Ace Payroll vs Deel – 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. Deel is a global hiring, EOR and payroll platform spanning 150+ countries. 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 Deel differ

Deel is a global hiring, employer-of-record and payroll platform operating in 150+ countries, US-based and ISO 27001/SOC 2 Type II certified. Its AU payroll runs through Astute Payroll (via the Paygroup acquisition), and it offers Payroll Detective – part of Deel AI Workforce – for anomaly detection.

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 Deel is a global hiring, EOR and payroll platform spanning 150+ countries. 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 Deel 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	Deel	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Not offered: NZ-only product – no AU award functionality	Available / partial: Astute Payroll (via Paygroup) – configurable shifts, allowances, penalties	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 within global platform; Holidays Act 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: Supported	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Not offered: No AI/intelligence features found	Available / partial: Payroll Detective (Deel AI Workforce) – global anomaly detection	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Not offered: NZ-only	Native / strong: 150+ countries; EOR	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Workforce management	Not offered: Basic leave calendar only – no rostering	Not offered: Not a core offering (hiring/payments focus)	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Not offered: Self-managed desktop software only	Native / strong: EOR incl. managed payroll; payroll software via Paygroup/Astute	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Native / strong: NZ 0800 helpdesk and local trainer network	Not offered: Global chat-first support	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
EOR & international hiring	Available / partial: Not a stated focus – confirm directly	Native / strong: Core strength – employ in 150+ countries without local entities	Not offered: Not offered – AU/NZ payroll focus, assumes existing local entities

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 Deel fits

Deel is built for organisations that need to hire and pay people internationally, including in countries where they have no legal entity. Its employer-of-record model, 150+ country reach, and Astute Payroll capability (via the Paygroup acquisition) for AU payroll make it a strong fit where global hiring flexibility and contractor/EOR management matter as much as, or more than, deep single-jurisdiction payroll.

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 Deel. Some organisations run Ace Payroll or Deel 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 Deel better for Australian payroll?

Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned. Deel is a global hiring, EOR and payroll platform spanning 150+ countries. 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 Deel handle New Zealand payroll?

Ace Payroll: Native IRD Payday Filing, KiwiSaver and ACC levies. Deel: NZ payroll within global platform; Holidays Act 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 Deel?

Ace Payroll is a low-cost desktop payroll tool for small NZ businesses, now being decommissioned, while Deel is a global hiring, EOR and payroll platform spanning 150+ countries. 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 Deel?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not try to match Ace Payroll or Deel 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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