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Payroll software for Swiss SMEs: which suits your payroll? (2026)

Which payroll software suits your Swiss SME? The big Swiss comparison of 15 programs — with current prices, strengths and limits.

Full comparison

Published
Data as of
August 2026
Reading time
6 minutes

The essentials

  1. The test is not the payslip but the filing. 12 of the 15 solutions serve the Swissdec standard in full, 3 in a limited way.
  2. Limited in practice almost always means: a payslip can be printed, the filings to the compensation fund, the accident insurer and the pension fund stay manual work.
  3. 6 of the 15 vendors state an entry price publicly, in the middle CHF 45.– a month, the highest published at CHF 65.–. For 9 the price starts with an enquiry.
  4. On operations: 9 solutions run in the browser, 10 can be installed locally, 6 are run by the vendor themselves on request. With payroll data that is a question of access, not of taste.
  5. Withholding tax and cross-border commuters are the two cases on which payroll software is decided in Switzerland — and both appear in no data sheet.
Rather filter for yourself? All 15 solutions with 11 criteria in one table Filter by profile and features, set a budget, read the columns side by side. This article gives the bearings — the table is the tool. To the comparison table

How sharply payroll shortens the list

The recorded payroll capability of the 15 solutions. No other criterion divides the list so clearly — and none is described in data sheets in such identical words.

complete, with electronic filings
12
limited, filings by hand
3
Payroll capability of the 15 solutions, as of July 2026. «Limited» in practice almost always means: a payslip can be printed, the filings stay manual work.

Five criteria in the order in which they shorten the list

Ordered by effect. For payroll software the first is not a criterion but a condition — without it a solution drops out entirely.

  1. Swissdec filings: full or not

    12 of the 15 solutions serve the standard in full. Over it run the filings to AHV, unemployment insurance, the accident insurer, the pension fund and the cantonal tax administration. Without the connection, every filing stays manual work — monthly, not annually.

  2. Withholding tax

    For staff without a settlement permit the employer deducts the tax directly, with rates that differ by canton and their own filing deadlines. Whoever has such staff checks this before anything else; whoever does not strikes the criterion.

  3. Cross-border commuters

    A special case with its own rules, but the normal case in border cantons. Ask about it expressly instead of looking for it in the feature list — it rarely appears there.

  4. Access and where the data sits

    9 solutions run in the browser, 10 locally, 6 are run by the vendor. Payroll data is the most sensitive data a business has; whoever wants to keep it in-house has a shorter list with 10 solutions, and whoever wants the fiduciary to look in has a longer one with 9.

  5. Price and price information

    6 vendors state an entry price publicly, in the middle CHF 45.– a month. For the other 9 it starts with a phone call: 6 sell only through distribution partners, 2 give prices only on request. Watch whether the price applies per salary recipient or per business — that is the difference between two and twenty employees.

What you have to budget

The 6 published entry prices, by band. The bands are fixed and not calculated from this data — that is the only way to compare the category with another.

free (entry at 0)
1
under CHF 30
1
CHF 30 to 59
2
CHF 60 and above
2
Distribution of the 6 published entry prices across 15 solutions, in francs per month, excluding VAT, as of July 2026. The 9 solutions without a published price are not included — they are not a zero but a request for a quotation.

The 15 solutions, one per row

Alphabetically ordered and expressly not a ranking. Where no price appears, the cell says why.

Payroll solutions for Swiss businesses, alphabetically ordered. List price per month in francs, excluding VAT, as of July 2026.
SolutionList pricePricing modelDeploymentPayroll (Swissdec)Data location
Abacusvia partner onlyvia partnerCloud + Desktop/Server✓Switzerland
AtlantoCHF 45–55 per monthSubscriptionCloudlimitedSwitzerland
bexioCHF 35–119 per monthSubscriptionCloud✓Switzerland
Comaticon requestSubscription or licenceCloud + Desktop/ServerlimitedSwitzerland
Crésusin calculator onlySubscription or licenceDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland
Dynamics 365 Business CentralCHF 65–89 per monthSubscriptionCloud + Desktop/ServerlimitedSwitzerland/EU
Infoniqa ONE 50via partner onlySubscription or licenceDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland
KLARAfrom CHF 26 per monthSubscriptionCloud✓Switzerland
myfactoryvia partner onlyvia partnerCloud✓Switzerland
pebeon requestSubscription or licenceCloud + Desktop/Server✓Switzerland
PROFFIX Px5via partner onlyvia partnerDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland
SelectLinevia partner onlyvia partnerDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland/EU
Swiss21CHF 0–49 per monthSubscriptionCloud✓Switzerland
Topalvia partner onlyvia partnerDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland
WinBIZCHF 64 per monthSubscription or licenceDesktop/Server + hosted✓Switzerland
All 11 surveyed criteria per solution in the comparison table

Which solutions come into question for which case

The same 15 solutions, grouped by the characteristics that decide the choice.

With full Swissdec filings 12

The first group to search in as soon as a salary is paid.

Abacus, bexio, Crésus, Infoniqa ONE 50, KLARA, myfactory, pebe, PROFFIX Px5, SelectLine, Swiss21, Topal, WinBIZ

For sole proprietorships and small businesses 9

Recorded fit of at least 2 out of 3.

Atlanto, bexio, Comatic, Crésus, Infoniqa ONE 50, KLARA, pebe, Swiss21, WinBIZ

Browser only 5

Atlanto, bexio, KLARA, myfactory, Swiss21

Installable on your own machine 10

For businesses that want to keep payroll data in-house.

Abacus, Comatic, Crésus, Dynamics 365 Business Central, Infoniqa ONE 50, pebe, PROFFIX Px5, SelectLine, Topal, WinBIZ

Without a published price 9

Abacus, Comatic, Crésus, Infoniqa ONE 50, myfactory, pebe, PROFFIX Px5, SelectLine, Topal

The 15 solutions in detail

Each solution with its positioning, price and limits, alphabetically. Prices and characteristics are recorded values with a verification date; strengths and limits are our assessment from vendor documentation and trial accounts.

Abacus

ERP heavyweight, strongest payroll

The heavyweight: a Swiss ERP with the country’s most complete payroll and HR coverage – but always with a partner and a project budget.

Price
Abacus does not publish prices. Quoted through a sales partner, depending on modules, user count and the implementation project. — As of August 2026
For whom
Growing SMEs from around 20 employees, businesses with complex payroll (hourly wages, collective agreements, construction) and accounting firms.
Vendor
Abacus Research AG
Headquarters
Wittenbach SG
Deployment
Cloud · Desktop/Server
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Payroll and HR are effectively the Swiss benchmark (CLA, Swissdec, time management)
  • Scales from SME to upper mid-market
  • Industry editions (construction, fiduciary, healthcare, public sector)
  • Very high conformity with Swiss law and audit requirements

Limits

  • No self-service: implementation, training and support run through partners
  • Opaque pricing, total cost only clear after a quote
  • Clearly oversized for sole traders and associations

All surveyed data on Abacus

Atlanto

Modular Swiss cloud kit

Swiss cloud building blocks from St. Gallen: invoicing and accounting as the core, time tracking and contact management bookable separately.

Price
Sales and Accounting CHF 44.90/mo · Time Management CHF 10/mo · Contact Manager CHF 0; 30-day trial — As of August 2026
For whom
Small businesses with their first employees that want accounting, time tracking and customer management in one account.
Vendor
Atlanto AG
Headquarters
St. Gallen
Deployment
Cloud
Payroll (Swissdec)
limited, filings by hand

Strengths

  • Clear per-module pricing – you pay only for what you use
  • Contact management with sales funnel included free
  • Time tracking and absences wired straight into invoicing
  • App market for extensions, Swiss hosting

Limits

  • Payroll part not Swissdec-certified – no electronic wage declaration
  • No inventory module, no multi-currency
  • The core module is mandatory: nothing starts below CHF 45

All surveyed data on Atlanto

bexio

Cloud all-rounder for small firms

The most widely used cloud standard among small Swiss businesses: quotes, invoices, banking and accounting in one place, with the largest network of accounting firms.

Price
from approx. CHF 39/mo. (Starter); Pro plans approx. CHF 65–115/mo., payroll and further modules extra — As of August 2026
For whom
Trades, agencies and service firms with 1–20 employees that work online and let their accounting firm look over their shoulder.
Vendor
bexio AG
Headquarters
Rapperswil-Jona SG
Deployment
Cloud
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Very short learning curve, tidy interface
  • Automatic bank reconciliation with most Swiss banks
  • Large accountant network – almost every firm knows it
  • Over 300 integrations and apps (POS, time tracking, shop)

Limits

  • Cost accounting, inventory and production only rudimentary
  • Cost rises quickly with user count and extra modules
  • No offline operation, no desktop edition

All surveyed data on bexio

Comatic

Modular Swiss software, cloud or local

Modular Swiss business software from Sursee: accounting, invoicing, inventory and time tracking combinable individually, either in the cloud or bought outright.

Price
Comatic publishes no prices. Module and seat pricing on quote only; cloud without setup fee and cancellable monthly. — As of August 2026
For whom
Small and mid-sized trade and retail businesses that want exactly the modules they need and value the choice between subscription and purchase.
Vendor
Comatic AG
Headquarters
Sursee LU
Deployment
Cloud · Desktop/Server
Payroll (Swissdec)
limited, filings by hand

Strengths

  • Very fine-grained modules – no package jumps
  • Cloud and local installation from the same codebase
  • Complete merchandise management with inventory and multi-currency
  • Direct vendor contact without a reseller chain

Limits

  • Prices on request only – no comparison before the sales call
  • Payroll part not Swissdec-certified
  • German only, no mobile app

All surveyed data on Comatic

Crésus

Affordable, strong payroll module

The de facto standard in French-speaking Switzerland: affordable, robust, with one of the best Swissdec payroll modules in the small-business segment.

Price
from approx. CHF 29/mo. per module (invoicing, accounting, payroll), cloud edition slightly higher — As of August 2026
For whom
Small businesses and SMEs – especially in the Romandie – that run payroll themselves and prefer a local installation.
Vendor
Epsitec SA
Headquarters
Yverdon-les-Bains VD
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Very strong payroll (Swissdec) at a small price
  • Runs offline, very stable, modest system requirements
  • Widely used by accounting firms in western Switzerland
  • Modules can be bought individually – gradual expansion possible

Limits

  • Smaller footprint and community in German-speaking Switzerland
  • Classic interface, no modern cloud experience
  • Module logic: how the parts interact takes some learning

All surveyed data on Crésus

Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft ERP with Swiss localisation

Microsoft’s mid-market ERP with Swiss localisation and a dense partner network – the only large vendor that publishes its list prices in francs.

Price
Essentials CHF 64.80, Premium CHF 89.10, Team Members CHF 6.50 – per user per month billed annually, excl. VAT. Partner rollout charged separately. — As of August 2026
For whom
SMEs and larger companies already working in the Microsoft world that need accounting, trade and production integrated.
Vendor
Microsoft
Headquarters
USA
Deployment
Cloud · Desktop/Server
Payroll (Swissdec)
limited, filings by hand

Strengths

  • List prices published in francs – you can budget before the first call
  • Seamlessly integrated with Microsoft 365, Teams and Power BI
  • Complete merchandise management and production
  • Very many Swiss partners, all four national languages

Limits

  • Swiss payroll only via a certified add-on (e.g. SwissSalary)
  • Per-user pricing adds up quickly, plus partner rollout
  • Few accountants work with it routinely; data location depends on region

All surveyed data on Dynamics 365 Business Central

Infoniqa ONE 50

Proven classic, installed locally

The proven classic from the Sage 50 era: very solid bookkeeping and payroll, traditional to operate, often introduced by the accounting firm.

Price
from approx. CHF 49/mo., or licence from approx. CHF 700 plus maintenance; modules sold separately — As of August 2026
For whom
Established small businesses and SMEs that want the tried and tested, local installation and a strong payroll module.
Vendor
Infoniqa Schweiz AG
Headquarters
Root LU
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Mature payroll (Swissdec) and deep bookkeeping functions
  • Familiar to many accounting firms from the Sage years
  • Local installation possible – data stays in-house
  • Modular structure: pay only for what you use

Limits

  • Interface feels dated next to cloud vendors
  • Cloud is only hosting of the desktop application, not cloud-native
  • No real mobile app; setup usually via partner

All surveyed data on Infoniqa ONE 50

KLARA

Free entry with ecosystem

Free entry with a connected ecosystem (payroll, insurance, POS) – the easiest way to start, at the price of vendor lock-in.

Price
free base; paid plans and modules from approx. CHF 15–60/mo. depending on scope — As of August 2026
For whom
Founders, sole traders and small businesses that want to start without prior knowledge and without an upfront investment.
Vendor
ePost Service AG
Headquarters
St. Gallen
Deployment
Cloud
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Free start, payroll included for small teams
  • Document capture by photo, strongly guided workflow
  • Connected services: HR, insurance, POS, shop
  • Swissdec-compliant wage declaration even at small scale

Limits

  • Limited accounting depth – little room for special cases
  • The business model lives off partner offerings (check the tie-in)
  • No foreign currency accounting

All surveyed data on KLARA

myfactory

Cloud ERP with very broad scope

Swiss cloud ERP with a very broad module range – accounting, payroll, inventory, CRM, production and shop from one source, hosted in Switzerland.

Price
The vendor publishes no prices – quoted only through a sales partner
For whom
Retail, manufacturing and service businesses up to around 100 employees that want to cover as much as possible in a single system.
Vendor
Forterro Schweiz AG
Headquarters
Altendorf SZ
Deployment
Cloud
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Very broad feature set, modules added as needed
  • Fully browser-based and hosted in Switzerland
  • Swissdec-certified payroll (HRM.Swiss)
  • Inventory and production at ERP level

Limits

  • Prices for the main packages only on request
  • Implementation is a partner project, not a sign-up
  • Oversized for sole traders and associations

All surveyed data on myfactory

pebe

Ledger with securities and payroll

Thurgau accounting software with a speciality that is otherwise missing: integrated securities accounting alongside the general ledger, Swissdec payroll and invoicing.

Price
pebe publishes no prices. Information and quotes directly from the vendor; cloud (pebe Live) and local installation. — As of August 2026
For whom
Accounting firms, foundations and companies holding securities that want books, portfolio and payroll in the same system.
Vendor
pebe AG
Headquarters
Frauenfeld TG
Deployment
Cloud · Desktop/Server
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Securities accounting with valuation and reporting (pebeINVEST)
  • Swissdec-certified payroll (pebeLOHN)
  • Cloud and desktop from one vendor
  • Well established among accounting firms

Limits

  • No published prices – comparison only after a conversation
  • German only, no mobile app
  • Orders and inventory only basic

All surveyed data on pebe

PROFFIX Px5

SME ERP for trades and retail

Swiss SME ERP focused on trades, retail and service – accounting is part of a larger whole.

Price
PROFFIX does not publish prices. Quoted by the partner, depending on modules, user count and setup. — As of August 2026
For whom
Trade and retail businesses with 5–100 employees that want orders, inventory, service and accounting in one system.
Vendor
Forterro Schweiz Proffix AG
Headquarters
Wangs SG
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Strong order, inventory and service handling
  • Modular expansion up to a full ERP
  • Swiss development and support, dense partner network
  • Either on your own premises or hosted

Limits

  • Implementation is a project, not a sign-up
  • Prices only obtainable via a partner quote
  • Unsuitable for solo self-employed

All surveyed data on PROFFIX Px5

SelectLine

Customisable mid-market ERP

Customisable mid-market ERP with its own Swiss edition – flexible, but reseller-dependent.

Price
No published prices – sold through resellers. Subscription or perpetual licence, depending on modules and user count. — As of August 2026
For whom
Retail and manufacturing businesses with 5–100 employees, individual processes and an IT partner behind them.
Vendor
SelectLine Software AG
Headquarters
Switzerland
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Extensively customisable (forms, reports, processes)
  • Complete merchandise management and order handling
  • Cheaper than comparable ERP systems
  • Purchase possible instead of subscription

Limits

  • German product base – Swiss specifics via the Swiss edition
  • Quality depends heavily on the reseller
  • No modern cloud experience, no mobile app

All surveyed data on SelectLine

Swiss21

Free platform with Abacus core

Free entry platform from Abacus, Glarotech and SmartWe: invoicing, accounting, payroll, shop and CRM in one account, with volume limits instead of locked features.

Price
STARTER CHF 0/mo · BASIC CHF 21/mo · PRO CHF 49/mo; additional users CHF 5, additional payslips CHF 3.50 — As of August 2026
For whom
Founders, sole proprietors, small businesses and associations that want to start without upfront cost and later grow inside the Abacus world.
Vendor
Swiss21.org AG
Headquarters
St. Gallen
Deployment
Cloud
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Permanently free tier with 1,000 documents per year
  • Swissdec payroll via AbaSalary – one payslip even on the free plan
  • Over 70 bank connections, QR-bill included
  • Abacus as co-owner: the path into the full product stays open

Limits

  • Limits count documents, addresses and users – growth gets expensive fast
  • No multi-currency accounting
  • No English, no offline use

All surveyed data on Swiss21

Topal

Accounting depth for professionals

Professional financial accounting for fiduciaries and accounting specialists – deep in the books, deliberately narrow elsewhere.

Price
No published prices – licence or subscription via partner, typically obtained through the accounting firm. — As of August 2026
For whom
Accounting firms and companies with their own accounting department that need reporting depth.
Vendor
Topal Solutions AG
Headquarters
Nidau BE
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Very high bookkeeping and reporting depth
  • Built for client-mandate and fiduciary workflows
  • Good payroll module with Swissdec
  • Clean interfaces to upstream and adjacent systems

Limits

  • Requires professional knowledge – not for beginners
  • Orders and inventory are not the focus
  • Sold and priced through partners

All surveyed data on Topal

WinBIZ

Complete package at a small price

Affordable Swiss all-in-one package: bookkeeping, invoicing, inventory and payroll in the same program, mainly used in French-speaking Switzerland.

Price
from approx. CHF 35/mo. (cloud) or perpetual licence from approx. CHF 500 — As of August 2026
For whom
Small businesses and SMEs that want a lot of functionality for little money and can live with classic software.
Vendor
FIDUCIAL WINBIZ SA
Headquarters
Sierre VS
Deployment
Desktop/Server · hosted
Payroll (Swissdec)
complete, with electronic filings

Strengths

  • Broad feature set at a small price
  • Payroll with Swissdec declaration included
  • Offline operation and perpetual licence possible
  • Also suitable for retail with inventory management

Limits

  • Classic operation and looks
  • Smaller support network in German-speaking Switzerland than in the Romandie
  • Fewer third-party integrations

All surveyed data on WinBIZ

What «payroll» means in a data sheet

Between «calculates payroll» and «files payroll» lies all of the work. The payslip is arithmetic: gross pay, deductions, net pay. The filing is a data exchange with five bodies, and in Switzerland it runs over the Swissdec standard.

That is why the line «payroll» in a program’s feature list says so little. 3 of the 15 solutions compared can handle payroll in a limited way — which almost always means a payslip can be printed and the filings get entered by hand. For two employees that is bearable, for twelve it is not.

Migrating from an existing solution

Only at year end, and here without exception. Wage types, social insurance rates and salary certificates belong to a calendar year; a switch in July means two systems for one salary certificate, and the salary certificate is the document the employee receives.

Before the switch, three things belong clarified: whether the new solution takes over the prior-year values for the salary certificate, whether the Swissdec registration has to be redone with the recipient bodies, and who answers for reconciling the old and the new totals.

And leave the old solution running until the last annual filing has been acknowledged. A query from the compensation fund arrives in March, not in December.

Frequently asked questions

What does payroll software cost in Switzerland?

6 of the 15 solutions compared publish an entry price. The median is CHF 45.– a month, the highest published CHF 65.–, excluding VAT, as of July 2026. Watch whether the price applies per salary recipient — it then has to be multiplied by the number of employees.

Do I need Swissdec with a single employee?

The filings are due regardless of how many employees there are. By hand it is bearable for one person; at five it is the reason 12 of the 15 solutions serve the standard in full.

Is the payroll in my accounting software enough?

Often yes. The comparison of accounting solutions carries payroll capability as a row of its own — there you see which files in full and which only calculates. A dedicated payroll solution pays off with complex wage types, hourly rates under a collective agreement, or many cross-border commuters.

How long must I keep payroll data?

The accounting vouchers ten years, under Article 958f of the Code of Obligations. For occupational pension and accident insurance records, separate and in part longer periods apply. Clarify that with your pension institution; this post is not legal advice.

Where the figures come from

Every figure in this text is calculated at build time from the verified survey and not typed in.

Prices
Vendor information from price lists, product pages and trial accounts, each value with a verification date. As of July 2026.
Feature information
Vendor documentation. What a vendor does not state itself appears as «not surveyed» and not as a no.
Legal information
Code of Obligations Article 958f on retention; the reporting duties follow from the AHVG, UVG and BVG. This post is orientation, not legal advice.
Interests
The operator makes none of the solutions compared and maintains no paid placements.

Once the order is set, the comparison table is the faster tool: there you filter the 15 solutions by exactly the criteria you have just fixed — and see all 11 recorded details per solution.

All 15 providers in the comparison table: Payroll

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