5 payroll software options for Australian businesses

Good payroll software saves you time and reduces the risk of paying people incorrectly. But with so many options, it can be difficult to know which one suits your business.

Visory runs payroll for growing Australian businesses, so our team works with a range of payroll tools every pay cycle. This guide compares five payroll software options available in Australia, based on each provider’s own website as at October 2026. Features and plans change often, so check the provider’s current pricing page before you decide.

What is payroll software?

It’s worth being clear about what payroll software actually is. Why? Because this is unclear for many, and we have seen Microsoft Word and even an instance of PowerPoint being used as ‘payroll software’.

Payroll software is a digital tool that calculates and records employee pay, tax withheld (PAYG withholding), super and leave, and reports each pay run to the ATO through Single Touch Payroll (STP). From 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, employers must also pay super for each payday, so it reaches the employee’s fund within 7 business days. Software that can pay super with each pay run makes this much easier.

Software is not the same as managed payroll. Payroll software gives you the tools, but you (or your team) still set it up, apply the right award rates, check each pay run and fix errors. A managed payroll service runs the process for you, with the business still approving each pay run. Technology makes payroll easier, but there are still complexities, such as award interpretation and the Payday Super deadlines, that take expertise to manage.

Here are five payroll software options for businesses in Australia.

1. Xero

Xero is accounting software with payroll built in, which suits small businesses that want payroll and accounting in one place. Xero’s Australian plans include payroll for a set number of people: 2 on Grow, 5 on Comprehensive and 10 on Ultimate (as at October 2026), with extra charges above that.

Xero calculates pay, tax, super and leave, lets you pay super directly through Xero, and reports each pay run to the ATO under Single Touch Payroll (STP) Phase 2. Employees can view payslips, request leave and log timesheets in the Xero Me app.

Key features	Things to check
Payroll and accounting in one platform	How many people your plan includes payroll for
STP Phase 2 reporting and super payments from within Xero	Whether it handles your award rules without manual set-up
Employee self-service app (Xero Me)

Pricing: See Xero’s current plans

Visory integration: Yes

Best for: Sole traders and small businesses that manage accounting and payroll in one platform

2. Employment Hero

Employment Hero combines payroll and HR in one platform. Its payroll features include:

• Award interpretation and leave accruals
• STP Phase 2 reporting
• Super paid with each pay run through its built-in clearing service, HeroClear (for Payday Super)
• Timesheets and rostering (as an add-on)
• Employee onboarding
• An employee self-service app

Employment Hero acquired KeyPay, and the KeyPay payroll product now carries the Employment Hero name. It also offers AI features that flag unusual items in a pay run for you to review.

Key features	Things to check
Payroll and HR in one platform	It focuses on HR and payroll, so you’ll need separate accounting software
Award interpretation for complex rosters	Pricing is per employee, with monthly minimums
Employee app for leave requests and payslips

Pricing: See Employment Hero’s current pricing

Visory integration: Yes

Best for: Growing businesses that want payroll and HR together

3. MYOB

MYOB offers payroll inside its accounting plans and as a standalone product. As at October 2026, MYOB Business Lite and Pro charge extra for payroll: $3 per employee per month as checked on 9 October 2026, with a two-employee limit on Lite and unlimited employees on Pro. AccountRight Plus and Premier include payroll. MYOB Business Payroll Only is standalone payroll for up to 4 employees. Check current pricing before buying; a price change is announced for 1 November 2026. Payroll features include:

• Automated pay runs
• Tax, super and leave calculations
• Super payments for Payday Super
• Timesheets
• STP reporting

Key features	Things to check
Payroll with or without accounting	Employee limits on the lower plans
STP reporting and Payday Super support

Pricing: See MYOB’s current plans

Visory integration: Yes

Best for: Businesses that already use MYOB for their accounts

4. Deel

Deel is a global payroll and HR platform for businesses with remote teams and contractors in other countries.

Its features include:

• Local and global payroll
• Contractor management and payments
• Employer of record (EOR) services, so you can employ people overseas without setting up a local entity
• HR management

What sets Deel apart is its ability to pay people in different countries and currencies (it says it supports more than 150).

Key features	Things to check
Contractor and employee payments across many countries	Pricing is per contractor or per employee, so cost grows with your team
Employer of record option	Whether it suits a mainly Australian workforce on Australian awards

Pricing: See Deel’s current pricing

Best for: Businesses that work with many contractors and global, remote workers.

5. QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Online is cloud accounting software for small and medium businesses.

You can send invoices and manage inventory, accounts payable (AP), and accounts receivable (AR).

QuickBooks is primarily accounting software. In Australia, QuickBooks Payroll is an add-on to any QuickBooks Online plan and is powered by Employment Hero. It includes STP reporting and supports Payday Super.

Key features	Things to check
Free trial	Payroll is an add-on, priced per active employee
STP reporting and Payday Super support

Pricing: See QuickBooks Payroll’s current pricing

Visory integration: Yes

Best for: Small businesses that already use QuickBooks for their accounts

Best payroll software for your business

Choosing the right payroll software can make paying and managing your workforce easier. It can save time for HR teams and reduce payroll errors.

Weigh up cost, features, award handling, how it pays super under Payday Super, and how well it connects to your accounting software.

If you’d rather not run payroll yourself, Visory runs payroll for growing Australian businesses. A dedicated team, working with Visory’s AI, Delphi, under that team’s oversight, runs each pay cycle, including STP reporting and super. Book a discovery call to see if it suits your business.