Comparison Guide

Aurion 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

Aurion and Payroll Metrics are both Australian-focused payroll platforms, but they serve different buyers. Aurion is an established Australian payroll and HR platform of 35+ years with government-grade certifications and a broad HR suite. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one payroll, workforce management and advanced rostering platform for AU and NZ. 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 Aurion and Payroll Metrics differ

Aurion has built its business on Australian payroll and HR over more than three decades. It offers an established award interpretation engine, a broader HR suite (recruitment, performance, learning, WHS), and delivery via SaaS, APaaS and MPaaS. Its government-grade certifications – IRAP, ASAE 3402 Type 2, ISO 9001, ISO 27001 – make it a familiar choice in Australian public-sector payroll. Its NZ coverage is limited to tax updates and banking interfaces.

Payroll Metrics, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakleigh, Victoria, is an independently owned 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: Aurion is the long-established Australian payroll and HR platform with government certification and HR breadth; Payroll Metrics is the independent AU/NZ specialist with integrated workforce management. Both are Australian-focused; NZ depth should be confirmed directly with each.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Aurion 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	Aurion	Payroll Metrics	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Native / strong: Established AU award interpretation engine	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)	Not offered: NZ tax updates & banking only; AU-focused	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: Full compliance	Native / strong: Integrated STP & SuperStream via accredited gateway	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: DataSmart analytics (post-run), 100+ reports	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	Not offered: AU-focused	Not offered: AU/NZ focus	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Government / IRAP certification	Native / strong: IRAP, ASAE 3402 Type 2, ISO 9001 – government payroll	Available / partial: ISO 27001:2022 / 27701 certified; IRAP not claimed	Available / partial: ISO 27001 certified; IRAP not claimed
Workforce management	Available / partial: Timekeeper (timesheets, work patterns)	Native / strong: Integrated timesheets, WFM & advanced rostering	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: SaaS, APaaS, MPaaS (AU-focused)	Available / partial: SaaS; managed services available (confirm)	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Available / partial: Australian support; NZ limited	Native / strong: AU-based support & development teams	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where Aurion fits

Aurion is built for Australian organisations – particularly in government and the public sector – that need an established payroll and HR platform with government-grade certification. Its IRAP, ASAE 3402 Type 2 and ISO 9001 credentials, established award interpretation engine, and broader HR suite (recruitment, performance, learning, WHS) are genuine strengths for AU-centric employers.

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 Aurion optimises for Australian government-grade payroll and HR breadth and Payroll Metrics for integrated AU/NZ workforce management, Affinity optimises for AU/NZ payroll depth across both countries. 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aurion or Payroll Metrics better for Australian payroll?

Both are Australian-focused platforms with established award interpretation. Aurion adds government-grade certification and a broader HR suite; Payroll Metrics adds integrated timesheets, workforce management and advanced rostering. 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 Aurion and Payroll Metrics handle New Zealand payroll?

Aurion's NZ coverage is limited to tax updates and banking interfaces; it is AU-focused. 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 Aurion and Payroll Metrics?

Aurion is an established Australian payroll and HR platform with government-grade certification and HR breadth. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one AU/NZ payroll, workforce management and rostering platform. Aurion optimises for AU government-grade payroll and HR; Payroll Metrics optimises for integrated local workforce management.

How does Affinity compare to Aurion and Payroll Metrics?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not compete on Aurion's HR breadth or government certification stack; 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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