HR and payroll software in the UAE: what each one actually costs
Eight systems sold to UAE companies, compared on the things that decide the bill: whether the price is public, whether you pay per employee or per user, the trial, the WPS SIF file, Arabic payslips and setup. Every number below comes from the vendor's own website on the date shown. We sell one of these systems, so read the Xrero row with that in mind.
The comparison
| System | Published price | Charged per | Trial | Setup | WPS SIF | Arabic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xrero HR & Payroll | AED 99 per user per month; AED 83 on annual billing | User login (HR / finance staff). Employees are not charged | 15 days, no card | Done for you, one-time from AED 2,999 | Yes, from the approved run | Full - interface, payslips, contracts | Accounting, VAT and inventory in the same system; biometric terminals push attendance; Dubai team on WhatsApp |
| Bayzat | Not published - quote per company | Quote | No self-serve trial; demo request | Quote | Yes | Arabic site for KSA only | Also a health-insurance broker; free-zone offers such as 3 months free for SPC Free Zone companies |
| Zoho Payroll UAE | Standard AED 35 per organisation per month + AED 7 per employee (annual); AED 45 + 9 monthly. Pro 55 + 11, Premium 75 + 15 | Organisation + employee | 14 days | None | Yes | Full Arabic website | Payroll only; HR is a separate product (Zoho People) |
| greytHR | Essential USD 50 per month incl. 10 employees + USD 2 per extra; Growth USD 60 + 3; free Starter plan under 50 employees | Employee | 7 days | None | Yes | English | Indian company with a Dubai office; large review base from India |
| Zimyo | AED 10 / 20 / 30 per user per month, minimum 25 users | Employee (each seat) | 14 days, no card | Add-ons | Yes | RTL interface | WhatsApp on the page; partner program pays 40% then 20% of subscription |
| Keka | UAE price not published - "talk to us" | Quote | Free trial on request | "Nominal setup fee" | Yes | English | Ran a "3 months free" promotion in the GCC in mid-2026 |
| Paylite HRMS | Not published | Quote | No trial; sales demo | Quote | Yes | Arabic pages | UAE-built, MoHRE-compliance messaging, GCC coverage |
| Yomly (Emirates HR) | Not published | Quote | No trial; demo | Quote | Yes | Arabic toggle | Discount through the Mashreq NEObiz catalogue; strong on WPS content |
Sources, read 2 September 2026: Zoho Payroll pricing · greytHR pricing · Zimyo pricing · Keka pricing · Bayzat · Paylite · Yomly · Xrero pricing. Vendors change prices; verify before you sign. USD converted at the AED 3.6725 peg.
A worked example: 40 employees, two people who run payroll
The single biggest difference is what the meter counts. Most systems count employees. Xrero counts logins. For a company with many staff and one or two administrators that changes the monthly bill more than any feature does.
| System | How it is counted | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Xrero | 2 user logins x AED 99 (employees free) | AED 198 |
| HRX360 | 40 employees x AED 6 | AED 240 |
| Zoho Payroll Standard | AED 35 + 40 employees x AED 7 (annual billing) | AED 315 |
| Zimyo Standard | 40 users x AED 10 (minimum 25) | AED 400 |
| greytHR Essential | USD 50 + 30 extra employees x USD 2 = USD 110 | about AED 404 |
| Bayzat, Keka, Paylite, Yomly | Quote only | ask for the annual total |
Xrero adds a one-time setup from AED 2,999, which covers migration, contracts, WPS and bank set-up done by our team. Spread over a year, the 40-employee example is AED 448 per month in year one and AED 198 after that. Zoho and greytHR have no setup fee but you do the configuration yourself.
Before you choose: six things to check
Ask what happens to the bill when you hire 20 more people. Per-employee plans grow with headcount; per-user plans grow only when you add another administrator.
If someone re-types salaries into a separate SIF tool, the file can disagree with the payslips. The SIF should be generated from the same figures you approved.
Biometric terminals that push punches to the system remove the monthly Excel step. Pulling data usually needs port-forwarding that most UAE offices cannot set up.
Labour inspections and employees read the payslip. Check that payslips, contracts and leave letters print in Arabic and English, not just the interface.
End-of-service liability grows silently. The system should accrue it monthly under the 2022 law (21 days for the first five years, 30 after) so the balance sheet is never surprised. Free calculator.
It happens on the 1st of the month. A vendor with a team in the UAE on WhatsApp is worth more that morning than any feature list.
Looking for a Bayzat alternative?
Companies usually leave Bayzat for one of three reasons: they want a published price rather than a quote, they do not want HR software tied to an insurance relationship, or they want accounting and payroll in one system. Xrero publishes its price, sells no insurance, and runs payroll inside the same platform as invoicing, VAT and inventory. Zoho Payroll and Zimyo are also honest alternatives if you only need payroll and are happy to configure it yourself.
Questions people ask
How much does payroll software cost in the UAE?
Published prices in September 2026 run from about AED 6 to AED 30 per employee per month (HRX360, Zoho Payroll, Zimyo, greytHR). Bayzat, Keka, Paylite, Yomly, ZingHR and Darwinbox quote on request. Xrero is AED 99 per user login per month, employees are not charged, plus a one-time setup from AED 2,999.
Is there a free payroll system for the UAE?
greytHR offers a free Starter plan for companies under 50 employees, and Zoho People has a free tier for very small teams. Neither includes setup or support in the UAE. Xrero has no free plan; it has a 15-day trial and a paid, done-for-you setup.
Which systems generate the WPS SIF file?
All systems built for the UAE do. The questions that matter are whether the SIF is produced from the approved payroll run, whether your bank or exchange house accepts it without edits, and who fixes a rejection on payday.
Is Bayzat free?
Bayzat does not publish prices and has no self-serve trial. It quotes per company and also earns from health-insurance brokerage; some free-zone partnerships have offered introductory months free. Ask for the full annual cost including any insurance conditions.
Want the number for your company?
Tell us your headcount and how many people run payroll. We reply on WhatsApp the same working day with the exact monthly figure and what setup would include, no slides.
See Xrero HR & Payroll Ask on WhatsApp