Ace Payroll vs Dayforce – how they compare for AU/NZ payroll

For: Payroll Managers, HR Leaders, Finance Directors|11 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

Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned. Dayforce is a global HCM platform unifying HR, pay, time and talent, with AU/NZ payroll via Ascender. Affinity is shown here as a separate column: an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist for organisations whose complexity is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand.

How Ace Payroll and Dayforce differ

Dayforce is a global HCM platform – dual-headquartered in Minneapolis and Toronto, rebranded from Ceridian in 2024 and taken private by Thoma Bravo in a deal completed February 2026. It runs HR, payroll, time, talent and analytics from one application on a continuous calculation engine, and in AU/NZ delivers payroll largely through its 2021 acquisition of Ascender.

The core distinction for a buyer is what each platform was built to optimise for: Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned, while Dayforce is a global HCM platform unifying HR, pay, time and talent, with AU/NZ payroll via Ascender. AU/NZ payroll sits within each vendor's broader focus rather than as the sole product, which is where a specialist platform like Affinity differs from both.

One further point matters for this comparison: Ace Payroll is being retired by its owner (see the FAQ below), which means organisations still on it face a mandatory migration rather than a discretionary choice.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Ace Payroll and Dayforce across payroll and workforce capabilities, with Affinity shown as a separate AU/NZ specialist column. Vendor capabilities should be confirmed directly with each provider.

Native / strong Available / partial Not offered

Capability	Ace Payroll	Dayforce	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Not offered: NZ-only product – no AU award functionality	Available / partial: Award/EBA interpretation via Dayforce aPay (formerly Ascender), ~30 years local heritage; complex multi-award depth to evaluate	Native / strong: Configurable engine – modern awards, EBAs, shift penalties, allowance stacking
NZ compliance (Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, IRD)	Native / strong: Native IRD Payday Filing, KiwiSaver and ACC levies	Available / partial: NZ payroll available incl. Holidays Act support; depth to confirm	Native / strong: Purpose-built Holidays Act engine, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing, NZ team
STP Phase 2 & superannuation	Not offered: Not applicable – NZ-only, no STP	Native / strong: ATO-certified for STP; STP Phase 2 supported	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Not offered: No AI/intelligence features found	Available / partial: Continuous calculation engine surfaces pay data in real time; dedicated pre-payslip anomaly layer to confirm	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Not offered: NZ-only	Native / strong: Global HCM platform serving organisations across many countries	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Workforce management	Not offered: Basic leave calendar only – no rostering	Native / strong: Core strength – integrated time & attendance/WFM on a continuous calculation engine	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Not offered: Self-managed desktop software only	Native / strong: SaaS + managed payroll services (Ascender heritage) in AU/NZ	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Native / strong: NZ 0800 helpdesk and local trainer network	Available / partial: Local AU/NZ presence via Ascender heritage team; named local accountability to confirm	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration
Product longevity / active roadmap	Not offered: Decommissioned 1 April 2027 (MYOB-confirmed) – no further development	Available / partial: Not a stated focus – confirm directly	Native / strong: Independently owned; continuously invested for 40+ years – no sunset

Where Ace Payroll fits

Ace Payroll has historically suited very small NZ employers wanting a low-cost, simple desktop tool for IRD compliance rather than a full-featured platform. With MYOB decommissioning it on 1 April 2027, it is no longer a viable long-term choice – the practical question for remaining Ace Payroll customers is which platform to move to, not whether to move.

Where Dayforce fits

Dayforce is built for organisations that want one global HCM platform unifying HR, payroll, time, talent and analytics on a continuous calculation engine. Its Ascender heritage brings around 30 years of AU/NZ payroll experience, and it is the platform Preceda customers are being migrated onto – making it a strong fit for organisations that want global HCM breadth alongside that migration path, particularly where workforce management and scheduling depth matter.

Where Affinity fits

For organisations whose payroll complexity is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand, a specialist engine with pre-payslip intelligence, delivery-model flexibility, local data residency, and named local support is a different proposition to either Ace Payroll or Dayforce. Some organisations run Ace Payroll or Dayforce for their broader positioning and Affinity for a complex AU/NZ operation; others choose Affinity specifically because they need genuine cross-Tasman depth that neither platform is built to prioritise.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ace Payroll or Dayforce better for Australian payroll?

Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned. Dayforce is a global HCM platform unifying HR, pay, time and talent, with AU/NZ payroll via Ascender. Which fits better for Australian payroll depends on which of those is closer to what your organisation actually needs. Confirm current AU award and EBA depth directly with both providers. For organisations whose complexity is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand, a specialist engine like Affinity is built specifically for that depth.

Do Ace Payroll and Dayforce handle New Zealand payroll?

Ace Payroll: Native IRD Payday Filing, KiwiSaver and ACC levies. Dayforce: NZ payroll available incl. Holidays Act support; depth to confirm. Confirm current NZ depth directly with each provider – Holidays Act, KiwiSaver and IRD payday filing all require genuine local engine work, not just tax-table updates. Affinity runs a purpose-built NZ payroll engine with 40+ years of Holidays Act experience and an NZ-based support team.

What is the main difference between Ace Payroll and Dayforce?

Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned, while Dayforce is a global HCM platform unifying HR, pay, time and talent, with AU/NZ payroll via Ascender. They overlap on core payroll compliance but differ in scope, ownership model, and the customer base each was built to serve.

How does Affinity compare to Ace Payroll and Dayforce?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not try to match Ace Payroll or Dayforce on their own ground; it competes on depth of AU/NZ award and Holidays Act compliance, pre-payslip intelligence, delivery-model flexibility, local data residency, and named local support.

Why is Ace Payroll being retired, and what should I do?

Ace Payroll is a New Zealand-only, locally-installed desktop payroll application, owned by MYOB since 2015 and originally built in 1990 for small NZ employers. It handles IRD Payday Filing, KiwiSaver and ACC levies natively, priced on a flat-fee rather than per-employee basis. MYOB has confirmed Ace Payroll will be decommissioned on 1 April 2027, with customers directed to MYOB Business Payroll. If your organisation is still running Ace Payroll, treat this as a forced re-platforming project on a deadline, not a routine software update. It is a reasonable moment to evaluate options on their merits – including a specialist AU/NZ payroll platform like Affinity – rather than defaulting to whatever migration path is offered.

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