team you're hiring towards, not just today's. Moving payroll mid-year is a chore.
- Do you want the software to pay staff? If yes today, look at Eazipay, Salario, PaidHR or SeamlessHR. If you're happy paying from your bank with a file, every tool here works.
- Do you want remittance done for you? Check which plan includes it: it's often not the cheapest one.
- Are you hiring this year? Payroll starts the day someone accepts an offer. WadataHR, PaidHR, SeamlessHR, HRPayHub and SoftSUITE include hiring tools; NotchHR sells them as an add-on.
- Does it use the 2026 rules? Run one salary through it and compare with our take-home pay calculator. If the payslip mentions CRA, it's out of date.
Payroll software questions founders ask
What is the best payroll software in Nigeria for small businesses?
It depends on what you need the software to do. For founder-led teams of up to 50 who are hiring as well as paying people, WadataHR (our product). For software that pays staff and remits PAYE and pension for you, Eazipay or Salario's Growth plan. For 20 or more staff with an HR team, PaidHR. For medium and large organisations, SeamlessHR. For the lowest published prices, HRPayHub per user or PrimePayroll's flat monthly price. Checked 20 October 2026.
Which payroll software in Nigeria uses the 2026 tax rules?
On their own sites, WadataHR and Eazipay show the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 rules in the payroll itself, and SeamlessHR has a 2025 tax reform mode that customers switch on in their settings. Salario, HRPayHub and SoftSUITE show the 2026 rules in their free calculators. The other tools we checked didn't say. Test any tool with one salary before you move your team in.
How much does payroll software cost in Nigeria?
Published prices start at ₦499 per user a month (HRPayHub's Bronze plan, billed yearly, minimum 5 users) and go up to ₦5,000 per employee (SoftSUITE's Business Enterprise plan). PrimePayroll charges a flat ₦5,000 a month for up to 10 staff. WadataHR is free for up to 5 staff, then ₦2,000 per active staff a month, minimum ₦12,000. PaidHR, SeamlessHR, NotchHR and Workpay quote on request. Checked 20 October 2026.
Which payroll software in Nigeria pays staff directly?
Eazipay, Salario, PaidHR, SeamlessHR, NotchHR (from a company wallet) and Workpay all say they pay staff, and HRPayHub lists salary remittance on its Gold plan. WadataHR works out every salary and gives you a bank file; you pay from your own bank. Paying staff from WadataHR is coming to its Payroll plan.
Is there free payroll software in Nigeria?
Yes. WadataHR is free for up to 5 active staff at any salary. Salario's free plan covers up to 5 employees, paid into Salario wallets. NotchHR's free plan covers up to 10 employees with net pay under ₦150,000 a month. Most others offer a trial or a demo.
Do I need payroll software with only a few staff?
Not by law, but the rules start early: pension is required from 3 staff, and ITF from 5 staff or ₦50 million turnover. A careful spreadsheet can work for 2 or 3 people. Software earns its place when you want schedules for each authority, payslips and reminders without building them yourself.
Related guides and tools
Hire, onboard and pay your team in one place.
WadataHR works out every salary under the 2026 rules, prepares the schedules for each authority, and reminds you before each due date. Free for up to 5 staff, no card.
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