There is no need to stress! e-PayDay Go Award-centric payroll software ensures you effortlessly comply with Payday Super requirements and the Fair Work Voluntary Wage Compliance Code.
Are you looking for the top 10 Single Touch Payroll software in Australia (2026)?
Author
Brett Reed is the Founder and Managing Director at e-PayDay Pty Ltd, a leading Australian payroll software provider. With more than four decades of experience in payroll technology, Brett has guided thousands of businesses through compliance changes, including the rollout of Single Touch Payroll (STP). Thanks to his visionary leadership, e-PayDay proudly achieved a milestone on July 6, 2017, by submitting the very first STP file processed by the Australian Taxation Office!
Last updated: 10 June 2026
Why is this Top Payroll Software List any different to others?
While looking at resources like "Top Payroll Software" lists, it's important to be aware that many of these are designed primarily for search engine optimisation and AI visibility rather than impartial evaluation. This frequently results in the "Best Payroll Software" being the vendor that published the list on their own website. Some lists may include only payroll software vendors that have paid for inclusion or receive commissions for affiliate link placements.
Our list features the most visible payroll software products relevant to specific markets. The inclusion of each product on the list is determined by ratings and reviews from its users and is not contingent on any financial remuneration.
Finding the best payroll solution for your needs involves many factors, and it is not an easy task.
What are your requirements?
Identifying your requirements is imperative. Start off by identifying the features and functionality you need.
Are all the Fair Work Modern Awards, ATO Tax Treatments and Income Streams included?
Do you need,
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Cost Centres,
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Accounting Integration,
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Data Import and Export capability,
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Employee Onboarding,
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and Employee Self Service (ESS), for example.
Start your journey with a detailed list of your needs before you do anything else.
What is the size of the business?
Determining payroll features can be particularly complex, especially when it comes to meeting Fair Work and ATO requirements. If specific essential features are missing, you might discover later that your system lacks must-have payroll functionality. Be cautious of marketing claims that oversimplify payroll management; it is not as straightforward as often presented. However, when a payroll system complies with legislative requirements and is properly configured, it can significantly streamline your processes and deliver numerous cost and time-saving benefits.
What is your budget?
What is your budget and expectations? Are you looking for a free or low-cost option, or are you willing to invest in a more comprehensive solution? Check that the products you have shortlisted within your budget offer the ability to evaluate the features and functionality before committing to a subscription. Do they also offer the capability to scale to your business needs, and do you have to pay per employee, or is there a tiered pricing model? Some systems confuse being able to compare like-for-like by referring to "users" and not employees (payees). And most importantly, check if there are there hidden fees and charges,
Always ask what payroll support is provided.
After addressing all your needs, the final and most important step is to consider the support offered by the provider. Always ensure that telephone support is available. While there are various communication methods, the best option for assistance is the ability to speak directly with a real person rather than an AI chatbot. Additionally, check whether your chosen provider is a member of any industry associations and how they interact with Fair Work and the Australian Taxation Office to ensure compliance with the often complex requirements.
What is a simple way to compare payroll products in Australia?
As you begin the process of selecting the right payroll solution to meet your needs, you may have thought about consulting a comparison table. Ideally, you would expect to find a resource that provides a clear and informative overview to help narrow down your options. However, you may have experienced a frustrating lack of substantial information to aid in this critical decision-making process.
Some products also make marketing claims about their features, but when you try them, they often do not meet expectations (or in some cases, are not actually available). There are many aspects to consider with Payroll Compliance so take the time to consider your needs.
When looking for representation in the payroll industry, the following sources may provide useful information.
The free payroll software dilemma.
You may be looking at free payroll software, but you have understandable concerns; they are justified. Products such as Payroller started out entirely free and later moved to paid subscriptions. Payroller still offers a free Mobile App, but it is limited to 1 employee and lacks significant functionality, making it usable for very limited circumstances.
ClockOn offers its product for 20 employees, but you are restricted to only 27 STP lodgments (or 12 months, whichever comes first). If you are paying employees weekly, you will need to move to a paid subscription within 6 months. Essentially, ClockOn is provided free with the aim of moving the user to a paid subscription, where e-PayDay FREEPAY® remains free as long as you have 3 employees or fewer, with no time limits.
e-PayDay FREEPAY® has always been offered at no cost and is designed for businesses with 4 or fewer employees. The core value of e-PayDay lies in the understanding of the challenges small businesses face in meeting their legislative requirements, especially those just starting out. This free payroll software offer is sincere and has remained unchanged since its inception. It is not intended to trap customers or restrict functionality to pressure employers into switching to a paid plan.
Using a mobile phone to process payroll.
Whilst some vendors emphasise the ability to process your payroll on a phone, the practicality is questionable. Some even go so far as to state that, "If it can’t work on mobile, it probably doesn’t work in real life". We’ll skip the absurdity of that comment.
The reality is that, as an employer, if your payroll needs are extremely simple, processing a pay run on a screen smaller than 8” (21 cm) may work for you. However, processing complex pay runs and viewing detailed reports make using a mobile phone impractical. The most commonly used feature in this situation is the “pinch” gesture.
The difference is that, as an employee, the ability to access pay slips, timesheets, clock in and out, request leave, and view YTD and superannuation information on a mobile phone is imperative. Many of the better payroll systems include Employee Self Service (ESS), which is a “must-have” for effective and efficient payroll management.
The downside of Accounting Software with included payroll functionality.
Historically, the inclusion of payroll features was often a strategic move to drive upgrade revenue for legacy Desktop Accounting Software, a trend that preceded the industry's shift toward modern SaaS subscription models.
In many full-suite accounting systems, payroll functionality remains a secondary priority compared to core financial tools. The significant investment required to develop and maintain payroll frequently clashes with standard accounting development cycles. Unlike general ledger software, payroll platforms demand constant updates to remain compliant with frequent government legislative mandates.
While integrated solutions offer some convenience, these advantages are often negated by the risk of vendor lock-in. When a business outgrows the limited features of an all-in-one system, transitioning to a specialised standalone payroll platform becomes essential. Most integrated vendors rarely prioritise enhancements to their payroll engines unless absolutely compelled by regulatory shifts.
Look for genuine reviews and ratings of payroll software.
Search results can be challenging because some payroll software vendors create biased reviews of competitors' products for SEO/GEO purposes, to improve their rankings. The following ratings come directly from customers, who provide valuable product feedback and eliminate the bias often found in independent reviews.
We have utilised prominent and trusted review sources, such as
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and ProductReview.com.au, to determine the ratings whenever possible.
If a Trustpilot rating is unavailable, we have relied on ratings from the other listed sources, whichever has the most reviews and recent feedback. We have not aggregated the ratings from all the available sources.
Pricing shown in the table below does not include special introductory offers, and some vendors have a minimum monthly subscription cost for fewer employees.
All the products listed are designed for Australia and are Australian Taxation Office (ATO) registered, meeting the required standards for Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting.
They also support the Payday Super requirements, though this functionality may be provided for an additional cost.
There is a significant difference between dedicated payroll software and general accounting platforms. Accounting platforms (like Xero, MYOB and Reckon) are primarily built to manage general ledgers, profit and loss statements, and bank reconciliations, with payroll systems as secondary add-ons. Conversely, dedicated payroll software (like e-PayDay Go® and Employment Hero) is built specifically for complex employment compliance, offering real-time automation across all the Fair Work Modern Awards that general bookkeeping software lacks.
Payroller
User Rating: 1.9 / 5
Payroller is a budget cloud-based payroll management platform designed primarily for micro-employers, startups and small businesses. It automates wage, leave calculations, and rostering is available. Payroller launched entirely free in May 2019, but later shifted to a subscription-based model in November 2021. Independent user feedback on ProductReview.com.au highlights significant frustrations regarding substandard customer support response times and rigid payroll constraints.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Affordable Pricing: Offering a highly competitive per-employee pricing model. This approach makes it a cost-effective alternative to larger platforms.
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Rapid setup: Payroller states that most users can register and process their very first pay run in under 15 minutes.
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No specialist training required: The software features basic payroll functionality, making it simple for business owners to set up and navigate.
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Automation provided: automatically calculates Wages, Superannuation and PAYGW (Tax).
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Pay Structure Constraints and Overstated Features: Payroller is optimised for hourly rates or standard setups only. Users on GetApp Australia note limitations when attempting to configure fixed monthly salaries directly. Although PAYG withholding is automatically calculated, it differs from Payroll Tax as administered by the State Revenue Offices (SRO) and is not provided in Payroller.
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Web Version Paywalls: While the one-employee mobile app is free, using Payroller in a web browser, approving timesheets, or publishing rosters requires a premium subscription.
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Inconsistent Customer Support and Subscription Payment Issues: Independent user reviews on ProductReview.com.au, Capterra and SoftwareAdvice note that response times for support queries can be extremely slow. Reports of issues with user subscription payment management are also noted.
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Unsuitable for Medium and Large Enterprises: Payroller lacks sophisticated payroll compliance functionality and granular customisation features. The neglect of comprehensive support for Fair Work Modern Awards and Agreements relegates the product to small-scale businesses, as it is a very simple, beginner-friendly, and entry-level payroll solution.
To explore more about Payroller, visit their comprehensive website.
How can I try Payroller?
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Free version available: Yes, limited to 1 employee.
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Trial available: Yes, 7 Days.
e-PayDay Go®
User rating 4.8 / 5
e-PayDay Go® is a comprehensive, Australian-built cloud payroll solution tailored for small-to-medium businesses, bookkeepers, and accountants. It is highly regarded for its robust compliance features and flexible, budget-friendly pricing. e-PayDay Go® provides straightforward workflows within a user-friendly interface. Learn more about the award-centric compliance features on e-PayDay Go®, which currently has a 4.8 / 5 user rating on Trustpilot. While e-PayDay Go® is a robust and highly compliant tool for Australian businesses, it does have several constraints and limitations that need to be considered before signing up:
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Free for Micro-Businesses: e-PayDay Go® is free for up to 3 employees per ABN, making it highly cost-effective for startups and very small teams. WPN holders can also be added to e-PayDay Go®.
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Real-Time Fair Work Compliance: e-PayDay Go® includes built-in access to 122 Fair Work Modern Awards, automatically pre-filling hourly rates, and automatically notifies when the rates change to minimise compliance risks.
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ATO & STP Integration: Fully compliant with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regulations, it supports Single Touch Payroll (STP) and simplifies superannuation reporting and payments using the SuperChoice clearing house.
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Automated Leave Tracking: Easily calculates and tracks leave accruals, including annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, and Rostered Days Off (RDOs).
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Seamless Professional Collaboration: Users can securely grant a Tax Practitioner (Accountant or Bookkeeper) free access with tailored roles and permissions, making end-of-year or complex payroll tasks much easier.
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Advanced Cost Control & Reporting: Features native cost centres, over 150+ comprehensive reports, and audit logging.
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Provides for Powerful Pay Run Automation: The FAST-Pay™ feature allows the import of time and attendance files to automatically process pay runs.
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Centralised HRIS: Stores all employee documents securely in a centralised location. Also provides the ability to create notes and reminders to help maintain and manage employee information.
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Scalable Paid Plans: As the business grows, it is easy to move to affordable, month-to-month subscription plans that include access to Australian-based telephone support.
To explore the plans or to get started for free, visit the e-PayDay Go® Single Touch Payroll (STP) Pricing page.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Employee Caps on Free Plans: The e-PayDay FREEPAY® plan limits you to 3 active employees and allows up to 3 terminated employees (a total of 6 records). If you experience high staff turnover, you will need to upgrade to a paid subscription, which starts at $99 per year.
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Complex Initial Configuration: Because the system is a compliance-first payroll product that closely adheres to complex ATO STP Phase 2 regulations and the 122 Fair Work Modern Awards, users report that the initial setup phase can feel "overwhelming and daunting" compared to simpler, non-award-integrated competitors. After seeking setup assistance from e-PayDay, user feedback on Trustpilot is very positive, noting that once e-PayDay Go® is correctly configured, it is very easy to use and that employers are relieved that the Fair Work compliance obligations are being met.
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Feature Gating by Tier: Certain administrative features—such as creating fully customised user roles and granular system permissions—are restricted to the Advanced Plan tier.
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Payroll-Only Focus: Unlike full-suite software systems (like Xero or MYOB), e-PayDay Go® is explicitly a specialised payroll platform; it does not handle core Accounting, Invoicing, or General Ledger bookkeeping natively.
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Expired Subscription Lockout: If your plan expires, you will need an Archive subscription to continue accessing your data, which costs $5 per month ($60 per year).
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Feature Parity: e-PayDay Go® is a new cloud payroll solution launched by e-PayDay in 2023. As a result, it currently lacks a few features that were previously available in their Windows Legacy Desktop payroll product, originally released in 1996. New features are now available that weren't previously in the Desktop product, and additional functionality is being added in each payroll release.
How can I try e-PayDay Go®?
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Free version available: Yes, 100% free for fewer than 4 employees.
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Trial available: Yes, 30 Days.
ClockOn
User rating 4.1 / 5
ClockOn is an all-in-one workforce management and payroll platform designed primarily for Australian businesses. Its major pros include automated award interpretation to ensure compliance, real-time roster budgeting to control labour costs, fraud-preventing biometric and geofenced time-tracking, and seamless integration with major accounting tools such as Xero and MYOB. While ClockOn offers strong compliance features, independent users on TrustRadius and ProductReview.com.au frequently highlight its steep learning curve, technical glitches with the mobile app and roster templates, and rigid subscription cancellation terms as its main drawbacks.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Automated Payroll Compliance: The software is designed to handle complex Australian payroll requirements, including the Single Touch Payroll (STP) system. It takes the guesswork out of compliance by automatically applying and calculating tax, superannuation, allowances, and penalty rates.
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Accurate Time Tracking: Employees can clock in and out using several methods, including biometric fingerprint scanners, a tablet kiosk, or the mobile app (ClockOn Go). The mobile app also uses GPS geofencing to ensure staff are physically on-site when logging their shifts.
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Budget-Friendly Rostering: Managers can build and edit rosters using drag-and-drop tools and customizable templates. It instantly calculates the costs of a roster before it is published, helping you stay within your budget.
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Two-Way Mobile Communication: Through the ClockOn Go app, employees can view their upcoming shifts, instantly swap or confirm rosters, request leave, and view their pay slips. This eliminates the need for manual paperwork and reduces delays in manager-to-staff communication.
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Fewer Payroll Errors: Because the system integrates your planned rosters, attendance records, and leave data directly into the payroll run, it limits manual data entry. This prevents overpayments, underpayments, and "buddy punching" (when employees clock in for one another).
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Flexible Accounting Integration: ClockOn allows users to easily export or upload payroll data into popular accounting software such as Xero, MYOB, and Reckon.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Steep Learning Curve: The platform's desktop version can be complex, clunky, and unintuitive to set up and navigate. Many users note that it requires extensive training or outside assistance to manage effectively, as mentioned on Jibble.
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Mobile App Glitches: Employees frequently complain on platforms like TrustRadius about the ClockOn Go app freezing. Common issues include shifts failing to register properly and the iOS version crashing.
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Unreliable Roster Templates: Reviewers on GetApp Australia report that the drag-and-drop roster templates suffer from saving bugs. Saved shift details often fail to recall properly, forcing managers to rebuild schedules manually.
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Limited STP Reporting Visibility: Business owners have noted that the Single Touch Payroll (STP) module lacks thorough end-user reporting. It can be difficult to verify exactly what data was successfully received by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) from the software interface.
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Rigid Billing & Cancellation Policies: Customers on ProductReview.com.au have flagged hidden billing traps, such as "free tier" options automatically rolling into strict 12-month lock-in contracts.
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Complicated Pricing: Although ClockOn offers base packages, they charge for additional functionality such as Rostering, Xero or MYOB Integration, and their Attendance Kiosk. Phone Support is also available, but as an additional monthly subscription, charged per user, with a minimum commitment of 6 months.
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Delayed Customer Support: When technical errors or billing disputes occur, users report long wait times for email responses and difficulties reaching a live support representative over the phone.
To explore their plans, visit the ClockOn pricing page.
How can I try ClockOn?
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Free version available: Free up to 20 employees for up to 12 months or 27 STP submissions, whichever comes first.
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Trial available: No
Lightning Payroll
User rating 3.8 / 5
Lightning Payroll is a simple-to-use payroll program for Australian businesses of all sizes. The program includes all the features you need to process your business’s payroll quickly and accurately, and is supported locally. While Lightning Payroll, as rated by users on Trustpilot, offers a number of benefits for Australian businesses, several points need to be considered.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Meets Australian payroll requirements: Built specifically for the Australian market, it handles complex requirements such as STP Phase 2 calculations, Superannuation reporting, leave accruals and PAYGW.
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Hybrid Offline & Online Flexibility: You can download it as a traditional desktop application (Windows/Mac) that saves data locally and runs without an internet connection, while still utilising web and mobile versions for cloud syncing.
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Highly-Rated Local Support: Subscriptions include phone and email support from a Brisbane-based team. Users frequently praise the team for resolving complex technical or payroll setup queries in a single call.
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Multi-Company management: Unlike many platforms that charge per business file, most tiers allow you to process payroll for an unlimited number of separate companies under one subscription (limited only by total employee count).
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Workforce Management Tools: Lightning Payroll offers features tailored to fast-paced industries such as retail and hospitality, including an integrated Android/iOS time clock app, custom rostering tools, and employee self-service portals.
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Seamless Accounting Integrations: Lightning Payroll automatically syncs with major platforms, including Xero, to keep the general ledger up to date.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Feature Disparities Across Platforms: While web, mobile, and desktop share data, they do not share identical tools. Advanced recovery tools, accounting integrations, and complex reports must still be handled via the desktop client.
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No Open API Access: Individual customers and third-party software developers cannot access an open API to link custom systems. Integrations are restricted exclusively to their formal, pre-built partner networks.
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Manual Setup for Certain Leave Types: While standard leave reduces ordinary hours automatically, specific items, such as annual leave loading, are not applied automatically and require manual configuration of employee profiles.
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Support Limitations: The local support team cannot provide remote assistance (e.g., TeamViewer) or troubleshoot your custom SMTP email settings.
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Strict Post-Subscription Lockout: If you let your plan expire, you only receive 7 days of free read-only access to export your data before the platform completely locks you out. Continued data access requires a read-only subscription.
For more information about Lightning Payroll and its pricing, visit their website.
How can I try Lightning Payroll?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: 30 Days
MYOB Payroll Only
User rating 1.5 / 5
MYOB Business Payroll Only is an affordable, cloud-based, standalone subscription designed specifically for micro-businesses that need to manage staff pay compliance without paying for complex accounting software. The MYOB Payroll Only App offers the basic features for a micro business to process payroll, lodge STP reports, and meet the Payday Super reporting and payment requirements. Rated by users on Trustpilot, you need to do more, consider its limitations.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Automated Compliance: It automatically calculates Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding, tracks superannuation guarantees, and reports directly to the ATO via Single Touch Payroll (STP).
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Self-Service Employee Portal: Employees can download the MYOB team app to log timesheets, view payslips, and request leave directly from their mobile phones.
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100% Cloud-Based: There is no desktop software to install or manually update, allowing you to run payroll securely from any web browser.
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Employee Self-Onboarding: Includes a guided configuration assistant that lets new hires input their own tax, super, and banking details directly into the platform.
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Upgrade Path: If your business expands, you can upgrade to broader MYOB Business full accounting plans, like Lite or Pro, without losing historical payroll data.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Strict Employee Limit: The plan caps your active workforce at 4 employees. If you hire a fifth person, you are forced to upgrade to a pricier full Accounting product.
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Limited Third-Party Integrations: Because it is a payroll-only plan, syncing data with independent external accounting platforms can result in clunky workarounds or manual data entry.
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Customer Support Wait Times: Users frequently report that phone and online chat support response times can be slow.
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Limited Upgrade Path: If you require the ability to add additional employees, you can only upgrade to the MYOB full Accounting products, which results in being locked into the MYOB ecosystem.
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Limited Access Controls: Lower-tier MYOB products often make it difficult to split user permissions. If you give a bookkeeper or manager access, they generally see everything within that payroll file.
Visit the MYOB website to explore more about the available options.
How can I try MYOB Payroll Only?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: No
Microkeeper
User rated 4.4 / 5
Microkeeper is a comprehensive, Australian-built cloud workforce management and payroll platform designed to handle employee onboarding, rostering, time tracking, and meet Australian payroll compliance requirements. While Microkeeper excels at automating complex Fair Work award compliance and tracking hourly employee attendance, though its analytics and reporting features leave room for improvement. User experiences and expert insights, rated by users on platforms like Capterra and Software Advice highlight the platform's primary strengths and weaknesses.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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All-in-One Infrastructure: It centralises HR, onboarding, timesheets, costed rostering, and payroll into a single system, removing the need to pay for and juggle multiple platforms.
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Drastic Time Savings: According to user reviews on SoftwareFinder, the platform's automation rules can cut manual payroll processing time by up to 70%.
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Flexible Clocking Methods: It provides diverse hardware and software clock-in options, including a mobile app with GPS geofencing, fingerprint scanners, and advanced facial recognition to prevent "buddy punching".
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Australian Compliance Focus: The engine is fully configured to handle complex Australian modern awards and enterprise bargaining agreements (EBAs).
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Real-Time Cost Control: Managers can view exactly how much a shift will cost in wages as they build the roster, ensuring tighter control over labour budgets.
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Strong Xero Integration: According to tech product testers on the Xero App Store, it syncs data seamlessly and reliably with Xero's ecosystem without data mismatches.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Lackluster Reporting: Analytics tools are frequently described by users as clunky, rigid, and insufficient for deep, custom data reporting.
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Steep Learning Curve: Because the software is feature-dense, initial system configuration, onboarding, and navigation can feel overwhelming for non-technical administrators.
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Inconsistent Integrations: While it integrates seamlessly with platforms like Xero, users note that integrations with other traditional accounting software, such as MYOB, can be finicky and prone to errors.
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Limited Mobile App UX: The employee dashboard and mobile internal communication tools are basic compared to dedicated workplace communication platforms.
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Pricing Structure: The entry-level plans lack required functional capabilities, so smaller employers must upgrade to premium packages optimised for medium-to-large enterprises.
Find out about the options and pricing on the Microkeeper website.
How can I try Microkeeper?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: Yes, 30 Days.
Easy Payslip
User Rating 4.8 / 5
Easy Payslip (part of the Easy Business App suite) is a streamlined, Australia-focused payroll solution designed specifically for small businesses and micro-employers. Its core focus is on delivering mobile-friendly compliance without the complexity of traditional enterprise software. Rated by users on Trustpilot, Easy Payslip is a lightweight mobile payroll app designed for micro and small businesses that need to manage payroll on the go. While it offers excellent support, it has limited scalability and lacks advanced HR tools and modern employee self-service portals.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Mobile Phone Accessibility: The dedicated smartphone app lets business owners run payroll, lodge single touch payroll, and manage superannuation entirely on a mobile phone.
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Simplified Compliance: It provides Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting directly to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) with a quick setup.
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Local Australian Support: Users on Trustpilot consistently praise their fast, responsive customer support team, staffed by real people based in Australia.
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Automatic Calculations: The app automatically handles deductions, tax, superannuation, and leave balances (annual, personal, long-service, and sick leave).
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Free Accountant Collaboration: An unlimited number of administrators, business partners, or external accountants can access your data at no additional cost.
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Flexible Pricing Model: All tiers feature identical core features (STP, super, unlimited payslips), with the final price scaling strictly by the number of active employees.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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No Employee Self-Service Portal: Employees cannot log into their own portal to download historical payslips or change details, though summaries are sent directly via email.
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No Built-In Timesheets: The software lacks an integrated timesheet tracker or roster system, meaning hourly employee hours must be calculated externally and entered manually.
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Basic Features & Limited Scalability: Unlike deep HR systems, it lacks sophisticated automated award interpretation, advanced rostering, and complex multi-department tracking. Also, a maximum of 50 employees can be added.
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Lacks Complex HR Features: It is not ideal for larger, rapidly scaling enterprises that require embedded HR management or onboarding sequences.
You can check out the options and pricing on the Easy Business App website.
How can I try Easy Payslip?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: Yes, 30 Days.
Reckon
User rated 4.4 / 5
Reckon Payroll can be used as a stand-alone app, but it also acts as the payroll engine within the Reckon One Accounting. It offers basic payroll functionality, offering Single Touch Payroll reporting. Reckon caters to basic payroll needs; however, as rated by users on Trustpilot, there are concerns about slow performance and the product's clunkiness.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Affordable Pricing: Offering a competitive pricing model, making it a cost-effective alternative to larger platforms.
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Intuitive & Streamlined Interface: Following a major overhaul of its system architecture, the modernised interface bundles all core workflows—such as pay runs, superannuation, and leave management—into a single, consolidated navigation menu.
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Automatic Taxation Updates: Tax tables, Superannuation Guarantee (SG) percentage increases, and SuperStream regulatory changes are automatically available, ensuring businesses stay compliant.
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Simple Move to Accounting: Moving to Reckon One Accounting is easy, as the payroll engine is the same.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Clunky Navigation & Session Outages: Reviewers on Software Advice have highlighted performance bugs, such as getting randomly logged out of active files or encountering navigation roadblocks that require a full system re-login to select a new client file.
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Performance Drops for Larger Teams: While excellent for small businesses, users report that the system starts struggling with processing speeds and data handling once a business scales past 100 employees.
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Data Subscription Locking: Some customers have raised concerns about long-term data access policies, noting that if you cancel your subscription, you cannot easily retrieve or view historical data logs unless you pay to keep the account open.
Visit the Reckon pricing page to learn more.
How can I try Reckon?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: Yes, 30 Days.
Employment Hero
User rated 4.0 / 5
Employment Hero is a popular, comprehensive, cloud-based HR, payroll, and employee benefits platform. It is often chosen for its built-in compliance with complex Australian Modern Awards and its seamless, paperless employee onboarding and recruitment capabilities. Rated by users on Trustpilot and Capterra, Employment Hero is a comprehensive but complex solution that can have a steep learning curve and lacks customisation. Users on G2 also mention that it is not user-friendly and is missing features.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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All-in-One Centralised Hub: According to G2 reviewers, the platform excels at consolidating employee folders, leave requests, 1-on-1 notes, and training metrics in a single system. This removes the need to juggle disconnected spreadsheets and systems.
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Automated Payroll & Award Interpretation: Integrates seamlessly with your pay runs, with over 50 built-in Modern Awards to automatically calculate entitlements like overtime, penalty rates, and superannuation.
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Streamlined Onboarding: Eliminates paper by allowing new hires to digitally complete and sign contracts, tax declarations, and bank details before their first day.
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Self-Service Employee App: Features the Swag app, giving employees easy, mobile access to view payslips, apply for leave, track their rosters, and access employee benefits.
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Centralised HR: Keeps all employee records, performance reviews, and company policies securely in one digital location.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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Steep Learning Curve: Constant system updates and a large feature set can make the platform feel overwhelming, requiring a learning curve for new administrators.
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Missing Features: Users find the missing features in Employment Hero hinder functionality, particularly in payroll and customisation.
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Limited Roster/Time Customisation: For businesses with field-based workers or multiple venues that require highly specific rules (e.g., strict pin-drop locations or kiosk apps), the time-tracking and rostering tools can feel a bit rigid.
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Setup Complexity: Implementing highly specialised Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) or custom payroll rules can take longer than expected during the setup phase.
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Tier Lockouts and Custom Reporting: Many advanced workflows, custom reporting engines, and expense modules are gated behind the expensive Platinum plan. Building tailored reports outside of their strict, pre-defined templates usually requires downloading data into Excel for manual manipulation.
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Frustrating Support Experiences: Multiple users on Trustpilot and Capterra highlight slow turnaround times from the customer support team. Reviewers from SoftwareFinder note a recent heavy shift towards chatbot support, making it harder to speak to real human technicians for critical payroll errors.
Take a look at the Employment Hero website to understand if it is suitable for your needs.
How can I try Employment Hero?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: Yes, 14 Days.
Xero Accounting
User rated 4.1 / 5
Xero is an automated, cloud-based platform best suited for small to medium businesses. While it offers seamless payroll accounting integration, it has feature limitations for large teams or complex award structures. Rated by users on Trustpilot, Xero is primarily an Accounting system offering basic payroll functionality.
The Pros: The Key Good Points
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Streamline Financial Bookkeeping: Every time you run payroll, Xero automatically generates the corresponding journal entries in your general ledger. This eliminates manual data entry and reduces human errors.
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Provides Automation: The platform features built-in tools to handle tax withholding, superannuation calculations, and direct Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
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Empower Employees Locally: Through the Xero Me mobile application, staff can submit timesheets, request annual leave, and view historical payslips securely without bothering management.
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Simplify Superannuation Payments: Using the integrated Auto Super function (available on premium plans), you can pay super contributions to all employee funds with a single click.
The Cons: Where It Falls Short
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No Award Functionality: If your business operates under complex Fair Work awards with intricate shift loading, penalty rates, or roster changes, Xero cannot automatically calculate these. You will need a third-party add-on.
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Per-Employee Cost Scaling: Xero charges on a tiered or per-employee basis, depending on your plan. For rapidly growing teams, incremental costs can quickly outpace the costs of standalone payroll software.
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Employee Limit: Xero has a limit of 200 employees for processing payroll.
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Batch Payment Limitations: Downloading ABA files for bank batch transfers works smoothly, but setting up direct bank feeds for automatic payroll execution can sometimes require tricky initial authentication with the bank.
To learn more about what Xero Accounting software offers, visit their website.
How can I try Xero?
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Free version available: No
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Trial available: Yes, 30 Days.
Are you sure of what Awards cover your employees?
All the Fair Work Modern Awards and Classifications are included, and you can easily access the Pay and Conditions Tool (P.A.C.T.) within e-PayDay Go®, allowing you to manage your Fair Work compliance obligations confidently.
The Modern Awards, delivered in real time and sourced directly from the Fair Work Commission, assist in ensuring you can confidently and efficiently meet the Fair Work Ombudsman compliance obligations. If you have fewer than 15 employees, refer to the Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code.
Micro
Businesses
Pay up to 3 employees 100% free or a 30-day trial for more, with every Fair Work Award included!
General Retail Industry
Includes the General Retail Industry Award [MA000004]
Horticulture Industry
Includes the Horticulture Award [MA000028]
Pastoral
Industry
Includes the Pastoral Award [MA000035]
Vehicle
Industry
Includes the Vehicle Repair, Services and Retail Award [MA000089]
Working Holiday Makers
All the Fair Work Ombudsman Modern Awards are included, making it easy to employ WHM's.
Hospitality Industry
Includes the Hospitality Industry (General) Award [MA000009]
Transport
Industry
Includes the Road Transport and Distribution Award [MA000038]
Shearers and Crutchers
Includes the Pastoral Award [MA000035]
Every Fair Work Modern Award
Every Fair Work Modern Award is included and updated in real time.
What is the best payroll in Australia?
The best payroll system in Australia is the one that perfectly aligns with your business needs and prioritises compliance. Choose a solution that streamlines your payroll processes, enhances overall efficiency, and improves employee satisfaction.
Look for a scalable payroll solution that helps ensure compliance as your business grows.
Since 1987, e-PayDay has offered one of the best scalable payroll software solutions for effectively supporting compliance with the Australian Taxation Office and Fair Work.
We focus specifically on assisting employers with their Fair Work compliance obligations and Australian Taxation Office requirements. Every Fair Work Modern Award, Classification, ATO Tax Treatments and Income Stream Collections are included, providing comprehensive employee coverage. Template Pay Types are supplied for Pay Rates, Allowances and Deductions.
e-PayDay delivers comprehensive, Single Touch Payroll solutions designed to meet the needs of any business while also placing special focus on the unique requirements of specific industries, making us one of the top 10 payroll software providers in Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Australian Payroll Software
What makes this top 10 payroll software list different from other review sites?
Many online comparison lists use paid affiliate links or are written strictly for SEO purposes, where the "best" ranking goes to whoever pays the highest commission. Our list is independent and based on verified user reviews from external platforms such as Trustpilot and ProductReview.com.au. No vendor can pay for inclusion, and our rankings reflect real-world user feedback combined with verified Australian compliance capabilities.
Why should businesses separate their payroll software from their accounting software?
Businesses should separate them because general accounting software is built for bookkeeping, not complex labour compliance. While accounting apps handle basic flat-rate pay runs, they struggle with intricate Australian Fair Work regulations. Dedicated payroll software automates real-time tracking for the 122 Modern Awards, shifts, allowances, and Payday Super requirements natively, preventing compliance risks that secondary accounting add-ons might miss.
Can I accurately manage complex Fair Work Modern Awards on mobile payroll apps?
While a few vendors emphasise running complete payroll from a phone, processing complex pay runs, handling manual tax treatments, or viewing detailed audits on a small screen is highly impractical. Mobile apps excel at Employee Self Service (ESS)—allowing staff to check payslips, submit timesheets, and log leave. However, for an employer handling strict Modern Award compliance across industries like Transport or Hospitality, a dedicated desktop or web interface is required for accuracy.
What is the risk of using accounting platforms like Xero or MYOB for specialised payroll?
General accounting systems are built with a primary focus on general ledgers and bookkeeping, treating payroll as a secondary feature. This ecosystem lock-in can limit your compliance depth. For example, general platforms often lack automated, real-time integration for all 122 Fair Work Modern Awards, require steep minimum pricing tiers, or restrict payroll capabilities on entry-level plans. A dedicated, award-centric platform ensures compliance and automatically handles complex wage rates.
How does "Payday Super" impact my choice of cloud payroll software?
The upcoming legislation mandates that employers remit superannuation contributions concurrently with wages, rather than quarterly. To avoid severe compliance bottlenecks, your software must process data in real time. Platforms like e-PayDay Go® integrate natively with prominent clearinghouses (such as SuperChoice) to automate these concurrent step calculations in a single click, without additional processing costs.
Is e-PayDay FREEPAY® genuinely free, or are there hidden limitations?
Unlike some market offerings that use free plans as temporary trials, e-PayDay FREEPAY® is permanently free for micro-businesses with up to 3 employees. There are no limits on the number of pay runs or Single Touch Payroll (STP) lodgments you can send to the ATO, and it includes full core functionality rather than forcing you into a paid upgrade via artificial feature paywalls.
How do free payroll options like e-PayDay FREEPAY®, Payroller, and ClockOn compare?
While all three offer zero-cost tiers, their restrictions vary dramatically:
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e-PayDay FREEPAY®: Free with zero time limits for up to 3 employees, retaining complete core cloud payroll functionality.
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Payroller: Free for only 1 employee, with access strictly limited to the mobile app; using a web browser or managing rosters requires a paid upgrade.
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ClockOn: Free for up to 20 employees but restricted to a maximum of 27 STP submissions or 12 months (whichever comes first), effectively acting as a transition to a paid plan.
Are all the platforms listed in this top 10 ATO-registered?
Yes. Every platform featured in our review, including e-PayDay Go®, Xero, Employment Hero, and Reckon is registered with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and meets the necessary security frameworks to lodge Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2 reports directly.
