ELMO vs PageUp – how they compare for AU/NZ HR & payroll
For: HR Leaders, Payroll Managers, Finance Directors|9 min read|Last updated: August 2026
This comparison is published by Affinity. Vendor information is based on publicly available sources. Contact each provider directly for their current capabilities.
Summary
ELMO Software is a broad, AU/NZ-built modular HR suite with a payroll module of its own. PageUp is an Australian-built recruitment and talent-acquisition specialist with no payroll at all.
Affinity is an AU/NZ payroll specialist – its core business is a configurable award and EBA payroll engine, full STP Phase 2 and Superannuation, and Pay Day Super readiness. Most organisations run it best-of-breed, alongside a dedicated HR platform for recruitment, performance, and learning, connected through Clever Forms. Where an organisation doesn't have – or hasn't yet settled on – a separate HR system, Affinity's own employee record and self-service can also carry the essentials of a lighter core-HR layer, so payroll doesn't have to wait on an HR project to get underway.
How ELMO and PageUp differ
ELMO and PageUp were both built in Australia and share overlapping verticals – education, aged care, health, and government – but they were built for different jobs. ELMO's suite is broad: core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning are all native, with statutory data captured directly during onboarding and an acquired payroll module alongside it.
PageUp is more sharply focused on the talent lifecycle. Its core strength is recruitment marketing (via its Clinch acquisition) and applicant tracking, with strong native onboarding workflows built for high-volume or complex hiring. Its core HR record exists to support recruitment and onboarding rather than to act as a full transactional HRIS, and it has no native payroll of any kind.
Put simply: ELMO is a broad, local HR suite that happens to include an under-used payroll module; PageUp is a focused, local recruitment and talent specialist that leaves payroll to a dedicated system entirely.
Feature comparison
A neutral comparison of ELMO Software and PageUp across HR and payroll capabilities, with Affinity shown as a separate AU/NZ specialist column. Vendor capabilities should be confirmed directly with each provider.
Native / strong: Native / strongAvailable / partial: Available / partialNot offered: Not offered
Capability
ELMO Software
PageUp
AU/NZ specialistAffinity Payroll
Core HR/HRIS (system of record)
Native / strong: Native HR Core — system of record, AU/NZ-built
Available / partial: Core HR record present but not the primary strength – talent/recruitment-led platform
Native / strong: Digital onboarding via Clever Forms – new-starter pack completed on any device, TFN validated at entry, data writes directly to the payroll record, no re-keying
Available / partial: Native payroll module, STP Phase 2 compliant – many ELMO customers pair it with a specialist AU/NZ payroll platform for complex award and EBA requirements
Not offered: No native payroll engine – historically referenced only via external partners
Native / strong: Affinity's core business – configurable award/EBA engine, full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Bank / TFN / IRD / super validation at capture
Native / strong: Captures TFN declarations, Super Choice forms, and bank details during onboarding
Not offered: Not confirmed native; new-starter data is pushed to payroll
Native / strong: Bank account and tax file/IRD number validated at entry via Clever Forms, before data reaches the payroll record
Leave management & AU/NZ compliance
Native / strong: Leave requested/approved/tracked in HR Core with ESS/MSS; built for Fair Work, Modern Awards, EBAs
Not offered: Not a payroll-grade leave/compliance engine – sits downstream in payroll
Available / partial: Handled via HR Core workflows; not confirmed as a dedicated purpose-built change-approval engine
Available / partial: Strong recruitment requisition workflows (opening/filling a role); no dedicated engine for ongoing position or salary-change management once someone is employed
Native / strong: Role, salary, and position changes submitted and approved through Clever Forms workflow – writes to the record automatically with a full audit trail, effective from the date specified
Integration / interface with Affinity
Native / strong: Native 2-way API integration
Native / strong: File-based or API integration built to specification and customer requirements
Native / strong: Affinity uses its existing integration library, or draws on experience from equivalent customer integrations, to deliver a low-cost system connection
Where ELMO fits
ELMO suits AU/NZ mid-market organisations that want a single, locally built suite covering the full HR lifecycle, with statutory data captured natively at onboarding. It is a strong fit in aged care, education, healthcare, and local government, and Affinity maintains a dedicated partnership with ELMO for customers running both.
Where PageUp fits
PageUp suits organisations, particularly in education, health, aged care, and government, that most need a strong recruitment and talent-acquisition platform with configurable onboarding, and are comfortable running payroll on a separate, dedicated system.
Both are Australian-born platforms serving overlapping verticals – education, aged care, and government. ELMO offers a broader modular suite covering core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning, plus a payroll module of its own. PageUp is more sharply focused on recruitment and talent acquisition, with core HR supporting that talent lifecycle rather than acting as a full HRIS. Which fits better depends on whether breadth or recruitment depth matters more.
Do ELMO and PageUp handle AU/NZ payroll?
ELMO has a native payroll module that is STP Phase 2 compliant, and many ELMO customers pair it with a specialist AU/NZ payroll provider for complex award and EBA requirements. PageUp has no native payroll engine at all – new-starter data captured during onboarding is pushed downstream to a separate payroll system.
What is the main difference between ELMO and PageUp?
ELMO is a broad, modular AU/NZ HR suite covering the full employee lifecycle. PageUp is a focused talent-acquisition specialist, strongest in recruitment marketing and applicant tracking, with core HR functions built to support that talent lifecycle. ELMO optimises for breadth of local HR modules; PageUp optimises for recruitment and onboarding depth.
How does Affinity compare to ELMO and PageUp?
Affinity is an AU/NZ payroll specialist, not an HR system. ELMO connects to Affinity through a native 2-way API integration. PageUp connects through a file-based or API integration, built to specification and customer requirements. Both benefit from a genuinely local specialist handling AU/NZ payroll compliance.
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