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1st Money describes itself as “the UK’s most beautiful payroll & HR”, and that’s apparent from the moment you load the web page which is very clearly designed with accessibility and visual attraction in mind.

We’ve talking bold, clean fonts, simple infographics and a logical layout – all signs of things to come with 1st Money’s platform.

It’s a free payroll & HR platform based in the UK, designed specifically for smaller businesses with fewer than 10 employees on the books.

The company itself is actually a market newcomer, founded in 2020 by a group of colleagues who built a call centre together. Since then, it’s also launched some US-based features.

With its free tiers offering strong value for micro-businesses plus some paywalled advanced features, it’s a customisable option that startups can use as they scale before they head off into fully-fledged payroll software.

• Our guide to the best payroll software

1st Money: Plans and pricing

1st Money’s selling point is that it’s a free product, but there are two separate free subscriptions to consider.

The first, free for unlimited people, includes HR and people management, expense claims, timesheets, shift scheduling and more. You can also link in with third-party accounting integrations like QuickBooks.

Free+, for one to nine payrolled people and unlimited unpaid people, does the heavy lifting for you. HMRC tax filing, P60s, P45s, payslips, P11Ds, expense reimbursements, pension auto-enrolment and more.

You can easily get away with using the free versions of 1st Money to run your micro-business, but Pro (£1.49 per payrolled person per month, with a 10-person minimum) adds even more, with hourly pay rates, weekly and fortnightly payments, and pension calculations and filing.

The company says that having “the world’s lowest pricing” helps it become the world s best money services platform. No annual contracts are available with savings, so you’ll have to pay monthly.

(Image credit: 1st Money)1st Money: Features

1st Money might be a free product, but it’s a mighty impressive one that would be worth the money if it were a paid product. Obviously, the core limitation is that it’s only free for nine or fewer employees, but even the monthly charge for more workers is extremely affordable.

The platform consists of comprehensive payroll and HR tools for micro-businesses, including support for employees, zero-hour workers, off-payroll workers, contractors, directors and non-paid workers, all in one unified platform that’s extremely easy to use (more on that below).

At the time of writing, 1st Money boasts 62 different features, including automatic emailing of P45s and P60s, pay slip generation and automatic calculations.

The site also boasts that it uses 15 different taxpayer scenarios to exactly match all 13,000 of HMRC’s model tax calculations, which means it can match tax calculations to the penny and get 100% correct calculations.

Being the modern solution it is, the platform also gets the benefit of artificial intelligence. Some core AI assistant features include accepting resignations, adding disciplinaries, adding sick leave, adding expense claims and terminating people.

(Image credit: 1st Money)1st Money: Ease of use

1st Money is all about being easy to use, and that starts with the website. It sets out exactly what you need to know about the platform, what you can expect from the different tiers, and how you can go about using them.

Right at the top of the home page, the company claims to be the UK’s most beautiful, user-friendliest, most powerful, most reliable, most accurate, most intuitive, fastest, lowest cost, easiest and best supported payroll & HR platform. Big claims, but we think ones it can live up to.

The interface is incredibly easy to navigate, and the conversational language makes it easier to engage with than more traditional systems.

Other features like automated onboarding and document management also simplify the setup process for new hires.

(Image credit: 1st Money)1st Money: Support

Just when you think things couldn’t get better, 1st Money support channels are spot-on too.

All plans, free or paid, come with unlimited support and connections to real humans. There’s chat support during weekday office hours, but you can also send off an email to the team for a response out of hours.

1st Money’s knowledge base goes well beyond the usual articles and guides with full video demos, and you can select individual features on the website to jump to precise timestamps for brief overviews and quick explanations.

Time will tell how these age and whether the company will keep its video library up-to-date as the platform evolves, but with such an extensive support base even in its earlier years, it’s a real positive.

(Image credit: 1st Money)1st Money: Final verdict

1st Money’s free payroll and HR platform stands out as a genuinely no-cost payroll solution for UK micro-businesses, offering HMRC-recognised compliance without over-complicating things.

For companies with fewer than ten employees, including directors, contractors and zero-hour workers, it delivers reliable payroll processing, auto-generated statutory documents like P45s and P60s, and well-integrated HR functions.

It’s a great option for those who might not be so experienced, because the automatic handling of PAYE and National Insurance just makes everything that little bit easier.

The addition of a paid plan for adding more workers and more features is a real selling point for smaller companies that are in the midst of growing, making it a genuinely viable option not just in the intermediary, but also longer-term.

1st Money’s simplistic interface, conversational language and endless support videos help new-starters get to grips with HR and payrolling even if they’re totally unfamiliar with it.

While it may not suit every team, it’s a smart and streamlined entry point for micro-businesses with its own paid upgrade to support expansion.

1st Money offers totally free payroll software for under 10 workers, or a cheap plan for larger businesses.

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La Pavoni Europiccola: one-minute review

Few coffee makers have caught my attention quite like La Pavoni and its range of manual espresso makers, which feature a lever-operated piston that generates the pressure required to brew delicious espresso shots. Little did I know when I signed up to review one of its machines that I was lining myself up for a months-long quest to manual mastery.

We write about a lot of very accessible coffee makers here at TechRadar, from some of the best espresso machines to the best bean-to-cup models, but La Pavoni machines sit in an entirely different arena.

I’ve had the La Pavoni Europiccola Lusso for over six months, spending much of my time experimenting with different beans, various pressure levels, treated water, as well as generally learning the machine’s temperament. I’m not simply anthropomorphising the machine for effect when I talk about its temperament, either. While I don’t have children, I’d wager learning to wrangle a La Pavoni machine is as close to parenthood as you can get with a coffee maker, and just as rewarding when you get it right.

(Image credit: Future)

That, or you could compare it to a workout machine; you’ll need a strong arm to pull your daily dose with this coffee maker, since the results are best when highly pressurized. Unlike a workout machine, though, it comes with limited instructions. In particular, when you’re using a basic model such as the Europiccolla Lusso, which comes without any helpful features such as a pressure gauge, things can be pretty trial and error.

I toyed with a slightly higher score of 4.5 stars for La Pavoni’s classic lever machine, but its steep learning curve, middling milk frothing and some small inconveniences owing to the all-metal design set it back a half-star. However, for a real coffee enthusiast, a higher score is more than justified.

Coffee lovers with a real appreciation for the craft and science of coffee extraction will surely appreciate the hard-earned results, but also its sleek, art deco design, which makes it a fantastic centerpiece for any javaphile’s kitchen. It isn’t for the faint of heart, nor are the often rocket-fuel strength results, but for those wanting the supreme manual experience, look no further.

(Image credit: Future)La Pavoni Europiccola: price and availability

• Price: €699,00 (roughly $800 / £600)
• Available directly from La Pavoni, or third-party retailers such as Amazon.

La Pavoni’s Europiccola Lusso is the simplest lever coffee machine made by the Italian brand, starting at €699,00 (roughly $800 / £600). It’s very basic, and lacks useful features (a pressure gauge and temperature indicator, for example, which is actually rather problematic while you’re learning), as well as some of the neat design accents that feature on the pricier models in the range. Fundamentally, though, it’s all the same machine.

Compared to its biggest competition, La Pavoni is in the mid-range of lever coffee makers. New brands, such as Flair, have emerged in recent years to capture some of the entry-level market, while more premium brands, like the Olympia Cremina, round out the top end. Nevertheless, with a long history in the game La Pavoni is a safe bet and offers pretty great value for money, especially if you back yourself to learn the ropes without the assistance of pressure and temperature gauges.

However, I must say I was very disappointed by the accessories included; in particular, the measuring spoon and tamper. Aside from being cheaply made, the included tamp gets stuck in the portafilter, which feels antithetical to the premium build quality in every way. It also includes two basket sizes for the filter holder.

• Value score: 4/5

La Pavoni Europiccola: specifications

Name

La Pavoni Europiccola

Type

Lever coffee machine

Dimensions

12.6 x 7.87 x 11.42 inches / 20cm x 29cm x 32cm

Weight

5.5kg

Water reservoir capacity

0.8L

Steam wand

Manual

Max pressure

1 bar

User profiles

N/A

(Image credit: Future)La Pavoni Europiccola: design

• Beautifully designed manual machine
• Robust and well-made
• Lacks hellpful bells and whistles

La Pavoni’s lever coffee machines are, at least in my opinion, the most beautiful, elegant manual coffee makers you can buy – and it’s not just because the lever gives them an iconic look.

Lustrously chromed and robustly built, there’s little to critique when it comes to the design itself. The Lusso is fairly slim, especially compared to many espresso machines, at 12.6 x 7.87 x 11.42 inches / 20cm x 29cm x 32cm (w x d x h), and is fairly lightweight at 5.5kg, owing to its mostly steel and brass materials. The accents are – as standard – plastic, but you can opt to glow-up your La Pavoni with walnut wood handles and lids, which you can buy separately.

You can’t remove the boiler, which is inconvenient if you have leftover water in the tank that needs emptying after a brew. To the left of the base you’ll find the boiler power controls, and on the rear, the power supply cable.

The main body of the machine is its 0.8L boiler, which can make up to eight espresso shots in one sitting and features a screw-top lid. To the left of the boiler is the water level, and to the right are its safety valve and steam pipe. Mounted on the front of the boiler is the grouphead and the all-important lever controls.

(Image credit: Future)

One slightly puzzling inclusion, especially given frequent feedback from stalwart La Pavoni fans, is the dual-spout portafilter. A bottomless portafilter might have made more sense, especially given that it’s rare for espresso to pour evenly between the two spouts and you’ll generally need to pull the lever again for your second shot, anyway.

As mentioned above, the included tamper is also a rogue choice to accompany this machine, and not least because mine didn’t even appear to be the right size, getting stuck in the portafilter. I replaced it quickly with a basic 51mm alternative I found on Amazon – note that if you’re reading this as a prospective buyer of a second-hand model from before 2001, you’ll need a 49mm tamper.

The machine can also getvery hot to the touch, owing to its metallic build. The boiler is entirely exposed to the open air, and the heat quickly conducts to the grouphead; this means it’s less-than-ideal for households with children. You’ll also need to let it cool before refilling the boiler for your next batch, and given that it takes up to 10 minutes to heat, you could be in for a long morning if you’re serving more than two rounds.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)La Pavoni Europiccola: performance

• Heats up slowly, and very hot to the touch
• Steep learning curve...
• ... but mastering it leads to great results
• A little tricky to keep clean

Simple as it may sound, operating a lever coffee machine such as La Pavoni is hardly intuitive – and it doesn’t arrive with a wealth of information to help you learn the ropes. Among online communities, there are ample tips and tricks – which will vary slightly depending on the beans you’re using – that broadly help to make the machine more accessible. Really, though, this hyper-manual coffee maker requires you to understand the mechanics of what’s actually happening in every step of the extraction process, rather than relying on the device to guide you.

As with any machine, your bean choice is key, but the tactile experience of lever-pulling makes it all the more apparent that your prep work is crucial. Oily beans must be coarsely ground, but they offer excellent results, while medium and lighter roasts should be ground more finely and dosed higher. I found that around 14g worked well for the former, but up to 19g is necessary for lighter roasts.

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of pulling your shots, what I personally found worked best for my taste is the following process: fill and heat your boiler (you’ll know it’s done when the indicator light turns off), and then release the false pressure. Insert your portafilter and pre-infuse the coffee by lifting the handle just enough to hear the hiss as water enters the grouphead.

Allow it to warm through and build a little pressure above the puck, and then finish lifting the handle; if coffee is already running freely at this point, you likely need a finer grind, or to better tamp your coffee to allow that crucial final pressure chamber to develop above the puck. A few small drops should start to come through, though, and that’s how you know pre-infusion is complete and it’s time for the fun part – pulling the lever!

Slowly pull down the lever, maintaining as constant a pace as possible – even while pushing through the resistance – until the lever returns to its neutral position; the pull should take about 25 seconds all in all. Once you’re done, release the rest of the pressure using the valve and remove the top, which can be a little stiff after use. If you want to refill your portafilter and continue using the machine, it’s important to let the pressure dissipate first, lest you experience the unfortunate portafilter “sneeze”, where hot grounds catapult across your kitchen. I usually use the time to either grind more beans, foam my milk or wistfully admire the beautiful coffee machine in all its glory.

(Image credit: Future)

It sounds simple, but all the way through, you’ll be reacting in real-time to the feeling and responses from your La Pavoni – and that’s the real art of it. Once you’ve mastered it, though, the espresso shots are worth the effort. Rich in flavor and topped in a satisfying copper-hued crema, you can understand why La Pavoni has earned its fame.

The steam wand is adequate for milk frothing; however, as per the rest of the machine, you’ll have to adapt to its specific needs. La Pavoni doesn’t supply a milk jug, so invest in one of those, too. Ensure there’s enough water in the boiler (the machine can rinse through a fair amount while steaming) before fully opening the steam valve, placing the head of the wand just beneath the surface of the milk and steaming for roughly 15-30 seconds. In my experience, milk alternatives such as oat or coconut milk aren’t great, but cold milk works fine.

Regular cleaning of your La Pavoni isn’t too onerous. The drip tray is easily removed, albeit a little sharp if you need to take the metal plate out for a deeper clean. It’s made of stainless steel, so as long as you’re not grubbying it up with dirty fingerprints constantly, it’s easily kept. However, you’ll need to upend the machine to empty out any remaining water you’d rather not leave stagnating inside, and advice on longer-term maintenance is scant online. You should descale the machine (there’s no La Pavoni-specific solution for this) four to five times per year with baking soda or white vinegar.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the La Pavoni EuropiccolaCasabrews 5418 Pro score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

Quite pricey, given it's manual, but in line with other similar lever machines

4/5

Design

Gorgeous and effective, but impractical in places, and lacking some helpful bells and whistles.

4.5/5

Performance

Long hard road to good results, but worth it once you reach the summit.

4/5

Buy it if

You’re a big-time coffee enthusiast

My partner is a huge coffee nerd, and watching him dote on the La Pavoni Lusso has honestly made me a little jealous at times. However, the science and craft of it all is naturally appealing to those with a passion for it, and will delight coffee lovers endlessly.

You want a design-first machine

I don’t think I’ve ever loved how a coffee maker looks until I laid eyes on the La Pavoni, even more so with the classy accessories such as the wooden handles on my review unit.

You love a strong, rich espresso

Once you’ve cracked the code and learned how the machine works, the results from La Pavoni are fantastic – but prepare for slightly stronger coffee than you might be used to. View Deal

Don't buy it if

You want something quick and easy

I really hope this one is self-explanatory after reading the review; using the La Pavoni is hard graft.

You want to make big batches of coffee

The 8-cup boiler on the model I tested is great in theory, but there’s a fair amount of depressurizing and fiddling that would make running the machine four times consecutively with a double basket portafilter a bit of a pain.

La Pavoni Europiccola: also consider

If you're not sure whether the La Pavoni Europiccola is the right coffee machine for you, here are two alternatives to consider.

Breville / Sage Bambino

Around the same list price as the Casabrews 5418 Pro, the Bambino (branded as Sage in the US and Breville in the rest of the world) is a reliable little espresso machine that's stood the test of time, and is regularly recommended as a good option for beginners.

Read our full Sage Bambino review

De'Longhi Dedica Style

Even more affordable, the Dedica Style is a reliable performer that's compact and simple to use. It tends to drip after brewing, much like the 5418 Pro, but stopping the pump early will prevent you pouring too much espresso.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Style review

How I tested the La Pavoni Europiccola

I spent six months with the La Pavoni Europiccola Lusso, which is the longest and most extensive testing I’ve ever done on a coffee machine. During that time, I learned the ins and outs of the machine and its best practices, tried a wide range of bean types and milk types, and pulled everything from a quick espresso shot to an eight-person batch.

I tested the machine in my home, navigating issues such as space and storage as well as cleaning and maintenance, just like a prospective customer would, and compared the results to my previous coffee-maker testing experience and against results using other types of coffee makers in my home.

I’ve been testing small appliances, including coffee machines, for three years, and I’ve been testing tech more broadly for five years. In that time, I’ve developed a good sense of what makes a great product.

First tested September 2025

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This isn’t one for the simple coffee drinker; making coffee using La Pavoni’s Europiccola is a labor of love for the true coffee enthusiast, baristas, or those who simply have way too much time on their hands

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HR teams already have enough to deal with not to need any complex systems, but small and mid-sized organizations lacking in dedicated HR teams risk being left even further behind.

PeopleHR is a cloud-based HR platform designed to meet this challenge by offering businesses scalable tools to handle all of their core requirements, including onboarding, performance management and payroll.

Now part of the Access Group suite of business software solutions, PeopleHR was designed specifically with SMBs in mind by a team from the UK.

Its modular approach allows businesses to select only the features they need while keeping costs predictable, so it’s simple to keep clear of pricier options you don’t need.

More recent developments have included an AI-powered assistant called Evo, which acts as a copilot for HR teams by helping with automation and analytics.

PeopleHR counts more than 7,000 customers on its books from across the UK, and prides itself on being “open and transparent” for all its customers.

• Our guide to the best HR software

PeopleHR: Plans and pricing

Like most HR platforms, PeopleHR has a few different tiers of membership to cater to increasingly demanding needs – in this case, there are four options.

Starter costs £3 per month and includes the AI tools, analytics, absence management and more.

Upgrade to core for £5.50 per month for a more enhanced version of copilot’s GenAI tools as well as expenses management, e-signatures and APIs that support third-party integrations.

These are both available with 14-day trials, but Pro and Elite+ at £8 and £9.50 per month aren’t. They bring features for larger organizations, like employee benefits, rewards and recognition, but they also have important features like time tracking, timesheets, rotating work patterns and performance management.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Features

PeopleHR isn’t short on functionality, with all the key features you’d expect covered. Employee records, absence tracking, document management and attendance monitoring are all there.

But it’s much more than a basic system, because performance management features including scheduling reviews, goal setting, feedback collection and analytics help HR professionals keep tabs on their workers’ progress.

It’s also a useful tool for the recruitment process, with job posting, candidate tracking and application management available through an integrated portal.

All in all, PeopleHR distinguishes its platform into five separate areas: HR (for people management, absence and expenses, automated workflows and timesheet management), payroll, talent, learn and engage (for rewards and recognition, employee benefits and wellbeing).

In recognition 83% of companies see using AI in their business strategies as a top priority, PeopleHR also has its own AI tool built-in – called Evo, it takes care of administrative workloads so that HR workers can focus on the people.

The best part is that the copilot generative AI HR Assistant and the Evo dashboard are available across the four subscription tiers.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Ease of use

PeopleHR is widely regarded as an easy-to-use platform that’s intuitive and self-explanatory. We found the layouts to be simple and the process to look familiar to others on the market, suggesting there shouldn’t be any major learning curves.

Separate tabs down the left site of the web portal reflect different areas of the site (and functionalities).

The built-in AI also helps HR workers to interact with their data in natural language while surfacing analytics more easily, so there’s no major headaches on that front either.

PeopleHR also has a mobile app that workers can use to find things like colleague details in the company directory, holiday and absence allowances, expenses and other documents.

The app can also be protected with biometrics to keep personal data secure.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Support

When you start looking into the pricing of PeopleHR, you’ll notice you can’t just subscribe to a membership and take it from there. You’ll need to chat to an agent and go through an onboarding process, and this training is included as part of the pricing.

Once you’re up and running, though, you may still need support, be it technical or just a query about a feature. Support channels include email, phone and chat, which is really positive, but it’s not necessarily instantaneous. To chat, for example, you’ll still need to book a slot – it’s not a live chat in the sense that many consumers are already familiar with.

There’s also a knowledge base that covers FAQs, webinars, other videos and training opportunities.

(Image credit: PeopleHR)PeopleHR: Final verdict

PeopleHR delivers a well-rounded, cloud-based HR solution that balances performance and usability well. It’s packed with functions and available in your choice of four tiers to maximize affordability, helping to make it a strong fit for a variety of company sizes.

One of the platform’s main strengths is its modular design, which gives organizations the flexibility to start small and add more over time as they expand, without having to change providers.

Another standout feature is PeopleHR’s implementation of generative AI. With tools like Evo, PeopleHR can automate common HR tasks like approval workflows, reporting and analytics, which the company says comes at the benefit of workers who can then free themselves up to focus on their company’s people.

That said, the platform isn’t without its limitations. For example, some features that we’d consider mainstream are reserved for higher-tier subscriptions, so the cheaper options might not be suitable anymore.

A British-built AI-enabled HR platform for SMBs based in the UK

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