Payroll is a critical process for any business, as paying your employees on time and staying compliant with employment laws is vital. Using payroll software, you can automate some of these processes. Each country can have its unique employment laws, which means that if you are operating a business in Australia, you need a payroll solution that works for your region. Here are the top payroll software options for Australian businesses in 2023.

Top payroll software for Australian businesses in 2023: Comparison table

Here is a quick look at how the top payroll solutions compare in terms of the core features for the Australian payroll market.

Single Touch PayrollFree trialMobile payroll appAutomatic tax calculationsStarting price
Xero PayrollYesYesYesYes$29 AUD per month
ADPYesNoYesYesCustomized
Ceridian DayforceYesNoYesYesCustomized
Employment InnovationsYesYesYesYesCustomized
ELMOYesNoNoYesCustomized
Ready Pay by AussiepayYesYesYesYesCustomized
CloudPayrollYesYesYesYesCustomized

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Xero Payroll: Best for scalability

The Xero logo.
Image: Xero

Xero Payroll is a highly rated payroll solution for small to medium-sized businesses in Australia. It integrates with Xero Accounting, which is one of the most popular bookkeeping solutions on the market. With Xero Payroll, you can automate payroll calculations, make payments and report payroll details to the Australian Taxation Office.

Pricing

  • Starter: $29 AUD per month.
  • Standard: $59 AUD per month.
  • Premium: $76 AUD per month.
  • Ultimate: $110 AUD per month.

Features

  • Single-touch payroll for quick and easy payroll processing.
  • Bulk reconcile transactions.
  • Advanced insights with Analytics Plus.
  • Short-term cash flow and business snapshot.

Pros

  • Complete payroll feature set.
  • Deep integration with Xero Accounting.
  • Impressive mobile app.
  • Transparent pricing.
  • Highly scalable with four plans.

Cons

  • User interface isn’t the best.
  • Steep learning curve, especially for advanced tools.
  • No phone support.

Visit Xero

ADP: Best for integration with third-party applications

The ADP logo.
Image: ADP

ADP payroll is one of the most widely recognized payroll solutions in the world, with coverage in over 140 countries, including Australia. Its award-winning solution has built-in compliance rules for the Australian market. ADP payroll offers a full range of features, including employee self-service, automated online payroll processing and integration with several third-party applications, including ERPs and time-tracking applications.

Pricing

ADP doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.

Features

  • Analytics tools that provide insights for data-driven decisions.
  • Regularly updated compliance rules to keep up with changing laws and regulations.
  • Integration with over 700 financial institutions and insurance companies.

Pros

  • Payroll plan tailored to specific needs of the customer.
  • High level of customization.
  • Access to complete human resources suite.

Cons

  • Pricing isn’t transparent.
  • Scaling up or down is cumbersome as doing so requires a customized setup.

Visit ADP

Ceridian Dayforce: Best for reporting and analytics

The Ceridian Dayforce logo.
Image: Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian Dayforce is human capital management software built to help businesses streamline payroll and HR functions. The payroll tools offer real-time calculations as they are based on a single pay and time engine. This helps minimize the risk of failed data imports or delays in payroll processing. The solution is fully integrated with the ATO to help reduce administrative burden.

Pricing

Ceridian Dayforce doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.

Features

  • Variety of custom payroll reports including tax documentation, compliance risk assessment, general ledger reporting and error reporting.
  • Employee self-service to allow users to access tax documents and update their personal information.
  • Real-time audits to help HR proactively address errors.

Pros

  • Plenty of in-app learning content.
  • Impressive employee self-service tools.
  • Excellent reporting features.
  • Straightforward user interface.

Cons

  • Data load time can be a bit slow.
  • Implementation is time-consuming.

Visit Ceridian Dayforce

Employment Innovations: Best for ease of use

The Employment Innovations logo.
Image: Employment Innovations

Employment Innovations offers an end-to-end payroll solution delivered through local, dedicated support staff. Since 1992, Employment Innovations has been helping businesses in Australia with HR and payroll services. The payroll services include compliance with Australian rules and regulations.

Pricing

Employment Innovations doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.

Features

  • Leave management tools, including access to the employee portal and online timesheets.
  • Extensive reporting tools, including submission of tax file number declarations to the ATO.
  • Single Touch Payroll.
  • Integration with several types of applications, including rostering systems and accounting software.

Pros

  • End-to-end payroll processing.
  • Dedicated payroll experts across different Australian cities, including Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
  • Impressive automation tools, such as the ability to set payroll conditions.

Cons

  • Pricing isn’t transparent.
  • Some users have reported that extra features required additional fees, which weren’t shared during sign-up.

Employment Innovations

ELMO: Best for a combination of payroll and HR tools

The ELMO logo.
Image: ELMO

ELMO is one of the top cloud-based payroll solutions for Australia. The payroll features include STP, in-depth reports, employee self-service and compliance with Australian rules and regulations. You can also integrate ELMO payroll with other ELMO HR modules, including recruitment, onboarding and performance management.

Pricing

ELMO doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.

Features

  • Customized reports, including payroll tax reporting, audit and compliance.
  • Employee and manage self-service tools to request time off, view payment summaries and have paperless timesheets.
  • Enhanced compliance with STP Phase 2 and SuperStream compliance.
  • Full range of rostering, time tracking and attendance tools.

Pros

  • Single dashboard for payroll and other HR features.
  • Highly customizable.
  • Clean and intuitive layout.

Cons

  • Lack of in-app learning content or training material.
  • Slow load times, especially with the reporting feature.

Visit ELMO

Ready Pay by Aussiepay: Best for local payroll support

The Ready Pay by Aussiepay logo.
Image: Ready Pay by Aussiepay

Ready Pay by Aussiepay, part of ReadyTech Workforce Solutions, is a flexible end-to-end outsourced payroll solution. It offers a locally based team of payroll consultants to handle all payroll-related tasks. The payroll solution can be tailored for all types of businesses in Australia, including small, medium and large-sized companies. Ready Pay by Aussiepay offers guaranteed compliance, including Fair Work, STP reporting and other compliance laws.

Pricing

Ready Pay by Aussiepay doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.

Features

  • Year-end processing, including reconciliation, event finalization and submission to the ATO.
  • Automatic payroll calculation, submission and payment.
  • Auditing support with a complete record of master files.
  • Single integrated platform for payroll, time and attendance.

Pros

  • Dedicated support from experienced payroll specialists.
  • Supports several compliance standards for the Australian market.

Cons

  • Mobile app needs improvement.
  • Slow loading.

Visit Ready Pay

CloudPayroll: Best for small businesses

The CloudPayroll logo.
Image: CloudPayroll

CloudPayroll is a cloud-based payroll software geared towards small businesses in Australia. Features of CloudPayroll include access to over 50 reports, leave and HR management, and support from payroll and HR experts. Employees also get access to an online portal and learning center.

Pricing

CloudPayroll doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote. You can visit their online payroll cost calculator to get an idea of what to expect.Features

  • Extensive reporting tools, including payroll variation, tax report and audit trail.
  • Open API available for customized integration with third-party applications.
  • Employee Kiosk feature for quick access to payroll information via web or mobile.
  • Management of superannuation payments.
  • Micro plan especially designed for up to four employees.

Pros

  • Easy to use.
  • Open API.
  • Comprehensive training.

Cons

  • Users have reported some bugs, such as login issues.

Visit CloudPayroll

Key features of best payroll software for Australian businesses in 2023

Single Touch Payroll

The STP is an initiative by the Australian Government to reduce the reporting burden on employees. With STP, employers can directly report payroll information, such as salaries and wages, each time payroll is processed. This feature in a payroll solution helps simplify payroll processing for employers in Australia.

Mobile payroll app

Mobile payroll apps help boost workplace efficiency and improve employee engagement. The app allows HR to offload some administrative tasks, such as sending payroll stubs to employees or updating employee information. Some mobile apps also allow users to request time off or complete their timesheets through the app.

Automated tax calculations

Instead of manually calculating, reporting and filing taxes, the top payroll solutions offer automated calculations. These tax calculation features also help with more complex payroll functions such as overtime and Australian superannuation calculations.

Free trial

Some payroll solutions offer a free trial. This feature allows the users to get a feel for the software and business to determine if the software meets their requirements. Keep in mind that the free trial may not provide access to all the features; it’s primarily intended for the use of core payroll features.

How do I choose the best payroll software for my Australian business?

As a first step, you should only consider payroll solutions that support Australian rules and regulations. For example, the payroll software should be fully compliant with STP. International payroll solutions might work but won’t specialize in Australian rules and regulations. You also need to consider whether the software is compatible with your existing tech stack as you want to minimize any disruption to your software ecosystem.

Some of the other parameters you must consider during the selection process are the software’s price and user interface. Most top payroll solutions in Australia offer customized quotes, so you must contact their sales team. Some free payroll software choices are available, but they won’t provide the same level of functionality.

Finally, each software option offers some pros and cons, so you must prioritize according to your specific needs. This list of top payroll software should be a good start for you; however, a final decision can only be made after a detailed demo or trial of the software.

Methodology

Our criteria for evaluating the short-listed vendors included several parameters. Some of these vendors offer payroll solutions in multiple countries, but we only looked at features that are available in Australia. Along with the features, we also evaluated the usability of the software based on its user interface. We also looked at compliance with ATO, customer reviews and other parameters for compiling this list of the best payroll software for Australian businesses in 2023.