Comparison Guide

Definitiv vs Frontier Software – 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

Definitiv and Frontier Software are both established AU/NZ HCM and payroll platforms, with different profiles. Definitiv is a cloud-native Australian payroll and workforce-management platform, now part of The Access Group, focused on complex awards and integrated rostering. Frontier Software is a long-established AU/NZ HCM vendor with a full HR suite and multi-country payroll across 26 nations. 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 Definitiv and Frontier Software differ

Definitiv is a cloud-native AU specialist. Originally built in Perth and now owned by The Access Group (a UK-headquartered global software group), it markets Definitiv Evo across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with a 100% configurable Award Engine and purpose-built rostering that flows live time-tracking into costed payroll.

Frontier Software has 40-plus years of AU/NZ HCM heritage, with local offices in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney. Its ichris payroll engine covers 26 countries, and it offers a full HCM suite spanning payroll, recruitment, talent, learning and HR, plus modules such as HCI21 (post-run analytics), IWF21 (workflow) and API21 (integration).

The core distinction: Definitiv offers a cloud-native award engine with integrated workforce management, while Frontier Software offers a broad HCM suite with 26-country payroll coverage. Both are genuinely AU/NZ-focused, with Frontier extending further internationally.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Definitiv and Frontier Software 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	Definitiv	Frontier Software	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Native / strong: 100% configurable Award Engine – built for complex AU awards/EBAs	Native / strong: Established AU/NZ award interpretation (ichris)	Native / strong: Configurable engine – modern awards, EBAs, shift penalties, allowance stacking
NZ compliance (Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, IRD)	Available / partial: NZ payroll supported (also Singapore); confirm Holidays Act depth	Native / strong: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – verify depth	Native / strong: Purpose-built Holidays Act engine, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing, NZ team
STP Phase 2 & superannuation	Native / strong: Supported	Native / strong: Supported	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: Evo Copilot AI insights + costed payroll (confirm pre-payslip anomaly layer)	Available / partial: HCI21 post-run analytics (no pre-payslip anomaly layer)	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Not offered: AU/NZ/Singapore focus – not broad multi-country	Native / strong: 26 countries (ichris)	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
HR / talent breadth	Available / partial: HR + WFM in-platform; wider suite via Access Group products	Native / strong: Full HCM (recruitment, talent, learning, HR)	Not offered: Not offered – integrates with specialist HRIS
Workforce management	Native / strong: Purpose-built rostering, time tracking, costed payroll	Available / partial: Available	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: SaaS; managed/outsourced payroll available (confirm)	Native / strong: Software licensing, hosted, outsourced payroll	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Available / partial: AU-based; part of global Access Group (confirm named-local model)	Native / strong: Local offices – Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where Definitiv fits

Definitiv is built for mid-to-large Australian organisations with complex, multi-award structures that want a cloud-native platform combining a 100% configurable Award Engine with integrated rostering and costed payroll. Backed by The Access Group and with data hosted in Australia, it suits businesses wanting AU-focused depth that also extends to NZ and Singapore.

Where Frontier Software fits

Frontier Software is built for AU/NZ organisations that want a full HCM suite – payroll, recruitment, talent, learning and HR – from one long-established local vendor, with the ability to run payroll across 26 countries via ichris. Its 40-plus years of heritage and local offices in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney are genuine strengths for organisations wanting breadth alongside AU/NZ payroll.

Where Affinity fits

Where Definitiv leads on a cloud-native award engine with WFM, and Frontier Software on HCM breadth and 26-country coverage, 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Definitiv or Frontier Software better for Australian payroll?

Both handle Australian payroll well. Definitiv is a cloud-native AU specialist with a 100% configurable Award Engine and integrated rostering; Frontier Software brings established ichris award interpretation within a broad HCM suite. 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 Definitiv and Frontier Software handle New Zealand payroll?

Definitiv supports NZ (and Singapore) payroll, with Holidays Act depth to confirm directly. Frontier Software offers NZ compliance including Holidays Act and Payday Filing, with depth to verify directly. 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 Definitiv and Frontier Software?

Definitiv is a cloud-native AU payroll and workforce-management platform, owned by The Access Group, focused on complex awards and integrated rostering. Frontier Software is a long-established AU/NZ HCM vendor with a full HR suite and 26-country payroll via ichris. Definitiv optimises for cloud-native award depth with WFM; Frontier optimises for HCM breadth.

How does Affinity compare to Definitiv and Frontier Software?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not compete on Definitiv's Access Group scale or Frontier's HCM breadth and multi-country coverage; 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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