Payroll software for the UAE and GCC: Six payroll products,
on the filings that count.
DenwaysHR, Bayzat, Zoho Payroll, greytHR, ZenHR and Darwinbox on payroll only: WPS files, GPSSA, DIFC DEWS, gratuity, Saudi reach, bank links and prices.
The short answer
DenwaysHR runs UAE payroll on one record with attendance: a WPS file per establishment, GPSSA schedules, DIFC DEWS and gratuity, with a free trial on two plans. Its Saudi and Qatari payroll is not available yet. Zoho Payroll, greytHR and Darwinbox cover all six GCC states, ZenHR and Bayzat also run Saudi payroll, and Zoho and greytHR publish prices.
We make DenwaysHR, so we open with the case for it and state its limits in the same tables. This page looks at payroll only: six products, the UAE filings, the rest of the Gulf, bank links and price.
Why consider DenwaysHR for UAE payroll?
- The month starts from attendance: approved overtime, leave, claims and arrears reach the run without a sync between two systems
- One WPS file per establishment, so two trade licences never share a salary file, and a plain bank file for staff of an employer outside WPS
- A pre-payroll check that names missing MOHRE person codes, IBANs and employer details before the run is locked
- GPSSA and Abu Dhabi Pension Fund contributions on the payslip, with a monthly schedule built from what the run recorded
- DIFC DEWS per DIFC establishment, beside mainland staff in one account
- A free trial on Basic Tracking and Basic Payroll, so you can run a test month before a sales call
What can DenwaysHR's payroll not do yet?
- Saudi and Qatari payroll are not available yet. HR, attendance and leave run in both countries today
- Payroll for Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait is not available either; outside the UAE, payroll covers India only, for organizations registered there
- The bank connector is not a link to a named bank. It sends signed salary batches to an address you provide, and your bank, exchange house or integrator must accept that format
- Pension figures come from published rates, and some still need confirming with the funds, so check your first schedule with GPSSA or the Abu Dhabi fund
- Prices are quoted per organization, so you can't work out the cost from a page
How do they handle UAE filings?
The Wage Protection System is the first test. Since Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, wages are due on the first day of the following month. All six produce a salary file. They differ more on pensions for Emiratis, on DIFC savings and on how they treat gratuity.
| WPS file | GPSSA | DIFC DEWS | Gratuity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DenwaysHR | One SIF per establishment, built from the approved run | 1999 and 2023 laws by first insured date, with a monthly schedule; also the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund | Per DIFC establishment | Liability page, employee view and final settlement |
| Bayzat | Yes (SIF) | Not stated | Not stated | Yes |
| greytHR | SIF file on every plan | GPSSA and other pension deductions | Not stated | Yes |
| Zoho Payroll | SIF with bank-specific formats | GPSSA and the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund | Yes | In final settlements |
| ZenHR | WPS file in the MOHRE format | Not stated | Not stated | By contract type, tenure and reason for leaving |
| Darwinbox | SIF generated in the platform | GPSSA deductions | Not stated | End-of-service |
Which ones run payroll elsewhere in the GCC?
A second entity in Saudi Arabia or Qatar changes the shortlist. If that is close, this table should count for more than the UAE one. It is also where DenwaysHR falls short today.
| Saudi Arabia | Qatar | Other GCC states | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DenwaysHR | Not available yet | Not available yet | Not available yet |
| Bayzat | GOSI, WPS file and salary payment through Mudad | Not stated | Not stated |
| greytHR | GOSI and wage files; by its own account no direct Mudad connection | WPS file | Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait |
| Zoho Payroll | GOSI and WPS wage files | WPS wage files and GRSIA | Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait |
| ZenHR | Native Mudad, GOSI and Muqeem integrations | Not stated | Kuwait |
| Darwinbox | GOSI deductions and WPS reports; a Mudad connection is not stated | Listed among its six GCC payroll countries | Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait |
How do bank links and prices compare?
| Getting salaries to the bank | Price | Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DenwaysHR | SIF file for your bank's WPS portal; optional signed connector to your bank's middleware, an exchange house or an integrator | Quoted per organization | On Basic Tracking and Basic Payroll |
| Bayzat | SIF file; optional salary payout through Lulu Exchange | Quoted, billed per seat | A guided product tour |
| greytHR | SIF file | USD 50 a month including 10 employees, then USD 2 each (Essential; VAT extra) | 7 days |
| Zoho Payroll | SIF file; files are exported for the employer to submit | AED 35 a month including 5 employees, then AED 7 each (annual billing; VAT extra) | 14 days |
| ZenHR | WPS file | Its FAQ says from USD 8 per user a month, billed annually | A demo |
| Darwinbox | SIF file; managed payroll offered | Quoted per employee per month | Product tours and a demo |
Which payroll product fits which company?
- UAE payroll on the same record as attendance, with a mainland entity and a DIFC one in one account: DenwaysHR
- Saudi payroll now, with native Mudad: ZenHR; with Mudad payment alongside UAE payroll: Bayzat
- Payroll in all six GCC states from one vendor: greytHR, Zoho Payroll or Darwinbox
- A price on a page before any conversation: greytHR or Zoho Payroll
- Already on Zoho Books: Zoho Payroll, which posts its journals there
- A large group across countries, ready for an implementation project: Darwinbox
What should you check in any payroll trial?
A demo with sample data proves little. Use a real month, including its awkward cases, and test the same list in every product. The month-end checklist covers the run itself.
- Compare every net figure with the month you have already paid, and explain each difference
- Have your bank or exchange house test the salary file before a live month, for each establishment
- Include an employee who started or left mid-month, and one with unpaid leave
- Run overtime with a stretch that crosses 10 pm, and a rest day worked
- Settle a leaver near the one-year and five-year gratuity lines, and check the days used
- Run an Emirati first insured before 31 October 2023 and one after, if you employ both
- If you have a DIFC entity, check that mainland staff stay off DEWS
- Change a net figure after the bank file is built, and see what the system does
- Find out who files: whether the product submits anything or leaves it to you
- Ask what you can export when you leave, including past payslips and pension schedules
The deadline to plan around
Under Resolution No. 340 of 2026, employers must transfer at least 85 per cent of the total wages due on time, and measures begin from the second day after the due date. Work back from the first of the month to set the approval dates your trial should prove.
How were these products compared?
Every line about another vendor comes from that company's own website, help centre or app store listing, read on 29 October 2026 or 30 October 2026. Nothing comes from reviews or listicles, and the pages are listed under the article. For HR, attendance and apps as well as payroll, see the full HRMS comparison. If a line is out of date or wrong about your product, write to info@denways.com and we will correct it.
Bring a month of your own payroll and watch the WPS file come out of DenwaysHR.
Book a demoSources
- UAE Government portal: Payment of salaries and wages (Wage Protection System)
- Bayzat: Payroll (WPS SIF file, gratuity, loans, currencies)
- Bayzat: Saudi Arabia (GOSI, WPS, Mudad, Muqeem)
- Bayzat: Integrations (salary payout through Lulu Exchange)
- greytHR Middle East: Pricing (plans, prices, SIF files by country)
- greytHR Middle East: greytHR vs Jisr (its own account of Mudad and PDPL)
- Zoho Payroll UAE: Pricing
- Zoho Payroll UAE: Features (SIF, gratuity, Zoho Books)
- Zoho Payroll: GCC editions (GOSI, GRSIA, SIO, SPF, PIFSS)
- ZenHR: HR software for the UAE (WPS SIF, gratuity)
- ZenHR: HR software for Saudi Arabia (Mudad, GOSI, Muqeem)
- ZenHR: Pricing
- ZenHR: FAQs (starting price)
- Darwinbox: Payroll for the GCC (six countries, GOSI, GPSSA, WPS)
- Darwinbox: Global payroll (countries, pricing model, go-live time)
- Darwinbox blog: UAE payroll and Resolution 340 (WPS SIF, July 2026)
- DenwaysHR: Pricing and plans
- DenwaysHR: Payroll (UAE)
The vendors' own pages and ours, as they stood when we read them. Products and prices change, so check the vendor's page before you decide.
Keep reading
Bring your whole workforce onto one platform.
See how DenwaysHR handles HR, attendance and leave across the GCC, and payroll with the WPS file in the UAE.
