Comparison Guide

Frontier Software 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

Frontier Software and Payroll Metrics are both established AU/NZ-focused platforms, but with different scope. Frontier Software is a long-standing AU/NZ HCM vendor whose ichris engine spans 26 countries and pairs payroll with a full HR suite. 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 Frontier Software and Payroll Metrics differ

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

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: Frontier Software is the established AU/NZ HCM suite with multi-country payroll reach and HR breadth; Payroll Metrics is the independent AU/NZ specialist with integrated workforce management and advanced rostering. Both are strongly AU/NZ-focused; NZ depth should be confirmed directly with each.

Feature comparison

A neutral comparison of Frontier Software 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: Native / strongAvailable / partial: Available / partialNot offered: Not offered
CapabilityFrontier SoftwarePayroll MetricsAU/NZ specialistAffinity
AU award & EBA interpretation
Native / strong: Established AU/NZ award interpretation (ichris)
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: NZ compliance (Holidays Act, Payday Filing) – verify depth
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
Native / strong: Integrated STP & SuperStream via accredited gateway
Native / strong: Full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Pre-payslip intelligence
Available / partial: HCI21 post-run 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
Native / strong: 26 countries (ichris)
Not offered: AU/NZ focus
Not offered: AU/NZ focus – not multi-country
HR / talent breadth
Native / strong: Full HCM (recruitment, talent, learning, HR)
Available / partial: Payroll + WFM focus (not a broad HR/talent suite)
Not offered: Not offered – integrates with specialist HRIS
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: Software licensing, hosted, outsourced payroll
Available / partial: SaaS; managed services available (confirm)
Native / strong: SaaS, Supported & Fully Managed on one platform
Named local AU/NZ support
Native / strong: Local offices – Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney
Native / strong: AU-based support & development teams
Native / strong: Named AU/NZ contacts who know your configuration

Where Frontier Software fits

Frontier Software is built for AU/NZ organisations that want an established HCM suite – payroll plus recruitment, talent, learning and HR – with multi-country payroll reach through ichris and local offices across Australia and New Zealand. Its longevity, HR breadth and 26-country coverage are genuine strengths for employers wanting one broad suite.

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 Frontier Software optimises for HCM breadth and multi-country reach and Payroll Metrics for integrated AU/NZ workforce management, Affinity optimises for AU/NZ payroll depth. 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 Frontier Software or Payroll Metrics better for Australian payroll?

Both are AU/NZ-focused platforms with established award interpretation. Frontier Software adds a full HCM suite and 26-country reach through ichris; Payroll Metrics adds integrated timesheets, workforce management and advanced rostering. 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 Frontier Software and Payroll Metrics handle New Zealand payroll?

Frontier Software offers NZ compliance including Holidays Act and Payday Filing, though depth should be verified directly. 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 Frontier Software and Payroll Metrics?

Frontier Software is an established AU/NZ HCM suite with multi-country payroll and HR breadth. Payroll Metrics is an independent Australian vendor with an all-in-one AU/NZ payroll, workforce management and rostering platform. Frontier optimises for HCM breadth and reach; Payroll Metrics optimises for integrated local workforce management.

How does Affinity compare to Frontier Software and Payroll Metrics?

Affinity is an AU/NZ enterprise payroll specialist. It does not compete on Frontier's HR breadth or multi-country reach; 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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