Payroll software · Australia · Head-to-head

Deputy vs Xero Payroll (AU)

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

Which should you choose?

Xero Payroll (AU) is the safer default — Deputy carries a reputation caution (see below), while Xero Payroll (AU) does not. Choose Deputy only if its specific strengths clearly outweigh that, and read the warning first.

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 →

Xero Payroll (AU)

Tier A · Workable

NZ-built accounting-tight payroll — STP Phase 2 native, dominant in AU SMB

Xero Payroll AU is embedded in Xero accounting (Xero is NZ-built, dominant in AU SMB). STP Phase 2 native, ATO compliant, award interpretation supported. Strongest fit for AU trades already on Xero accounting.

Pros

+ Tight integration with Xero accounting (dominant in AU SMB)
+ STP Phase 2 native + ATO compliance
+ Modern UX
+ Cross-market consistency

Cons

− Value depends on Xero accounting subscription
− Less award-interpretation depth than KeyPay
− Pricing add-on stacks with Xero subscription

Australia note

Xero dominates AU SMB accounting — embedded payroll is the path of least resistance for Xero customers.

Typical Australia pricing: AU$10-$20/month add-on to Xero

Full review → Visit →

More Australia options

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

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