Looking for the top payroll software for Australian businesses? Check out our comprehensive guide and find the best solution for your company’s needs.
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.
Here is a quick look at how the top payroll solutions compare in terms of the core features for the Australian payroll market.
Jump to:
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.
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.
ADP doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.
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.
Ceridian Dayforce doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.
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.
Employment Innovations doesn’t disclose the pricing for their payroll plans on the website. You must contact their sales team for a customized quote.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.