Frontier Software vs Rippling – how they compare for AU/NZ payroll

How Frontier Software and Rippling differ

Frontier Software and Rippling approach workforce technology from opposite directions. Frontier Software has spent 40+ years building depth in payroll and full HCM (recruitment, talent, learning, HR) with local AU/NZ office presence and its own ichris engine spanning 26 countries. Rippling, by contrast, was built more recently around a single idea: that HR, IT device management, payroll, and finance should sit on one employee record, connected by automation and a large integration marketplace.

Put simply: Frontier Software is the longer-established, locally-staffed HCM and multi-country payroll vendor; Rippling is the newer, automation-first platform that treats payroll as one function among several unified systems. Both note AU payroll capability, but Rippling's NZ availability varies and should be confirmed directly, while Frontier Software's NZ compliance depth should also be verified for your specific scenario.

Where Frontier Software fits

Frontier Software is built for organisations that want multi-country payroll and full HCM breadth (recruitment, talent, learning, HR) delivered with local AU/NZ office support across Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, and Sydney. Its 40+ years of AU/NZ heritage and its own ichris engine spanning 26 countries are genuine strengths for buyers who want payroll depth alongside HCM breadth from one long-standing vendor.

Where Rippling fits

Rippling is built for organisations that want HR, IT, payroll, and finance unified in one automated system. If provisioning laptops, managing app access, and running payroll from a single employee record matters more than deep local payroll nuance, Rippling's 650+ integrations and modern interface are compelling.

Where Affinity fits

Where Frontier Software spreads its investment across 26 countries and a full HCM suite, and Rippling optimises for cross-functional unification, Affinity concentrates entirely on 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 to AU/NZ being one part of a broader platform. Some organisations run Frontier Software or Rippling for their multi-country or unification needs and Affinity for their most complex AU/NZ payroll operation.