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?
Deputy and Xero Payroll (AU) are both Tier S: our check found each one's prices published on its own website, so you can compare their costs before talking to sales. The tier is not a quality ranking: weigh the pros, cons, pricing and Australia-specific notes below against your trade and region.
Deputy
Tier S · Published pricesSydney-founded rostering, time clock and award interpretation, with an optional Deputy Payroll add-on
Deputy is a workforce management platform founded in Sydney in 2008 by Steve Shelley and Ashik Ahmed; it says more than 390,000 workplaces worldwide use it. Its plans cover rostering, timesheets, time clocking and award interpretation, and approved timesheets can flow to Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks or Reckon, or to Deputy's own Payroll add-on. Deputy says its regularly updated award templates auto-fill employee entitlements, which suits award-covered trade crews.
Pros
- + Award interpretation included from the Lite plan, with regularly updated award templates
- + Deputy Payroll add-on designed for STP Phase 2 reporting, Deputy says
- + Timesheets connect to Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks and Reckon
- + Published per-user AUD prices; 30-day free trial on the Payroll add-on
Cons
- − Payroll is a paid add-on ($5 per user per month) on top of a base plan
- − Minimum spend of AUD $30 a month per invoice on monthly Lite, Core and Pro plans since 1 September 2025
- − Per-user pricing grows with the crew, and HR, Messaging+ and Analytics+ cost extra below Pro
- − SMS charged at 5c per 160 characters
Australia note
Deputy says Deputy Payroll is designed to support Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting, and its payroll page notes that under Payday Super, super must be paid on each payday rather than quarterly. Award interpretation is included from the Lite plan (Core adds advanced award interpretation); AU prices are in AUD excluding taxes.
Xero Payroll (AU)
Tier S · Published pricesPayroll built into Xero's Australian plans: STP Phase 2 reporting and super payments, with payroll for 2, 5 or 10 people by plan
Xero Payroll is built into Xero's Australian accounting plans rather than sold as a separate add-on: Grow includes payroll for 2 people, Comprehensive for 5 and Ultimate 10 for 10, with larger Ultimate tiers. Xero, headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, says 5 million customers use its software worldwide. Its Australian head office is in Melbourne, with offices in Brisbane and Sydney.
Pros
- + Payroll included in the plan price, with no separate payroll subscription
- + STP Phase 2 reporting to the ATO each payday
- + Super calculated and paid from each pay run for Payday Super
- + Xero Me app for payslips, leave requests and timesheets
Cons
- − Payroll headcount is capped by plan: 2 on Grow, 5 on Comprehensive, 10 on Ultimate 10
- − Extra charges may apply above the included number of people, and they are not listed on the pricing page
- − No award-interpretation feature described; Xero points users to the Fair Work Ombudsman
- − Payroll requires a Xero accounting plan
Australia note
Xero says its payroll handles Single Touch Payroll Phase 2 reporting to the ATO each payday and calculates and pays super in each pay run for Payday Super, which started on 1 July 2026, at no extra cost. For award obligations it points users to a payroll specialist or the Fair Work Ombudsman rather than automating award rules.
More Australia options
See all Australia payroll software vendors and the rest of the Australia directory.