Payroll software · Australia · Head-to-head

Deputy vs Reckon

Two Australia payroll software options, compared side by side for Australia trades.

Which should you choose?

Deputy edges ahead on our Australia tiering (Tier S vs A), but both are workable — the right pick depends on your trade, region, and the Australia-specific notes below.

Deputy

Tier S · Recommended

AU-built rostering + time & attendance with award interpretation, into compliant pay runs

⚠ Third-party reviews (2025–2026) report a late-2025 price increase moving existing customers to new tiers, add-on costs stacking, and slow support response on billing.

A Sydney-founded workforce-management platform (rostering, time & attendance, award interpretation) that historically fed external payroll (Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks) and now also offers first-party Deputy Payroll. Its edge over ledger-led tools is the front end: scheduling, clock-in, and a built-in modern-award engine that auto-fills penalty rates/overtime/allowances before pay is calculated — the hardest part of AU payroll for award-covered trades crews.

Pros

+ Built-in modern-award engine ("Fair Work without the guesswork")
+ AU-founded (Sydney) with regularly updated award templates + custom Pay Rate Builder
+ Deputy Payroll supports STP Phase 2
+ Converts approved timesheets to pay in "zero clicks"

Cons

− Modular pricing — payroll is a +$5/user/mo add-on, add-ons stack
− Documented late-2025 price increases
− Per-user model + ~$30/mo minimum poor value for very small teams
− Workforce-mgmt core, not deep accounting/ledger (usually paired with a GL)

Australia note

AU-founded; the standout AU value is modern-award/Fair Work interpretation at the timesheet level. Supports STP Phase 2; AU materials acknowledge the 1 July 2026 payday-super reform as a cash-flow implication.

Typical Australia pricing: AUD (ex-tax): Lite $6.75, Core $8.75, Pro $13/user/mo; Deputy Payroll add-on $5/user/mo; ~$30/mo minimum

Full review → Visit →

Reckon

Tier A · Workable

Long-standing AU accounting/payroll brand — low-cost, STP Phase 2, payday-super ready

⚠ AU review sites (2025–2026) carry recurring complaints of forced subscription upgrades / large price increases and an upfront-annual-billing, no-refund policy.

An Australian publicly-listed company with 30+ years in AU accounting/payroll, positioned explicitly as a cheaper MYOB/Xero alternative at the SMB/micro end. Its current lineup (Reckon One payroll, Payroll App, Payroll Premier) targets sole traders and small teams wanting cheap, ATO-compliant STP without a full accounting suite — a fit for the solo operator or small crew that just needs compliant payslips, leave and STP.

Pros

+ Genuinely Australian (ASX-listed, 30+ years, AU-hosted data)
+ STP Phase 2 compliant + ATO-registered across all payroll products
+ Explicitly "Payday Super ready for 1 July 2026"
+ Very low entry pricing (~$16/mo for up to 4 employees) + standalone mobile app

Cons

− Reviews call the software dated vs Xero/MYOB
− Repeated complaints of forced upgrades + steep price jumps
− Upfront annual billing + a no-refund stance
− No meaningful built-in award interpretation (weak for award-heavy shift trades)

Australia note

Australian-made, ATO-registered; STP Phase 2 across all payroll products and states it is "Payday Super ready for 1 July 2026." A long-standing local MYOB/Xero alternative for micro/small businesses.

Typical Australia pricing: AUD: Reckon One accounting from $12/mo; payroll from ~$16/mo (up to 4 employees), scaling with headcount

Full review → Visit →

More Australia options

See all Australia payroll software vendors and the rest of the Australia directory.

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