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New: HelloTime now integrates with HelloBooks — sync clients, hours, invoices and payroll.

HelloTime vs KeyPay: an honest comparison

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TL;DR

  • KeyPay (now branded Employment Hero Payroll) is a dedicated, STP-Phase-2-certified payroll engine sold direct and through accountant partners — HelloTime is a time-tracking product whose hours, leave and allowances flow into HelloBooks Payroll, which lodges STP Phase 2 itself.
  • KeyPay's standout strengths are its mature AU Modern Award interpretation library and its strong partner ecosystem with bookkeepers, accountants and time tools (Deputy, Tanda) feeding into it.
  • Pick HelloTime + HelloBooks if you want a single AU stack for time, books and payroll under one bill; pick KeyPay if you have a specialist bookkeeper running payroll and need its award engine as the system of record.
Try HelloTime freeBook a demoVisit KeyPay's site →
HQ
Sydney, Australia (now part of Employment Hero)
Country focus
AU / NZ / UK / SG / MY
Entry pricing
Partner-channel pricing — verify with vendor
Free tier
No (free trial / partner demo)

Feature-by-feature: HelloTime vs KeyPay

CapabilityHelloTimeKeyPay
Pricing (entry plan)AU$3.50 / user / mo (annual)Partner-channel, list typically AU$4–6 / employee / mo — verify with vendorKeyPay sells primarily through accountants/bookkeepers and Employment Hero plans; per-seat list price is not consistently published.
Country focusAU / IN / GlobalAU / NZ / UK / SG / MY
STP Phase 2 lodgementYes — via HelloBooks Payroll (native sync)Yes — KeyPay is STP-certified directly
Payroll integration depthNative HelloBooks sync (hours, leave, allowances)Standalone payroll engine; integrates with Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks for the books
Time tracking & timesheetsFirst-class — desktop, web, mobile, kioskBasic clock-on / clock-off; pairs with Deputy, Tanda, ClockOn, Roubler for depth
Shift schedulingBasic shifts and rostersLight rostering; deeper rosters via integrated time tools
Geofencing / clock-in methodsGPS, web, mobile, kiosk PIN, photo at clock-inMobile clock-on with GPS; biometric / kiosk via integrated time partners
Mobile appiOS + Android (employee + admin)iOS + Android (Swag App for employees)
Leave managementYes — accruals sync to HelloBooksYes — award-aware accruals, leave categories and rules engine
AU awards interpretationStub — partial, via HelloBooks PayrollYes — KeyPay's flagship strength, broad Modern Award library
Accounting integrationBuilt-in (HelloBooks) — one tenancy, one billBring-your-own GL — Xero, MYOB Business, QuickBooks Online

Pricing and feature parity check on 2026-05-13. Vendors update plans frequently — see KeyPay's site for the current list.

When to choose HelloTime

  • You want a single, transparent per-seat bill for time + books + payroll without coordinating an accountant partner.
  • Your award interpretation needs are common (penalty rates, ordinary-hours splits, public holidays) rather than deep industry-specific clauses.
  • You prefer self-serve onboarding to a bookkeeper-mediated rollout.

When to choose KeyPay

  • AU Modern Award interpretation is your central compliance problem and you need the deepest engine on the market.
  • You already have a bookkeeper or accountant who runs payroll on KeyPay and you want to keep that workflow intact.
  • You want payroll to be the system of record and time tools (Deputy, Tanda, HelloTime) to feed into it.

HelloTime vs KeyPay: FAQ

Is KeyPay still called KeyPay?

KeyPay was acquired by Employment Hero and is now branded Employment Hero Payroll, but the underlying engine and partner channel still trade under the KeyPay name in many AU bookkeeping firms. Both names refer to the same STP-Phase-2-certified product.

Does HelloTime sync with HelloBooks payroll?

Yes — natively. Approved timesheets, leave balances and allowances flow into HelloBooks Payroll, which lodges STP Phase 2 with the ATO. There is no CSV step and no third-party connector.

Can HelloTime replace KeyPay outright?

If your award rules are common (most office, professional services and field-light teams), HelloTime + HelloBooks Payroll covers them. If you rely on deep industry-specific Modern Award clauses (aged care, retail-mix, complex hospitality), KeyPay's library is still ahead today.

Does KeyPay handle STP Phase 2 directly?

Yes — KeyPay is STP-Phase-2 certified by the ATO and lodges directly. HelloTime is not a payroll engine; it sends approved hours and leave into HelloBooks Payroll, which lodges STP Phase 2 instead.

Is HelloTime cheaper than KeyPay?

KeyPay's pricing varies sharply by partner channel and Employment Hero plan tier. HelloTime starts at AU$3.50 / user / mo (annual), and HelloBooks Payroll replaces a separate KeyPay subscription — most teams without an existing bookkeeping relationship see lower total cost-of-ownership.

Can I migrate from KeyPay to HelloBooks Payroll?

Yes — employees, leave balances, pay rates and YTD figures via CSV. Award rules need to be re-built; we scope this with you (and your bookkeeper, if you have one) before signing.

Which is better for a 30-person AU agency?

If your team is mostly office / hybrid with simple awards, HelloTime + HelloBooks Payroll is leaner, cheaper and self-serve. If you have deep award rules or a long-standing bookkeeper running KeyPay, leave KeyPay in place and feed it from HelloTime hours via export.

HelloTime features

Time tracking, timesheets, productivity insights, leave and approvals — the full product surface.

Learn more →

HelloBooks integration

The native payroll sync — STP Phase 2 lodgement, leave accruals and allowances without a connector.

Learn more →

Pricing

Per-seat pricing, AU rates, free trial details and volume discounts.

Learn more →

Other AU-focused comparisons

HelloTime vs Deputy

From AU$4.50 / user / mo (Scheduling or Time & Attendance) — verify with vendor

HelloTime vs Tanda

Quote-based — verify with vendor

HelloTime vs Employment Hero

From AU$7 / employee / mo (Standard) — verify with vendor

HelloTime vs Clockify

From US$3.99 / user / mo (annual)

HelloTime vs MYOB Team

Bundled with eligible MYOB Business plans (no per-seat charge)

HelloTime vs Xero Me

Bundled with Xero Payroll (no per-seat charge)

HelloTime vs When I Work

From US$2.50 / user / mo (Essentials, scheduling-only) — verify with vendor

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