Comparison Guide

ADP vs Payroll Metrics – how they compare for AU/NZ payroll

For: Payroll Managers, HR Leaders, Finance Directors|11 min read|Last updated: July 2026

This comparison is published by Affinity. Vendor information is based on publicly available sources. Contact each provider directly for their current capabilities.

Summary

ADP and Payroll Metrics sit at opposite ends of the payroll market. ADP is a global payroll and HCM provider operating in 140+ countries, built for multi-country consolidation and outsourced managed payroll at scale. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one payroll, workforce management and rostering platform focused on Australia and New Zealand. Alongside them, this page shows how Affinity, a dedicated AU/NZ payroll platform, compares for organisations whose complexity is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand.

How ADP and Payroll Metrics differ

ADP built its business on payroll at scale – decades of heritage, operations in 140+ countries, and multi-country platforms (GlobalView and Celergo) designed to consolidate payroll for large multinationals, alongside a full HCM suite and outsourced managed payroll. It is a natural fit for organisations that need one established, publicly listed provider spanning many jurisdictions.

Payroll Metrics comes at the problem from the local end. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakleigh, Victoria, it is an independently owned Australian vendor offering integrated payroll, timesheets, workforce management and advanced rostering for AU and NZ, with multi-award and EBA support through custom work patterns.

Put simply: ADP is the global-scale payroll and HCM provider; Payroll Metrics is the independent AU/NZ specialist with integrated workforce management. Both offer AU payroll, and NZ depth should be confirmed directly with each – for ADP, Australia is one country within a much larger global footprint, while for Payroll Metrics the AU/NZ region is the core focus.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of ADP and Payroll Metrics 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	ADP	Payroll Metrics	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Available / partial: Available; depth for complex EBAs to be evaluated	Native / strong: Multi-award/EBA support with custom work patterns	Native / strong: Configurable engine – modern awards, EBAs, shift penalties, allowance stacking
NZ compliance (Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, IRD)	Available / partial: NZ payroll available; confirm Holidays Act depth	Available / partial: Supports NZ tax obligations & workplaces; confirm Holidays Act depth	Native / strong: Purpose-built Holidays Act engine, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing, NZ team
STP Phase 2 & superannuation	Native / strong: Supported	Native / strong: Integrated STP & SuperStream via accredited gateway	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: Platform analytics & insights	Available / partial: Compliance automation & reporting (confirm pre-payslip anomaly layer)	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Native / strong: 140+ countries (GlobalView / Celergo)	Not offered: AU/NZ focus	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
HR / talent breadth	Native / strong: Full HCM suite	Available / partial: Payroll + WFM focus (not a broad HR/talent suite)	Not offered: Not offered – integrates with specialist HRIS
Workforce management	Available / partial: Available across suite	Native / strong: Integrated timesheets, WFM & advanced rostering	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: Software + outsourced managed payroll	Available / partial: SaaS; managed services available (confirm)	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Available / partial: Global support, local ANZ presence	Native / strong: AU-based support & development teams	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where ADP fits

ADP is built for organisations that need consolidated payroll across many countries with one established, publicly listed provider – and, for those who want it, outsourced managed payroll and a full HCM suite. Its scale, longevity, and multi-country platforms are genuine strengths for large multinationals.

Where Payroll Metrics fits

Payroll Metrics is built for AU/NZ organisations that want payroll, timesheets, workforce management and advanced rostering integrated in one platform from an independent local vendor. Founded in 2013 and based in Oakleigh, Victoria, it supports multi-award and EBA scenarios through custom work patterns and carries strong security and privacy certifications (ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27701:2019, ISO 9001:2015) on an Australian Azure Tier 1 data centre, with AU-based support and development teams.

Where Affinity fits

Where ADP optimises for global breadth and Payroll Metrics for integrated AU/NZ workforce management, Affinity optimises for AU/NZ payroll depth. For organisations whose payroll complexity is concentrated in Australia and New Zealand – many modern awards, EBAs, Holidays Act calculations, STP Phase 2, Pay Day Super – a specialist engine with pre-payslip intelligence, delivery-model flexibility, local data residency, and named local support is a different proposition. Affinity leads on NZ Holidays Act depth, Payroll IQ pre-payslip intelligence, and a delivery model spanning SaaS, Supported and Fully Managed payroll, all on a single secure AU/NZ database with named local contacts. Many multinationals run a global platform for reach and Affinity for their complex AU/NZ operation.

Frequently asked questions

Is ADP or Payroll Metrics better for Australian payroll?

Both handle Australian payroll, but from different starting points. ADP treats Australia as one country within a global platform and offers outsourced managed payroll; Payroll Metrics is an AU-focused vendor with integrated workforce management and multi-award support through custom work patterns. For complex modern awards or EBAs, test either against your specific scenarios – or evaluate an AU/NZ specialist such as Affinity, whose award interpretation engine is purpose-built for that complexity.

Do ADP and Payroll Metrics handle New Zealand payroll?

ADP offers NZ payroll as part of its ANZ operations, though depth of Holidays Act interpretation should be confirmed directly. Payroll Metrics supports NZ tax obligations and workplaces, and its Holidays Act depth should be confirmed directly with the vendor. NZ payroll – Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing with IRD – requires deep local engine work. Affinity runs a purpose-built NZ engine with an NZ-based support team on the same platform as its Australian payroll.

What is the main difference between ADP and Payroll Metrics?

ADP is a global payroll and HCM provider focused on multi-country payroll and outsourced managed services. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one AU/NZ payroll, workforce management and rostering platform. ADP optimises for global scale and HCM breadth; Payroll Metrics optimises for integrated local workforce management.

How does Affinity compare to ADP and Payroll Metrics?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not compete on ADP's global multi-country reach or full HCM breadth; 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.

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