KeyPay Review Australia 2026

AU-MadePayroll
5.0 / 5— SoftwareHQ AU Rating
Pricing verified 2026-03-18

Overview

KeyPay is cloud payroll built for au accountants and bookkeepers. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Sydney, NSW, it serves Australian businesses with local data hosting and AU-based support.

Cloud payroll built for AU accountants and bookkeepers

AU Compliance Scores

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
Modern Awards NoteIndustry-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).

Pricing (AUD inc. GST)

All prices below are in Australian dollars and include GST. Pricing verified as of 2026-03-18.

Standard
$4/mo
per employee
$4/active employee/month (AUD incl. GST). Includes customisable payroll, employee self-service portal, WorkZone mobile app, timesheets, reporting, STP Phase 2 reporting, automated super payments, leave management, document management, and third-party integrations. Does not include Award Interpretation or rostering.
  • Employees: unlimited
  • Clients: unlimited
Most Popular
Plus
$6/mo
per employee
$6/active employee/month (AUD incl. GST). Everything in Standard plus Modern Award auto-interpretation, Pay Conditions Engine for custom rules and Enterprise Agreements, rostering with real-time shift costing, Time & Attendance kiosk, and Dimensions for cost centre/location tracking.
  • Employees: unlimited
  • Clients: unlimited

Pros & Cons

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

Who Is KeyPay Best For?

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

KeyPay may not be the best fit for:

  • Sole Trader No Employees
  • Full Accounting Needs
  • Invoicing Only

KeyPay Alternatives

If KeyPay doesn’t quite fit your needs, consider these alternatives for Australian businesses:

  • Xero — Australia's most popular cloud accounting platform. From $35/mo inc. GST.
  • MYOB — Australia's original business management platform. From $35/mo inc. GST.
  • Employment Hero — All-in-one HR, payroll and benefits platform for AU businesses. From $20/mo inc. GST.
  • Payroller — Simple payroll for AU small business. Free plan available.
  • Reckon One — Australian-built cloud accounting with flat-rate payroll. From $24/mo inc. GST.

Related Comparisons

Head to Head
Xero vs KeyPay 2026
Xero Payroll is convenient if you already use Xero for accounting, but KeyPay offers industry-leadin...
Head to Head
MYOB vs KeyPay 2026
MYOB and KeyPay both score 5/5 on Modern Award auto-interpretation, but KeyPay is confirmed Payday S...
Head to Head
KeyPay vs Employment Hero 2026
Employment Hero acquired KeyPay, so both share the same Modern Award engine (5/5) and Payday Super r...
Head to Head
KeyPay vs Payroller 2026
KeyPay offers industry-leading Modern Award auto-interpretation (5/5 vs 3/5), confirmed Payday Super...

Migration Guides

Step-by-step switching guides involving KeyPay for Australian businesses.

Hard
How to Switch Payroll Provider Mid-Year
4-8 hours · 7 steps
Moderate
How to Migrate from Employment Hero to KeyPay
3-5 hours · 8 steps
Moderate
How to Switch from Manual Payroll to Software
3-6 hours · 8 steps

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