Frontier Software 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

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll across 26 countries; PayGlobal is MYOB's configurable enterprise payroll engine for larger AU and NZ organisations. Both are long-standing cross-Tasman vendors; the differences are HR breadth, multi-country reach and native rostering.

How Frontier Software and PayGlobal 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.

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: Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries, 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 Frontier Software 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	Frontier Software	PayGlobal	AU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation	Native / strong: Established AU/NZ award interpretation (ichris)	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: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – depth to confirm	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	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: HCI21 analytics (workforce trend analysis, not transaction-level pre-payslip checking)	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	Native / strong: 26 countries (ichris)	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: Software licensing, hosted, outsourced payroll	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: Local offices – Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney	Available / partial: MYOB enterprise support, account managers & partners; 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 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 Frontier Software or PayGlobal. Some organisations run Frontier Software 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 Frontier Software or PayGlobal better for Australian payroll?

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries. 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 Frontier Software and PayGlobal handle New Zealand payroll?

Frontier Software: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – depth to confirm. 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 Frontier Software and PayGlobal?

Frontier Software is an AU/NZ HCM suite with payroll reach across 26 countries, 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 Frontier Software and PayGlobal?

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