Running payroll, managing rosters, and keeping up with compliance is tough enough… using three separate systems only makes it harder.
That’s why more Australian businesses are moving to all-in-one workforce platforms that combine payroll, rostering, attendance tracking, and HR features into a single system. This article compares the top solutions built for Australian businesses, with a focus on local compliance, flexibility, and ease of use.
What Is an All-in-One Workforce Management Software?
An all-in-one workforce management software is a single platform that combines multiple essential functions (such as payroll, rostering, attendance tracking, and HR management) into one integrated system. Rather than relying on separate tools for scheduling, timesheets, leave management, and pay runs, businesses can manage everything from onboarding to payroll compliance within the same environment. This reduces manual data entry, eliminates integration issues, and improves accuracy across the employee lifecycle.
What Are the Must-Have Payroll Software Features?
For this review, we focused on features that are essential for Australian businesses to manage payroll accurately, stay compliant, and reduce manual workload. The most critical features included:
- Single Touch Payroll (STP) Compliance – All platforms needed to support ATO-mandated STP reporting to meet legal obligations and avoid penalties.
- Award Interpretation – With Australia’s complex industrial relations system, built-in award interpretation was a key feature. This ensures accurate pay rates, penalties, and loadings based on Fair Work awards or enterprise agreements.
- Automated Superannuation Contributions – The ability to calculate and submit super contributions directly to clearing houses simplifies employer obligations and reduces risk.
- Integrated Rostering and Time Tracking – We prioritised systems that link rosters and attendance directly to payroll, ensuring staff are paid correctly for actual hours worked without manual input.
- Leave Management – Built-in leave accruals and approvals are essential for ensuring entitlements are managed and reflected correctly in payslips.
- Payslip Generation and Employee Access – Employees should have easy access to digital payslips and payment history, ideally via a self-service app or portal.
- ATO-Compatible Reporting and Tax File Management – Platforms needed to support automatic tax calculations, TFN declarations, and year-end reporting like Payment Summaries or Income Statements via STP.
These features were considered non-negotiable for any payroll system claiming to be all-in-one and suitable for Australian businesses. Additional tools like HR onboarding, document management, or mobile apps were viewed as “value-adds”, not baseline requirements.
Comparison of the Top 5 Platforms
| Platform | Best For | Key Differentiator | Pricing Model | Core HR Included? |
| ClockOn | Compliance-heavy shift-based SMEs | True all-in-one with deep award interpretation | Per employee, per month | Yes |
| Rippling | Global / tech-savvy teams | Unified HR, Payroll & IT Management | Per employee, per month | Yes |
| ELMO | Mid-to-Large Enterprise | Advanced, modular HR suite | Quote-based / Per module | Yes |
| Microkeeper | Tech-savvy teams needing customization | Open API & highly configurable rules engine | Per employee, per payslip | Yes |
| Humanforce | Large, distributed workforces | Enterprise-grade rostering & optimisation | Quote-based / Per employee | Yes |
Detailed Reviews
1. ClockOn – Best for Compliance-Heavy Shift-Based Businesses
Key Features:
- Custom rule engine for award interpretation & Fair Work compliance
- Rostering with shift costing, templates, and role/qual matching
- Attendance via mobile app with GPS and break tracking
- Leave management and payroll automation
- HR module includes onboarding, WHS, EEO, visa checks, and more
Limitations:
- Users report the setup can be complex, though they offer a setup service
- Prioritises native functionality over building out a wide marketplace of integrations (tricky if you require a POS integration you can’t live without)
Why choose ClockOn?
Unlike many platforms that rely on integrations, ClockOn is a true all-in-one solution (including core HR features).They also offer a “babysitting service” if you need them to take over your payroll while your payroll staff is on leave. The system is ideal for hospitality, retail, pharmacy, and medical businesses with complex compliance needs.
Verified ClockOn review:
“Award and pay scale interpretation works well if set up correctly. Automation of timesheets and salaried information works well. Clock on and off features easy to use.”
2. Rippling – Best for Global Businesses Wanting Deep IT and App Integration
Key Features:
- Unified platform for HR, IT, and finance
- Automated onboarding and offboarding with app provisioning
- Built-in payroll and time tracking (AU support available via global payroll)
- Integrates with hundreds of apps (Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, etc.)
- Device management and security features for distributed teams
Limitations:
- Can be overwhelming for some businesses who may not utilise all features
- Rippling is a US-based platform, and while it supports global payroll (including Australia), it may require additional setup or partners for full local compliance
Why choose Rippling? Rippling goes beyond HR and payroll to offer IT and app management in one system, making it ideal for globally distributed or remote-first teams that need to automate access, provisioning, and compliance across multiple systems. It’s especially strong for tech-savvy companies with employees in multiple countries or complex software stacks.
Verified Rippling review:
“The word I would use to describe my experience with Rippling is simplicity. Everything I need to know or do related to my employment info is there and I do not have to bother anyone for simple thing like distributing my pay check into different bank accounts or requesting time off.”
3. ELMO Software – Best for Enterprise HR and Compliance Reporting
Key Features:
- Advanced HR suite with training, compliance, and onboarding
- Integrated payroll and time tracking
- Customised reporting for larger teams
Limitations:
- Designed for mid-large organisations
- Longer implementation timeline
Why? Choose ELMO if you’re an enterprise organisation that needs advanced HR compliance, custom reporting, and scalable workforce tools.
Verified ELMO review:
“The advice, expertise and on-going support since then has been amazing and we have developed a wonderful partnership with ELMO that has enabled us to build an awesome learning culture.”
4. Microkeeper – Best for Tech-Savvy Teams That Want Customisation
Key Features:
- Built-in payroll, rostering, and time tracking
- Custom rule engine and API access
- Employee mobile access and digital onboarding
- Supports STP and superannuation reporting
Why it stands out:
Microkeeper gives users more control and flexibility with its highly customisable workflows. It’s ideal for tech-forward teams that want to tailor how the system runs without needing to bolt on multiple tools. Particularly useful for industries like construction, tech, and trades with unique requirements.
Verified Microkeeper review:
“Customisable, always looking to improve, responsive to requests usually”
5. Humanforce – Best for Workforce Management at Scale
Key Features:
- Powerful scheduling and shift optimisation tools
- In-built payroll and HR
- Mobile tools for large, distributed teams
Limitations:
- More suitable for enterprise-level organisations
- Longer onboarding and higher pricing
Why? Choose Humanforce if you’re managing a large, distributed workforce across multiple sites and need industrial-strength scheduling and compliance tools at scale.
Verified Humanforce review:
“We are starting to see strong benefits in reducing our time to fill roles, with better quality talent, at reduced costs. We’re also finding the talent are highly engaged within the platform and our hiring managers love the custom configured visibility of where things are up to for their vacancies.”
Best of Breed Summary
While ClockOn excels in shift-based compliance and Rippling in global IT integration, ELMO and Humanforce offer powerful, scalable solutions for large enterprises needing advanced HR and workforce optimisation, respectively. Meanwhile, Microkeeper carves out a niche for tech-forward teams who value deep customisation and API access
How We Chose These Platforms
To create this comparison, we analysed publicly available information from each vendor’s website, product documentation, and pricing pages, as well as industry-relevant resources such as ATO requirements, Fair Work compliance guidelines, and trusted review platforms.
We focused on five key criteria relevant to Australian businesses:
- Core Functionality – Each platform includes payroll, rostering, and attendance tools. Additional credit was given for integrated HR features like onboarding, leave management, and document handling.
- Compliance Readiness – We prioritised software that addresses key Australian compliance needs, including Fair Work award interpretation, Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting, and superannuation contributions.
- Local Suitability – Platforms were evaluated based on their fit for the Australian market, including local regulation support, currency handling, and relevance to common business structures.
- Use Case Fit – We considered how well the software serves various industries and business sizes, especially shift-based teams and organisations with fluctuating staff levels.
- Reputation & Transparency – We assessed vendor positioning based on public documentation, industry partnerships, and third-party reviews to gauge overall credibility.
This article is editorial in nature and based on publicly available information, product documentation, and third-party review platforms. Our goal is to help Australian businesses make informed decisions about workforce management software.
