Are you looking for the top 10 Single Touch Payroll software in Australia (2026)?

e-PayDay Go top 10 payroll software in Australia.

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!

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,

Time and Attendance,
Human Resource Management,
Cost Centres,
Accounting Integration,
Data Import and Export capability,
Employee Onboarding,
and Employee Self Service (ESS), for example.

Start your journey with a detailed list of your needs before you do anything else.

Determine the payroll features your require to suit the size of your business.

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 your budget for choosing the payroll software you need.

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,

It is importantant to establish what payroll support is included.

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 a few 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 the payroll solution 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.

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

GetApp,

SoftwareAdvice,
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 the most 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.

Payroller

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.

Key pros of the solution include:

Affordable Pricing: Offering a highly competitive per-employee pricing model. This approach makes it a cost-effective alternative to larger platforms.
Rapid setup: Payroller states that most users can register and process their very first pay run in under 15 minutes.

No specialist training required: The software features basic payroll functionality, making it simple for business owners to set up and navigate.

Automation provided: automatically calculates Wages, Superannuation and PAYGW (Tax).

Cons

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.
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.
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.
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.

Trustpilot Rating = Not Available

To explore more about Payroller, visit their comprehensive website.

Lightning Payroll

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’ payroll quickly and accurately, and is supported locally.

Key pros of the platform include:

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

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.

Highly-Rated Local Support: Subscriptions include free 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.

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).

Workforce Management Tools: It includes features specifically tailored to fast-paced industries like retail and hospitality, offering an integrated Android/iOS timeclock app, custom roster tools, and employee self-service portals.

Seamless Accounting Integrations: It directly syncs with major platforms like Xero to keep the general ledger updated automatically.

Cons

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.

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.

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.

Support Limitations: The local support team cannot provide remote assistance (e.g., TeamViewer) or troubleshoot your custom SMTP email settings.

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 paid archive subscription.

Trustpilot Rating = 3.8

To explore more about Lightning Payroll, visit their comprehensive website.

e-PayDay Go®

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.

Key pros of the platform include:

Free for Micro-Businesses: You can use e-PayDay Go® completely free for up to 3 employees per ABN, making it highly cost-effective for startups and very small teams.

Real-Time Fair Work Compliance: e-PayDay Go® includes built-in access to 122 Fair Work Modern Awards, automatically pre-filling hourly rates and notifying you of any legislative changes to minimise compliance risks.

ATO & STP Integration: Fully compliant with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regulations, it supports Single Touch Payroll (STP) and simplifies superannuation payments through integrated clearing houses like SuperChoice.

Automated Leave Tracking: Easily calculates and tracks leave accruals, including annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, and Rostered Days Off (RDOs).

Seamless Professional Collaboration: You can securely grant your Accountant or Bookkeeper free access to your account with tailored roles and permissions, making end-of-year or complex payroll tasks much easier. [10]

Advanced Tracking & Reporting: Features native cost-centres and a FAST-Pay™ feature that lets you import time and attendance files to automatically process pay runs.

Scalable Paid Plans: As your business grows, you can easily shift to affordable, month-to-month subscription plans that include access to Australian-based telephone support.

To explore their plans or get started for free, visit the e-PayDay Go® Pricing Page.

Cons

While e-PayDay Go is a robust and highly compliant tool for Australian businesses, it does have several constraints and limitations that you should consider before signing up:

Strict Employee Caps on Free Plans: The e-PayDay FREEPAY® plan limits you to exactly 3 active employees and 3 terminated employees (a total of 6 records); if you experience high staff turnover, you will need to upgrade to a paid subscription.
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.
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.
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.

Expired Subscription Lockout: If you let your plan expire, you will need a paid Archive subscription to continue accessing your data.

Lack of Feature Parity: e-PayDay Go® is a new cloud payroll solution launched by e-PayDay in 2023. As a result, it currently lacks some features that were previously available in their Windows Legacy Desktop payroll product. However, features and functionality are being added consistently, and the current deficiencies are being addressed with each new release.

Trustpilot Rating = 4.8

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.

What is the best payroll in Australia?

The best payroll system in Australia is the one that perfectly aligns with your business needs and priorities. 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.