Comparison Guide

Datacom Datapay 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

Datacom Datapay and Payroll Metrics are both AU/NZ-focused payroll platforms with different roots. Datacom Datapay is the payroll product of Datacom, an NZ-headquartered technology company of 60+ years, with particular strength in New Zealand Holidays Act remediation. 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 Datacom Datapay and Payroll Metrics differ

Datacom Datapay sits inside Datacom, a broad NZ technology and IT services business. Payroll is one part of that portfolio, with Datapay serving enterprise and Smartly serving small business. Its heritage is strongest in New Zealand, where it is known for a five-step Holidays Act remediation approach and NZPPA-certified consultants, and it also runs AU payroll (STP Phase 2, super) via Datapay.

Payroll Metrics, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakleigh, Victoria, 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: Datacom Datapay brings deep NZ payroll heritage within a broad technology business; Payroll Metrics brings an independent, integrated AU/NZ workforce platform. Both operate across AU and NZ; the depth of each in the other's home market should be confirmed directly.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Datacom Datapay 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	Datacom Datapay	Payroll Metrics	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Available / partial: AU payroll via Datapay (STP2, super)	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)	Native / strong: Strong NZ; five-step Holidays Act remediation	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 (AU via Datapay)	Native / strong: Integrated STP & SuperStream via accredited gateway	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: Payroll Assistant AI + analytics (no pre-payslip anomaly layer)	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: NZ/AU focus	Not offered: AU/NZ focus	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Workforce management	Available / partial: Available	Native / strong: Integrated timesheets, WFM & advanced rostering	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: Datapay software + managed (NZPPA-certified)	Available / partial: SaaS; managed services available (confirm)	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Native / strong: NZPPA-certified NZ consultants	Native / strong: AU-based support & development teams	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 value deep NZ payroll heritage, Holidays Act remediation experience, and NZPPA-certified consultants, backed by the broader Datacom technology ecosystem. Its enterprise Datapay product plus Smartly for small business give it reach across employer sizes.

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 Datacom Datapay brings NZ payroll heritage within a broad technology business and Payroll Metrics brings integrated AU/NZ workforce management, Affinity optimises for AU/NZ payroll depth across both countries on one platform. 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 Datacom Datapay or Payroll Metrics better for Australian payroll?

Both handle Australian payroll. Datacom Datapay runs AU payroll (STP Phase 2, super) via Datapay, though its heritage is strongest in New Zealand; 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 Datacom Datapay and Payroll Metrics handle New Zealand payroll?

Datacom Datapay has strong NZ heritage, including a five-step Holidays Act remediation approach and NZPPA-certified consultants. 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 Datacom Datapay and Payroll Metrics?

Datacom Datapay is the payroll product of a broad NZ technology company, with particular NZ Holidays Act strength. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one AU/NZ payroll, workforce management and rostering platform. Datacom optimises for NZ payroll heritage within a wider IT ecosystem; Payroll Metrics optimises for integrated local workforce management.

How does Affinity compare to Datacom Datapay and Payroll Metrics?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It focuses purely on payroll and integrated workforce management across both countries; 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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