Frontier Software vs MicrOpay – 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

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries; MicrOpay is an established Australian payroll application from The Access Group. The main differences are HR breadth, multi-country coverage and NZ depth.

How Frontier Software and MicrOpay differ

Frontier Software is an established AU/NZ HCM vendor with 40+ years of history and local offices in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne and Sydney. Its ichris payroll engine covers 26 countries, and its modules span recruitment, talent, learning and HR, alongside HCI21 analytics and IWF21 workflow tools.

MicrOpay (now branded Access MicrOpay Evo) is a long-standing Australian payroll application owned by The Access Group, which acquired it as part of Sage's Australian and Asian businesses in 2021. It runs as Windows software on the customer's own servers or hosted by Access (Access Payroll Online), and has shipped STP Phase 2 and Payday Super updates, an integrated super clearing house, and an Evo layer adding dashboards, analytics and an AI Copilot.

The core distinction for a buyer is what each platform was built to optimise for: Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries, while MicrOpay is an established Australian payroll application, owned by The Access Group, that runs on-premise or hosted by Access. 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 Frontier Software and MicrOpay 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	Frontier Software	MicrOpay	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Native / strong: Established AU/NZ award interpretation (ichris)	Available / partial: Award coverage claimed; complex rules may rely on separate award interpreters – confirm directly	Native / strong: Configurable engine – modern awards, EBAs, shift penalties, allowance stacking
NZ compliance (Holidays Act, KiwiSaver, IRD)	Native / strong: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – depth to confirm	Available / partial: NZ payday filing & KiwiSaver documented; Holidays Act depth not verified	Native / strong: Purpose-built Holidays Act engine, KiwiSaver, Payday Filing, NZ team
STP Phase 2 & superannuation	Native / strong: Supported	Native / strong: STP Phase 2; Payday Super release (9.5 SP1) with integrated super clearing	Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Payday Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence	Available / partial: HCI21 analytics (workforce trend analysis, not transaction-level pre-payslip checking)	Available / partial: Evo analytics & AI Copilot (higher tiers); not a dedicated pre-payslip anomaly engine	Native / strong: Payroll IQ – anomaly & variance checking before the payslip runs
Global / multi-country coverage	Native / strong: 26 countries (ichris)	Not offered: AU/NZ focus	Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
Workforce management	Available / partial: Available	Available / partial: Mainly via integrations / other Access products	Native / strong: Integrated WFM with real-time labour costing
Delivery / managed payroll	Native / strong: Software licensing, hosted, outsourced payroll	Native / strong: On-premise or Access-hosted; outsourcing service available	Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support	Native / strong: Local offices – Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney	Available / partial: Access support portal & account managers; named-contact model to confirm	Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where Frontier Software fits

Frontier Software is built for organisations that want a full HCM suite – payroll, recruitment, talent and learning – from a vendor with genuine long-standing AU/NZ offices and multi-country reach through its ichris platform. Its 40+ years of local history, 26-country coverage, and HCI21/IWF21 tooling make it a strong fit for organisations consolidating HCM breadth with a vendor that still has real local presence.

Where MicrOpay fits

MicrOpay is built for Australian organisations – typically small to mid-sized, running payroll in-house – that want a familiar, long-established payroll engine with the option of on-premise or Access-hosted delivery. Its large installed base, Payday Super-ready releases with built-in super clearing, and the newer Evo analytics and Copilot layer make it a strong fit where continuity with a known AU payroll application matters more than deep NZ coverage or enterprise award complexity.

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 Frontier Software or MicrOpay. Some organisations run Frontier Software or MicrOpay 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 Frontier Software or MicrOpay better for Australian payroll?

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries. MicrOpay is an established Australian payroll application, owned by The Access Group, that runs on-premise or hosted by Access. 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 Frontier Software and MicrOpay handle New Zealand payroll?

Frontier Software: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – depth to confirm. MicrOpay: NZ payday filing & KiwiSaver documented; Holidays Act depth not verified. 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 Frontier Software and MicrOpay?

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries, while MicrOpay is an established Australian payroll application, owned by The Access Group, that runs on-premise or hosted by Access. 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 Frontier Software and MicrOpay?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not try to match Frontier Software or MicrOpay 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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