Best Hr and Payroll Systems Australia was created around the small business owner to ensure that their clients and customers get the best payroll system and HR systems at an affordable price.
An efficient and affordable hr system is an essential for small business operations. Whether you’re starting a small business or already up and running, a good quality payroll system is essential for successful operations that can sustain your company. Is the priority of saving money on an hr or payroll system the most important, or do you need something that simply works?
QuickBooks

Quickbooks Payroll is one of many Intuit products designed to make the lives of small business owners easier.
If you’re already using QuickBooks accounting software, adding QuickBooks Payroll only takes a couple of clicks. It has a beginner friendly user interface and makes payroll tasks a breeze.
You’ll find useful features like business receipt capture, automated taxes and payroll, in-depth reports, and support for all 50 states.
Quickbooks has also partnered with MammothHR to bundle the HR features you require.
They offer no contract pricing that starts at $45 per month for the Core plan. This plan gives you all the necessary features to manage HR and payroll including, automated payroll, health benefits, 401k plans, and more.
You’ll also find higher-level plans that start at $75 per month and give you additional features like same-day direct deposit, workers comp support, and mobile time tracking.
Expert Review: We believe QuickBooks Payroll is the best payroll and HR software for businesses who use Quickbooks accounting software. With that said, we use QuickBooks for our bookkeeping and accounting, but we prefer to use Gusto because they help us with state compliance and really make the experience hassle-free.
Gusto: Best for Small Businesses Needing a Payroll Solution

What We Like
- Pays federal, state and local payroll taxes
- Unlimited pay runs
- Low-cost contractor-only plan
What’s Missing
- Health insurance is available only in 39 states
- Doesn’t provide international payroll service
- Not customizable for large complex businesses
Gusto Pricing
- Core: $39 per month + $6 per employee monthly
- Complete: $39 per month + $12 per employee monthly
- Concierge: $149 per month + $12 per employee monthly
- Contractor-only plan: $6 per contractor monthly
Gusto is a top-rated small business payroll software because of its affordably priced plans and full-service features. Aside from filing your payroll taxes and W-2/1099 year-end tax reports, it manages paid time off (PTO), administers workers’ compensation, and provides access to several benefits options. You can also run payroll an unlimited number of times and pay employees via direct deposits, checks, and pay cards. Note that many of the providers in this guide don’t offer pay cards or on-demand pay as a payment option, although ADP Run and Paychex do.
Gusto Is Featured in:
- Best Human Resources Payroll Software
- Best Small Business Payroll Software
- Best Online Payroll Services
- Top Zenefits Competitors
- Best HRIS/HRMS Software
- Top ADP Competitors
- Top Paychex Competitors
Gusto Features
- Affordable payroll processing: Its affordably priced plans with full-service payroll, payroll tax filings, and unlimited pay runs are just some of the reasons why Gusto is included in and even topped several of our buyer’s guides. With monthly fees that start at $39 plus $6 per employee, it’s optimal for small businesses looking for solid pay processing tools. This is unlike Rippling, Zenefits, BambooHR, and Homebase, which offer payroll as an add-on, and you’re required to purchase their core HR products first. Zoho People also offers payroll as an add-on, but you must be based in India to use it.
- Robust payment options: You can pay employees by direct deposit and pay card. You can also pay via paper check—if you print on your own (some providers, like ADP Run, offer check signing and stuffing services). In case your employees need to withdraw money between paydays, Gusto has a “Gusto Cashout” option that grants them advanced access to their earned salary.
- Benefits administration: Gusto offers a wide range of benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance, commuter benefits, retirement plans, HSA, FSA, and 529 college savings accounts. The kicker is that its health insurance is not available in 11 states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming) as of this writing. If this is a deal breaker for you, consider Paycor, Paychex, and ADP Run for benefits available across the US. Rippling also has extensive coverage, but its benefits modules are paid add-ons.
- Basic HR tools: Gusto doesn’t compare to Paychex or ADP Run on the number of HR features and tools available. It doesn’t have applicant tracking and job postings, but it does provide for average small business needs like offer letters, online W-4 and I-9 forms, HR documents, basic time tracking, and a self-onboarding portal.
- In-house HR expertise: Gusto provides access to certified HR experts—you can direct any compliance and HR questions you have to them. However, you’ll need to subscribe to Gusto’s highest plan to get it.
Gusto User Reviews
Gusto is rated highly on user review sites like Capterra and G2 with an average score of 4.5 out of 5. Employers and employees praise the interface and ease of running payroll. Some reviewers also appreciate how it handles filing of payroll taxes. However, a few complained about having experienced slow load times when accessing its software.
Paychex

Paychex is another common choice for online HR payroll software for small businesses.
It’s easy to use and comes equipped with payroll and HR features like new hire reporting, payroll tax administration, direct deposit, time tracking, and more.
Where it really stands out is its reporting features.
If you’re on one of the higher plans, you can access 160 different reports or create reports based on your own parameters. This will help you make data-driven decisions to grow your business.
The easy to use online dashboard lets you manage your payroll processes, health insurance and benefits, retirement, and more. Workers also have an employee self-service portal to manage their personal information.
You can also link your existing accounting software like Quickbooks or Xero directly into payroll.
The best plan for most small businesses will be PayChex Flex Select. This plan includes standard payroll features, along with HR and employee management functionality.
Pricing for the PayChex plans is hidden online, but it’s quote based pricing, so you’ll pay based on the features you need.
If you want advanced HR features like employee training and performance feedback, you’ll need the Paychex Flex Enterprise plan.
What We Like
- Flexible payroll and HR plans, even one for solopreneurs
- Advanced HR tools available with employee benefits options
- Dedicated payroll specialist
- 24/7 customer support
What’s Missing
- Pricing isn’t all transparent
- Software comes with a learning curve (due to the many features)
- Payroll tax administration and year-end tax reports cost extra
- Different contacts for different HR and payroll products
Paychex Pricing
- Paychex Flex Essentials: $39 per month + $5 per employee monthly
- Paychex Flex Select: Custom-priced
- Paychex Flex Pro: Custom-priced
Paychex Plan for Solopreneurs and the Self-Employed
- Paychex Solo: Custom-priced
Paychex offers HR software and services to businesses of all sizes. It has a Paychex Solo package for solopreneurs and the self-employed that includes payroll, a retirement plan option, and business incorporation services. It also provides Paychex Flex, which solopreneurs can transition to once their business has grown; it comes with full-service payroll, payroll tax administration, employee benefits, new hire onboarding, and a learning management solution. You even get a dedicated payroll specialist and access to HR advisers. Plus, like Rippling and ADP, Paychex offers a complete PEO option with benefits management and HR consulting.
Paychex Is Featured in:
- Best HRIS/HRMS Software
- Best Human Resources Payroll Software
- Best PEO Companies
- Best Online Payroll Services
- Best Small Business Payroll Software
- Top ADP Competitors
- Best Gusto Competitors
- Top Zenefits Competitors
Paychex Features
- Multiple plan options: Paychex offers multiple plans that target different business sizes. Its Paychex Solo tier even sets this provider apart from the other HR software that we reviewed since none of those offer options specific to solopreneurs. It also has a Paychex Flex product that has three plan options, wherein premium plans come with more compliance support. It even provides a PEO package, a service that other competitors on this list don’t offer (except Rippling and ADP).
- Robust HR tools: In part, Paychex earned its way into this list because of the numerous HR tools it has. It ranges from onboarding and time tracking to workforce management and training options—although some of these features typically cost extra.
- Strong hiring support: Paychex’s hiring tools can help you find qualified candidates and ensure they’re the right fit when you’re ready to grow. Applicant tracking, background checks, and employee screening solutions are also available. Its team of HR professionals can even provide recommendations and expert support in case you have recruiting concerns. And to help get your new hires up to speed on the job, Paychex offers online learning sessions, including sexual harassment prevention training.
- Benefits and insurance options: Paychex is licensed as an insurer, so it offers insurance directly. Unlike Gusto and Zenefits, which have limited health benefit coverage, Paychex’s health insurance covers all 50 states. Also, one unique benefit Paychex provides that the other providers in this list don’t is financial wellness tools—although this is a paid add-on.
- Payroll processing: Paychex can manage both employee and contractor payroll, but it doesn’t have the low-cost contractor-only plan that Gusto offers. While it can handle tax payments and filings to federal, state, and local agencies, you have to pay extra for some of its payroll administration services.
Paychex User Reviews
Users who left positive Paychex reviews online said that it offers good reporting options, great onboarding functionalities, and an easy-to-learn interface. We also found its platform simple to use because it does not crowd its interface with extraneous features. Overall, its average user rating on G2 and Capterra is 4.15 out of 5.
Does your business need thorough HR assistance without full-on HR outsourcing? Paychex Flex combines cloud-based payroll management and human resources software for small and midsize businesses that want thorough, affordable HR management.
All Paychex payroll programs include new-hire state reporting, payroll tax filing, and an employee financial wellness program. And with three customizable packages, Paychex is one of the most scalable payroll options on our list. Growing businesses won’t have to look elsewhere for plans that support additional employees—growth is built into Paychex’s model.
Paychex’s payroll app for employers
If you frequently run payroll on the go, Paychex might be the best small-business payroll software for you. Only a few payroll providers offer employer-facing mobile payroll apps. Of the five or so that do, Paychex’s is easily the best: the Paychex Flex app has 4.8 stars (out of five) on Apple’s App Store and 4.3 on Google Play.2,3
Even though Paychex’s cheapest plan has a lower per-employee fee than Gusto, Paychex’s add-on fees can dramatically increase your monthly payroll costs. Unlike Gusto, OnPay, and QuickBooks Payroll, Paychex may charge additional fees for payroll tax administration, time and attendance software integration, accounting software integration, and workers comp and employee benefits administration. With all the extra fees, Paychex is better suited to midsize businesses that care more about built-in scalability than cost.ProsCombined HR and payroll plans
Affordable starting per-payee price
Customizable plans for growing businessesCons
Additional fees for payroll tax administration
Additional fees for third-party software integration
Pricier plans with limited pricing transparency
Expert Review: We believe Paychex is the best payroll and HR software for businesses who need detailed reporting.
Conclusion
When looking to find the best HR and Payroll systems in Australia, there are a number of factors which need to be taken into consideration. These will help determine one HR system over another. Our team of consultants can assist you with these factors and give you expert advice on the systems we have in store.