KeyPay vs Payroller — Australia 2026

KeyPay vs Payroller for AU payroll. Compare Modern Award depth, STP Phase 2, Payday Super readiness, super clearing & pricing.

Last verified 2026-03-16
Quick Verdict

KeyPay for compliance-critical payroll; Payroller for simplicity

KeyPay offers industry-leading Modern Award auto-interpretation (5/5 vs 3/5), confirmed Payday Super readiness, and a direct super clearing house. Payroller is cheaper (free for 1 employee) but only handles basic awards and has unconfirmed Payday Super status. For any business running hospitality, retail, or construction with penalty rates and overtime, KeyPay's compliance depth is worth the extra cost.

Feature Comparison

FeatureKeyPayPayroller
HeadquartersSydney, NSWSydney, NSW
Entry Price$4/moFree
BAS LodgementPayroll-only — BAS via accounting integration (Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks)Payroll only — no BAS features. Use your accounting software (Xero, MYOB) for BAS lodgement.
STP Phase 2compliantcompliant
Payday Superreadypreparing
Modern AwardsIndustry-leading Modern Award auto-interpretation with pre-built Awards covering hospitality, retail, healthcare, aged care, cleaning, manufacturing, and more. Automatically calculates correct base rates, penalty rates, overtime, allowances, and leave loading based on employee classification and hours. Auto-updates when Fair Work changes Award rates. Requires Plus plan ($6/employee/month).Basic Modern Award support — major awards covered, complex interpretations (hospitality penalty rates, retail casual loadings) may need manual entry
Data HostingAUAU
AU Support HoursMon-Fri 9am-5pm AESTMon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST
Phone SupportNoNo
Integrations30+ apps5+ apps

Pricing Comparison (AUD, Mar 2026)

KeyPay Plans

Standard
$4/mo
per employee
  • ✓Employees: unlimited
  • ✓Clients: unlimited
Most Popular
Plus
$6/mo
per employee
  • ✓Employees: unlimited
  • ✓Clients: unlimited

Payroller Plans

Free
Free
AUD inc GST
  • ✓Employees: 1
Most Popular
Small Business
$10/mo
AUD inc GST
  • ✓Employees: 4

AU Compliance Scores

How we scoreScores are out of 5 and reflect depth of compliance support, ease of setup, and ongoing reliability for Australian businesses. Assessed March 2026.

KeyPay

BAS Lodgement
0/5
STP Phase 2
5/5
Payday Super
5/5
Modern Awards
5/5
GST Handling
0/5
Bank Feeds
0/5

Payroller

BAS Lodgement
0/5
STP Phase 2
5/5
Payday Super
3/5
Modern Awards
3/5
GST Handling
0/5
Bank Feeds
0/5

Pros & Cons

KeyPay

Pros

  • Best-in-class Modern Award auto-interpretation covering 100+ Awards with auto-rate updates — eliminates the #1 source of payroll errors
  • STP Phase 2 compliant (ATO-certified since June 2022) and confirmed Payday Super ready for July 2026
  • Multi-client dashboard purpose-built for accountants/bookkeepers managing 20+ client payrolls from a single login
  • Automated super payments to all major AU funds via built-in KeyPay Super clearing house — no third-party gateway
  • Transparent per-employee pricing: $4/employee (Standard) or $6/employee (Plus with Awards) — no hidden fees or minimums
  • AU-made, AU-hosted (AWS Sydney), ISO 27001 certified, with mandatory 2FA and encrypted data at rest

Cons

  • Payroll-only — no invoicing, BAS lodgement, or general accounting; requires Xero/MYOB/QuickBooks alongside
  • No phone support on any plan — email and chat only during Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST business hours
  • Per-employee pricing adds up for larger teams: 50 employees on Plus = $300/month, 100 employees = $600/month
  • UI is functional but dated compared to modern SaaS design — the interface prioritises capability over aesthetics
  • Now part of Employment Hero — long-term product direction and potential feature consolidation creates strategic uncertainty for standalone KeyPay customers

Payroller

Pros

  • Free for 1 employee — lowest barrier to entry of any AU payroll software
  • Very simple and easy to use — 85% of users run first payroll in under 15 minutes
  • STP Phase 2 compliant with automatic ATO reporting
  • Purpose-built for AU payroll compliance
  • Cheapest paid plans in the market (~$4/employee/month)
  • AU-made, AU-hosted, AU-supported (Sydney-based team)
  • Employee self-service app for payslips, leave requests, and shift tracking
  • Integrates with Xero and MYOB for accounting sync

Cons

  • No HR features (onboarding, performance management, document storage)
  • Basic Modern Award interpretation only — complex awards need manual entry
  • Very limited integrations (Xero and MYOB only — no POS, rostering, or time tracking integrations)
  • Payday Super readiness not yet officially confirmed
  • Not suitable for businesses with complex payroll needs or 10+ employees
  • No BAS, GST, invoicing, or accounting features — payroll only

Who Should Choose KeyPay

KeyPay is best suited for businesses that need accountant bookkeeper, multi client payroll, complex modern awards.

Choose KeyPay if you are:

  • Accountant Bookkeeper
  • Multi Client Payroll
  • Complex Modern Awards
  • Hospitality Payroll

Who Should Choose Payroller

Payroller is best suited for businesses that need micro business, sole trader with one employee, simple payroll.

Choose Payroller if you are:

  • Micro Business
  • Sole Trader With One Employee
  • Simple Payroll
  • Budget Payroll