Datacom Datapay vs PayGlobal – how they compare for AU/NZ payroll

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

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

The short version

Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal are both enterprise payroll engines with New Zealand roots, owned by Datacom and MYOB respectively. The main differences are delivery model, native rostering and the wider ecosystem each sits in.

How Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal differ

Datacom Datapay comes from Datacom, a NZ-headquartered technology company with 60+ years of history, for which payroll is one part of a much broader IT services portfolio. Datapay serves enterprise customers while Smartly serves small NZ businesses; Datacom is well known for its five-step Holidays Act remediation work and NZPPA-certified consultants.

PayGlobal is an enterprise payroll and workforce management system founded in Christchurch in 1991 and acquired by MYOB in 2014. It is typically used by larger AU/NZ organisations (commonly 200+ employees) across sectors such as manufacturing, construction, healthcare and retail, runs on-premise or as MYOB-hosted PayGlobal Online, and includes native rostering, time and attendance, HR and self-service modules alongside configurable award rules.

The core distinction for a buyer is what each platform was built to optimise for: Datacom Datapay is a New Zealand enterprise payroll platform within a broader technology services business, while PayGlobal is an enterprise payroll and workforce management system for larger Australian and New Zealand organisations, owned by MYOB. 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.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal 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	Datacom Datapay	PayGlobal	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Available / partial: AU payroll via Datapay (STP2, super)	Native / strong: Configurable award rules and interpreters (setup-dependent)	Native / strong: Configurable engine – modern awards, EBAs, shift penalties, allowance stacking
NZ compliance (Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, IRD)	Native / strong: Strong NZ; five-step Holidays Act remediation	Native / strong: Payday filing & KiwiSaver supported; confirm readiness for upcoming NZ leave law changes	Native / strong: Purpose-built Holidays Act engine, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing, NZ team
STP Phase 2 & superannuation	Native / strong: Supported (AU via Datapay)	Native / strong: STP Phase 2; Payday Super released June 2026	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Payday Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: Payroll Assistant AI + analytics module (no dedicated pre-payslip anomaly layer)	Available / partial: Super Guarantee risk flags noted; no AI features found	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Not offered: NZ/AU focus	Available / partial: AU/NZ focus; some Pacific/UK deployments reported via partners	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Workforce management	Available / partial: Available	Native / strong: Native rostering and time & attendance modules	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: Datapay software + managed (NZPPA-certified)	Available / partial: On-premise or MYOB-hosted (PayGlobal Online); outsourcing via partners	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Native / strong: NZPPA-certified NZ consultants	Available / partial: MYOB enterprise support, account managers & partners; model to confirm	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where Datacom Datapay fits

Datacom Datapay is built for organisations – especially in New Zealand – that want deep Holidays Act expertise and NZPPA-certified consultants backed by a much larger IT services organisation. Its five-step Holidays Act remediation methodology, Payroll Assistant AI tool, and broader Datacom technology ecosystem make it a strong fit where NZ payroll compliance depth and a single relationship with a large local technology provider matter most.

Where PayGlobal fits

PayGlobal is built for larger AU/NZ organisations with complex, high-volume, multi-award workforces that want a highly configurable payroll engine with native rostering and time and attendance. Its cross-Tasman footprint, configurable award rules, and ongoing MYOB investment (including Payday Super releases and a new REST API in 2026) make it a strong fit for enterprises that value configurability and an established ANZ partner ecosystem.

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 Datacom Datapay or PayGlobal. Some organisations run Datacom Datapay or PayGlobal 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 Datacom Datapay or PayGlobal better for Australian payroll?

Datacom Datapay is a New Zealand enterprise payroll platform within a broader technology services business. PayGlobal is an enterprise payroll and workforce management system for larger Australian and New Zealand organisations, owned by MYOB. 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 Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal handle New Zealand payroll?

Datacom Datapay: Strong NZ; five-step Holidays Act remediation. PayGlobal: Payday filing & KiwiSaver supported; confirm readiness for upcoming NZ leave law changes. 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 Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal?

Datacom Datapay is a New Zealand enterprise payroll platform within a broader technology services business, while PayGlobal is an enterprise payroll and workforce management system for larger Australian and New Zealand organisations, owned by MYOB. 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 Datacom Datapay and PayGlobal?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not try to match Datacom Datapay or PayGlobal 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.

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