ConnX vs Definitiv – how they compare for AU/NZ payroll

How do ConnX and Definitiv differ?

ConnX is an Australian HR software vendor with its head office in Milton, Brisbane. Company profiles list a 2003 founding, and ConnX says it has 20+ years of experience and 500+ clients. It is a modular, web-based HR system covering core HR, payroll self-service, recruitment, paperless onboarding, performance management, learning, leave, workplace health and safety, workflow automation and timesheets with award interpretation.

The structural point is that ConnX does not calculate or process pay, lodge STP or pay super. Those happen in the connected payroll system, with ConnX passing data to and from payroll through an interface. ConnX lists MicrOpay (database or API integration) as its main and best-documented integration, a database integration with HR3 Payroll (ReadyTech), an API integration with Definitiv, and file-based import and export for other payroll systems; some integrations may need the payroll vendor to install additional software.

Definitiv (marketed as Definitiv Evo) is a cloud-native payroll engine acquired by The Access Group in August 2021 and now part of Access's APAC portfolio. Its 100% configurable Award Engine is a recognised strength for complex, multi-award Australian payroll, alongside Evo Copilot, rostering, time tracking and costed payroll. It supports NZ payroll as well as Australia and Singapore, so confirm Holidays Act depth. Access has also named Definitiv as a replacement for the retired MicrOpay Employee Service Portal. Running two systems means two vendors, an interface to maintain, data that has to stay in sync, and a support boundary between HR/self-service and payroll. When something breaks between the two, it can be unclear which vendor owns the fix. That is not a criticism of either product – it is simply how a layered model works, and it is worth pricing in.

Where does ConnX fit?

ConnX fits organisations that already run a supported payroll system and want to add recruitment, paperless onboarding, performance, learning, WHS, workflow and employee and manager self-service on top. It is a layer you add to payroll rather than a replacement for it, with MicrOpay its best-documented pairing.

Where does Definitiv fit?

Definitiv fits organisations with complex Australian award structures that want a cloud-native payroll engine with rostering, time tracking and costed payroll in one platform. Owned by The Access Group, it suits buyers comfortable with a larger group's roadmap. Confirm HR and self-service scope, NZ Holidays Act depth and whether a fully managed option is available.

Where does Affinity fit?

Affinity is a different shape of answer: an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist where self-service is included with every plan and runs on the same data model as payroll, so approving leave in self-service is the same action as updating the payroll record. It handles Modern Awards, EBAs and leave entitlements natively, adds pre-payslip anomaly detection through Payroll IQ, and can be delivered as SaaS, Supported or Fully Managed. One honest gap: Affinity does not offer recruitment, performance, learning or WHS – it integrates with specialist HRIS products for those. Some organisations keep a payroll-plus-HR-layer stack; others consolidate payroll, workforce management and self-service on Affinity and integrate a specialist HRIS where recruitment or learning is needed.