- The best payroll fit depends on how hands-on you want to be
- Specialist platforms suit self-serve payroll; ADP suits complex payrolls
- Sleek runs payroll inside your accounting, for one provider and one invoice
- Super must be paid with each pay run from 1 July 2026
If you’re looking for the best payroll providers in Australia for a small business, this guide lines them up side by side so you can compare without the sales spin.
We share an honest, evidence-led shortlist of the best payroll providers and software for Australian SMEs: who each one suits, roughly what they cost, and how to choose.
We’ve kept this to what actually helps a buyer decide: who each option suits, how it’s delivered, and roughly how it’s priced. Here are the leading payroll providers compared side by side, with Sleek’s payroll services as one credible option among specialists.
What are the best payroll providers in Australia?
The top payroll companies Australia relies on fall into three camps: self-serve software you run yourself, fully-managed services that run it for you, and accountant-backed options that fold payroll into your books. The table below sets the main providers out so you can see who each one is for before you shortlist.
Provider | Best for | Delivery model | Pricing model | Standout | Watch-out
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Employment Hero | SMEs wanting HR and payroll in one | All-in-one HR + payroll | Quote-based; managed-payroll add-on from A$20/employee/mo (min A$400/mo) | Payroll and HR in a single system; also sells a standalone payroll engine (Employment Hero Payroll, formerly KeyPay) | More than you need if you only want payroll |
ADP | Larger or complex payrolls | Fully-managed / enterprise | Custom quote (enterprise) | Handles complex, multi-entity payroll | Heavier than a micro business needs |
Rippling | Scaling teams wanting payroll, HR and IT | All-in-one workforce platform | Custom quote; per employee + platform fee | Deep automation across HR and IT | Breadth can overshoot a small team |
CloudPayroll | Businesses wanting a managed payroll bureau | Specialist managed payroll | From ~A$2.20/employee per pay run + A$11.50/pay run | Payroll-only focus across AU and NZ | No bundled accounting |
Microkeeper | Award-heavy, shift-based teams | Payroll, rostering and time | From A$6/employee/mo (payroll, rostering, time) | Rostering and awards built in | Niche fit for simple salaried teams |
Xero Payroll | Small businesses already on Xero | Self-serve, built into accounting | From A$107/mo (incl. payroll for 5) | Tight link to your Xero books | Best value only if you use Xero |
MYOB | Growing businesses on MYOB | Accounting platform with payroll | From A$70/mo + A$3/employee/mo | Payroll inside a full accounting suite | Overlap if you use another ledger |
QuickBooks Payroll | QuickBooks Online users | Add-on to accounting software | A$6/employee/mo + a QuickBooks plan | Sits inside QuickBooks | Tied to QuickBooks |
Sleek | SMEs wanting payroll handled with their accounting | Accountant-backed, managed with your books | From A$25/payslip per employee, with your accounting | One provider and one invoice for payroll and books | Not for teams wanting self-serve software only |
So, what are the best payroll providers for small business in Australia?
The best services depend on how hands-on you want to be. Dedicated platforms like Employment Hero, Rippling and CloudPayroll suit teams happy to run payroll themselves, while ADP fits larger or more complex payrolls. Businesses that would rather have payroll handled alongside their accounting and bookkeeping, under one provider and one invoice, can use an accountant-backed service such as Sleek.
If you already outsource your accounting, the honest read is that the benefits of payroll outsourcing often come down to one fewer vendor to coordinate.
Ready to hand payroll to an accountant-backed team?
Which payroll provider is right for you?
Knowing how to choose a payroll provider comes down to a handful of practical questions, not a feature checklist. Work through these before you shortlist:
- How many people are on your payroll, and how fast is that growing?
- Do you want to run pay runs yourself, or hand them off entirely?
- Are your staff salaried, or award-based with shifts and penalty rates?
- Do you need HR tools too, or just clean, compliant pay runs?
- Do you want payroll to sit with your accounting, or stay separate?
Your answers usually point to one camp quickly. Award-heavy rosters lean to Microkeeper; an all-in-one HR need leans to Employment Hero or Rippling; and a business that just wants payroll off its plate with the books leans to an accountant-backed service.
That’s the short version of how to choose a payroll provider. The best payroll providers for Australian SMEs are simply the ones that match that answer, not the ones with the longest feature list.
Do you even need a payroll provider yet, or just software?
Plenty of sole traders and micro employers ask whether they need a provider at all. If you have one or two people and simple, salaried pay, low-cost software or a built-in tool in your accounting may be enough. A provider earns its keep once awards, superannuation, leave accruals and Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting start eating your week.
There’s a related question worth settling first: will the people you pay be on payroll, or engaged as contractors? Getting that classification right affects tax, super and insurance, so it’s worth confirming before you pick a tool. For a genuine team on the books, a provider almost always pays for itself in time saved and mistakes avoided.
How much does payroll cost in Australia?
Most payroll pricing is built per employee, per month, often with a small base fee on top. Fully-managed and outsourced services cost more per head than self-serve software because a person is doing the work, while accountant-backed options usually fold payroll into a fixed monthly fee with your bookkeeping. Prices move often and promotions come and go, so treat the figures here as a guide and check the latest on each provider’s page before you commit.
When you compare on cost, look past the headline price to what’s included: STP lodgement, superannuation guarantee payments, leave, and support when something breaks. The superannuation guarantee rate is 12% from 1 July 2025, and payday super for employers means super must reach each worker’s fund with every pay run from 1 July 2026, not quarterly. A slightly higher fee that keeps you compliant is cheaper than a penalty.
Payday Super: what changes from 1 July 2026, and what should you check?
From 1 July 2026, super stops being a quarterly job. Under Payday Super, you pay the superannuation guarantee at the same time as wages, and each contribution must reach the employee’s fund within seven business days of payday, with 20 business days allowed for a new hire’s first payment. Miss the timing and you are exposed to the super guarantee charge.
So the practical test when you compare providers is simple: does it calculate and pay super on every pay run, not monthly or quarterly? Any provider or accountant worth using has already moved to payday timing, so confirm it before you commit, and read our how Payday Super works guide for the detail.
Software or fully-managed payroll, and how do you switch without disruption?
The real decision for most SMEs is payroll outsourcing vs software. Software keeps you in control and costs less, but the compliance and the clock are on you. A fully-managed or accountant-backed service hands that off, which is why the payroll outsourcing vs software question usually tracks how much time you have, not just budget.
Switching sounds risky, and fear of migration keeps many owners on a provider they’ve outgrown. In practice, a clean switch means moving year-to-date figures, employee records and super details across, then running one parallel pay cycle to check the numbers match.
A good provider or accountant does the heavy lifting; you mostly approve. If payroll tax is in scope, confirm your obligations when registering for payroll tax in your state, and keep your bookkeeping services aligned so wages reconcile cleanly.
Where does Sleek fit for payroll?
Sleek isn’t a standalone payroll platform, and we’ll say so plainly: if you want self-serve payroll software to run yourself, a specialist above is the better fit. Where Sleek earns its place is for SMEs who’d rather not run payroll at all and want it handled with their accounting services in Australia.
That means payroll, bookkeeping and tax sit with one small business accountant, on one invoice, with STP and super handled for you. With the payroll providers compared above, the right pick is the one that matches how hands-on you want to be; for a one-provider setup, that’s us.
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FAQs about payroll providers in Australia
What is Single Touch Payroll, and do I have to use it?
Single Touch Payroll (STP) is the ATO’s system for reporting salaries, tax and super to the government each time you pay staff. It is mandatory for employers in Australia. Most payroll software and services lodge STP automatically, so check it’s included before you choose a provider.
Should I put workers on payroll or treat them as contractors?
That depends on the working relationship, not just the label you prefer. Genuine employees belong on payroll with PAYG withholding and super, while true contractors invoice you and manage their own obligations. Getting it wrong carries real tax and penalty risk, so confirm the classification with your accountant before the first pay run.
When does a small business legally need to run payroll?
You need to run payroll as soon as you pay employees, including yourself if you draw a wage from a Pty Ltd company. That triggers PAYG withholding, super and STP reporting obligations. Paying only genuine contractors who invoice you is different and doesn’t by itself require a payroll system.
What is the best payroll software for a small Australian business?
There is no single best option; it depends on how you want to run payroll. If you already use Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, their built-in payroll is usually the cheapest path, while award-heavy teams tend to prefer Microkeeper and businesses that want payroll off their plate lean to a managed or accountant-backed service. Match the tool to your headcount, your awards and how hands-on you want to be, not to the longest feature list.
Can I outsource payroll instead of buying software?
Yes. A managed payroll bureau or an accountant-backed service runs pay runs, STP and super for you, so you approve rather than process. It costs more per head than self-serve software because a person does the work, but it removes the compliance load, which is why time-poor owners often prefer it.
Do I need payroll software if I only have one employee?
Not always. With one or two people on simple, salaried pay, a built-in payroll tool in your accounting software or a low-cost standalone is usually enough. Once awards, leave, superannuation and STP reporting start taking real time, a dedicated provider or an accountant usually pays for itself.
